Jasmine's three roommates stood behind a tree near the magic circle which shone brightly, illuminating the dark surroundings.
"You both don't have much time before departing, so I'll make this quick. First, why didn't Jasmine die from the poison?" Lydia asked.
Amanda's expression turned grim. "I sought counsel from one of my teammates and I learned about the poison; Jasmine's faith is sealed yet four sons shall rise before her final breath".
"Four days! that's even better. No one will suspect any of us because the exam would be over by then" ruby cut in.
With a serious look, Amanda replied, "it's not as easy as it seems". She explained to the two about the three stages of the poison before death, sparring no details.
Hearing Amanda's words, Lydia beat her finger nails.
What had she done? Just the Scorpion venom poison would have been enough but why? Just why did she have to poison Jasmine again?
Just before they left, Lydia had filled the room with poisoned gas, a poison worse than Scorpion venom, a poison that sends a person to eternal rest in less than an hour. Now the feeling she didn't want to have came, the feeling of guilt. She felt bad for what she had done but she tried convincing herself; what she did wasn't bad, she's just making Jasmine pay for her sins, her sins of being born a warrioress.
Seeing Lydia's reaction, Amanda and Ruby could easily decipher something was definitely wrong. "Lydia, what did you do?" They chorused
Lydia who had been trembling for a while was taking aback by their question. she looked up meeting the piercing gaze of the both of them. "I-I poisoned her with ertox",
"are you crazy?" Ruby's eyes turned from curious to anger. "Poisoning her with Scorpion venom was already risky enough, now ertox!"
Amanda sniffed in, adjusting her clothes. "Let's leave it'll soon be our turn, Ruby" she said, her voice firm but laced with hostility. "Lydia, I hope you've realized your mistake. Fix this on your own. I hope you can make it to the Four Kingdoms."
With that, she turned and left, Ruby following closely behind. The sound of their footsteps faded, leaving Lydia alone to confront the weight of her actions.
Lydia wanted to call out, 'Take me with you,' but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't show weakness in front of her enemies. What was done was done. Lydia steeled herself, ready to face the consequences of Jasmine's death. A sense of satisfaction washed over her; an obstacle had been removed. With Jasmine out of the way, Lydia felt a surge of determination. Her kingdom would win the war, and she would be the one to ensure it. Now, her only problem was Amanda and Ruby's kingdom. The exam was no longer a priority; she would turn herself in at the Unity by Strength exam.
Lydia's mind was made up, and she would see her plan through to the end."
~~~
Meanwhile Jasmine lay lifeless on the floor. She had given up on life she couldn't move nor feel her body but why was she still alive? why didn't the darkness come to comfort her? she questioned. Not only was she feeling the pain of poisonous gas but also the scorpions venom poison, it seemed midnight had come and the second stage of the poison had settled in, the agony of a thousand suns.
It was as if her skin was on fire, like it was cracking. she felt like screaming again but it would be a waste of time, all she had done through the night was scream so she gave up. She closed her eyes to see if the pain would be reduced a little but it didn't, it was even worse like it didn't want her to be comforted.
Suddenly, she felt a presence someone or something was there. It seemed to lift her up from the ground but she was in so much pain to understand what was going on. And in a thought they both disappeared.
~~~
Jasmine's eye cracked open, the world around her shrouded in darkness. The only light seeping through the cracks of heavy curtains. She struggled to remember how she'd gotten there, her mind foggy and her body aching. Memories of agony flooded back - the poison coursing through her veins, the pain that felt like fire. But this...this was different. She was alive. How?
She sat slowly , her gaze roamed across the vast, dimly lit chamber. The air was thick with the scent of rose and old parchment paper that blended well for some weird reasons. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered.
"Where am I?"