November 29, 5:25 p.m.
Jayce knocked at Samantha's door. A few moments later she opened and Jayce was amazed by her beauty. She was wearing a green long sleeve top with shorts and knee-length boots. Jayce kept looking at her until she snapped him out by calling him, "Jayce?" she smiled.
"You look ravishing, Sam." He said.
"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself,"
"Happy birthday again," Jayce said and gave her a bouquet of orange roses.
"These are beautiful Jayce. Come inside while I put these in water." She led the way and said, "You want something to drink?"
"Nope. I'm good." He sat down on the couch. A few moments later Samantha came back with her purse.
"Shall we?" She asked.
"Yup." He got up and held the door open for her.
"What's up with the car, Jayce?"
"Oh, it's a rental. I had to go to some places recently so I got one."
Both got in the car and hit the road. The sun was setting, and the wind was cold making it a perfect evening to go out.
"So, how did you manage to get those tickets, Jayce? I tried my best but I couldn't, how did you?" Samantha asked.
"Mark gave it to me."
"I didn't take Mark to be an Adele person or any person at all for that matter. And why did he give them to you then?"
"To answer your first question, no he's not an Adele person and I can't answer the second one because I don't lie, at least not to you and I can't tell you the whole truth yet."
"Why what's wrong?"
"I'll tell you later tonight, promise."
"Okay."
For the rest of the ride, they talked about their day and camp trip and why Jayce was skipping university lately. When they finally reached the restaurant about 35 minutes later, Jayce went and opened the car door for her and Samantha gave him her hand and then they both went to the entrance of the restaurant. At the reception, Jayce said, "Table for two by the name of Jayce Clark?"
"Right this way, sir." She showed them to their table. "Thanks,"
"This is nice. Thanks, Jayce."
"What for?"
"For this, dinner."
"Don't be, it's your birthday after all."
"By the way, Jayce, doesn't it all feel like a date?"
"Date? No, nope, not a date. If it were a date I would have asked you out first. I'm a man of culture, sweetheart."
"Okay, I wasn't saying this was one. I'm just pointing it out, you know the dinner then the concert and you even booked the table for us. It's all a little datey."
"Nope, I think it's just as normal as it gets. You ready to order?" Jayce raised his hand and a waiter came to take their order.
"A crispy chicken burger with fries and ice tea…" Jayce ordered, "I'll have a Denver omelette with ice tea." She added.
"Anything else sir?" The waiter asked.
Jayce looked at Samantha as she said, "Nope, that'll be all. Thanks."
"I'll be right back with your order ma'am."
"Samantha," Jayce said.
"Mm," She looked at her.
"Would you like to go out for a lunch date with me tomorrow?"
"Are you asking me because earlier I said it feels datey?"
"No, of course not. I'm asking you out because you're… you."
"Hm?"
"You're passionate, caring, kind and humble and you look stunning in that dress right now." He smiled.
"Did you just make that up or is it a line from a movie?"
"Bit of both but you didn't answer my question…"
"Lemme think… umm… yes."
"Great, I'll pick you up at 2?"
"How about 1?"
"1 it is."
"Hey, what's Mark doing by the way? I mean he gave us the tickets but what's he up to?" She asked.
"I don't know what he's doing right now but he'll meet us after the show."
The waiter came with their order and placed it in front of them. "Here's your order ma'am, sir. Enjoy your meal." He said.
When they both finished their dinner Jayce called the waiter nearby and whispered something in his ear.
"What was that?" Samantha asked.
"What was what?"
"What did you say to that waiter?"
"Wow… You lack patience A-Samantha. Give it a few minutes."
Samantha rolled her eyes and sighed. A few minutes later the waiter came to their table with a small black forest cake with candles on top of it.
"Once again, happy birthday Samantha brown." Samantha was speechless with a wide smile on her face.
"Now blow the candle and make a wish." Jayce said and started to chant "happy birthday to you…" and the tables around theirs started to chant with him along with the waiter. She blew the candles and cut off a piece and fed it to Jayce. After the little celebration, they asked the waiter to pack the rest of the cake and once it was done they left for the show. It was 6:50 p.m. when they reached the Greek Theatre, they checked in and went inside. The theatre was full and everyone was waiting for the show to start and so it did after about 10 minutes. Samantha was enjoying the show while Jayce was enjoying his time with Samantha. At the end of the show, Adele performed two extra songs as a surprise for her fans.
