Chapter 375 - Fountain of Fair Fortune (1/2)
Chris, Ginny, Luna, and Colin stared at each other. Colin opened his mouth and said something but his voice got muffled through the invisible barrier.
”Colin, please don't say, 'I told you so'. This is not the time,” Ginny warned through the talisman.
”I wasn't going to,” Colin retorted. ”I was asking if anyone can walk that way?” He pointed at the dark lane ahead of them. ”Chris, Ginny, you two are close. Try to go there.”
Chris nodded and she and Ginny tried to walk towards the lane but failed.
”Okay, everyone, do not panic,” Chris said noticing the tense mood of her friends. ”It's just like the barrier we crossed at the entrance.”
”Which was opened by Oziyat and if you guys haven't noticed, we are very much Oziyat-less right now,” Ginny remarked looking up through the tunnel from where they landed.
”Why did they divide us? Anything but this?” Colin ran his hand through his hair looking frustrated.
”I think we will be fine,” Luna said surprising her friends. Chris, Ginny, and Colin looked at her and she smiled. ”We are still here, aren't we? This means we are capable. Capable of going through whatever this mysterious underground cave throws at us. Yeah, we are divided right now but each one of us is powerful, that's why this place accepted us as the founders' alternative, shouldn't that be enough?”
”I don't think I've ever said this, but Luna, you give great pep talks,” Ginny chuckled then circled the place. ”Hmm. . . Alright, let's see what can we do here. . . Nothing is happening. And there are some runes here as well. Chris read them.”
Chris was startled by the sudden order but she quickly ducked towards the wall and started to read the runes. It was a story. A story about a fountain in a garden, four pursuers and. . .
Chris froze.
”It's the story of Fountain of Fair Fortune!”
”The children's book story?” Ginny asked surprised. ”Mom had told me the story multiple times.”
”I have read it too,” Luna dreamily looked at her side of the wall. ”That was very anti-climatic, why would someone put a children's story here, where no one could read it? And I don't think these stories are popular among vampires.”
”What's the story?” Colin asked looking from Chris to Ginny to Luna.
”Oh, right, Colin doesn't know,” Ginny said. ”It's about the fountain of fair fortunate.”
Colin raised his eyebrows at Ginny and Chris chuckled.
”I'll explain,” Chris announced. ”So this fountain of fair fortunate is a fountain that grants one wish every year to one person who can find it after winning all trial and tribulations surrounding the fountain. To gain that wish every year thousands of people wait outside the maze where the fountain is located. Very few among them make it to inside. In the story, three witches and a Muggle Knight enter the maze and pass the trials only to find all of their wishes are fulfilled even before reaching the fountain. The sick witch found a cure for her illness in the maze, the witch who lost her wand in a duel discovers that she is good at potions and she doesn't need her wand to use her magic, the third who wanted love, falls in love with the Knight and the Knight who just wanted a purpose of his life finds one. That's the story.”
”Cool story. . . but why is it here?” Colin said after a moment.
”I think,” Chris stared at the wall and again followed her intuition. ”This is a test, not a trap. We are being tested to see if we are worthy.”
”Okay . . . but what is this test? We are probably here for more than fifteen minutes and nothing has happened,” Ginny said looking around.
As soon as Chris, Luna, and Colin heard Ginny's words through the talisman another voice vibrated around them, and a figure appeared behind Ginny.
”I was just waiting for you to figure it out first.”
Ginny whirled around holding up her wand but seeing the newcomer, she froze. Chris, Luna, and Colin had their mouth open in shock as well. In front of Ginny was . . . another Ginny.
This new Ginny looked exactly like Ginny but at the same time, Chris knew it wasn't her best friend Ginny.
”What? Never saw yourself in the mirror?” The new Ginny or the fake Ginny asked mockingly and smirked. There was arrogance and overconfidence in the way she spoke.
”Gin, I think,” Chris tried to warn but the next second Luna's surrounding filled with white smoke.
”Luna!” Colin and Chris screamed and again, before Chris could let out another word, she got dizzy and suddenly collapsed.
”Christina?”