"Okay, students, listen up!" Mrs. Timber clapped her hands in order to gain the noisy students' attention.
The students, as well as the teachers who came as guides, were now gathering at the front yard of the inn.
Mr. Stephen announced, "As you all know, we have already looked around the most of the places of this small village. So today, we'll go to two more renowned places of this village. Can you make a guess?"
Susan raised her hand, "The forest?"
"Exactly," Mr. Walker agreed, "That is one but, we'll go there by afternoon because until then, we'll be going somewhere else."
"Are we going go the amusement park you mentioned yesterday?" Tom made a guess.
"Yes!" Mr. Walker replied enthusiastically, "We are visiting the amusement park! The school arranged this to give the students a boost in their trip so that it doesn't feel boring. So, shall we go now?"
"Yes!" All the students replied energetically.
**********************
The huge team entered the amusement park eagerly. It wasn't a problem to enter it since the school arranged everything, they had also booked tickets for the travelers.
As they entered it, it felt to them as if they had entered a different world. It didn't feel like they were in some village now, it almost felt as if they were now in a well created amusement park in a town.
There were different types of rides and there were so many children, as well as adult people - some came as an accompany while some came to enjoy. Everyone seemed to be enjoying.
"Now," Mrs. Rowl turned to announce to the students, "We'll be getting on every rides and also, those who does not wish to get onto the rides can be on Mr. Patt's care. Let's enjoy our time here!"
"Okay!" Everyone agreed.
**********************
They enjoyed bumper cars, fun slides, carousels, flying scooters and many more rides before they decided to take a short break.
Melissa suggested that they should eat ice-cream. At this, all the students roared in agreement and made the teachers buy them ice-cream.
One chould think that the teachers must've thought that it was bothersome but truthfully, the teachers were also having fun seeing how the students could turn into such children for just an ice-cream. It rather made the mother or father rise in them.
As they were eating ice-cream, some of the groups were walking around the park. The teachers told them not to go far or else they would get seperated. Those students happily abided by their order.
Yamaken saw Kaori talking with her group of girls so he decided not to disturb them and looked for the boys of his group. Then, he saw Wood sitting on a park bench and licking ice-cream, absent minded.
He approached the boy who was lost in thoughts.
"Hey," Yamaken sat down beside Wood who seemed to be unbothered.
"Hello," Wood nodded, "Where's Robin and Tom?"
"Who knows," Yamaken shrugged, "Maybe they also went to look around," Yamaken guessed as Wood nodded shortly.
"What are you thinking about?" Yamaken asked away.
Wood glanced at him before saying, "Nothing."
The two sat there silently for a moment before Yamaken asked quietly, "Wood, you don't like Kaori, do you?"
Wood looked at Yamaken sharply, "Why are you asking?"
"Yesterday night, when I admitted that I like her.. You seemed to have had turned grave."
"So what if I did?" Wood asked Yamaken, who's eyes widened.
Wood still continued even after seeing the other's expression with a sly tone, "Are you possibly afraid that I might steal her from you?"
Yamaken's eyebrows furrowed, "So you do have feelings for her. I didn't want you to turn into my rival-"
"I guess," Wood stood up as Yamaken's eyes followed him.
"I'll let your thoughts wander around," Wood finished his sentence, making Yamaken groan.
"See you later," Wood left the other boy sitting on the bench all alone in despair.
"Ugh," Yamaken frowned angrily, "Now what? Maybe I should talk to her about this... Or maybe I should let the time fix everything... Ah, what should I do?" He whined to himself.
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴..
**********************
"This is an artificial maze made in the amusement park. This is the entrance while this, is the exit. Now, we arranged a game here," Ms. Owens explained to the students who were gathered before her.
She continued, "The game is - all the students have to enter this maze - those who don't want to, can be spared. Then, they will have to solve the maze within an hour. There will be three checkpoints inside the maze. The participants will have to receive the marks that'll be given on the back of their hand from those checkpoints. The ones who can solve it successfully and come out through the exit along with the marks, will be received by us. Those who will be able to do this will receive a gift from the school authorities."
"Whoa, really?" Linda said in wonder, "How did our school arrange such a game?"
Mr. Patt smiled, "We had everything arranged by our school committee and our student council."
He then looked at the students, "Now let's begin this game! Students! Form a line at the entrance!"
As the students discussed whether they should go in or not, there formed a line before the entrance of the maze.
"Are you gonna go?" Willia asked Kaori as she saw the girl staring at the forming line.
"I wish to," Kaori replied simply, "What about you three?"
All the girls shook their head.
"No way," Said Melissa, "What if we get lost inside of it?"
