Fantastical Mistake

Chapter 7 - On My Own

- Mistake? What do you mean "mistake"? – I couldn't help but feel a bit offended.

I heard a few laughs from the other side of the room and glared at the few Shadows that had heard us and chuckled with glee at his blunt statement.

- Again, is just a theory – he clarified. – But like that Dryad said, something is wrong with the Forest. I had my suspicions too. And the fact that you came from the heart of the Forest... It shouldn't have happened.

- I don't understand – I expressed, feeling my eyebrows furrowing with all the confusion.

Emmeric rolled his eyes and sighed, getting up while waving his hand indifferently at me.

- And I don't have the time nor the will to explain everything to you. There is a lot more at stake than just getting you home, human.

With that, he started heading towards the hallway, leaving me gritting my teeth and clenching my fists in fury.

- Valentina! – I yelled. – My name is Valentina!

He left, ignoring me as he went. I crossed my arms and huffed, frustrated with his attitude towards me and his indifference to my situation. I was thrown into a completely new world that I knew nothing about. Of course I would have a hard time understanding things.

- Fine – I decided. – I'll figure things out on my own. Scarlett?

She was just a few steps away, having witnessed all the situation.

- I thought it was going to be much worst – she said as she got closer. – Our Master doesn't like leaving the Castle, and certainly did not enjoy the encounter with the Dryad. He's been careful to not be seen by them for the longest time.

I looked surprised at her.

- What? Is that why she said she didn't recognize us? No one has seen him before?

- Until now – she threw an intense look my way.

I bit my bottom lip, starting to feel just a little bit guilty.

- Don't be mad – I asked. – I know my presence here is forcing everyone to do things differently. But I didn't ask for this. I just want to go back home. I want everything to get back to normal too.

She contemplated me for a minute, before nodding her small fuzzy head in agreement.

- I understand – she assured me.

- Thank you – I smiled. – Now, I want to go to the library and find some things out on my own. There's bound to be some books there that may help me, right?

- Depends on what you expect to find – she said, as she started to lead the way.

Getting in the library, there was an overwhelming sense. Seeing the books upon books and shelfs after shelfs left me already exhausted. But I reminded myself that this was necessary. I couldn't expect everyone to just explain to me everything about this world.

With a little bit of guidance offered by Scarlett and Coal, who had joined us when I called for him on our way to the library, I sat on the dark green sofa to the right of the library, surrounded by imposing books I had to go through. Good thing I enjoyed reading, even if history books were not really my favorites.

Before opening the first book, seeing that the room was a bit too dark, I opened the big heavy curtains behind my sofa to let the day light in, making my reading a lot more comfortable. This castle was dark enough without covering the few windows.

It was with delight that I found that reading history about this world, although boring at some points, was more like reading a fantasy novel than anything else. The first book that Coal advised me to read was, apparently, about the origins of the Forest. It described a bleak small world before the first signs of life began appearing – small leafs, which would turn into a tree, which would become the first tree of the magical Forest just outside the Castle.