Things are messing up, my head is spinning, my heart is breaking. I can't believe all of this is happening, that this is even possible.
I woke up after feeling it all last night. It doesn't make me better, but after last night, now that I am able to let it out, cry it out on my friends' shoulders, it doesn't feel that heavy anymore. I look at my surroundings, I realize this is RJ's house.
"That's possible, guys. Oh gosh, look at it. Mary got the Astrid, the magior worked only for her as if it was hers in the first place, and we know that Emerald's daughter spawned 15 years ago in Mary's house," I heard RJ explain.
"And even if Mary is indeed Emerald's daughter, how was that supposed to help her? She is still mourning and in pain from her sudden knowledge about her identity. Let's not tell her yet."
"It's okay," I interrupted, their attention shifting to me.
"Mary—"
"RJ has a point. I have a feeling that Amirah could possibly be me. Uncle Greg said my parents had found me in front of the gate and decided to take me as a stand-in for the dead Mary." I remained motionless as I said that. "Let's investigate… me," I said.
I turned around and kept myself busy scrolling through the pages of the book.
"Why are you guys still standing there? Let's start—" I was cut off when a sudden embrace was made by my cousins Jad and Micah.
I was taken aback from that hug. It made me feel tight, or was it the hug or my feelings that I am keeping inside me tightening?
"No matter what your name is or where you came from, you will always be my cousin," Jad's soft voice said to me.
"We are grateful to have you as our friend, Mary," it was Micah.
I smiled at that. We don't often do this. For the things that are happening to me, I am glad I have them—they're my ride or die. Even RJ, whom I did not know I could be close to, but at least he stayed.
"T-Thank you for everything," I only uttered, tears forming in my eyes.
We stayed in that position for minutes until we broke off and decided to return to digging.
"So, the other night the Mutchesters took my ring without a word, which made me remember that the time when I first met them, they asked for that ring in exchange for helping me. I don't know why… but that's what they said," I told them.
They listened intently.
"Where did you get that ring anyway?" RJ asked.
"I—" I was stopped. Because I honestly don't know.
Ever since I had opened my eyes in this world, I already had that ring, and never once had I questioned my parents where and since when I got it.
"I actually don't know," I said honestly.
I described to them the appearance of the ring, and I told them as well that I just noticed I had that ring when I was still seven years old.
"We have to find them. The Mutchesters must be connected to all of this, and that ring—I feel like it is connected as well," RJ explained.
He has a point, because of all things, why would they ask for the ring?
"Ugh, goodness gracious!" I heard Jad say, frustrated. "I can't believe this. First, we look for an impossible baby, and now we are looking for some spirit?"
"We have to take every chance and sign, Jad," I said.
He just sighed and continued to type on his keyboard.
"Oh my gosh, you guys, you have to look at this!" Our attention was drawn to Micah's sudden exclamation.
Micah showed us her phone. It was an article from school. I thought it was just another prank, but no. She pointed at the headline. Under the headline, there was a video.
Update: Willowdale Academy has been attacked by a crazy woman who got most of the place bombed up. She left soon after taking the student named Miro Plank.
We clicked the video and saw the footage from a CCTV. It had audio as well.
The video showed a woman shouting as if looking for people. We were all shocked, not because of that, but because of the names that she repeatedly mentioned.
"Savannah, Harry, and Amirah." Those are common names, but what's unusual is that she said them together.
My friends and I looked at each other after watching the video. Of course, we had one thing in mind.
"Surely this is Reina. I can't believe she could stoop that low," Jad said.
"You think it's Reina, Jad?"
"Well, no one knows about Savannah, Harry, and Amirah better than us, who are involved…"
"Jad has a point, Mary. Reina could have done this to get our attention," RJ agreed.
"Do you not believe it's Reina, Mary?"
I wanted to say yes, because they have a point. Reina could do this. She knows about Emerald's past. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to nod. My friends don't know this because they haven't seen it themselves.
But for me, who saw it with my own eyes, who heard that voice with my own ears—I know that voice, that figure.
I shrugged. "It's Emerald," I said.
They stopped and looked at me, shocked.
"What are you saying? That wasn't possible," Jad intruded.
"At this point, anything is possible. Even if it seems unbelievable, we have to believe and assume that this could be Emerald," RJ said.
I nodded.
"Okay… let's say it's Emerald. What's next?"
"First of all, we know Emerald is desperately looking for her daughter, like us… We only have an assumption that it could be me, but we don't know it yet."
In the middle of our deep thought about our next step, because we're running out of time—Emerald rose from 500 years of being dead. She is not just an ordinary person. She summoned dark spirits and is the root of magior, not to mention a mother who is desperately looking for her child. Who knows what she can do? But what made me more confused is why she took away Miro. What is she planning?
"Oh guys, look." Our attention was drawn to RJ, who pointed to the book on the table. It was glowing, as if it wanted to tell us something.
I walked closer to it.
"Bitter Truth Spell," I read.
"I read this book several times. I did not see this," RJ uttered.
"This is it. With this, we can learn the full truth."
I took it, then started to utter it.
"Truth be told, both bright and clear,Let no lies come near my ear.Words I speak, both pure and right,Shine like stars in darkest night.
No twisting tales, no hidden proof,Only honesty, that's the truth.From heart to voice, let it flow,The truth I speak shall always glow."
After that, a big magical screen appeared in front of our eyes.
Then a slip of the past was shown to us.
It showed the time when Emerald cast a spell for her daughter, then shifted to the blue moon again. A baby teleported in a basket along with a necklace and the book.
"It's Amirah," Micah pointed out.
We continued to watch. My heart was beating too loud; I couldn't ignore it.
The next thing I saw shook my soul—my parents.
"Look, Aries, it's a baby," my mother said.
"Someone left this baby here. She looks like a newborn," my father said.
"She is so beautiful. How could they leave this angel here?" my mother softly said. "Look, honey, she wants to be held by me."
"Cris, I know we just lost our daughter, but we could not replace her with—"
"No, this isn't a replacement. I always believe things happen for a reason. Our child died—this must be the reason for it. I want to keep her, please."
I watched the whole thing.
So this was it? This is how I became their daughter.
I hadn't realized it, but my tears had started to fall.
I wasn't a replacement. My parents wanted me, not because they lost their child, but because they saw me as theirs.
"I was… loved," I muttered.
"And the real daughter of Emerald."
This is the bitter truth I loved taking.