By the time Jayce and Samantha got out after the show, it was already 9:15 so Jayce hurried to the California Stadium to pick up Mark. He was standing near the entrance and as they approached him, he waved his hand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mark," Jayce said when Mark entered the car.
"Dude that's okay, I was waiting for like 5 minutes only."
"But you said you'll be there around 9 and it's already 9:26..."
"Jayce, I have a phone with working internet. I saw that Adele's gonna take a while before she finishes and so I stopped for a cup of coffee."
"Smartass... " Samantha said.
"Jayce you missed the turn," Samantha said when Jayce missed the turn to their homes.
"We're not going home, not yet." He replied.
"Where are we going then?"
"She doesn't know?" Mark asked Jayce.
"Know what?"
"Guys calm down with your questions. I'll answer each one of them with time."
"But…" Samantha was saying before getting cut off by Jayce, "And to answer your first question, we are going to a place that is very dear to me. Wait… was that the first question… nevermind, no Mark, she doesn't know but she will soon."
"What the hell is going on?" Samantha said.
"Guys trust me, it'll be fine." Jayce tried to calm them and it worked until he stopped in the middle of the road.
"Why are we stopping here?" Samantha asked.
"We go by foot from here," Jayce said.
"No way I'm following you into those woods bruh," Mark said.
"Mark, come on bro, trust me, it'll be fine."
"I trust you Jayce but not enough to follow you into the woods at this hour," Samantha said.
"Samantha, come on, believe me, it's alright. Okay fine, you guys don't trust me? Well, I trust you guys, so here's the car key. I'm going in there and I'll wait for you there, just walk straight for about a hundred yards and I'll be there but you guys are free to go back home any time you want." He gave the car key in Samantha's hand and walked into the woods.
After a few minutes, Mark spoke, "Well this is awkward… What do we do now? Do we wait for him? Or should we just leave just as he said..."
"I don't know, Mark, we can't leave him alone there in the woods, it's cold out there and it's only gonna get colder with the night."
"So what, are you suggesting that we follow him there? I mean, it's only been about 2 months since we met this guy… who knows what he's doing there."
"You're right, but there's something that makes me trust him. Even on this one." Samantha said.
"Wait… you feel that too? There's something about him that makes you wanna trust him." Mark added.
"Shall we trust him and go?"
"He hasn't given us any reason as to not trust him and he does seem like a good guy…"
"Screw this, I'm going there," Samantha said.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I mean what's the worst that can happen? He doesn't seem like a serial killer or anything..."
"They never do, but if you're going then I'm coming with you," Mark said.
"You don't have to, I can take care of myself."
"Yes, but there's strength in numbers."
Samantha nodded, and they both followed Jayce into the woods. After walking for a while, calling Jayce out, they heard his reply, "Over here guys!" he was waving his hands.
Samantha punched him, "Why the hell did you make us come here?"
"Voilà!" Jayce said, showing them the ruins.
"This is what you wanted to show us?" Mark said, "And dude where are the people you were gonna introduce me with?"
"Wait… more people are coming here?" Samantha asked.
"Uh, yes and no," Jayce replied.
"What?"
"And Mark, they'll be here soon, but first let me show you the inside of this place." Jayce stepped in but Samantha and Mark didn't move, "Come on guys, you came this far, what's another step..."
"What the hell," Mark sighed and walked in with Jayce and Samantha followed them. When they stepped inside, the room was warm but everyone felt a chill in the air.
"It is beautiful but I can barely see anything, Jayce." Samantha said, "We should come some other time, I'm going out now."
"Look over there." Jayce pointed to the inscription.
"Where…" Mark was clueless and getting annoyed by all this, he turned to Samantha and said, "Come on, let's go, Samantha…" but then he saw Samantha staring at the inscription.
"Pratp" Jayce said under his breath and the walls of the room started to glow. Jayce whispered to Samantha, "What you read Samantha?"
"It says…" Samantha told them.
