Chapter 54 - Search

[Would you like to stay in Solitude for a little bit more, Master?]

"I guess so. What time is it in the real world anyway?"

[It is now quarter to seven, Master.]

"What?!

Suddenly, Gem had the urge to stand up and panic after hearing what Mr. Gemini just said.

"It's already seven o'clock?! B-But... I thought…"

Gem shook her head after realizing how careless she had been for assuming that time flows differently inside Solitude. She didn't even bother to ask Mr.. Gemini about it!

[Master?]

"Oh no! Venedette and the others! They must be looking for me! What should I do? I still have fifteen days worth of physical training with the system! What should I do Mr. Gemini?"

[Should I release the calming mist, Master?]

"No! I need answers! If you don't have them then please just shut up." Gem said in distress.

[Releasing calming mist…]

"What? B-But I said-" Gem was dumbfounded when Mr. Gemini ignored her order and instead of protesting, she ended up inhaling the sweet substance anyway. "Never mind, thank you, Mr. Gemini."

[At your service.]

And while Gem was busy weighing out her options and knowledge of the place called solitude, Venedette on the other hand was getting convinced that Gem had already gone missing the longer she looked for her.

"Any idea where she could have gone to?" said Venedette.

"I don't know, I just came here to check on her but she was already gone by the time I got here," Fily said anxiously while checking every corner of Gem's room for the nth time.

A group of palace guards approached Venedette outside of Gem's room.

"Still nothing?" Venedette asked them.

"Nothing, miss Dette." one of them said sympathetically.

Everybody on the island knew about the tragic thing that happened to Demi, and although Gem was not a relative to the princess nor a substitute for her daughter, they all knew how much Venedette seemed to value her.

"Heavens!" Venedette cried.

"What should we do now, miss Dette?" the guard leader asked.

"For now, expand the search area, she couldn't have gone far away. Ask around town and the villages after that too if they have seen this girl, even a report of someone suspicious will do. Send a team to search in the forests too. I can't believe this is happening on my watch, not again…"

"Roger!" they said in unison before dispersing, but instead of being able to run along, the guards stopped on their tracks to kneel before the Queen after seeing her approaching unannounced. She was wearing her complete Royal attire with the long red cape, crown, and scepter as if she was on her way to bless a baby or a couple in marriage.

"Mother? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be eating dinner with-" Venedette's words hanged in the air when she saw the people she was referring to walking behind Halma. "-them."

"We heard," Sir Grandoise simply said and went ahead to comfort Venedette.

"Don't bother." Halma said to the guards, "I know where the girl is."

"You what?!" Venedette exploded in disbelief.

Gasps were heard across the room where they were standing when Halma made this revelation.

"I know where she is," Halma said again with a smile, sending shivers down Venedette's spine who was on the verge of emotional exhaustion already.

"What did you do to her?! Where is she?! Take her back here this instance! If this is another one of your 'part of the big plan' bullshits I will make sure to make you regret your own decision mother!"

Everybody was taken aback by Venedette's sudden aggression, even the Queen who used to be immune to Venedette's hatred seemed to have been affected by it, the permanent wicked smile on her face faded slowly and was replaced with a sad frown.

"Is this how you've become after spending time with that girl? She hadn't even been here for long yet here you are being disrespectful to me already. This is not how I raised you, Venedette. Don't forget that I am still your mother." Halma's voice was calm yet it was unsettling to hear, her words were like sharp blades to Venedette's heart who had been hurting ever since she came to this Island.

Even before that, Venedette had always been the understanding one. She never turned against her mother even in difficult times. Halma was a trouble-magnet and Venedette was her cleaner. And although Venedette might have her heart broken several times by her mother's insensitive actions, this one was Venedette's last straw.

"Enough is enough, mother! Can't you see?! Gem is a person like us! You can't just run around controlling people as you please! That is not how life works!"

"See, I knew you would react like this. I understand that you will never be able to understand my way of doing things, Venedette. But I was only intending to help. You're making less progress because you're always letting your emotions pull you back. Loosen up, child. Not everything can be achieved through your moral means."

"What exactly did you do to her?" Venedette brushed off the argument and drove the conversation back to Gem.

"I made her wish come true!" The Queen said cheerfully again which made Venedette even more suspicious of her.

"What wish?"

"She wanted to die, remember?" Halma looked at Fily meaningfully which signaled Venedette's anger to burn even more.

"You did what?!" She looked at both of them.

And although Fily wanted to explain so badly, no words came out of her mouth. Only tears were seen streaming down her face when she realized how dangerous her words could be when given to the wicked Queen.

"I killed her but she should have been back several hours ago. I wonder what's taking her so long?" Halma said while hovering carelessly around Gem's bed.

"How could you do this?! You maniac!" Venedette shouted with a hoarse voice and fell on the floor, gasping for more air as she fell into a deep cry, her broken heart shattering into a million different pieces for the second time ever since Demi died.