"I-i should kill her?" He stuttered. That is one of the hardest things he will be able to do. To pick a knife up and kill, Jasmine?. The one he loves with all his heart. "I can't do that"
"You can't?" Stella asked.
"I can't"
"Then you can take the water in the bowl over and free her"
He furrowed his brows. "I can?"
"Yes, you can. It's your choice. But as I said before, she needs to die or the world will be destroyed. Take that knife and kill her to save the world. Or use the water to free her and destroy the world. It is your choice. You have to make a choice quickly. You've got less than an hour to do that. Whatever choice you choose will determine if you will be trapped here forever or not"
Ryan furrowed his brows. Both choices are difficult ones to choose.
"I... I..." He groaned. It is too difficult for him. He can't let Jasmine die and he can't let her live either.
"Your time starts after my voice fades, Ryan. The shield will be taken off too. You have to hide behind the rock by your left or she will hurt you. Do not come out until you have made your choice. Your time starts now" Stella's voice faded.
As the shield began to break, he ran to the rock quickly to hide. He watched as she destroyed so many things. He could hear her scream too. He sat down on the floor and brushed his hair backward in frustration. Stella has given him two difficult choices.
**
The time ticks faster than he had thought. He could tell he has a shorter time left and he has to make his choice. He thought of what to do and soon came up with an idea.
This is not reality. To him, it is a choice to either be with Jasmine or let her go. He does not have a demon's blood he can use to tame her in the future. He knew she needed Kelvin more than she needed him. He could understand now why Kelvin his her mate and not him. He has to let her go.
He stood up and ran towards the knife. He picked it up and without drawing her attention, stabbed her from behind. She groaned and fell to the ground.
"I am sorry, Jasmine" he cooed wiping off the tears in his eyes. He heard the sound of the clock clicking and he knew his time has ended. Did he choose the right choice? He thought.
"Congratulations, Ryan. You can stretch your hand for the pass" he heard Stella's voice and he sighed. He had chosen the right choice. He stretched his hand and a key sign appeared on his hand. "You will be returned to join the rest"
"Did the rest pass their task?" He asked.
"You will find out when you get there. Now go, the passage has been opened up"
Ryan walked through the waterfall. As he walked through it, he thought of what the world will be like if Jasmine did lose control of herself.
He could still remember the houses that got burnt and the dead bodies he saw as he ran to pick up the knife. He realized that if Jasmine remain with him, it will bring nothing but disaster.
He also knew that he needed to kill whatever feelings he has for her. Walking out of the waterfall, he vowed to find his mate and stop chasing after Jasmine.
**
Just when he stepped out of the waterfall, he heard Kelvin say he chose the blue waterfall because he saw Jasmine's face in it.
Ryan was surprised at that.
"You saw Jasmine's face?" He asked from behind and everyone turned to face him in shock.
"R-Ryan?" Jasmine stuttered. She had not expected Ryan to return just when Kelvin said those words.
He moved closer to them. "Did you really, see Jasmine's face in the waterfall? He asked again.
Kelvin nodded. "I did. Is there a problem?"
Ryan shrugged. "No. I was just surprised" he replied. Of course, he was not surprised to hear that. He had known after completing his task that Jasmine will never be his again.
He had chosen to go after his mate than kill Kelvin to make Jasmine become his. He sighed. "Is everyone here already?" He asked.
"Yes, except Stella. I think we should all sit down and wait for her return" Ariana answered quickly. She understood the tension on the ground and the reason why Ryan had decided to change the topic. Everyone agreed with what Ariana said.
"What did you see in your waterfall, Ryan?" Jamal asked and everyone stopped moving. Ryan sighed. He does not want to say anything about his waterfall or what he saw in it.
"That is right. What did you see that made you choose violet?" The curious Jasmine asked. She remembered he had chosen violet but she could not say why he had chosen it. Just like others, she was curious to know why he had chosen it.
Ryan stared at them, wishing something will happen that will stop him from saying a thing about it. He stared at them, one after another. Seeing that he had no option, he decided to speak up.
"I choose violet because..."
"Children" Stella spoke up and Ryan smiled. Stella had just saved the say. She has just saved him from speaking about the thing he wasn't ready to speak about yet. They all turned to look at her.
"Stella" Jasmine cooed.
"I guess everyone got the pass right?" Stella asked, walking closer to them.
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"Good," Stella said. "We can now head to Alaska Arias. But before we go, is there any question?"
They stared at one another, to see if there was anyone with a question. Seeing there was no question, Jasmine spoke up. "I don't think there is"
Stella smiled. "There might not be a question now but there will be one soon. Now pick our bags up and let's go"
**
The kids had wondered what Alaska Arias would look like and what way they would have to follow to get there. They had imagined themselves being taken up into the heavens and seeing a beautiful village right in the sky. Jasmine had thought Alaska Arias to be in the clouds. Ariana had the same thought that was slightly different. She had thought the cloud to have a shape that differentiate it from others.
Jamal and Jabal thought Alaska Arias could be just like Alaska but might be located inside the waters. Jamal thought it might be in the Atlantic ocean and they might have to travel by sea. Jabal thought it might be located in the Pacific ocean instead. To Kelvin and Ryan, it is just another mysterious place that they will have to visit to get the answer they seek.
As they were been brought back to reality after a long time of thought, they realized they had walked down the parts that had led them to the waterfall. Everything was becoming more familiar as they got closer to Alaska, and not the Alaska Arias they had thought.
"Aren't we walking back to Alaska?" Jasmine asked Ariana who nodded in agreement.
"Do you think Alaska and Alaska Arias are the same?" Ariana asked Jasmine back.
"It seems so" Jasmine replied.