"If you are reading this it means Morack has found his way out but it also means that Orec is also out there somewhere, so if you can find him. By the time you read this Morack would probably have been fully awakened and in his full strength… which would mean that it's too late, but God, I hope it's not too late. Lingering onto that hope, Morack will soon regain his strength and you along with Orion would need to be at your full strength… Therefore I am leaving mine and Orion's memories in this cist in hopes that with this we might one day be able to put an end to Morack's terror once and for all. Open the cist and find yourself."
"Okay, first of all, what a weird thing to write on someone's cist... and secondly, how the hell did you read it?" Mark said.
"I-I don't know, it just came to me… Jayce?" Samantha said.
"Open the cist… so that's the key..." Jayce mumbled.
"Woah, dude, are you seriously going to try to open that cist? Ignoring the fact that it must be at least hundreds of pounds heavy with all the weight on top of it."
"Here, hold it for me," Jayce handed Mark his phone while Mark was speaking, and then tried to open the cist but it was jammed because of all the weight on top of it. He then took a closer look and realized that the weight can't be removed and so he tried again with all his force.
"Dude, you're wasting your time, let's go. Samantha?" Mark looked at her hoping she'd agree with him.
"Well it is kinda interesting and now I'm curious what's in it. Here hold my phone, I'm gonna help him." She said and she reached for the cist Jayce's efforts moved it open. "Wow, you're strong…"
"Well, I used to be stronger," Jayce sighed and all of them looked inside the cist. There were two swords in it and a bow. "Here guys." Jayce handed each of them a sword, "What do we do with it?" Mark asked.
"Do you guys feel anything?" Jayce asked.
"Yeah… I feel like an archaeologist." Samantha said.
"Nothing else?" Jayce asked again.
"Nope." She replied. "We are not supposed to be touching all this stuff…" Mark said.
Jayce recalled the inscription, again and again, trying to find a clue but he found nothing and after a moment he became hopeless and left the room meanwhile Samantha was playing with the sword. Outside, Jayce sat down all hopeless thinking what he did wrong. Inside, after Mark's constant request to put the swords where they belonged, Samantha put her swords back in the cist and then she saw the bow and intrigued by it she picked it up. Samantha froze like a statue and her bow started glowing from the centre to the edges. Mark called her name a few times but when she didn't respond he shook her and Samantha took a heavy breath and snapped back to reality. "Orion," she said.
"What? Who?" Mark said.
"Jayce!" She dropped the bow and ran outside to see Jayce sitting there on his knees hopelessly, "Jayce." she called him, "I remember now." she said when he turned to her.
"Remember?" Jayce asked in despair.
"Yes, Orec, I remember now." She took a step closer to him and smiled. "You do?" Jayce was overjoyed. "Yes, snihaya, I remember," she said, holding his head and they kissed and then hugged. Seeing all this Mark was confused, "When did you two start dating? Until now I thought you were friends… I guess things escalate real quick these days…"
"Atria, why doesn't he remember anything?" Jayce asked.
"Oh, his mind resisted my initial spell, so I had to use a stronger one on him. Can you get his sword from inside?"
"Be right back," Jayce left to get the swords.
"What memories? What are you talking about Samantha?" Mark was on alert.
"Nothing Mark, just wait." She said and Jayce came running back with both of the swords and said. "I didn't know which one was his."
"The right one," She took the sword and said, "Can you hold it Mark?"
"The hell are you guys doing?" Mark said.
"Trust me, Mark."
"You sound like Jayce now." Mark was freaking out but he held the sword. Samantha touched Mark's forehead and said, "Smaran" out loud and Mark started screaming.
"Is this supposed to hurt him?" Jayce asked.
"No, he's just freaked out and let me concentrate..." She replied.
After a brief moment, she let Mark's head go and Mark lost his balance momentarily.
"I'm never letting you get into my head again…" Mark paused, "Queen Atria." He smiled.
"Orion." Jayce said, "Prince Orec." Mark hugged him and Samantha joined them.
"Orion, I told you not to call us that and 'queen Atria'?" Jayce quoted.
"Yeah, after that night, we spent the following weeks solving the chaos that had spread everywhere but no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't with the absence of any king or queen and so we decided to crown her as the queen of Shecratia..."
"Enough about the past, I want to know how you remember everything before us?" Samantha cut off Mark.
