Griselda led Irene to her office as Glenda sorted out notes and books. Griselda walked toward a door with a piece of paper stuck to the door, saying ‘DANGER: DO NOT TRESPASS’, and raised her hand to activate the door locks.
The principal told the duo to follow her as she headed inside and walked down the long flight of stairs.
Irene and Glenda exchanged worried glances before following her close behind.
They walked carefully, making sure not to trip or fall. The walls and halls were grand and full of life, even with ambiance and a dark aura surrounding it. The framed pictures were high up, along with dimly lit torches that flared up.
A floating elevator surrounded by a cage stood at the end of the stairs. Griselda activated a control panel with holographic buttons on the side and pressed a few buttons. When she finished, the gates to the entrance closed behind them.
“Hang on, ladies, this is going to be a bumpy ride.” Griselda warned them.
The elevator made a sudden drop, catching Irene and Glenda off-guard. Gravity and adrenaline rushed down their bodies as they tried to hang on and not jump too high. Soon, the elevator came to a stop in mid-air. Griselda stepped out, declaring that they had reached their destination. It took a while for Glenda and Irene to walk out, as their bodies wobbled and their vision grew blurry.
With every step the women took, a pink tile would appear beneath their feet so that they could walk across. They continued down the line until stopping at a large oval podium in the center of the level. Above them rested a tall and circular device, with smaller circles on its side, acting out as knobs. After voice recognition from Griselda, the knob's lights blinked on.
She explained to the group that it was a secretive room that she kept hidden from everyone else in the academy and used only for emergencies. Irene rolled her eyes. This realm had a strange obsession with portal rooms.
“Ok, so, how does this work?”
“Why don’t I show you?” Griselda cleared her throat before speaking to the device above. “Show us where Benjamin and Isabelle are.”
The images grew distorted until a clear image appeared on the machine. One knob grew large and hovered closer to the group, giving them a better view of the location. The vision showed Benjamin resting on a bed made from grass and straw next to Isabelle, still resting on the hardwood table. After zooming out, the trio took notice of the hut and the unnatural forest surrounding it.
Glenda leaned over to inspect the area. She took her glasses off to wipe them, trying to get a better, clearer view of what she saw.
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“What is that? In all my years, I don’t think I’ve seen a location quite like this before.”
“That’s the Forbidden Isles,” Griselda replied, her expression crestfallen. “I never thought I’d see this place again.” she muttered under her breath. “What are the odds?”
“What do you mean? Is it possible to get them out?”
“It’s not easy. Once you enter, it’s difficult to leave.”
“Are you serious? How’d they even get in there?”
“I’m not sure.”
Irene stood there and watched the vision laid out in front of her. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her only daughter, not waking up, was lost alongside her friend, all alone in an unknown world. The thought made her stomach churn and blood boil.
“I can’t believe this is happening...”
“Huh?” Griselda and Glenda glanced at the woman as she lowered her head. “Irene, are you—?”
“This is all your fault!” Irene thundered, pointing at the principal.
“What?” Griselda took a step back. “How is this my fault? I didn’t make them go in there.”
“You insisted we don’t search for them, that we shouldn’t worry.”
“Really?” Griselda crossed her arms. “Even though you made them run away, which could’ve led them to falling and ending up in there?”
“How about you find a way to get them out of there instead of giving up?”
“I never said I would give up—”
“Ladies, calm down!” Glenda interrupted, getting in between the two. “I’m sure if we relax and think things through, we’ll figure it out.” She turned to Irene. “I know you’re upset, but getting frustrated won’t solve anything.”
Irene bit her lip and turned away in a huff. Her ears perked up to footsteps echoing. She glanced up at the vision. A figure walked in with a blanket and a cup of water. Her heart dropped, and time froze all around her. Irene tried to hold back tears as she stared at him face to face.
No way, it can’t be... “Hugh?”
“What?” Griselda quickly turned as her eyes widened. “How is that possible? He’s still alive?”
Glenda blinked as she examined the vision more closely. She couldn’t picture it, but she had a hunch she had seen him somewhere. Had they met before? Was it just a forgotten memory of something else? She couldn’t help but recollect the times she had spent with Clause before…
“What do you mean by that?” Irene glared at the principal, fire in her eyes. “Are you saying you hadn’t even been looking for him this whole time?”
“No! We’ve tried our best to look all over. We had no idea where Hugh could’ve been, but we—”
“You liar! Why couldn’t you have used this thing to track him down?” She pressed further.
“This only has a few uses per—”
“It was an emergency. He could’ve died!”
A lump tightened around Griselda’s throat, struggling to respond. Glenda bit her finger as she watched the two argue. She knew there’d be no winning or putting a stop to it, as it was not her business. But, on the other hand, why didn’t her mistress say anything to counter Irene’s statements? Surely, she didn’t mean any harm, right?