I open my eyes. Betty follows suit.
"Woah, where are we?"
I look around. I see the symbol of the delta rune similar to the one the monsters used except there is a staff on one side of the rune and a shield on the other. The monsters are not pictured as the rest of it is occupied by humanity. The color is also blue while the one for the monsters is purple. I recognize this place right away.
"We're in the Ancient Kingdom of Sunvale." This is where all the humans in the world once lived over 500 years ago." "This is the castle, my home."
"You lived in this castle?"
"Yeah."
"Strange, it reminds me a lot of my home. I lived in a castle too but it was different."
"This is the main hall so if we head left, we'll find the garden but if we go right, we will head towards my room."
"What's in the garden?"
I give a sad smile and sigh. "Golden Flowers."
"Wait, like the ones we landed on?"
"Yeah."
"So, how are we able to be here?"
"Well technically, we did but at the same time didn't go back in time. We went back to a memory in my past." "As a result, we are not able to be seen."
"Alright then."
"So let's go right."
"Sounds good."
We walk down the right path and through the door into my room. I can see the younger me and Sammy laughing and talking on the bed. I remember it like it was yesterday. The events and conversation play out just as I remember it.
"Come on, Michael, the castle gets so boring, let's go play."
"What do you want to do Sammy? We can't leave."
"Why don't we go pick some golden flowers in the garden?"
"We did that yesterday."
"We can play any game you want around the castle."
"But, the castle is so boring." "Let's leave the castle and go to the forest."
"The forest?"
His demeanor changes. He looks uneasy.
"Are you insane? Those lands are forbidden. Ever since the treaty and the war."
"Let me guess, you're worried about the monsters, aren't you?"
"You didn't see them. You weren't there for the war." "We lost. The monsters could have destroyed us all." "I wounded their king." "Their king, he vowed to kill me.
"But they didn't." Didn't they return to the mountain?"
"I think so, but still, the forest is considered part of the monsters territory." "They gained it as a result of the treaty."
"Come on, you've got a dagger and I've got a shield and knife." "If we get into any trouble, we can protect ourselves."
"Sammy, it isn't a good idea." "Fine, I guess you don't want to find out about the echo flowers."
This is the part that Sammy had used to convince me.
"The Echo Flowers?"
The old me looks at Sammy. Sammy smiles and nods.
"According to legend, there is a flower deep in the forest that can mirror your voice and repeat whatever it hears."
"A flower that can repeat whatever it hears?" "That sounds so cool."
"It does, but we're stuck here."
He relents. "Fine, lets go see if the echo flowers are real."
"Really? Yay." "Come on."
They walk off and I turn to Betty.
"Come on, let's follow them." Betty nods. As we closely follow the Sammy and Michael from the past, Betty turns to me. "
Are they real?" "Are what real?" "The echo flowers. Is the legend true?"
"Yes, they are real. They are at the heart of the forest." "At the time, it was forbidden territory under the control of the monsters." "I warned Sammy that it wasn't safe." "She wouldn't listen to me." "She believed the monsters had returned to the mountain."
"Was she wrong?"
"You'll soon find out. Let's keep going."
We leave the castle and head towards Mount Dianso. We enter the forest, closely following Michael and Sammy. I listen along to their conversation while Betty trails behind.
"Sammy, this isn't a good idea." "We should go back to the castle."
"Where is your sense of fun and adventure?"
"I'm telling you, we're making a mistake." "You weren't old enough in the first war." "You didn't see my friends. Murdered by those monsters." "I could only watch my friends, as they died, one by one." "People I had known my entire life, wiped out and killed in an instant."
"You're right, Michael." "I was too young to be in the first war." "I was a little child." "But times have changed." "Don't you think the monsters have changed?"
"No."
For the first time, Michael looks at Sammy with a look of heartbreak. He clenches his fist and tears roll down his face.
"They took everything from me. My friends, my parents, everything." "You and Sarah are all I have left." "That's all the monsters are. That's all they will ever be." "Just monsters."
"Fine, let's go home." "I'm sorry I was so stupid and foolish."
Michael's face softens. "I'm sorry, too." The smile returns to his face. "We're already here, let's go see if the flowers are real."
"If you want to."
"You want to and so I want to."
"We're almost to the heart of the forest." "Come on."
They continue to walk forward and we follow. I sigh. I know what's going to happen next but I'll let Betty see for herself.
We enter the heart of the forest, continuing to follow Michael and Sammy.
"Look over there!" I look up the path simultaneously with Michael. There in the center of the forest in the clearing is a glowing blue flower.
"Are those them?" Betty is now next to me.
"Yes, that is the echo flower." "Just as the legend stated. They do exactly what they were said to do as well."
The two kids are in awe as they discover the power of the echo flower. Time passes. They laugh, sing, and make the flower say anything that come to their mind.
It makes me smile but then I remember what's about to happen.
"They look so happy."
"Yeah. But I never got the chance to tell her."
"Tell her what?"
"That I wanted her to stay by my side forever."
"Like how exactly?"
"Best friends forever."
Around my neck, I had almost forgotten about it was my locket. It has my name engraved on it.
"What is that?"
"It is a locket." "I was given it by Sarah, after my parents died." "At least, that's what Sarah told me." "Inside the locket is a picture of me and Sammy." "I got another locket and it was meant to be for Sammy." "I was going to give it to her that day but then it happened." "
What did?"
A deep gruff voice says "Well, well, well, look what we have here."