[1] 𝐁𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 ｡⋆ [𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬]

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: DISCOVERY

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘙𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕
❝ 𝐀𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. ❞

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄! 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐔𝐏!" her mother hollers as she's looking for her keys, purse in hand. "Or I'm leaving you here! You'll be late—"

"..for school! Yes, yes. I heard you the first time," The girl quipped, muttering under her breath. God, she hated that chalky raspy sound of her mother. It didn't even sound like her anymore. It sounded more of an imposter trying to desperately impersonate her mom. And, she wasn't even kidding around and at one point, Gladys left for work one day, actually leaving her behind. She quickly learned her lesson from that.

She took a couple of blueberry waffles from the toaster and made her way out the door. But, she decided to go alone this time. She needed some time to blow some steam. As her mom got into the car and started the ignition, she looked behind her, realizing that her daughter wasn't inside.

"What the— HEY! SARALINE!" She looked around but no sign of her. "Great. Off to the damn woods, again. I can't deal with this right now.." she mutters as she drives off.

Saraline Timbers followed her usual path through the serene woods on her way to school, a route she had grown accustomed to due to its calming nature. These moments in the woods were precious to her, providing a much-needed escape from the turbulence within. The tranquility of the surroundings helped soothe the broken pieces of her soul, if only temporarily.

"Can't have any time to myself.. ugh.."

As she strolled past the tranquil lake, her gaze caught something glinting among the foliage—a mysterious and enchanting sight. "Whoa."

It was an ancient medallion, weathered by time yet exuding an undeniable aura of magic. Intrigued by the unusual find, Saraline's curiosity got the better of her. She reached out and carefully lifted the medallion, holding it up to the sunlight filtering through the trees.

In an unexpected twist of events, the moment Saraline's fingers brushed against the medallion's surface, an otherworldly connection was forged. There were some engravings in the back in a language she didn't understand. She attempted her best to try and pronounce these phrases. The words translated into English, which made it easier for her.

"AAAH!"

The medallion seemed to come alive, its tendrils of magic intertwining with her essence. It clung to her neck, wrapping itself around her like a snug yet gentle embrace. The delicate, scraggly vines that adorned the medallion intertwined with her collarbone, fitting perfectly as if they were meant to be there.

Saraline was momentarily taken aback by the sensation, a mixture of astonishment and uncertainty coursing through her. She hadn't anticipated the medallion's response, nor the intimate connection it would establish. Yet, despite the initial surprise, a sense of belonging and acceptance washed over her. The medallion seemed to have chosen her as if recognizing her need for solace and offering its enigmatic power as a source of support.