The Another World

Back To Forest

"Oh! Just leave my hands, your grip is too tight. Leave me", Serin whined and then Asterin left her arm while walking into the corridors.

Serin rubbed and massaged her hands quickly which has red fingermarks of Asterin hands now. The Castle was seeming silent to Serin so she decided asked Asterin why was everywhere silence. "Do the castle is usually so silent in the morning or is it just today?", Serin mumbled glancing around.

"Everyone is sleeping because they were awake last night worrying for you. But once you regained consciousness I informed them and sent them to sleep back", Asterin let out with a sigh. "Even we are here, even if we talk and wander around the castle, it is, however, yet silent for us Serin. When Artemis used to stay here everything in the castle managed to lighten up here, everyone employed to cheer each other. But now everything has differed from earlier and when Damen goes away from Castle it becomes more silent", she added.

"Don't worry, we will find her again", Serin mumbled with a warm smile and patted Asterin's shoulder.

Asterin let out a chuckle and spoke, "Do you think finding Artemis is easy? We tried for the last 200 years, and despite having many powers and abilities nothing helped for locating her"

Serin simply nodded with a sigh and ignored her. She has so much to tell her, but what the introvert felt right was to prefer silence over a bicker. Even though Asterin and others wanted to give up because nothing helped them in past years to find out Artemis, Serin didn't want to give up. Because she was new there?

She wanted to find out where Artemis is and why she came into this world. She wanted to ask Artemis many questions once she will meet her and go back to her world though the little part of her mind was enjoying this place. Asterin read what Serin was thinking and let out a slight chuckle in her mind.

"We are late Asterin, will you walk fast?", Chen pleaded in frustration. Chen, Damen and two witches of Asterin including two wolves of Chen's group were waiting near the back gate of the castle.

Damen rolled up his eyes on Serin this time and continued to walk ahead towards the dark forest leaving everyone behind. Asterin too let out a sigh and followed him stomping her feet on the ground hard in annoyance.

"I was packing meals for you all", she confessed with a whine.

"I hope we won't fall sick after eating your meal, mam", Chen said pointedly and earned a kick on his legs from Asterin later.

"Serin we have to go today, not tomorrow. Come on follow us quickly", Asterin called out Serin in a loud voice enough for her to listen.

While everyone reached out of the gate, Serin was yet standing on her place inside the gate of the castle. She was glimpsing at them and was lost in her thoughts, thoughts about her best friends and her. The unforgettable moments she spent with them which she remembered looking at them all together.

When Asterin called out her, Serin came back from her flashbacks and nodded at her. Later, she followed them back and walked into the dark forest which wasn't looking scary anymore to her because she was with everyone whom she can trust they will protect her even if she doesn't like them.

»»——⍟——««

Elin searched for her sister Serin everywhere in the house, but she didn't found her anywhere. Her parents were confused why was she opening every door and peeking inside it with a worried look.

"Is everything okay? Did you lost something?", grandpa asked Elin who was searching for Serin in the washroom.

"Elin? Say dear what you lost we will help you in finding it", Mrs Smith said.

Elin closed the washroom door and walked towards her grandma who was knitting gloves, sitting on the couch. Elin ignored everyone's questions and decided to ask her first about Serin.

"Grandma? Did you saw unni sleeping in her room?", Elin asked with a frown face.

"Yes, she was in her room sleeping when I closed the door and came downstairs. Why?"

Elin's eyebrows met in confusion. "If she was in her room and we didn't see her coming down then where did she disappear?", Elin thought in her mind.

"Elin?"

"Elin!", Mr smith called out her name and shook her shoulders making her come back from her thoughts.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay with Serin?", he inquired.

"Se- Serin"

"What Serin?", Mrs smith threw away the napkin from her hands on the dining table and walk towards her.

"Serin isn't in her room. I- I even searched in other rooms, she wasn't anywhere. She is not in home eomma", a teardrop rolled down through Elin's cheek.

"Baby, why are you crying? She might be in her bathroom. Did you checked her room properly?", her parents asked her calmly and she nodded.

"Come let's go back in her room and search her", Mrs Smith said and took elin with her upstairs. While in the living room, behind them, both grandma and grandpa were looking at each other with a guilty face.

»»——⍟——««

After a long walk into the woods, they all rested at a place to drink water. "Everyone knows where to go right? Shall we split now?", Asterin raised a question.

