Jegun went to the kitchen to check what the kids are doing. He was feeling relieved that Agran and Ella were warming to each other, real fast. They formed a friendship pretty quickly. Ella was Agran's first legit friend. But their friendship is fragile. Once Ella will discover that Agran was the one who bit her, then she will surely hate him with every fiber of her being. He released a deep sigh.

Agran was adding firewood on a makeshift stone stove, he was cooking boiled bananas on the clay pot.

While Ella was finished cleaning the fish and putting it in another pot to make a fish soup, she added saltwater to the pot to make it tastier and not bland to taste. Next, she was washing the leafy vegetable she found growing abundantly in the backyard. In her village, the women used those green leafy vegetable to add to their favorite seafood soup.

"Kids, what are you cooking?" Jegun inquired.

"We're cooking boiled bananas and preparing the dish for lunch," replied Agran.

"Good! And what about you, young lady?" Jegun asked Ella.

"I'm preparing fish soup!" Ella answered.

"Nice! I haven't eaten fresh fish for a long time!" Jegun enthused.

Ella was silent for a moment, he looked at the old man. "Grandpa, how's Zemeth's condition?" she asked worriedly.

"His body is recovering well, all he needs to do is wake up and everything will be alright," Jegun stated.

"Thank God," Ella murmured. Then her face shows sadness again. "I'm so worried about my sister Ivy! She's back in the castle again! Ogeme saw a black guy carrying a woman in his arms floating towards the castle after the black smoke receded! I'm sure that was my sister and her kidnapper!" she said.

Jegun released a deep sigh. "Don't worry much about your sister. Once Zemeth wakes up, we will find a way how to rescue her..." he said trying to make the girl feel better.

Still, Ella was not convinced. She feels worried about her sister. "I'm afraid they will kill or hurt my sister," she said, as tears glistened in her eyes.

Jegun sighed and looked at Agran. He doesn't know how to comfort the girl anymore.

"Ella, don't worry much about your sister's well being. Whoever abducted her, he knows that your sister was carrying valuable blood in her body, which can open up the blazing barrier anytime. Therefore, he won't harm or kill your sister," Agran said confidently.

Ella was somehow comforted by Agran's words.

"I agree with Agran's claim. They will never kill Ivy because she is useful to them, that will give us enough time to devise a plan on how to rescue her," Jegun added.

Ella feels much better after hearing their words. "Thank you, Grandpa and Agran, for cheering me up!" she said with a smile.

"If you need anything...kids. I'll be upstairs to keep Zemeth company," he said. He picked up the small water jug and the glass made with clay and brought it upstairs to Zemeth's room just in case he wakes up suddenly and wants to drink water.

Ella sat on the wooden chair beside Agran. "Are the bananas not cook yet?" she asked him.

"Not yet, needs a few minutes more, I think it will be ready then," he said. "Do you want another stone stove? I can make one. I'll just get some stone outside and more firewood," he offered.

Ella picked up the cover of the pot and peeked at the bananas. They're nearly cooked. "Ah, no need. Let's just wait for the bananas to cook," she replied and put back the cover.

"Let's swim in the ocean after lunch," Agran suggested to her.

"Sure!" Ella smiled. She's been wanting to take a swim in the deep blue sea.

Agran smiled and added more dry twigs to the fire.

Ella glanced at the magnificent ocean. "What a beautiful place grandpa had hidden here!" she roared.

"Indeed!" Agran agreed while looking at the ocean so blue. He's been growing inside the dull cave all his life. He has nearly forgotten that the world is a beautiful place to live in. While he was growing up inside the cave, his grandpa describes so well the outside world to him. He will never go back to that forsaken castle ever again!

"I have never seen a fantastic ocean before because my sisters and I have lived our lives entirely in our village, surrounded by mountains and rivers. This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful ocean!" she gushes.

"Yeah. I want to live forever in this place and raised a family," he said out of the blue.

Ella looked at his handsome face. "Nice, it's indeed a wonderful place to raise a family. Food is abundant everywhere," she said. Then her face turned sad.

