Just as they reached the entrance to the tomb, Simon accidentally kicked a loose stone. It clattered loudly against the ground, suddenly a weird figure appeared in front of them.It was a Goblin.
"Uh-oh," Ivy whispered in panic. "Run!"
They ran desperately through the deserted land as the goblin chased after them. Simon cried out for help, his voice filled with fear
"Oh! I'm not gonna let you eat me. Not today, you hideous goblin!"
They continued running, with the goblin hot on its heels. Simon, gasping for breath, shouted to Ivy
"Ivy! The incantation! We need to open the portal!"
Ivy, still running, shouted
"Overo Porteus danje veritas espitula esposito!" But to their dismay, the portal did not open. Simon urged Ivy to try again, this time suggesting that she wave her hand the way the old witch had done.
Once more, Ivy incanted the words
"Overo Porteus danje veritas espitula esposito", while mimicking the witch's hand movements. Yet again, the portal remained closed.
The goblin was closing in on them, its grotesque features becoming more menacing with each passing moment.
Thinking quickly, Ivy suggested that they say the incantation together. In unison, they shouted
"Overo Porteus danje veritas espitula esposito!"
Suddenly, the portal opened, revealing the other side,with the old witch's hut. Without hesitation, Ivy leaped through the portal, and just as quickly, it closed behind her, leaving Simon alone in the forsaken land.
Simon, terrified and feeling abandoned, cried out in despair. " I can't die like this!", but he kept running nonetheless.
Ivy, realizing that Simon had been left behind, felt a surge of determination to rescue him. She turned to the old witch, expressing her intention to go back and save her friend, but the old witch warned Ivy of the dangers that awaited her if she were to return, emphasizing that sacrifices must sometimes be made. Ivy, torn between her loyalty to Simon and the potential risks, made up her mind.
She recited the incantation once more, and the portal opened, allowing Simon to see a glimmer of hope. He ran towards Ivy, waving his hand frantically, just as the goblin was about to grab hold of him, with a final burst of strength, Ivy pulled Simon through the portal, and as soon as they were both safely on the other side, she closed it, sealing off the treacherous realm they had just escaped from.
Simon, still catching his breath and clutching his chest, exclaimed, "Oh my God, Ivy! That hideous creature almost devoured me, woof!"
Interrupting Simon's dramatic statement, the old witch spoke in a harsh tone
"Enough of your theatrics, Simon. Let's get down to business."
She motioned for Ivy to join her at a large table adorned with lit candles. Grateful that Simon was safe, Ivy patted him on the shoulder and swiftly walked over to where the old woman stood.
"There's one more thing we will need" , the witch said, locking her gaze on Ivy.
Simon snickered, refusing to do any more quests. Glaring hatefully at the witch, he didn't garner her attention.
"We've come this far, quitting is out of the question," Ivy pleaded with Simon, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"What is it that I have to do this time?" Ivy asked the witch, almost immediately.
"We will need your blood to be able to awaken your parents" the witch replied.
Simon , sarcastically said, "Oh, so it's a blood transfusion now?"
The witch looked at Ivy, awaiting her approval to take her blood. Ivy, with a determined look on her face, turned to Simon, who sighed heavily and plopped down on the floor without even looking up.
"I will do it," Ivy declared, extending her hands towards the witch, who wasted no time in giving Ivy a sharp cut. A painful cry escaped Ivy's lips as the witch squeezed her finger, allowing drops of blood to fall into a bowl placed on the table, which contained all the things Ivy had acquired during her quest.
Back at Ivy's house, Cecilia decided to give the vault a thorough cleaning, realizing that it had been quite some time since she had last done so. As she tidied up, she noticed with alarm that the cherished golden compass was nowhere to be found. Worried, she hurried to find Ambrose, hoping he might have some answers.
Ambrose, when asked about the missing compass, claimed that he hadn't visited the vault in ages, leaving Cecilia puzzled and even more concerned. She called out for Jasmine, who happened to arrive just in time. Cecilia wasted no time in questioning Jasmime about the whereabouts of Ivy. Jasmine swiftly concocted a lie. She told Cecilia that Ivy was busy working on a project at Simon's place.
However, Cecilia could sense the unease in Jasmine's voice and pressed further.
"Have you seen our family's golden compass?" she asked, hoping for a truthful answer.
Jasmine attempted to lie again, but her uneasiness betrayed her. Cecilia asked once more, and this time, Jasmine confessed that Ivy had taken the compass.
"The day I fell asleep? Did you two spike the cake with a sleep potion?" Cecilia questioned, her voice filled with disbelief. Jasmine nodded, admitting that it was indeed that day that Ivy took the compass while Cecilia was asleep. Curiosity piqued, Cecilia demanded to know the reason whyIvy needed the compass.
Jasmine stuttered, struggling to find the right words
"Um… She… um…" she hesitated.
Cecilia's anger began to rise, and she warned Jasmine to start talking before her fury was unleashed. Fear gripped Jasmine, and she began to spill everything to Cecilia, from Ivy's idea of bringing their parents back to life, to her encounters with the old witch , and the quests she had undertaken.
Cecilia was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
"So, you mean Ivy skipped school and went in search of that old witch?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of concern and disbelief.
Just then, Ambrose emerged from the basement, joining the conversation
"Which old witch?" he inquired, sensing the tension in the room.
Cecilia and Ambrose exchanged a troubled look. Jasmine, worried, asked what the problem was and if they knew the old witch.
Cecilia took a deep breath before explaining, "The old witch you sent your cousin to has been our family's sworn foefor many decades."
Jasmine's eyes widened in disbelief as she listened to her mother's revelation about the old witch's connection to their family. She confessed that she had been oblivious to the deep-rooted history between them and the witch. All she had intended to do was assist her cousin.