Anastasia first went to consult her family, dragging Christopher along with her. Luckily, they were all gathering there today as it had been postponed due to Skobex. She called them all around the table to discuss Christopher's offer. When she finished, the room was filled with nothing but silence.

'What about your role as leader?' Nathaniel asked.

'When would we see you?' Charlotte, the second eldest sister, asked.

'I'll sort something out, for both problems.'

Anastasia looked straight at her mother. She wanted her opinion more than everyone else's.

'Does he make you happy?' Her mother finally asked. 'I mean, you didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with him when he first arrived. I want to make sure.'

'Yes!' She replied. She'd never been so sure of everything in her life, she didn't even hesitate in her decision. She paused and glanced at Christopher before adding, 'but we'll have to make sure.'

That's when the stunned silence turned into chatter.

'It looks like your own Prince has come to sweep you off your feet.' Tamara said, catching both Anastasia and Christopher by surprise. Both of their cheeks were turning a light shade of red. Anastasia's heart rate seemed to increase when she thought of Christopher and her sister's comment.

'So, I can go?' Anastasia asked hesitantly.

Her mother stood up and squeezed her in a hug. 'He makes you happy so I'd say go for it.'

Everyone cheered before her brother commented, 'You would be the first one in all of Cinderash to finally leave after all these years.' He looked at Christopher and then back at Anastasia. 'Sorry, the second to leave.'

'There's someone else that I need to ask first.'

She knocked on the door of the previous leader's house, Maynard. Christopher had been left behind with Anastasia's family, answering some of their questions. She hoped that they didn't overwhelm him with too many questions.

'Hi, leader!' Abel exclaimed as he opened the door. He was quite cheery for someone who had been possessed by the Lich only days before.

'You don't need to give me that title, Abel.' Anastasia explained. 'Anastasia will do. I need to speak with your father.'

'You got it, I'll grab him for you. Come in.'

She had only been in Maynard's house a couple of times. It was a similar layout to her own home however it was one of the largest in the neighbourhood. It was larger than the rest of the homes since his family always seemed to have a role as leader. There is a rumour around town that proclaims that Maynard and his family are either descendants or closely related to the royal family that lived here. She believed it could be true but no one would know unless Maynard came out and told everyone.

'Ah, Anastasia Valenza, our new leader.' Maynard introduced. 'How may I help you?'

'I want your opinion on an offer I received.'

'Offer?' He questioned.

'Christopher wants me to go explore the world with him.'

'What if the curse is still in place?'

'The curse has been lifted from Cinderash.'

'Christopher wasn't here for very long,' Maynard explained. 'It's possible that he could pass the borders due to not being under the effect of the curse for very long. Everyone else has been stuck here their whole lives. It's possible that the curse may still be in effect on us.'

'I'm prepared to find out.' Anastasia said. 'We've got to find out some way.'

'So you're willing to risk your life for Cinderash and the sorcerer, Christopher?'

'Someone has to try, if not we will all live in fear of the border.'

'Fair enough. What about your role as leader? The leader needs to be present in town at all times.'

'I've already sorted something out for that, I just need your help calling the town together.'

He agreed but looked slightly confused. They both shuffled out of the house to ring the bell and summon the town together.

Everyone quickly gathered together around Maynard's house. They're all probably wondering why two town meetings have been called in two days. Anastasia noticed that Christopher and her mother both found their way to the front of the crowd. Even though she found it uncomfortable speaking with people she didn't know, at this moment she felt the exact opposite. She was calm and collected, ready to make her announcement.

'Hello, Cinderash,' Anastasia began. 'Cinderash already seems to be doing well already after only a day since the curse was lifted. However, I have just received an offer that would require me to leave Cinderash.'

A collective gasp was heard across the crowd followed by an eruption of chatter. Maynard called out to quiet everybody down.

'I wish to leave Cinderash to spread the word about the curse so we can reestablish trade and catch up with our technology.' Anastasia explained. 'I would act as a liaison between Cinderash and the rest of the continent in order to promote our return to the world, so to speak. In my absence, I will require someone to fill my position, since it can't remain unattended.'

She turned to the direction of Maynard and his family.

'I would be honoured to offer my temporary position to Abel Gardiner.' She paused as Abel approached her and removed the blue sash from across her body. 'You would be filling in my spot whilst I am away from Cinderash. Will you accept the role as temporary leader?'

'I... I do.' He stuttered. Anastasia placed the blue sash across his body. An applause was heard across the crowd but it quickly died down.

'Abel, would you allow myself, Anastasia Valenza, to leave town and spread the word about Cinderash? I would be away from town for long periods of time before I come back. I will do everything I possibly can to establish connections with the rest of the continent and spread the word about Cinderash's return.'

'Yes—wait, what does Cinderash think about Anastasia's proposal?'

Everyone cheered with approval. Anastasia stared at Christopher and they exchanged smiles.

'If everyone agrees then I think it's an awesome idea.' Abel concluded.

Everyone was in a chatty mood after the town meeting concluded. Christopher squeezed Anastasia in a hug but quickly let go.

'Thank you,' Christopher muttered. 'I don't know what I would've done if you didn't agree.'