Agran noticed the sadness showing in her face. "Why do you look sad all of a sudden?" he asked her.

Ella lowered her gaze, avoiding his. "You are better than me. You will find a pretty woman to marry...while me...no one will marry an old woman like me. I will die alone," she said sadly. There was a tone of self-pity in her voice.

Agran smiled while looking at her. "No need to be sad, the woman I'm going to marry is you! I won't marry another, promise."

Ella stared at him, shocked. She was trying to read his mind, trying to analyze if he was just joking or taking pity on her tragic situation. But all he can see in his eyes was honesty and seriousness. "Y-you must be joking, right?" she asked him, finding his confession weird considering that he was handsome, while she looks like an old woman.

Agran shook his head. He looked at her intensely in the eyes. "I'm serious..."

Then Ella's face brightened, a dazzling smile broke on her lips, which ended in a giggle. "You're so funny, Agran! How can you like and marry an ugly old woman like me! Can't you see...I looked like your grandmother!" she said laughing hard.

She was snickering for a few minutes. When she glanced at him to see his reaction to her laughter, she was lost for words, 'coz he was still looking seriously at her. "Huh? Why are you wearing a serious expression on your face? Didn't you find everything funny?" she asked him, giggling again.

Agran shook his head. "No! Please, don't ridicule yourself, Ella. You are a beautiful girl, inside and out!" he declared.

His heartfelt declaration produced another peal of laughter from Ella. "You're getting funnier," she said.

"I'm serious with my intention, that's all you need to know," he said.

"You are just taking pity on my condition. You should marry for love... not because you pity someone," she told him.

Agran smiled sweetly at her. "Don't worry...I know my feelings for you are real...it's not pity at all!" he assured her.

Ella's eyes widened. She looked into his eyes for a long time. "Are you kidding me!? Stop being serious, you spook me!" she said.

Agran sighed. "What can I do to make you believe me?" he asked.

Ella was dumbfounded. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Agran smiled. He likes her the first time he saw her pretty face, too bad, he needs to bite her, no other choice. He didn't expect that after biting her, she will turn into an old woman. Ella was his responsibility, to protect and shower affection with every day. He's willing to spend the rest of his life making her happy.

"I like you," he confessed to her. His eyes whispering sweet nothings into her eyes.

Ella was giggling trying hard not to laugh again with his weird confession. "Thank you for making me laugh today, Agran. You made me forget my worries for a few minutes," she said, her eyes twinkling with merriment.

Agran sighed. She will never believe him! He shrugged his shoulder. He will spend his whole life proving to her that she's the right girl for him.

Ella was still wearing a smile on her face. It's the first time a guy confessed his feelings to her. She finds it funny and cute. But she was quick to remind herself that Agran was just teasing her. For someone as handsome as him, he deserves a pretty girl to spend his whole life with. "I wish you will find your soulmate one day," she said, sincerely.

Agran smiled. "I already find her...sitting by my side right now," he said and winked at her.

Ella burst into another round of laughter. Whenever he confessed his so-called feelings to her, she can't help but smile and giggle, she's feeling warm inside. A strange feeling that she doesn't know how to interpret yet. One thing for sure, Agran was her first guy friend. He occupied a special place in her heart. She wished him all the happiness in the world.

She secretly glanced at his handsome face while he was adding dry woods to the fire. She should never dare fall in love with him! If he finds another pretty girl, he will surely forget about her existence and she will be left with a broken heart to nurse for eternity.

"Wait..until you'll see other pretty girls!" she told him.

Agran smiled. "There will be pretty girls around for sure, but there is only one Ella and she is sitting beside me right now," he insisted with a serious face.

Ella sighed. The more he was teasing her and confessing his fake feelings to her, the more she felt pity towards her sorry self. She turned her face away and looked at the utensils that are needing washing. She rose to her feet and began washing them, just to make herself occupied.

Agran was staring at her stiff back. "Are you okay, Ella?" he asked her worriedly.

Ella looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "I'm okay, don't worry about me," she said and continue washing the utensils.