Chapter 20: The Forest of Illusione(2)

WRITER'S POV

“Blerghhh!!” Stefano fell back.

“I can't believe I almost drank blood,” Harry said, bending over, almost hurling.

“We have to be very careful now,” Luana said.

She then created a dome again to cover them.

“How are your powers, Harry?”

Harry tried conjuring something, but nothing came out.

“Shit.”

Stefano raked a hand through his messy silver hair. “So it's up to you and Ric to get us through this place. How long till we see the unicorn?”

“I don't know exactly,” Luana said.

“But if this is supposed to be a Forest of Illusion, how is what we are experiencing real?” Riccardo asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Luana thought for a moment, then spoke.

“I think some of it is real.”

“How is that?” Harry asked.

“Well, I read about the forest in one of the advanced magic textbooks back home, and I saw that some people who managed to leave the forest alive sustained injuries.”

“It didn't make sense to me back then because I thought the forest was just a myth. But since I saw it in my vision… turns out it's not.”

She sighed, face-palming herself.

“We could actually die in here if we aren't careful. And you two, who are like humans now—your situation is worse.”

“We'll walk in a straight line. You'll be in front, I'll be at the back, and the two of them will be in the middle,” Riccardo said.

“Sounds like a great plan. I'll still create armour for us.”

She conjured metal armours imbued with magic for the four of them.

She then lifted the dome and helped Harry up. Riccardo helped Stefano. They looked tired and weak.

“Let's go.”

As they walked deeper and deeper into the forest, the fog began to thicken, making it hard to see. Luana placed her hand in the air, her focus sharpening.

“Chiarezza.”

The fog ripped apart, and a brown-black cottage came into view. Smoke curled from its chimney like a beckoning finger.

“There's something inside,” Riccardo said.

“Or someone,” Harry added.

“Let's just hope that something—or someone—has food to offer,” Stefano said.

“No eating, remember?” Luana said, turning to Stefano. He was directly behind her.

“I'm hungry!!!” Stefano wailed like a baby, clutching his stomach like he'd been shot.

“Shut it!” Harry snapped. “Let's just enter and see what's inside. We might get a clue on finding the unicorn.”

“Yeah, you're right.”

Luana knocked softly, and the door opened.

They stepped inside quietly and saw that the cottage was empty.

“Just a plain old cottage, I guess,” Stefano said, touching the walls.

Just then, they heard giggling.

The giggles of children.

But how? No one was inside.

As they heard it again, it was followed by footsteps this time.

“Where could they be?” Luana asked. She tried to use her magic to see them, but she couldn't.

The voices grew louder and louder—talks they couldn't hear, giggles, and whispers—and when it reached its peak, the cottage changed.

Transforming into a place they all knew so well.

Vacuita.

“What are we doing back here?” Riccardo asked.

“I don't know, but something feels different about this place,” Harry said, his hand touching an apple tree. They were in the garden.

“Ummm, guys… either I'm hallucinating, or I'm seeing my eleven-year-old self.” Stefano pointed toward a little boy with silver hair and green eyes, setting up a table in the garden.

Harry’s eyes widened.

“It is you… but how? Did we go back in time?”

“It would appear so. Everything looks like back then,” Riccardo said, walking towards a statue.

“See the blue bird sculpture, Harry?”

“Yes, sire. It hasn't been taken down yet.”

“So we're really in the past,” Harry said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Ric! Ric, where are you?”

They turned to see a young Ric's mother walking towards the garden.

“Steph, have you seen your brother?

"He and Harry are preparing a welcome gift.” Young Stefan replied.

“Oh!” Her hand flew to her mouth. A giggle escaping. “They'd better hurry because they are already here!”

“Already?”

“Ric! Harry! She's here!”

Two boys came running to the dining table, panting.

“Shit… that's us,” Harry said with a surprised look on his face.

They all had the same look.

Little Ric was holding a wooden box, while Harry held his knees, panting.

“Thank goodness we finished on time,” little Ric said.

“Yeah, now let's go give it to her,” Harry said.

They rushed towards the door, Harry lagging behind.

As the mother opened the door, a lady with brown hair and green eyes stood there with her little daughter. She was all smiles, with long dark hair and emerald green eyes.

“Luana!!!” the boys shouted.

Everyone was shocked to the core, especially Riccardo.

Immediately, Vacuita vanished, and they were back in the forest.

“What the fuck did we just see?” Stefano asked.

“Did we really know each other when we were young?” Harry asked.

“I doubt that. My parents died when I was a baby, and I've been living in Witchesville all my life,” Luana said, easing their confusion just a little.

“Then… what we saw was fake?” Riccardo asked in disbelief.

“Probably so, yes,” Luana answered.

“I don't think so. The palace, my mom, us three—that was how we looked back then. Everything seems oddly familiar,” Riccardo said.

“Then how do you explain seeing me? Or my mom, in this case? It isn't true. It's an illusion, remember? It's not real. You didn't even know me till a few months back, so how did we all know each other?” Luana asked, her voice slightly raised.

The weather turned grey. The sky grumbled.

“Luana…” Ric called. “It's okay.”

He smiled, stepping forward to hug her.

The motion startled her, but she melted into his embrace.

“I'm sorry, guys. I don't even know why I was feeling a bit overwhelmed about the vision.”

“It's okay. We were all surprised too,” Stefano said, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

“And like you said, it isn't real—even if some of us want it to be.” He winked at Riccardo, and a tiny blush crept up his cheeks, just like when little Ric had seen little Luana.

They all burst out laughing.

“Come on, let's keep moving. We must be close.”

Immediately, a white light overtook them, blurring their vision.

As the light dispersed, they found themselves in front of a large oak tree. The middle of the tree glowed, and out came a white unicorn with a rainbow horn.

“We meet again, Golden Witch.”