Chapter 5

When we finally exited the basement and opened the door, Clinn was the first to peek out from the window. He scanned the halls and saw no one around, then turned to me and Brian.

"Alright, guys. Let's head to the science classroom," he declared.

Brian and I agreed before exchanging a glance. I waited for Brian to take the lead, then followed suit, closing the door behind me. As we walked cautiously, Clinn made sure we were following him.

"So the enchanted precious stone is in one of these classrooms, right?" Brian asked.

Clinn nodded and replied, "Yes, that's correct. According to one of the books."

I asked if we needed to make weapons out of the crystals to defeat the witches and return home. Clinn confirmed our plan. We remained silent as we searched for the witches, ready to run if we spotted them.

Unfortunately, none of the rooms we checked had the magical crystal we sought. Despite our desperation, we couldn't find it anywhere. We considered returning to the secret base to rest, but Clinn insisted we continue our search. Finally, we reached the last science room and saw a group of witches absorbing power from a large magical crystal, surrounded by swirling magical dust and chanting a spell.

Upon witnessing their actions, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the prospect of being unable to overcome these witches and return home. We had believed ourselves to be invincible up until now.

As the enchanting crystal ceased its glow, we knew it was time to find a hiding place. Stepping away from the door, we surveyed both sides of the hallway, and Clinn made the decision to turn left.

"Follow me," Clinn whispered.

Brian and I nodded in agreement and followed Clinn's lead. Upon entering one of the classrooms, I closed the door slowly and silently, ensuring that the witches wouldn't spot us when they eventually left.

Despite the door being securely shut, I pulled it back slightly and tightened my grip on the doorknob. The boys and I patiently waited for the witches to vacate the classroom and the hallway.

We waited, and waited, and waited some more until we finally heard the door open from the hallway. Their footsteps and conversation filled the air as they made their way forward.

Swallowing hard, I took a few deep breaths, desperately hoping that my comrades and I wouldn't be discovered. I tried my best not to let fear consume my thoughts, but it still caused me to tremble slightly and furrow my brow. Fortunately, the witches hadn't noticed yet.

Get a hold of yourself, Eric! Are you trying to endanger yourself and the others?

As I placed my other hand on top of mine, I could still feel the trembling caused by fear. Gazing at my hands gripping the doorknob, I feared that my nervousness might betray us and alert the witches to our presence.

Clinn and Brian noticed my distress, prompting Clinn to rub my back soothingly. "Calm down," he whispered, "Take a profound breath and calm down."

Turning my attention to Clinn and alternating my gaze between my hands, I took a deep breath and felt my trembling subside. A smile crept onto my face as this happened. "Thank you," I whispered.

"No problem," Clinn whispered back.

Once the witches vacated the hall, the boys and I patiently waited for them to clear the floor before we departed. "It seems safe now," Clinn remarked as he rose from the ground. "Let's go."

"Agreed," I nodded in response.

"Yeah," Brian chimed in as we all got up and followed Clinn out the door. We made our way to the final science classroom and entered. As we approached the crystal, a sense of uncertainty clouded my thoughts on how we could possibly defeat the witches and escape this dimension.

"We've made it, boys," Clinn announced as he touched the crystal.

"Now we can take down those witches!" Brian exclaimed with a smirk, also touching the crystal. "But how do we turn this into weapons? It's massive."

"I'll use my magic to shatter it into pieces," Clinn replied, looking at Brian with a grin.

"And how do we use these crystals to defeat the witches?" I inquired, my frown deepening.

Clinn and Brian exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what I meant. "What do you mean, Eric?" Brian asked.

"I beleive they've gotten to be more capable than us," I clarified. "I've examined that indeed with these precious stones, they may not be effective against them. That's my concern."

"Ah, I see your point now, buddy," Clinn acknowledged once he grasped my explanation.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Brian exclaimed, his frustration evident as he glanced between me and the crystal. "How are we going to beat them and return home?! Do you have a plan, Eric?!"

I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. I was going to search for a solution, but a crucial page was missing."

"This can't be happening! What do we do now?!" Brian's panic escalated, his desperation palpable. The thought of remaining in this malevolent dimension was unbearable for both him and Clinn.

I glanced downwards and trembled, my brow furrowing at the prospect of being trapped in this dimension indefinitely. It was unfathomable to me that we wouldn't be able to return home. What an absolute catastrophe.

I fervently wished that this was not the truth. I desperately longed for it to be false, but unfortunately, that was not the case. We were destined to remain here, and quite possibly meet our demise, as far as we knew. I clenched my trembling fists, overcome with anxiety.

"Everyone, please try to remain calm," Clinn reassured us.

As Brian and I lifted our heads, Brian glared at Clinn and defiantly raised his fists in the air. "'Calm down?!' What do you mean, 'calm down,' huh?! There is no way out of here, and yet you expect us to calm down?! Don't tell us to calm down, man!"

"I have devised a plan," Clinn responded calmly, turning his attention back to Brian.

"A plan, huh? Well, what is it then, huh?!" Brian scoffed, forcefully swinging his fists downward a couple of times.

Initially, we doubted Clinn's plan and questioned whether it would truly be a wise course of action. However, he reassured us of its viability, and we ultimately decided to trust him. Without hesitation, he cast a few spells on the crystals and handed each of us a piece. Leading the way, we embarked on our mission to hunt down those witches and get back home to our families, especially mine.