"Actually, it was a coincidence, remember the last night of the trip? I couldn't sleep that night because of what Orion had said to me about my auras along with my past experiences and so I went for a walk… long story short I stumbled upon a cave in which the 'pratyahvyati' spell was there and with the help of Ereck I was able to read and here we are…" Jayce explained.
"Wait, Ereck is still here?" Mark exclaimed.
"Yeah, he's here. Right Ereck?" Jayce asked him but Ereck didn't respond, "Why do you have to be such an egomaniac all the time Ereck?"
"Orec, it's not his fault," Samantha said after a moment, "I just remembered that he's asleep because I'm here…" She said,
"What are you talking about, he used to speak around you all the time," said Jayce.
"Yeah, but after what he did that day I cast a spell so he can only be awake when I allow him to… but I guess when you go far away from me the effect of the spell weakens."
"Do you want me to wake him up?" She asked him.
"I suppose he can sleep a little while longer, besides he'll just spoil our good mood."
"Yes, I agree," Mark said.
"Alright, he's not waking up tonight," Samantha agreed and then she looked at Jayce as he looked back.
"Hate to interrupt a good moment guys but I'm cold, let's take this to my place?" Mark shivered.
"Yes, I'm cold too," Samantha said when Jayce broke eye contact, "but first let me get my bow from inside."
"I'll get it." Jayce went back inside, the inscription was gone, all that was left was a heavy piece of rock on which the inscription was once written. Jayce picked Samantha's bow from the ground and left the shrine.
"I wonder why you're so fond of this particular bow…" Mark asked as they were walking back to the car,
"I never told you? My father had it made for me, it's his last gift to me."
"Oh, sorry about that."
"Don't be, it's a happy memory for me."
"Alright, anyway Orec, you rented a car, manipulated me into buying those tickets for you, took her out on a date and brought us here so you could make us remember. When did you plan all this? and how did you know we will come looking for you?" Mark asked.
"It all happened at the party when Atria said she was gonna watch Netflix all day long, and I knew you guys would come for me, you always do."
"You sure you're not Medrian… even a little?" Mark asked again.
"I assure you, bro, I am one hundred percent Brawn. Was... ! guess I still am?" Jayce looked at Samantha.
"Yup, our bodies are different but we're still the same. I made sure of that."
"I'm driving." Mark called and the other two took the back seat."
Jayce, Samantha and Mark all three of them were catching up with each other and then Jayce stopped talking all of a sudden. Samantha turned around to see that he was looking out of the window at something, she asked, "What are you looking at?"
"That car over there, I've seen it before."
"Which one? The Mercedes?" She asked again.
"Yeah, of course, that's a very common model Orec."
"No, I think I recognize the number…"
"Okay? Is it a colleague or something?"
"Wait… that's the bastard that almost ran you over that day. Orion, overtake him, I wanna see his face."
"On it, but how do you know it's a 'him?" Mark questioned. "I caught a glimpse of him before saving Atria that day, I had forgotten the number back then but now that I see it... it's him." Jayce answered as Mark drove faster. Because of the traffic, he couldn't overtake him so he tailed him for 2 blocks after which the traffic disappeared and then when their car was parallel to the Mercedes they saw his face. Mark was just about to overtake him to block his way Samantha shouted, "Orec?" Mark looked at the mirror and saw Jayce was breathless. He pulled the car over letting the Mercedes go.
"What's happening, Orec?" Samantha said, holding his hand, comforting him, fear took over her face. By the time the car stopped his breathing became normal, "I-I'm okay." Jayce said, catching his breath.
"What happened?" Mark asked, "Are you sick?"
"No that's not possible, they never get sick, I-- I don't know what happened, he's not supposed to be sick," Samantha mumbled.
"Guys, I'm okay… I was just a little out of breath. It's normal." Jayce assured them, "Can we go home now… I'm tired."
"Could it be Ereck, Samantha?" Mark asked.
"No, he can't… I don't know, it shouldn't happen, I did everything right,"
"Guys! I'm okay, just get me home!" Jayce yelled. Samantha and Mark became silent and Mark reignited the engine and took the next right to his home.
"I'm sorry, sorry for yelling."
"No, it's okay. It's all good." Mark said.
Silence took over for the rest of the ride, they reached Mark's 20 minutes later.