Story(unamed)--Chapter 23

Serenity’s world came crashing down. Jason, her first friend she had met in Alercaria, was dead. And it was all her fault. It was because of her that Jason and Shinku were ambushed. They were caught while trying to protect her. She couldn’t defend herself, and had to rely on other people to do it for her. From this day on, I will get stronger, I will learn how to protect my friends, and myself and I will avenge Jason’s death, thought Serenity fiercely.
Esmera’s voice cut through Serenity’s thoughts. Serenity, how is Jason faring? We have to hurry though and get to Mirthira, to get help for him and Shinku. We cannot abandon them.
Too late for that, muttered Serenity.
Serenity! Be positive!
That’s when Serenity lost it. “Positive? I can’t be positive right now! Jason is dead! Dead, Esmera, dead! And you know what the worst part of it is? It is all because of me!” Serenity sank back down and started crying.
Jason is dead? Esmera mused.
Serenity looked up, tears staining her face. “Yes.”
Islaria heard Serenity shouting, and came over to investigate. “Serenity! Keep your voice down! Enemies can hear us!” When Islaria came upon closer inspection, she saw that Serenity had been crying. “Serenity! What’s the matter?”
Serenity looked up at Islaria and started crying louder. “J-Jason. He is d-dead.”
Islaria froze and turned pale. “H-How?”
Serenity told reminded Islaria of the necklace with the Firestar in it. Islaria, after hearing this, sank down to the ground. Suddenly, Serenity got a small spark of hope. “Islaria, you know some things about the Firestar, right?”
Islaria nodded from the ground, but then got up; she wasn’t crying.
“Is it possible, even a little bit, that the Firestar could be wrong?”
“No,” Islaria responded immediately.
“Even like a really small chance?”
“No, Serenity. In all the things I know about it, I know that it is never wrong. I was born just as the Firestar was split. I’ve studied everything there is about the Firestar and its twin, the Icestar. I’ve studied that subject for years on end, and never have I come upon something that says the Firestar is wrong.”
“Not even the littlest of hope?”
“No, Serenity. You have to trust me on this subject.”
“The way you say it sounds like you want Jason to be dead,” Serenity muttered.
“Serenity! Of course I don’t! I would never want Jason to be dead.”
“Really? What about all the times he yelled at you in Albyra? You guys were friends once, but something happened, and you guys aren’t friends anymore. How do I know that you don’t want him dead?”
Islaria looked at the ground. “Because I don’t.”
“But you aren’t even sad that he’s dead!”
Serenity! Why don’t we go somewhere else and calm down for a while? Esmera interjected.
Serenity nodded, and followed Esmera to the other side of the lake. Islaria just stood there, still no tears and expressionless. Once they reached the other side, Serenity put down her blanket and floated away in a horrible dream, still thinking about Jason.

Serenity woke up to darkness. She glanced up to a full moon. She shuddered at how close she was to being killed by a pack of wolves during her first day in Alercaria. She glanced over at Esmera, who was peacefully asleep. Serenity got up and decided to take a walk.
Serenity circled the lake once and once again. On her second time around, she heard a muffled sound. She follows the sound that was coming from behind a cliff that surrounded the lake. She peered over to find Islaria on the ground weeping. “Rivon,” she cried.
At that moment, Serenity realized all that she had said to Islaria was false. She did so out of anger and sadness that Jason was gone. Islaria really did care about Jason, and she was taking his death really hard. She was the one who knew him the longest. Serenity wanted to know what her connection was to Jason, but decided Islaria will tell her when she was ready.
A voice came out of the darkness and startled Serenity so bad that she hit her head on a rock. “Ouch!”
“Serenity? Are you okay?” The voice belonged to Islaria, and Serenity peered into the darkness to see Islaria standing up and coming over to her.