"Do whatever you feel okay", Damen spoke.

"Why?", Serin interfered.

"What why?", Chen asked. "She can command us even if she is not out princess", he added bitterly and glared at Damen.

"We shall split now", Asterin muttered giving Chen a death glare.

"Wait wait", Serin stopped them. "What is going on? Why should we listen to you when we have our so-called prince with us who can't make a decision and command us", she taunted Damen.

Damen took a deep breath to calm down himself and walked towards Serin quickly. He grabbed her arms and dragged her away from everyone without wasting any time. "We are splitting, you can split as you want and be sure to come back at the castle before the sunset", he groaned before walking away with Serin in a dark forest.

"What the hell is this? Leave me!", Serin exclaimed. She tried her best to escape from his grip but he was tough to let her go. His eyes were changing colour again, they turned smokey black now.

After coming away long he loosened his grip and let Serin go. "What do you both couples eat? Are you both crazy to hold arms like this?", she whined.

"Couples? Do we look like a couple to you?", he asked with an annoyed face. His eyebrows furrowed and his dark eyes glaring towards her.

"Arent you?"

"Are you jealous?"

"Jealous for what?"

"Because I listen to her and goes for her decisions?"

"What craziness level is this? Why would I be jealous?"

Damen chuckled and walked close towards Serin while glaring her as if he would kill her. His sharp eyes were piercing deep into Serin's eyes making her take steps back from him.

"First of all learn to respect others Miss Serin Smith", he clenched his jaw. "She is Princess of The Star and I'm the Prince of The Moon, you must respect and follow our commands in a respectful manner", he added.

"A princess? Really?", Serin stopped at her place and asked excitedly. "I mean I doubted she would be one but I wasn't sure. Oh my god, I met a real princess? Serin you are lucky", serin began cheering herself and grabbed his arms to walk back at Asterin.

"Wait", he stopped her and shoved away her hands. " You have been suddenly possessed or what? Where are you going and why are you happy?", he asked her in puzzlement.

"I want to go with her. I always wanted to meet a real princess and look at her she is a witch. She can do magic too. Let's go back I want to go with her", Serin pleaded but Damen rolled up his eyes and hold her hands with his.

Instead of taking her back to Asterin, he took her towards deeper inside the dark forest. He was enjoying her childish behaviour while Serin was trying to escape from his grip with all her energy.

"Don't act stupid, we have bunches of the task to do before going back to Castle. Follow me quietly and obey my commands", he mumbled. He then pulled her forward from behind to beside her. "If you follow what I say, I will tell you the biggest secret then", he added with a smirk. His eyes changed colour and came back to normal dark brown eyes.

"What is secret about? And why your eyes keep changing colours?"

"Something you would like and it is a secret too", he winked at her making her gasp. "Let's go then", he added and Serin slightly nodded.

Serin didn't know but her hand was yet intertwined with Damen's hand. A smile touched on Damen's lips when he noticed her holding his hand and tightening each grip when she got scared of something or was when about to fall anywhere.

Damen was taking her towards the cave, same place where they first met and she was hit by an arrow. The walk was silent, Serin didn't know where the charming Prince was taking her towards but she was relieved that he was with her and this time she isn't walking alone in the scary dark forest covered with large trees and wild animals.

Once they reached the cave, Cerin recognized the place. It was where she came to rest when she was lost in the woods and met Forster's that night. Also, the place where she and Cavin got hit by arrows and then she met Damen for the first time.

"Why are we here?", she asked as if she didn't want to come here and let go Damen's hand.

"Because I wanted to know from where you came here"

"What-", she was cut off midsentence once she saw the same forest from where she ran up to this cave. "What if I find my way back this time?", she thought and a slight grin touched her lips.

"I'll show you that place where I found myself lying on the ground, let's go", she shouted while running inside the dark forest again. Damen face-palmed him and followed her back. He was amazed by how shortly she was getting mood swings.

"You know monkeys chased me when I accidentally hurt a baby monkey because he tried to climb on me", she giggled. "That place, I can't forget that place ever. In my world...", she continued. Damen was quietly listening to her talks while walking beside her.

Soon they reached the same open space, the centre of the dark forest, where Serin found herself lying on the ground and she took a glance around herself everywhere.