Chapter 12: CHAPTER TEN: OLUM MANSION
"The harder I work, the luckier I get."
- Gary Player
🦋✨🦋
Everybody was rushing to pack all the essentials because Nolsa said we needed to move out of this place. According to her brief explanation yesterday after I had woken up from a coma, our uncle was responsible for the death and destruction of the kingdom in the state of Hali. Word got out that water sonrics who worked in the castle started using portals again and spotted me arrive on Hali Beach. Now, my own uncle wants me dead.
It still wasn't clear to me why I was such a big deal on Zerk. They explained everything to me almost a hundred thousand times but their words never sank into my mind. It was probably because it sounded reallly insane and impossible. How can an orphan like me, who lived on Earth with such a boring and meaningless life be of infinite value on a planet I never knew existed not until 4 days ago? Just explaining it to myself all over again makes it sound crazier and crazier.
I wanted to understand but it seemed now was not the right time to move slowly. Another attack may occur if we don't move quickly. When I finally finished packing my stuff, I closed th zipper of the luggage bag and pulled it out of the room. This place that they brought me at looked like a huge underground city like that of the one in a movie Euno and I watched. Everyone was in a hurry and it just made me more frantic. Footsteps were heard all throughout the long hallways of the underground city. We all got into our vehicles and started to head outside of the outskirts of Hali State.
*.*.*.*
The drive was quiet. No one made small talk and the silence was killing me. I was seated at the back beside Euno who was also looking out the window. I scooted over the middle and popped my head in between Kane and Nolsa in the front seats.
"So," I started off. "Where are we headed exactly?"
"We're going to my place," Nolsa replied.
"Where is that?"
"It's in the mountains in one of the magical forests here on Zerk. Nobody else knows how to get inside except our family," she added.
I raised an eyebrow and asked, "If our family is the only group of people who knows how to get inside, doesn't that mean our evil uncle can get in?"
She turned to face me and replied, "Yes. But my place is in the hidden mountains. It has never been discovered by anyone else. I'm the only one who knows exactly where it is."
"How come you're the only one who knows where it is? Isn't that impossible since this whole planet is full of magical people?"
"Well, yes. You're right."
Kane never left his eyes on the road and added, "Nolsa masters in the magic of portals and magical forests. There has been no other descendant from the royal family who can see secret portals within magical forests since your great great grandfather's reign."
I nodded in understanding. I didn't say anything else after that and just sat back and relaxed until we finally arrived in what looked like a huge forest area that seemed creepy and abandoned.
Nolsa got out of the car and started waving her hands around. Sparks of light and stardust came out of her hands and when she finished what she was doing, the ground slowly opened and a tunnel leading underground was seen in front of us.
It was so cool watching the ground moving and forming into a tunnel. She went back in the car and we started entering it. Like and other tunnel I've seen on Zerk, it was dark but had crystals on the walls everywhere. I was so mesmerised but the sight of crystals everywhere. It looked so surreal; like we were in one of the movies with magic Euno and I watched. We were near the end of the tunnel and when we arrived, we were brought to a whole new forest. This forest was the opposite of what the forest we entered earlier. It was brighter and there were different kinds of colourful birds flying around. Animals that I have never seen before were all over the place. There was a road that was built in the forest leading to this beautiful two-storey house with a huge front and backyard. The gates were simple but still gave off a majestic feeling.
"Woah...", Euno said when we reached the garage.
We got out and got out stuff. Nolsa led us to the door leading inside the kitchen from the garage. The kitchen was beautiful. Everything was so beautiful. It didn't look too old-fashioned nor did it look too old and beaten up. They vibe in the house was really comforting. It felt like this was my home and I was coming back from my dormitory.
"You can settle down in the living room first while I prepare our dinner," Nolsa said after showing us to the living room. "Your rooms are upstairs in the far corner. Kane's is the first one on the left side, Euno's is next to that further to the end of the hallway. Lyrmie you stay in the room on the right."
"Where do you sleep Nolsa?", I asked her.
"My room's here on the first floor. It's near the hallway going to the backyard."
Kane, Euno and I sat down on the sofa and started chatting away about anything and everything. The sun was going down and everything felt peaceful for once. I was surrounded by people I felt like I've known for forever. All I can say now is, I think I'm home now.
*.*.*.*
Euno and I went out to explore the place. There was a huge wall around Nolsa's property and she even had her own gazebo with a small fish pond! I was living what I used to watch in movies.
Euno looked at me and asked, "Hey, why don't we go check out the gazebo?" I nodded with a delighted smile on my face and he grabbed my hand. We ran towards the gazebo and laughed when we reached there because we almost fell into the fish pond. I leaned on the railings and stared at the scenery that the forest gave. If I lived here, I would never get tired of staying here and just staring off at the distance. We stayed there until we heard Kane call out to us that dinner was ready.
"Race you to the house?", I suggested.
Euno put on his competitive face and replied, "You're on!"
"Ready, set, go!"
We bolted towards the house. Euno was way faster than I was but I didn't give up. I fastened my pace. Euno was almost near the front door. I was running to catch up to him when Kane suddenly appeared I lost my balance bumping into him, making us both tumble on the ground.
I winced as I felt my knee got scraped. Kane was on his back and I fell on top of him. I quickly got up but down again because the scrape on my knee hurt so bad. Kane got up to help me out. I looked at my knee and it was horrifying. I've never had a scratch nor a scrape anywhere on my legs. Euno noticed I haven't caught up to him yet and turned around to look for me. Our eyes landed on each other's and he ran towards me.
Kane carried me bridal style as Euno was about to pick me up. "Don't worry. I'll take her inside." Euno nodded and looked at my knee. "Ooh, that's gotta hurt. You're such a clutz*, Lyrmie." With that, he lightly laughed at my stupidity and we all went back to the house.
Kane carried me back to the living room and called out to Nolsa. Euno entered the room with a first aid kit with Nolsa following behind him. They helped each other treat my wound. It was all done in less than a minute. It was still painful to stand up and walk around but it was bearable. "Thanks guys."
"Why did you have to run? It's not like anything was chasing you, Lyrmie," Nolsa said.
"We were having a race back to the house. We just wanted to have a little fun," Euno explained while putting the first aid kit back inside the cupboard.
"Yeah, sure. But be careful next time, please. Now, come on. Let's have dinner."
We all laughed while eating the food. Nolsa was a great cook. I could imagine my life just coming home to an older sister cooking meals for me an looking out for me and my needs. We continued to chat away until I suddenly brought up the topic about our evil uncle.
"So," I started off. "Where does Uncle Joseph live? And why is he so desperate to kill me?"
It was silent for a while until Kane decided to break the silence. "Well, first of all, he doesn't want to kill you. He wants to use you to become more powerful. He lives in Olum Mansion."
"Where's that?"
"It's in Kirestone. It's a State where your father and uncle's family grew up. Your father's family are rulers there. But now it's a total wasteland. The only building well kept was Olum Mansion," Kane added.
"Why don't we just go there and imprison him?", I suggested.
"My dear sister, if it were that easy, we would've done that a long time ago," Nolsa replied with a sad tone in her voice.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
jessicamerlin
jessicamerlin CLUTZ* - word used to describe a clumsy person.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone