Galekin

Chapter 21, A Visit

*Lydia's POV*

To say that the last week was hectic would be an understatement. After Sereen and Chris' kiss that morning, we didn't see them again till noon, when they told us that they were officially dating. Amber had immediately squealed in excitement and I was proud that Sereen confessed, though I think the events that happened kinda forced her to.

Theo apologized to me after breakfast that day, and I apologized too. I told him I wasn't ready, and he told me he understood. Things were now better between us, but still kind of awkward. Sereen and I told Chris that Theo confessed and I turned him down. We didn't say anything about my true feelings for him. Chris was so excited about him and Sereen that he didn't mind at all. He told me I'd have to stay strong and survive.

The rest of the week was mostly the same. Sereen and Chris were together often so I was stuck with Amber and Theodore, mostly Amber since Theo was doing paperwork. To my surprise, I noticed that I didn't mind spending time with Amber as much. She wasn't as shy as she used to be and we actually had fun in the library, where we spend most of our time.

We were currently all in the castle town. "So, what are we doing?" Sereen asked. Apparently, Theo had something planned.

"I was walking through the castle and overheard something interesting. According to some staff members, there is a secret cave behind the statue in the park, and I thought I'd be fun to investigate."

My face fell slightly, and I saw Sereen and Chris glance at me with concern. "Uh... why?" Sereen asked and I knew she was trying to talk Theo out of it.

"Like I said It will be fun. We'll have an adventure."

"That sounds childish Theo." I mocked him and he frowned at me.

"I-I'm up for it." Amber stated softly, not helping Sereen.

"Won't we get in trouble when people find out?" Chris asked taking a couple more glances at me.

"In trouble for what? Investigating some old secret cave? It'll be fine." Theo grabbed Chris' shoulder. "And since when do you care about getting in trouble?"

Chris seemed to have trouble responding so I spoke up. "Let's do it."

"Great" Theodore grinned and started walking.

I tried to follow but Sereen grabbed my arm. "Are you sure about this?" I simply nodded trying to get loose.

"Lydia, we know what's in those caves. If you want to back out, we will help you." Chris spoke up.

"I'm fine guys." I gave them a reassuring smile. "And besides, it's about time I'd visit them." Sereen reluctantly let go of my arm and I followed Theo and Amber.

After a bit of walking we stood in front of the giant statue. It was engraved into the wall of a mountain and a beautiful park surrounded it. Thankfully, there weren't many people in the park, making it easier to go unnoticed.

Theodore walked up to the statue and started his investigation.

"We're looking for a secret cave entrance, right?" Amber asked as she was looking from a distance. Clearly, she didn't like getting close to the statue and having people stare at her.

"Yes. They said it was somewhere on the statue. It's probably some sort of lever or something." Theo explained. Sereen and Chris finally caught up with us and by now the concerned glances they kept giving me were starting to get annoying.

I walked up to the statue, pretended to feel around for a bit before walking over to the entrance. It was actually hidden in plain sight. There were many vines on the statue that perfectly covered the entrance. "Hey guys I found something." I tried to sound as surprised as possible. Theodore was immediately by my side his eyes twinkling with excitement. I had to suppress a smile as I looked at him. He was acting like a little kid. I showed him the entrance.