I woke up in the morning. We were still in that cabin-like place. Agatha wasn't inside; I sat up from where I was lying. Everything we talked about yesterday came rushing back to me. What was I now? I wasn't human anymore, right? Was I just going to go back like nothing happened? What if they didn't want me? A thousand questions spun in my mind. I lifted my head from the makeshift bed and decided to go outside to look for Agatha. The old, worn-out door creaked as I opened it. I realized I hadn't stepped outside since I arrived.
The outside was nothing but endless forest—so beautiful… A little walk might do me good. Neither Agatha nor Kohl were anywhere to be seen. I headed toward the denser part of the woods. I ran my fingers over the tree trunks, listened to the birds, and took a deep breath.
When I sensed someone behind me, I turned around. Kohl was standing there, simply looking at me.
"Your mother loved walking in the forest too," he said.
I smiled at him.
"You look like her, Mono. You always remind me of her," he added. I wondered what kind of person my mother had been.
"Come on now. We still have a long way to go. Did you forget? We're going home," he said.
I looked at him. "I have no idea what kind of place it is. And how are we even going to get there?"
Behind him, I saw Agatha approaching.
"We know the way," Agatha said. "But it may be a little… complicated."
I looked at her without really understanding. Kohl spoke again:
"We need to go. I've already loaded the bags into the car."
I turned to Agatha.
"So I won't be able to come back, right? What about my friends? Hop… I didn't even get to say goodbye," I said.
Agatha sighed. "I don't know, dear. But I called Hop this morning. I told him we had to leave urgently and that you wouldn't be able to return for a long time."
My eyes filled with tears. I hadn't even talked to Hop properly. "I'll talk to him on the road," I said.
Kohl headed to the car, and we followed. We'd been driving for an hour when I finally called Hop and told him it was a family emergency, that I didn't know when I'd be back. He grumbled and complained a bit, but eventually understood.
I'm not sure how long we drove, but after at least three hours, Kohl turned the car toward another forest. What are we doing in a forest? I wondered.
"Kohl… why are we here?" I asked.
"To make the passage, we need a gate," Agatha said. "This one hasn't been used in a long time."
"It's fine," Kohl added. "We're almost there."
When the car stopped, we got out. "We'll have to walk from here," Kohl said. Agatha nodded. We grabbed our bags and headed into the woods. I stared in awe at the massive tree trunks as we walked.
Kohl stopped, and so did I. Two large standing stones towered before us, silent, almost as if they were watching us.
"So… now what?" I asked.
"We need to open the gate," Agatha said.
This is the gate? I wondered.
Kohl began speaking in a language I didn't know. Then he took out a knife and cut his palm.
"What are you doing, Kohl?!" I shouted. His hand was bleeding.
"It's alright, dear," Agatha said calmly. "The gate must be opened with the blood of a guardian."
I watched closely. Kohl smeared the blood on the two stones, then raised his hands and spoke again in that unfamiliar language. Suddenly, a beam of light appeared between the stones. My eyes widened. An orange portal expanded before us.
"We're going through that?" I whispered.
Kohl turned to me. "We'll go together, Mono. You've never crossed before. Agatha will follow behind."
I held onto his arm. I reached out my hand toward the portal, but Kohl pulled me inside quickly. Everything glowed like a bright path. I closed my eyes.
"You can open them. We're here," he said.
When I opened my eyes, endless purple trees stretched out before me. The trees shimmered, sending up streams of light as they were touched. I walked, mesmerized, toward the little path ahead.
"Mono, welcome back… to Grandula," Kohl said.
I turned and smiled.
"It's so beautiful, Agatha… Is it all like this?" I asked.
"No," Agatha said. "But every corner of this realm is filled with incredible magic."
Kohl gestured to the path. "After you, Lady Mono."
I smiled, and we began walking. After a while, we stopped at the edge of a slope. Kohl pointed to a distant town:
"There. That's where the people of Grandul live."
The houses looked like tiny elven cottages—colorful, cute, story-like. The region was so vast I couldn't see the end of it.
"We should keep moving," Kohl said.
I linked my arm with Agatha. We went down the slope and reached the town gate. Guards stood there. When they saw Kohl, they spoke among themselves; one of them glanced at me. Then the gate opened. When we stepped inside, voices echoed from everywhere.
Walking through the town streets, I stopped at a fabric vendor's stall. The fabrics were beautiful.
"My lady, greetings. What would you like?" the vendor asked.
"I'm just looking. They're lovely," I said.
Kohl suddenly appeared beside me. "If you wish, I can have them packed for you, my lady." I didn't understand why he called me "my lady," but I shook my head.
Every corner of the town was vibrant—houses painted in different colors, flowers everywhere.
Agatha sighed. "Isn't it beautiful? I've missed this place."
Some time later, Kohl said, "We should leave. We must go home."
"And where is that?" I asked.
He motioned for me to keep walking. We stopped beside a house. "I'll arrange a vehicle. Don't wander far," he said and left.
As I looked around, I saw a sign and asked Agatha, "What is this language?"
"In Grandul, Earth languages aren't spoken, Mono. This is Grancan."
I stared at her. "But the vendor understood me earlier. And I understood him…"
Agatha smiled. "You are pure-blooded. You were born with this language. Even if you don't realize it, you're speaking Grancan."
"So… I'm speaking Grancan right now?" I asked.
She laughed and nodded. I wondered how I was speaking a language I didn't even know by name.
Kohl returned with a vehicle—an enclosed carriage pulled by two horses. It wasn't very big, but comfortable. We climbed in. Agatha and I chatted during the ride, while the city slowly disappeared behind us.
After a while, Kohl stopped the carriage. "Look over there, Mono. That is the Miretharn family's palace."
A massive palace stood in the distance, with dragons flying above it. I gasped. I looked at Agatha.
"What are these families like?" I asked.
Agatha's face darkened. "They are generally ruthless, Mono. They cannot be trusted. Remember… they were the ones who slaughtered your family."
A sharp pain twisted inside me, and I pulled away from the window.
After a long journey, the carriage finally stopped. Kohl opened the door.
"We're here, my lady. Are you ready?"
I wasn't… but he knew that.
I looked at the enormous black palace. The gates opened. A guard-like man hurried toward us and embraced Kohl.
"Welcome back, sir. It's been a long time."
"Tell Lord Adema that his sister has arrived," Kohl said.
The guard looked at me. "Hello, my lady. You've grown. Welcome. And Agatha—good to see you again."
He returned to the palace. Kohl leaned toward me.
"Come, Mono… You can do this. They're your family. Your brother has been waiting for you for a very long time."
Those words hurt, but I stepped out of the carriage. Agatha came to my side. The carriage moved away on its own as we walked toward the palace.
"This way, my lady," Kohl said.
With fear mixed with anticipation, I approached the door. Kohl extended his hand and led me inside. A large courtyard opened before us; a small waterfall flowed at its center. As I stepped in, I noticed people staring at me. When I smiled, they bowed their heads.
While walking around the waterfall, I heard hurried footsteps from inside the palace. Someone ran toward me.
"Mono… Mono! My sister!" he shouted.