'I'm sure you would've managed without me.'

'Anastasia, I want to help you pack.' Juliana offered.

'I'll leave you two to pack, I want to go check something in the castle.'

'Meet at the border in a few hours at midday, the sun will be highest then.' Anastasia said.

After they parted ways, Anastasia found a bag that she could use whilst she travelled. It was the one her father was going to use when he attempted to leave Cinderash. It had been emptied many years ago but she still remembered when her mother unpacked it, about seven days after her father had passed. Even though that happened over ten years ago, the memories resurfaced like it only happened the previous day.

At that moment she felt like the bag—empty. She held in the tears that began to form in her eyes, dabbing her shirt sleeve to remove the water that formed. She knew that he wouldn't want her to be upset, he would want her to smile— just like he would be doing.

'Mother, I miss him.'

'I know you do, sweetie.' Juliana replied calmly. 'We all do.'

Anastasia already started placing some clothes and other things she thought she would need inside the bag.

'Your father would be so proud of you.' Her mother added.

'He would?'

'Of course. You helped protect Cinderash from the Lich's attack and you're about to attempt to leave the town's borders. Your father will appreciate what you're doing in his memory. He's watching over you, you know.'

Anastasia smiled, she needed to hear that from her mother. 'Thank you.' Anastasia muttered into her mother's dress as she embraced her.

Anastasia could almost imagine her father standing next to her at this very moment. His warm smile meeting her own as they stare at each other. Maybe even feeling his embrace before she left Cinderash, just to show her that she would always be safe. She imagined him giving an encouraging nod as she packed the remainder of the items she wanted to take. 

Juliana pulled a small, brown box out of her skirt pocket. 'Your father would want you to take this with you, it should serve you well.'

Anastasia opened the box to reveal a compass, about half the size of her palm. A gold frame surrounded the glass enclosed section of the device. This was threaded onto a gold chain.

'Your father always said the compass showed him the way to go, pointing him in the right direction.'

She slipped the chain around her neck, the compass sitting about half way down her chest. 'Thank you, again. I'll be sure to find my way.'

'Let's finish packing. You're going to have a lot to see.'

Anastasia smiled. Even though he wasn't around anymore, she knew her father would always be with her to guide her in the right direction.

Christopher made his way back up the stairs. It seemed a little unreal to him that he was making his way up these stairs again since he walked them just a few days before.

He stopped on the third level, just below the roof level. The rooms he walked past on this level all seemed to lead into bedrooms—all now in tatters and covered in dust and cobwebs.

He found one room that seemed a little different from the others. A room for a young girl, Christopher concluded. Lots of wooden toys covered the floor, most of which were more than half decomposed. Fraying blankets were found piled in the corner of the room. He carefully wound his way through the maze of toys and broken furniture until he reached the shattered window. He glanced out and was met with a beautiful view of Cinderash, which was almost as great as the view he had from the roof. He turned back around to face the messy room and could almost imagine a little girl playing with all the toys here. He knew it couldn't be real but he was sure he heard a young girl giggle in the distance.

Laying on the floor next to the broken bed were a number of drawings, definitely drawn by a child. He picked up each one with care and examined them. One had an image of a stick figure family—two taller ones, both which wore golden crowns, one slightly shorter and another about half the size of the adults.

Another drawing looked like how Cinderash looked now—with no curse. Green grass and trees. Red and blue flowers. In the centre stood a stick figure person with a purple circle coloured around him.

The last drawing he held looked half completed. The castle was drawn on the left with the purple circle coloured around it, and the ground was coloured grey. A small stick figure was seen on the far right side of the page with blue lines for tears. Another stick figure was drawn next to the small figure, only it was laying on its side and had crosses for eyes. The drawing was a little unsettling to look at.

He wasn't sure why or how the drawings had made their way into this room. The recounts of Skobex's first rule stated that the people that lived in the castle fled or were killed by the Lich's small army of Phantom Walkers. No one would've been able to walk near or through the castle without the risk of being killed.

There was a brief mention of a young princess escaping Skobex's clutches but it was concluded to be a rumour. In another book, he remembered another rumour that one of the children of the royal family had some sort of power. These were most likely not true, however after recent events, Christopher had to believe that that was a possibility.

He gently folded the papers and placed them in one of the pockets on his belt. He wasn't sure why he kept drawings a child had drawn over a hundred years ago but he knew that they could be useful for something or someone. He decided to look through the ruins on the first and second levels.

On the second floor, there was a large room that looked like where the knights meeting were held. A broken table, smashed into hundreds of pieces and half decomposed laid in the centre. What was left of the seating didn't look in a good condition either. The roof of the room would have been beautiful if it wasn't faded, Christopher couldn't make out what had once been painted.

He sighed as he stood on the lowest level, making his way toward the entrance. This was a beautiful place which was destroyed with the first invasion of Skobex. He wanted to do something to bring the castle back to life.

He slumped his bag off his shoulder and pulled out the spell book. Juliana had told him to take it with him so he could study it more and practice conjuring the spells. He smiled as he remembered Juliana telling him to make sure he doesn't break any more doors whilst he's practicing.

