The Way Back Home's

Prison

Farrell follows Christo down the city street. Christo led them through a large road, then turned into a small alley, past the river, then back onto a large road. Farrell doesn't remember the direction. His mind was jumbled and now his stomach was following along.

“We get to.”

Christo's words surprised him. He thought they had reached their destination, but they hadn't. They're in the park. The road is made of stone. The middle of the park is a large space. Garden chairs arranged in all four far-flung corners give empty space. The arrangement of stones in the middle of this varies and is arranged in the form of ornaments. Right in the middle, there was a small stone podium with pieces of red stone on it. There are not many visitors to the park. There are only a few people. They just pass by or relax enjoying the atmosphere of the park in the morning.

“I thought you said my dad was in jail,” said Farrell quietly, half whispering.

“Oh, indeed. But you don't think we're gonna walk there, do you? The prison is in the capital. It's hundreds of kilometers from here.” Christo took off his left glove and put it in the pocket of the black jacket. Then, he touched the red stone with it. The red stone is ice cold.

“What rock is it?” ask Farrell.

“This stone shows magic portal. When the color is green, it means the portal is active and can be used. Right now, we are at the portal that leads to the capital. The magic council provides these artificial portals in every city. They made a podium and put this stone on it for anyone to access. Free and no need for a spell. Just turn it around, wait for the color to change, and we will move.” With one easy move. Christo turned the stone.

At that time, the stone was no longer red. Something moves in it. It was like dancing smoke. They swerve up and down and spin and then disappear. Soon, it happened again. Farrell had seen the phenomenon before. Right at the door of Eden’s Lodge that connects the two worlds. The door has the same stone.

Before long, Farrell felt a change in the air around him. A gust of wind emerged from beneath him. He sure saw the snow around him lift. More precisely, everything above the two-meter-wide ornament was lifted. Even so, the pressure was not strong enough to make him and Christo float. Then, there was also a strange sensation felt in his ears in addition to the sound of foreign swish. And his eyes too. Farrell felt his eyes blur. His stomach feels more mixed. His body was shivering from the cold. Then, it all disappears.

Farrell nodded in disbelief. The scene in front of him changed completely. He no longer saw the park and the benches, no trees and no snow, no cobblestone streets. In front of him, lay a smooth grey path part of a small alley of dead ends.

Chirsto led him out of the alley. Now, they could see the grandeur of the capital. Majestic buildings. Height is also wide. The sturdy walls were multi-colored, white, ivory, brown, marble, and there was one black building at the end of the street. Farrell doesn't like color. She doesn't like it anymore because Christo took her there.

They walked on the wide sidewalk with other people. Then it's pretty solid here. Different from the park earlier, people were walking fast. They seem to be busy with their own business. This condition reminded Farrell of the busy metropolis in the morning. Not a few people who carry files and run around small. Christo chose to take off both gloves because the weather was warmer. Farrell followed him.

As he turned upward, Farrell saw a fast-moving wave of smoke. They were like they were fired from a chimney. One smoke landed not far in front of him and turned into a human being. On the other hand, Farrell saw a man in a high hat walking over them, hovering. In the corner, there was a woman riding a bird. Maybe that's the right way to ride an owl. Speaking of Gizmo, Farrell hasn't seen her since they left the inn. However, he had no intention of asking. There are more important things to take care of right now.

Christo arrived in front of the dark black square building. There were no windows, no guards, just wide glass doors. Christo pushed him and they arrived at the front room of the magic world prison. Farrell doesn't know what he can expect. In contrast to the grandeur of the city outside, the place was simple. The room is not so big. Plain white tiles, wooden tables, non-bearing chairs, uniformed officers and black hats behind barred windows at the ends.

“We want to visit,” Christo said to the officer.

The clerk glanced at his watch and asked, “Name?”

“He Farrell Eden,” Christo said again while pointing at Farrell. “She wants to see her father.”

“Name?” the officer asked back.

“Not! Name of the person you want to meet. I don't care who you are,” he replied unfriendly. This officer has a good posture even though thin. His face was wrinkled with age and there was an elongated scar on his left cheek. His haircut was broken, hidden behind a hat.

“Alan Eden.”

The officer was silent for a while before spitting out a laugh. “Eden? You're the family of the hotel owner?”

“He's his son, I'm just an employee.”

“Hahaha.. I can't believe after so long, finally there is his son who wants to visit him.” The officer stood up, slightly above Christo. He carries the key in his right hand. His left hand pointed at Farrell. “Son, your father told me a lot about your family in other prisoners. You know what they told him? It's bullshit! Huh! None of her children would come to her. Today it will definitely rain.”

“I—” Farrell clenched his mouth after passing a single word. He objected to the guard's words but unfortunately did not know where the objection lay. He also had no reason to argue.

The guard came out of the post and headed for the hallway next to the room. “Cute me!”

Farrell gulped, worried.

Christo patted her shoulder. “I don't know if this sentence fits, but. good luck.”.

Farrell scolded. He took the first step and followed the guard. They walked down a long gray hallway without any gaps. Only the white light on it gave off a ray there. The guard turned right, then left, and right again. The guard stopped in the middle of the hallway. This hallway is unique, its right side is made of deep black glass while the left side of the wall is gray like the other. The guard snapped a finger. Out of nowhere, there was now a chair at Farrell's feet.

“Wait here,” says the keeper.

Farrell sat down to spend a few minutes in silence. His anxiety rose unstoppably accompanied by fear and confusion. Farrell didn't realize he was squeezing his own hand. Upon awakening, his hand flushed and the officer returned.

“Your time is ten minutes. No talk of escape strategy routes. I'll bake you alive if you dare try to release the prisoner. Understand?”

Farrell did not answer, only nodded.

“Good.” The guard snapped his finger again.

Now, the black wall disappears replaced by a transparent glass wall from the bottom to the top. Farrell saw the figure of an old man sitting right in front of him. Like uncle, but thinner. His hair was messy and his beard and body whiskers were sparse, as if cut just like that. His eyes were pouchy and his skin was wrinkled. His clothes were just a t-shirt and shabby trousers as well as dull shoes. Farrell could not believe who was in front of him at this moment.