Chapter Eight

Elena stands on the balcony of her room in her silver colored nightgown staring at the beautiful stars floating in the sky. She doesn't know what about the stars here makes them different from the ones on Earth all she knows is that the stars here are more mesmerizing, and appealing to watch.

She can feel the breeze radiate through her skin giving her comfort. She closes her eyes and opens them breathing in and out letting go of all the stress of tonight. The fact she's in Lenfaria right now is so unreal. She's always thought of coming here, she's always wondered what the world would be like. She knew Euroix to be beautiful but she didn't know it was this beautiful.

But just like earth and how beautiful that world is, there is an ugliness to this world as well. A harshness that should not exist in a world such as this or any other world.

Her memory takes her to those poor people who were brutally murdered on the train. Those witches showed no remorse. Elena saw the evil in their eyes, it's like they didn't have a soul and they felt like they could do whatever they wanted.

The way her uncle talked about the witches and wizards was in utter disgust. Elena doesn't blame him, a witch killed his older brother and he was forced to make a hard decision on sending Elena to another world for her safety. The witches are public enemy number one here in this world.

But Elena doesn't want to believe that all witches are evil. Surely no one is born evil, just like humans evil isn't biological. Elena believes that there's a backstory behind their cruelty.

She can't stop thinking about Queen Katerina Mikhailov. That poor girl is forced to rule her kingdom at such a young age. Elena is sure that Katerina is willing to do anything for her people but Elena can't help but think that Katerina would want to be doing more than just ruling a Kingdom. Partying, falling in love, doing the things girls her age do.

Yes, witches killed her parents just like they did Katerina's but her circumstances are different because Elena didn't know her parents, she was a baby when her parents were killed, but Katerina on the other hand loved her parents for years. She looks so nice though. She'd love to think the Russians here are nice people unlike the Russians back on earth.

"Want to see if you can fly?" Elena's thoughts are interrupted by a very familiar voice. She plasters a smile on her face and she turns her head to see him leaning by the door in his swag way. "Fairies have lost their wings you know."

"I know, mom told me it's because the Fae lost their wings in the great war and Fairies stopped using their wings in solidarity with the Fae who lost a lot in battle and as they evolved fairies lost touch with their wings."

"Wow, it's almost like you've always been a part of this world." Alex stops leaning by the door and he walks toward Elena. He's wearing a dark green shirt and black pants and his hands are in his pocket. The two friends lean on the rails as they look ahead at the maze that's below them."

"So, did you enjoy the ball?"

"Kinda, everyone's so… white."

Alex laughs.

"This is a Caucasian Continent you know."

"Yes but. I grew up in the UK where everyone's different from the other. I'm used to seeing people with a different skin tone than I am, not seeing white people only. Although even though they're all white they still have major differences like the color of their hair and their powers."

"It is a good thing that black or brown people aren't here because back home we know the reason why black people are in the UK in the first place." Alex raises a brow at Elena and Elena puts it into consideration.

"Yeah, I hear you. It is satisfying hearing that Africa in this world is so rich in magic and power and that the continents in this world all respect each other to not cause a war or a genocide"

"The continents in this world don't give a fuck about one another to cause wars or genocides or even to colonize. The gods made sure of that. The war that occurs happens within its continent, not between other continents."

"Like the war between the witches and fairies in 1878 that caused the Fae and Fairies to lose their wings."

"Exactly."

Elena does a lot of thinking. "Mom was telling me that there are witches in every continent. What's the difference between the witches in Afrociti and Euroix?"

"The difference is that the ones in Euroix are evil and they chose to go to war with other magical creatures and the ones in Afrociti are kind people, well not all of them. The main creatures in Afrociti are the witches and Demi gods just like here we have the fairies and faeries."

"But why are the witches here so evil? Why do they do evil things? Surely they weren't born that way."

Alex shrugs.

"There's no way to know why they're the way they are. All I know is they've been this way for a long time, way before our grandparents were born. A witch killed your parents and a witch killed my mom. I was raised to believe that all witches are evil and should not be trusted and I'm not going to take my chances with any of them." Elena nods, understanding him.

She's not going to think about those vicious creatures anymore because all it does is cause pain and heartache.

The two are quiet now. Sometimes when they're together they either share the latest gossip or stay quiet. Either way, they've always enjoyed each other's company.

"I'm so glad you're finally here. It was really hard to make friends at first." Alex says

"Tell me about it, after you left, it took me weeks to be friends with the girls." They both laugh. "I can't wait to see that special, special friend of yours…" Elena wiggles her eyebrows and Alex sighs looking away. Elena stops wiggling them and now her golden eyebrows are furrowed. She can sense that something is wrong.

"What?" she asks him.

"Uh, Elena I'm sorry I haven't told you yet," he says, his hand scratching the back of his neck. He knows she's going to be pissed because Elena hates it when people keep things from her.

"Told me what?"

"Ugh, me and Carlos broke up."

Elena blinks while staring at him in shock.

"What? Why how?"

"I caught him cheating on me with someone else, a girl." Alex looks away from the stars and faces his best friend she doesn't look angry just sad about the situation. "He cheated on me with Queen Katerina's younger sister Anastasia."

Elena is taken aback, it's like he's pushed her off the balcony with this news.

"Whoa. Did not see that one coming. Did she apologize?"

Alex giggles at the possibility of Anastasia Mikhailov apologizing.

"Snow would have to fall in Spain for Anastasia to apologize."

Snow doesn't fall in Spain at all. It's a world full of fire fairies. Snow does fall a lot in Russia.

"She is nothing like her older sister. She's mean, thoughtless and reckless." Alex says ragefully and Elena places her hand on his shoulder.

"Alex I am so sorry. But why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, but at the same time, I didn't want to think about him all summer. I just… wanted to forget."

