Been occupied with the things happening I didn't notice RJ is already right in front of me.
"Mary, here…" I looked up at RJ, who was handing me an iced coffee in a bottle.
I gave him a small smile as thanks. It had already been 46 minutes since I asked my friends for a favor. Right now, I just hoped they would all have it.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, not looking in my direction.
"A lot." I said not looking into his direction.
"Tell me all about it"
"Why… why does love require so much pain? Why do people's feelings change with every tick of time?" I said bitterly. "RJ, she was so pure-hearted. She had the most beautiful smile, a cheerful young lady who wanted nothing but happiness and love. But because of the betrayal of everyone around her, she lost herself and died. She didn't even get to feel her daughter's warm smile." Tears streamed down my face as I said those words.
"Looking back at what happened to her, I can't help but think… what if the people around me change their hearts? What if I feel the same betrayal Emerald felt? I— I'm scared." My voice broke as I cried. His hand caressed my back, trying to ease my emotions. "I'm so scared. I thought I had nothing left to fear after my parents died and I was left alone, but I was wrong. I'm scared—scared that the people I cherish might change their hearts, and… and I'm not as kind as Emerald," I sobbed.
Silence filled the room except for my crying. He held my head and guided it gently onto his shoulder. He let me cry my heart out in his arms. He didn't say anything, but the warmth of his hand as he caressed my head was enough to comfort me.
We stayed like that for a while until I heard loud voices from outside. I immediately pulled away from him and wiped my tears.
"Mary is the one who told me this!" That was Micah's voice from the outside.
They entered the room, noise spilling in with them. Jad's piercing eyes immediately found mine.
"Mary, tell this woman that this is your necklace. You told me yourself that if you ever took it off, I would find it in the safe behind the painting at our house," Jad said, showing me an identical necklace in his hand. I couldn't help but smile.
"No! Mary, you told me your necklace would be in the attic in case it wasn't on your neck!" Micah spoke next, also holding an identical necklace.
"You guys, you're being noisy," Harmony said loudly. "Mary, I'm so happy you're back safe and sound." She hugged me.
"What are you all so busy about anyway? You didn't get time with me" I tell her. It was supposed to be a joke, but something in her eyes told me it wasn't funny to her.
"I guess you don't know…" she said softly.
That caught me off guard.
"What do you mean? What don't I know?" I frowned.
"It's not—" Jad began, but Harmony silenced him.
"We broke up, Mary. Just a month ago," Harmony confessed. I froze. I didn't know what to feel.
"Huh? W-why?"
"Can we not talk about that right now?" Jad replied harshly. "Tell us why we all found the same necklace. And why did you tell us different places?"
"Yeah, Mary, you told me to look for a pink vase in your house. I only saw it when I went into your parents' library."
I sighed deeply and looked around the room.
"Five months ago, I had a really bad dream," I began. "A shadow of someone with a snake holding a dagger and a dahlia flower. Her whole body was covered in snakes and a mask. Those symbols can only mean one thing: betrayal. So I made a plan—to find out if anyone among you was betraying me." My eyes drifted to the moon and stars outside the window.
Flashback…
"Duply in You," I read the name of the spell.
"With this, I can duplicate the necklace and use it for my plan."
"Duply in kwatro, right here in you," I said, swinging my fingers toward the necklace. Within seconds, four identical necklaces appeared. The difference was that none of them had magiór.
I placed them in different safes. "With my will, I say: once anyone opens this and tries to take the necklace, it will disappear after an hour."
I repeated the spell for every safe.
It wasn't that I didn't trust my friends… but that dream wasn't nothing. I believed I was shown it for a reason.
End of flashback…
"You doubted us? Seriously, Mary? We grew up together," Jad said.
"I'm sorry. But with everything happening, I don't believe in coincidences anymore. Everything is connected," I said firmly.
"So you never trusted us?"
"No, Harmony—" I stopped mid-sentence as I noticed something. "Where's Reina?"
That was when they all realized Reina wasn't with them either.
"I told her the same instructions I told you, but a different place of course. Did you see her at the house?"
"Yes… she was there too. We arrive same time but I didn't see her come out," Micah said.
"Can you call her?" I said trying to redeem my composure even if deep inside I am dying.
"I can't call her either," Jad added.
A chilling horror crept through my body.
My nerves shook. My heartbeat raced.
"No… no…" Tears formed in my eyes. "Not Reina…"
"Mary, calm down. M-maybe Reina is just late… or got caught up," Harmony said, trying to comfort me, though I could hear the fear in her voice too.
"Wait, wait. So who did you tell the real location of the necklace? Or did you tell another person too?" Jad asked sarcastically.
"No. I only told you guys. But… none of you were told the truth." Their brows furrowed. I took out Emerald's diary.
I lit up my finger and pointed it at the book. Within seconds, the real necklace floated in front of everyone. I grabbed it and put it around my neck. They stared, confused. I snapped my fingers, and the fake necklaces disappeared from their hands.
"Wha—" they all uttered in shock.
"Those were duplicates without magiór. I made them to test you. And believe me… I prayed all of you would bring the same thing here. But no—"
I couldn't finish. The pain hit me too hard.
Then the Book of Magiór suddenly flipped its pages, the way it always did when reacting to my magic. I looked down at it.
"Honesty in the Float?" I read aloud.
"It wants you to confirm if Reina actually took the fake necklace you told her about," RJ said.
I inhaled deeply, then swung my finger and activated the spell.
"M-Mirror, mirror… in my hand. Show us the truth we can't withstand"
A bright glow filled the room. Then like a television screen, it showed everything.
Me, RJ, Nanno, Jad, Harmony, and Micah watched the scene unfold.
Reina stood in front of the safe I told her about. She opened it and found the necklace. She took it… held it… but then put it back?
I thought that was it. But then someone appeared at the window. She talked to them—then handed the necklace over.
The vision ended.
"Oh my gosh…" Micah whispered, unable to believe it.
Pain washed over me, tears streaming down my face as RJ placed a hand on my back.
Out of everyone… it was Reina.
The one I treated like a sister.
Closer to me than Micah ever was.
How… how could she do this?
Why did she do this?
Did I do something to her?
Why, Reina… why?