Bottle of Stories (78)

Jayson went inside the faculty room to look for their adviser. Their teacher is putting papers in her small bulletin then she caught Jayson standing beside him.

"Aren't your class in the afternoon? What's the matter?"

"I have to ask you something about the cursed bottle you gave to Rey.  Is there any way we can dispel it?"

The teacher sighed. "The curse is irreversible. We lost all our magic because of what our ancestors did to the poor kid. My grandma and I tried doing something about that but when we open it, it just gave us work."

"Like?"

"Taking care of animals, cooking for people, and many random things that don't have anything to do with freeing the person inside."

"You also went to other worlds?"

"Yeah, I remember it being fun and stressful at the same time. Wait, how did you know? I thought we are the only ones who can open it."

"Rey can."'

"AAAHH, I shouldn't have let him have it! I thought he was lying when he said in one of my classes that we are related."

That's just confirmed what Annie said. Rey is not the only one who can open it and the Guardian of Dream lied to them.

"I will take the bottle from him after class."

"No, we have to keep it and destroy the curse. I will keep my friends safe so you do not have to worry," Jayson left the faculty room.

The teacher is definitely worried when Jayson said it that way. "Be careful, my intuition tells me that it will be dangerous."

"I know." He glanced back at her teacher. "Last question, do you know someone with light green hair?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

Jayson stayed at the school while Rey and Annie are still walking to get to school.

In the hallway near their classroom, they saw Shermaine about to approach them.

"Rey! When we practiced, why did you not go to school for a week?"

"I have flu."

"I don't believe you, back then you are sick but still present."

"It's different, Shermaine."

"Be honest with me Rey." She grabbed his arm.

Rey shrieked in pain because Shermaine squeezed the part where he has a bruise.

"I'm sorry!" she removed her grip on him.

Annie pulled Rey's hand and asked if he was okay.

Jayson heard the commotion so he went outside to see what happened. Ryan followed him because they both recognize their friends' voices.

"I only want to help," said Shermaine.

"Then you are not helping at all," answered Jayson that made her look at her back. He glared at her. "If he doesn't want to talk about it you should not force him."

She felt guilty. "I didn't mean to."

Their classmates who are inside the room peeped through the door.

Ryan told Shermaine to just let them in because their teacher is in the distance of the hallway.

They entered the classroom and Rey was showered with questions asking what happened but he did not respond and only laughed it out.

~~~*List of Chapters*~~~

Special thanks to @blue_minlemon for doing flats in the last two artworks. Lineart, base color, and cell shading were made a year ago while the simple background and gradation were made the day after the chapter's publish date so it will not look out of place from the first drawing.