CRYSTAL AND THE MYSTERIOUS LOCKET

“KILL LUCIEN”

“Crystal,” a voice called from far, “Sleep now, night owl.”

She turned, her back facing the far mountains that lay in the depths of the forest.

A few minutes later, she returned to her camp near the river, which was set up there as the only safe place to stay. She slept soundly.

A groan escaped her lips as her eyes slowly opened in discomfort. She rubbed her eyes, struggling to open them fully. When she finally managed it, she found herself in that same deep forest she was looking at earlier, unsure of the direction she had walked.

Walking there was impossible. Whenever she took a step, a loud sound echoed through the whole forest. She looked like she could manage easily, but deep inside, she knew how hard it was for her to stay there.

She wanted to shout for help, but she was afraid. She knew her shouting would only wake the animals more than the sound produced by her walking. The truth was, she had been trained not to fear or cry, even in her hardest time.

She was walking when she suddenly stopped near an oak tree that had bloodstains. She was shocked for a moment, her breath catching, but she calmed herself and touched the stains. She realised they were not fresh.

At first, she thought they were from a dead animal, but when she looked back, her body shivered, and she turned pale. She struggled to speak, but the voice was caged in her throat.

A figure stood in front of her, covered in blood, with torn clothes, scars, and marks on her body. The face was not visible, but the look was scary enough. She shouted, covering her ears. In fear, she closed her eyes and fell near the oak tree.

When she opened them back, she found no one. Her hands landed on the ground, covered with dry leaves, wood, and some green and dry grass. Her bracelet touched something that produced a sound.

She removed the leaves and took out the object: a locket with some old design on it, maybe a symbol. A curious feeling washed over her as she looked at the locket. She took it with her and started to move forward.

After walking for an hour with the feeling of someone gazing and following her, she suddenly realised, How did I get here?

She turned back in fear, shivering. To her surprise, her camp was there, and a voice reached her: “Crystal, sleep now, night owl.”

She was completely blank. After a little thinking, she concluded it was all just a dream.

But soon, she realised she was holding something, and it was that same LOCKET…

The whole night was filled with struggling thoughts, making Crystal unable to sleep even for a moment. After the sleepless night, Crystal moved out of the camp and went to wash her face near the riverside.

She was washing her face when she noticed something moving inside the water. She narrowed her eyes to look clearly but froze when she understood. There was no scary shadow or bloody skeleton, just three words: “Kill Lucien, Crystal.”

The water dripping from her face, fresh from washing, mingled with the sudden sweat of fear. Her eyes were wide with fright after reading the statement, and her whole body went cold. The name shook her to the core; her mind turned blank until a hand landed on her shoulder, which startled her.

She looked back and let out a sigh of relief. Something clicked in her mind, but before she could grasp it, the sentence disappeared into the darkness of the river.

“Crystal, do you have a plan to stay here forever and be amazed by this river? I know you are a nature lover, but dear, we are getting late.”

“Sorry, ma'am.” She lowered her head in embarrassment.

“It's okay. I didn't mean to hurt you with words, but you have to kill Lucien.”

The voice suddenly changed into a scary tone, which jolted Crystal. She quickly looked up.

It was that same scary figure, dripping blood from her whole body. Even in the daytime, it was horrific to look at. The figure was so close to Crystal that the reflection in her eyes made her shout.

The sudden, scary appearance shocked her, forcing her body to step backward without her control, which led to her falling into the deep river.

Hearing her shout, everyone ran toward the loud voice that had reached them.

Inside the deep water, the words echoed in her ear: “Kill Lucien, Crystal.” Those words grew louder with every passing moment.

She forced her eyes open. After a lot of struggle, she finally managed, but all she could see was darkness, and the words were still heard by her.

Her voice was caged in her throat, and suddenly, everything stopped. The voice stopped, and she could speak again.

She started to swim, and then she heard a voice from behind her. The voice was like a melody, but it carried the feeling of sorrow, rage, and revenge.

Crystal looked back. Particles were gathering, forming a figure. The figure was different from before; it belonged to a girl with long hair, a beautifully structured body, and sharp facial features. Perfect lips and nose, attractive eyes with enhanced eyelashes.

For a moment, Crystal's breath stopped, mesmerized by the soul’s beauty, but its voice and the rage in its eyes scared her to death. She stumbled. She wanted to move out of there, but multiple questions were arising in her head.

(Kill Lucien? But why? Where am I trapped? What's actually going on with me? Hallucinations, but again, why?) These thoughts made her curious to know the truth.

“Kill Lucien, Crystal.”

(Forget the questions. Let's run for life first.)

She tried to turn back, but her body was frozen, unable to move. She understood there was no way she could go back without knowing the truth.

“Wh-what do you want from me? Why am I shuddering?”

“Kill Lucien, Crystal.”

“Kill Lucien, Kill Lucien, KILL LUCIEN! BUT WHY? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS TO ME? KILL LUCIEN! WHY DO YOU WANT THIS? WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?” Crystal shouted in suppressed anger, finally letting her questions out.