The Diamond Relic (UPDATED!!!), WBM Original, By Makaila Odoom, Chapter 1: The Messenger Arrives

Chapter 1: The Messenger Arrives

This is the story of how I saved my world.

Well—saved might be a strong word. Nearly blew up and then accidentally saved is probably more accurate.

Anyway. Hi. I’m Emerald, I’m thirteen, and I’m the princess of the Gemstone Division of LunarWild.

What’s LunarWild, you ask? Picture Earth, but shinier. Cleaner. With floating castles, glowing towers, and beaches that sparkle like they’re made of diamonds. (Because, well… some of them actually are.)

Most days, my biggest royal duty is surviving tea parties and pretending I like my sparkly shoes. But two weeks ago, everything changed—when the royal messenger came running down the beach.

I was sitting on the sand with my best friends, Onyx and Zircon, seeing who could skip gem-shells the farthest, when Chrysoberyl sprinted toward us in full messenger gear—long green robes flapping and all.

“Princess!” she gasped, completely out of breath. “Your Majesty, someone is here to see you!”

Chrysoberyl is very formal. I’ve told her five hundred and forty-six times not to call me “Princess” (I’ve counted), but she still does it. Probably just to annoy me.

I stood up, brushing sand off my dress. Onyx and Zircon followed.

“That’s weird,” Onyx said, squinting toward the water. “No one ever comes to Diamond Island without notice.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re not allowed to,” Zircon said, folding her arms.

Zircon and Onyx are siblings, which means they argue as a hobby. But underneath all the snark, they’re the most loyal people I know.

We walked with Chrysoberyl toward the Diamond Dock on the other side of the beach. A small silver sailboat bobbed in the water. A girl about my age stood waiting at the edge of the dock. She was tall, with dark blue eyes, brown skin, freckles, and bright blond hair that looked like sunlight caught in it.

“Hi,” she said, smiling. “I’m Hauyne.”

I glanced at Chrysoberyl. She gave me a solemn nod before heading back toward the castle. Which meant… princess mode activated.

I’m terrible at princess mode. I’m shy with strangers and always forget the right words. Still, I curtsied. Hauyne curtsied back.

“Nice to meet you, Hauyne. These are my best friends, Onyx and Zircon.”

Onyx gave a quick bow; Zircon did her best curtsy.

“What can I help you with?” I asked.

“Actually,” Hauyne said, still smiling, “I’m here to help you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “With what exactly?”

Her grin widened. “I’m here to help you reunite the Gemstone Divisions with the other divisions.”

Silence. Then—

“WHAT?” Onyx yelled. The sound echoed across the beach and probably startled a few seagulls.

“You mean—reunite the divisions that split fifty years ago?” Zircon blurted.

Hauyne nodded calmly. “Yes.”

No one’s ever been able to figure out why the divisions separated. It’s one of LunarWild’s biggest mysteries.

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” I asked, trying not to sound like my mom, Queen Sapphire.

Hauyne clasped her hands behind her back. “We’ll have to travel to the Forbidden Island, complete the ancient challenges, and find the relic that will restore the divisions.”

She said it so casually, like she was suggesting a weekend hike.

“THE FORBIDDEN ISLAND?!” Onyx practically exploded.

“The illegal one?” I added. “The one that no one’s returned from?”

“Yup.”

I bit my lip. “I hate to be bossy, but as a member of the royal family, I’m technically supposed to forbid you from doing that.”

Hauyne sighed dramatically. “Okay then. I guess we’ll never find the Moon Division, or the Sun Division, or the Star Division… or Fire, or Water, or Earth, or Air. Maybe even more that no one’s discovered.” She paused, clearly trying to make me feel guilty. “But that’s fine. Totally fine.”

I crossed my arms. “You know, you’re very persuasive.”

Her grin returned. “So is that a yes?”

“One second.” I turned to Onyx and Zircon, and we huddled up.

“What do you guys think?” I whispered.

Onyx looked half-shocked, half-thrilled. “I mean, just like all of us, I’ve always wanted to see the other divisions.”

“Yeah,” Zircon said. “But the Forbidden Island is banned for a reason. It’s dangerous.”

“I agree with both of you,” I said. “But reuniting the divisions has always been my family’s dream. Maybe this is our chance. We’ll just have to be careful.”

Onyx smirked. “You really think we’d let you go without us?”

Zircon nodded. “Obviously not.”

I turned back to Hauyne. “We’re in.”

Hauyne’s smile could’ve powered a lighthouse.