He remembered reading some pages that made note of a restoration spell, a spell that could be useful to bring life back into this castle (well, what he hoped would happen). This spell was one of the longest ones he found in the book so he was right in assuming it would take the most energy out of him. The only one longer was the banishment spell he used on Abel when the Lich had taken over his body.

Once he was finished, he dropped the spell book and fell over backwards himself. As he looked up he realised that the area around him was restoring itself. Banners that laid in shreds on the floor rejoined themselves and climbed back onto the wall revealing what Christopher assumed was the royal family's symbol— a white bird. The carpet walkway that he had fallen onto flattened itself out so it didn't create miniature hills anymore. The whole entrance room on the lower level seemed to shake out all its webs and dust that had gathered over everything.

He realised that the whole spell didn't seem to affect the entire castle. The room directly after the entrance hall remained unchanged. He couldn't conduct the spell again without blacking out so he made a promise to himself:

'For as many times I come here, I'll ensure that I restore at least one section of the castle.' Christopher decided.

As he walked toward the border he decided to stop by Maynard's house to give him something. He pulled out the papers in his pocket and scrawled a short message on the back side of the folded pages. They didn't feel as fragile to when he first held them, possibly as a result of the restoration spell. He found a piece of string and tied them together before placing it next to his front door with a small stone on top of it. He hoped Maynard would see it later. He wasn't sure why he wanted to give those drawings to Maynard, it felt right to him. He knew that Maynard would know what to make of these, even if Christopher didn't himself.

Most of the town had already started to gather there to see Anastasia leave Cinderash. Luckily, when Christopher arrived at the border Anastasia was almost there as well. He realised that Anastasia also carried the blade that she used against Skobex on her waist. She must have found a sheath for it whilst she packed.

It was about midday, like they agreed, when they were ready to head on their journey together. This would be an important moment for Cinderash.

'Won't any of you ever leave Cinderash?' Christopher asked Anastasia's family. 'I mean, if this works— which I'm sure it will.'

'Not any time soon.' Juliana said.

'We've settled here so it could be a long time.' Charlotte added.

'Maybe one day.' Juliana continued. 'Now you better be on your way before it gets too dark.'

'Make sure you come back soon and tell us how the world is out there.' Nathaniel added.

Christopher had already stepped outside of the border and was waiting on Anastasia.

'Come on,' He whispered. 'It's safe to leave.' He held out his hand which she happily grabbed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she stepped across the border. She let go of her breath and reopened her eyes.

Everyone cheered after a few moments of silence and wished her and Christopher a safe trip. Anastasia curled her fingers into Christopher's as they started their journey.

She turned back to face everyone and waved. 'Goodbye everyone. We will be sure to come visit soon.'

After walking for only a short amount of time Christopher asked, 'Why did you choose Abel? Isn't he a bit young to be a leader of a whole town?'

'I have this feeling that he is going to make a great leader, that a lot of things will get done for Cinderash. Age doesn't matter, besides he has someone close to help him if need be.'

Christopher seemed pleased with the response and they continued walking for a few hours. They decided to stop and rest for a moment next to a lake where they both sat on a large rock.

'The world is beautiful.' Anastasia said.

'You've only seen a small part of it.' He paused as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his bag. He pointed to a part on the map that read "Cinderash". Anastasia followed his finger as he explained where they had walked. 'And this is a section of the Shimmering Lake. We're actually not far from a town. If we walk for a bit more—'

Christopher was cut off by Anastasia's small kiss. She smelled like Greystone berries, one of the few foods that Cinderash grew during the curse.

'Wow.' Christopher said after his shock subsided.

'What were you saying?' Anastasia asked.

'But you just kissed me.'

'I know.' She responded with a smirk. 'That just confirms we're both happy to be with one another.'

Anastasia looked back toward the lake and noticed a few small glows light up the water. More and more kept appearing, illuminating the plants that lived under the water's surface.

'Wow...' Anastasia muttered as she approached closer to the water's edge.

'This must be what everyone's been talking about.' Christopher beamed as he sat on the fine gravel next to Anastasia.

Plants of a variety of colours kept lighting up, presenting more of what laid beneath. Greens, pinks, reds— a heap of colours and shades of coral and other plant life littered the rocks and the lake's floor. She spotted wildlife that swam throughout the water. A school of red and yellow fish swam so fast they must have been in the middle of a race. Large dark blue creatures swam slowly, swimming lower than most of the other animals. There was so much more going on, Anastasia couldn't decide what to focus on.

'Supposedly, for a couple of nights every year, the lake begins to light up and illuminate the world underneath.' Christopher explained. 'It varies each year when it occurs so not many people get to see it happen, and depending on the season, the lake will illuminate differently.'

Anastasia placed her head on Christopher's shoulder. He gently kissed her forehead as they both turned their attention to the site the lake created.

'I think we can stay here for a while.' Christopher whispered into her ear.

'Your not going to put my life in danger if we stay?' Anastasia joked.

'I'm not planning on it.' Christopher smiled as he laced his hands into hers. They rested their heads on each other as they both watched the glowing lake well into the early hours of the morning.