"There'll be search teams sent in who'll rescue the students who can't come out," Kaori explained.
"Oh," Melissa nodded, "But still, I don't want to. Dylanthy?"
"Not interested," She replied bluntly.
"Seems like Wood and Yamaken are going," Willia said, watching the mentioned boys join the line, "Won't Tom go?" She enquired of Melissa who shrugged.
"I don't know," She replied, unsure.
"Okay," Kaori said, "I'm going, see you later."
"Be careful!" The other three said cheerfully, "Bye!"
After those who wanted to participate, had gathered, all of them entered the big maze right after the whistle sounded in the air.
**********************
Kaori was running around. More like, jogging around. Taking this turn, then taking that turn. She ran around all the alleyways of the maze.
She wasn't out of breath since she has good stamina because of the trainings she went through when she was a student of the clan's school.
Kaori had already gained a mark on her back of the hand from the first checkpoint. She was now hurrying because half an hour had already passed away. Time seems to fly by as soon as she entered this maze.
"I still haven't run into anyone," She muttered to herself as she took a turn, "I was expectant.. Ah!"
She said as she saw the second checkpoint a little farther than her.
She advanced her pace towards the checkpoint.
"Congratulations!" The young man and the young girl - volunteers - said at once as Kaori reached the table, "You've reached the second checkpoint!"
"Thanks," Kaori extended out her hand, which bore the mark from the first checkpoint.
The girl gave a seal on her back of the hand, "Good luck!"
Kaori smiled sweetly, "I'll do my best. Thanks for your hard work, see you later," She bid the two goodbye before leaving to search for the third checkpoint.
Now, the school had schemed this plan pretty well. One might think that looking for the checkpoints and receiving the marks might be easier than it seems but, it wasn't the real intention ; it was to make the students be able to solve the maze and come out of it successfully.
That's right, and so, the school had placed the three checkpoints in certain places, which will be hard to find. So to find them, you'll have to explore the maze first. To explore the maze by every inch, you'll have to search every corner. With that, you'll be definitely be solving the maze. And that, was their plan.
Kaori had already found two checkpoints, that means, she was halfway from solving the maze. She didn't know how the others were doing, which made her ponder.
"𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘐'𝘮 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴," Kaori thought, "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?"
As she took another turn, she stooped down and took deep breathes, wiping her forehead, "I'm tired," She huffed to herself.
"Wait... Presence!" She turned around sharply on her heels as she faced the situation.
Kaori thought that someone would be standing there but there wasn't anyone. It was all deserted. Rather than someone standing there, it was something that seemed to be floating in the air - a small ball of yellowish blue light.
Kaori's eyes widened as she saw the thing which was not far away from her, "A spirit?"
*************************
"But what would a spirit be doing here?" Kaori thought as she stepped forward towards it.
𝘈 𝘧𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵... 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦..
"Why are you here?" Kaori muttered as she reached for the spirit.
It was still glowing while it floated in the thin air. Soft humming could be heard from it.
Kaori hesitated as she was an inch far from touching it. Would it dissolve if she touched it? Would it be okay if she touched it?
Usually, when a master touches a spirit, they can see the past, present or the future of the spirit. Would it be the same with it?
Kaori took a deep breath before she touched the ball of light - the spirit - with her forefinger as she closed her eyes tightly.
But as soon as she touched it, she bolted away her hand as well as jumping away at the same time. She tripped and fell on the ground with a yelp.
Her eyes were widened and you could see... Fear.. in them?
The light was gone now, as if it was all Kaori's hallucination.
Kaori was taking deep breathes, as if she was scared when she heard a voice -
"Kaori?"
She snapped her head towards the voice to see Wood, standing there while huffing for breathes as if he ran here.
*************************
Yamaken had already passed the second checkpoint and was now looking for the third, which was also the last.
There were only twenty more minutes left, he had to hurry if he wanted to win.
He was aimlessly looking around every corners of the maze when he heard a yell.
"Kaori?" Yamaken frowned, "It sounds so distant. This maze is way bigger than I thought it would be.. Wait," He stopped in his tracks, "That was Kaori's voice?"
He then looked up, "Kaori!" He began running towards the way from where came the sound.
*************************
Yamaken took a sharp turn to the right, "Kaori!"
He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw what was going on before him.
There stood Wood, who was helping Kaori stand up as he pulled her by her hands.
The two stopped their action in the midway as they heard Yamaken's voice and turned their heads to look at him.
While Kaori was looking over at Yamaken in surprise, Wood had an expressionless face and Yamaken was wearing a frown.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?
⭐🌟⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐🌟⭐