𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 [𝐣𝐢𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐨𝐜]

Chapter 33 | Surprise Demise

"Lady Liza!"

"Lizzie!"

"Liz! "

Upon hearing her name, Liz opens her eyes only to meet with complete darkness and utter silence. Why is everything so dark? Where is she?

Taking a step forward, multiple lights in every shade of color began to glow around her, emitting from stones extended from beneath the walls and ground of what looked like an underground tunnel. Liz approaches one of the glowing stones, realizing they are, in fact, gemstones like the one in Trollmarket but smaller in size. However, these gemstones seem to whisper faintly but incoherently to her ears.

However, one voice stood out among the whispers, drawing her attention to one gemstone embedded in the wall a few feet away. The stone was a deep cobalt blue like sapphire though slightly transparent, revealing a moving image of little Jim.

Enthralled, Liz reached for the stone only to be sucked into the vision through a vortex and landed on some bushes nearby a house. She then hears car doors closing and a woman calling out. "Hurry now, sweetie, and say goodbye to Jim. We have a long drive."

"Okay!" A little girl shouted in reply. The voices prompted Liz to climb from the bushes and walk to the front of the house, noticing that it was Toby's house, but with a familiar red car parked in front of it. Out on the sidewalk stood a little boy and girl—the same children in Liz's dreams and Jim's childhood photo.

The little girl pulled the boy into a hug. "I'll bring you a birthday present when I come back, so wait for me, okay?"

"You promise, Lizzie?" Little Jim pouted, tightening his arms as if not wanting to let go. The little girl giggled, pulling herself from him to smile at him and lifting her pinky. "Promise, Jimmy!"

And with that, they crossed their pinkies.

Instantly, the scenery changed before Liz's eyes, revealing visions through the eyes of the little girl – of herself growing up, her first meeting with Jimmy from across the street, her playtime with Jimmy, the first actual encounter with Kanjigar, saying goodbye to Jimmy, the perfect family trip, a terrifying ride home through a storm, a car falling that ended in a flooding river bank with both parents unresponsive to her cries, and then — nothing.

Withdrawing her hand from the stone, Liz's surroundings changed back to the tunnel, her gaze unfocused as she processed what she had seen—those visions – they were hers. Her memories. Lizzie's memories. She was Lizzie.

A tear fell down her cheek as Liz realized this. All this time, and she never knew – until now.

"About time you start remembering."

Liz flinched at the feminine voice, realizing she was not alone. Turning around, she sees no one but a glowing orb of white light hovering before her. She was not threatened by its presence but instead drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

"But you have a long way to go before you can remember everything. After all – this is just the beginning."

And with that, the light flashed brightly, blinding everything in sight until all was white.

Liz slowly opens her eyes, blurry faces hovering above her own until her vision clears, revealing the worried expressions of Vendel, Douxie, and Archie. Douxie instantly grinned with relief in his eyes. "Blimey, you're awake! Are you okay, love?"

"Doux? Wha-What's going on? Why are you —" Liz slowly sat up with their help but paused mid-sentence as she remembered being at the Hero's Forge for Jim's training session before she was greeted with darkness. "What happened?"