"Then why do we have to pass through all those pain just to return to where we already knew?" Ariana asked in anger. She had expected something better. Something more magical not Alaska been Alaska Arias.
"Look!!!" Jamal yelled in surprise and Ariana looked up.
They were a few distances away from Alaska and it seems there was a whirlpool at the gate. The children were all surprised to see what is happening in front of them.
"What is going on are we going to die?" Jabal asked no one in particular.
"What is going on are we going to die?" Jasmine mimicked. "Can't you tell it's a portal been opened?"
Jabal furrowed his brows. "Stella, is Jasmine saying the truth?"
Stella nodded in agreement. "Yes she is"
"But we've passed through this gate why did the portal not open?" Jamal asked.
"Because you do not have the pass. Remember the pass you got in the waterfall?" Stella asked and they nodded. "That is the pass to Alaska Arias. Look at your hand. The keys are glowing" Stella replied and they all stared at their hand. Stella was right. The keys in their hands were glowing. The light increases as they get closer to the gate.
"Is this the reason we have to go through those tasks first?" Kelvin asked and Stella nodded.
"Only the keys can open the door to Alaska Arias" she replied. The kids ran happily to the gate. And right in front of them is a portal just by the gate. The whirlpool had stopped moving to reveal a passage.
"Can we go in?" Jasmine yelled to Stella who seems a little far from them.
"Sure you can. Just be careful and work together. You might have to solve some puzzles" Stella yelled back.
Ariana furrowed her brows. Why do they have to solve some puzzles after everything they had passed through already?. Jabal held her hand and dragged her in. She turned to see if the portal was closing already but it wasn't.
"Why don't we just wait for Stella. She knows this place more than anyone else" Ariana suggested and Jamal agreed.
"I think Ariana is right. This place is different from Alaska. We don't know anything about it and we have heard little about it" Jamal said.
The rest began to see some sense in what Ariana and Jamal had said. If they could pass through such difficult tasks just to get the keys, more difficult tasks might be waiting for them too. They decided to wait until Stella was closer.
When Stella saw them, she was surprised. She had thought they were gone already and had wondered what tasks they would be facing now.
"Stella?" Ariana called and she moved closer to them.
"What are you doing here?. I thought you all left already" Stella said.
Ariana shrugged. "We just thought waiting for you is necessary"
Stella smiled. They had chosen the right choice. She had been worried about the tasks they would be given and if they will be able to pass them. She had pitied them when she watched them do their tasks in their waterfalls.
She sighed. "You all have made the right choice, Ariana. Let's go join the rest"
**
Walking with Stella made their walk through the portal easier. Soon, they were standing in front of Alaska Arias' gate. Unlike Alaska, whose gate looks normal, Alaska Arias' gate was upside down. They stared at it strangely.
"Why is the gate looking like this?" Jasmine asked.
"Because Alaska Arias is the spiritual realm of Alaska. And for things to look normal in Alaska, most things in Alaska Arias will be abnormal" Stella explained to the confused children, but it seems her explanation had not made them understand a thing but had confused them the more. Seeing how confused they looked, she decided to explain further.
"You see most things looking normal in Alaska is as a result of the abnormal things here in Alaska Arias. So for everything that looks abnormal here, things will seem normal in Alaska"
Jasmine furrowed her brows. "Does that mean everything will be upside down here?" She asked, curiosity written all over her face.
Stella smiled. "No. It doesn't really, have to be that way"
"Then how will it be? Cause I am getting more confused now" Kelvin who had been quiet for a while spoke up. Every other person nodded in agreement.
"Things here will look strange. That is what I meant by abnormal. All don't need to be upside down" Stella replied.
"Will the humans here be looking strange too?" Jamal asked. He has suddenly become curious to know what the humans here look like.
"Are there even humans here?" Ryan asked and Stella smiled.
"You will find out soon," Stella said and they sighed. They really, want to know what to expect in the place they are going. With sadness in their eyes, they awaited Stella's next instructions.
"Children. I will have to leave you now. There are a few tasks you might have to pass through before meeting Rachel just the same way you had to do some tasks before seeing me. Be careful, ok?" She said and they groaned.
Just when they had thought they were free from tasks and puzzles. What is she talking about?
Jasmine thought of speaking up first. She doesn't think she wants to go through any task again. "Stella, do we have to..."
Stella cut her short. "You have to. You have to find your way to Rachel's home. I will leave you now and see you after you carry out your tasks correctly" Stella said and finally disappeared. They stared at one another, wondering what next they were to do.
"We should walk through the gate" Ariana suggested and they all agreed.
Walking through the gate, they had expected to meet a witch that would maybe tell them what their tasks entail but they did not meet anyone. They wondered what awaits them as they walked through a few streets. All they could see were floating houses with no one in sighed.
"Do you think we are really, expected to carry out a task?" Jasmine asked Ariana in a whisper. She had suspected they had no special task and will only have to find their way to Rachel's home.
Ariana was about to speak when she noticed two women standing. As they walked closer to them, they saw Stella standing beside a woman. At first, they wondered who the person standing beside Stella was. But when she turned, those that knew her gasped. It was Rachel, Stella's sister. She's the reason why they are here.
Jasmine wanted to move closer to her but Kelvin held her back.
"Do you know her?" He asked and she nodded.
"She's Rachel, Stella's sister" Jasmine replied.
"Are you sure?. Why is she not speaking?. Why are the rest not running to her?" He asked. Jasmine sighed. He is right. Ariana, Jamal, and Jabal are not running to her. What if...
"And who do we have here?" Rachel said and they blinked. They can recognize her voice. She's the one.
"Rachel!" Jasmine, Jabal, Ariana, and Jamal cooed, running towards her, while Kelvin and Ryan stops rooted to their spot.