They're both quiet again. The breeze moves through their hair and they're taken by it. Alex has a sudden urge to shout at the top of his voice but he remembers he's in the palace and that will probably cause the guards to think there's a witch around and they'll be on high alert.

"Look at us, two hot best friends being heartbroken by mediocre individuals." Says Elena smiling at Alex and Alex laughs.

"Yeah, we shouldn't be crying over such people anyway."

"No, we shouldn't," Elena whispers and they both laugh, almost knocking themselves off of the balcony.

Elena wraps her hands around Alex and Alex does the same.

"You deserve someone who won't cheat on you." Says Elena.

"And you deserve someone who doesn't choose Rugby over you." Elena lets go of him. "Like what the fuck? Who fucking does that?"

They're laughing again.

"I'm really really really happy you're here." He says holding her hands.

"I'm happy to be here." they smile at each other staring at each other for about a minute until Alex remembers.

"Oh, I almost forgot." he rushes into Elena's room and Elena follows him and she watches him pick up something from the bed. Alex walks over to Elena and hands the box to her.

"Queen Stella said to give this to you."

Elena takes it from him and she sees what it is… a phone. Elena beams.

"Eeek, finally!" she sits on her bed and Alex joins her.

It's way different from the phones they have back on earth. This one is big and the back is all glittery. It's magic. The phone is powered by magic and technology. A combination that would blow the human mind.

"Want to help me open social media accounts?" Elena asks Alex.

"You just got here and you already want to open social media accounts?"

"Yes, I'm a model remember? If I don't post pictures in my best outfits I might explode."

"Okay, okay." Alex laughs at his best friend's dramatics. "I'm going to help you."

"YES! I love you, you're the best." Elena hugs him and plants a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

Alex teaches Elena about the main social media apps that people all over the world use.

There's Pixtagram for posting pictures

Phoenix for posting your thoughts (You can also post pictures there)

Wingsbook you can post pictures but this app is mainly for old people

Sirenically is an app where you can post videos. Dance videos, singing videos and cooking videos.

Then there's MeTube for vlog making.

Alex helps Elena log in to all those accounts and Elena is hoping to get enough followers just like how she got her followers on all her social media apps back on earth. She worked hard to gain those followers she doesn't know what people like here, maybe it's the same thing. Maybe they like what they're interested in.

"Oh my God!" Elena exclaims looking at her phone with her eyes widened and as if a ghost has just popped out of her phone, or worse a witch.

"What?" Alex asks alert.

"So many new followers on Pixtagram already, and look." she shows Alex her phone. "That musician I saw on that magical electric billboard is following me."

"Oh, that's Lucretia, she's one of the most popular musicians right now. She's our age." Alex sucks his teeth and shakes his head, thinking of how much of a goddess she is. "She's amazing."

"What makes her so great?" Elena asks him scrolling through the superstar's pictures. Elena is in love with how confident she is. Her vibrant red her is always in pigtails and she always wears short skirts. That's her signature look. If anyone thinks of pigtails and short skirts they always think of Lucretia.

"She sings in both English and Spanish and she even raps in Spanish and she's an amazing performer," Alex says enthusiastically like a child talking about his favourite cartoon or video game. If Alex loves her this much then that means she must be pretty good.

Alex might be right about her being a great performer because Elena has stumbled upon a video of Lucretia playing the violin while at the same time, fire is all around her, shaped like a heart. The crowd has gone wild and Lucretia is having the time of her life on that stage, Elena can't help but wonder.

"Is she the one controlling the fire?" she shows Alex the video.

"Oh, the France tour yes she is. Imagine playing the violin then at the same time using your powers. One has to remain focused while using their magical abilities and people still wonder how she's able to do two things at once." Alex tsks. "She's incredible."

Elena wants to be able to control her powers in that manner, she wants to know what it's like to have this level of focus. She's not a musician and she can't play the violin to save her life. But she wants her power to flow naturally. She doesn't want to be forgetting when she blasted a few witches or vampires.

She watches Lucretia's video in admiration. Lucretia's eyes are closed, she loves the energy the pop star has put into the musical instrument. The fire in her wake creating a heart shape. Fire is very dangerous but she was able to make this fire look more like decoration than danger.

This is too perfect to swallow. There's no ounce of mediocrity in her. She's what this world calls a musician. And she's followed Elena on Pixtagram. She doesn't know if she wants to send her a message or if she's going to wait for her to send her a message. Elena has decided on the latter because she doesn't want to seem desperate. And besides she doesn't know her music.

"How do I listen to her songs?" Asks Elena and a grin forms on Alex's full lips.

"I thought you'd never ask." He takes Elena's phone from her hand and his eyes widen the same way Elena's did earlier. "A thousand followers already. No way. Well, I guess the Kingdom really missed their princess." Alex stops to think for a moment. "Actually the kingdom thought you were dead," Alex chuckles.

"Haha, Alex very funny." Elena feigns annoyance and she rolls her eyes while keeping that beautiful smile on her face.

"Sorry, too insensitive?"

Elena ignores him and thinks of death and why death is always giving her chances upon chances. She escaped death when she was a baby, she escaped it when those vampires chased her and she escaped it on the train. She felt like she was closer to death on that train when those witches wanted to suck the life out of her. She's made it out alive but how? Is it because she's that powerful?

"Whoa, two thousand followers," Alex exclaims. Enough thinking about death, Elena has a Pixtagram account to grow, even though she doesn't have to do anything to grow the account.

All she's going to do is post nice pics of herself because that's what a model like her would do.

Speaking of models she hopes that the models and fashion designers of Euroix have followed her and she cannot wait to know them.

"Ah, and look who just followed you." Alex wiggles his eyebrows as he shows Alex the phone screen. She blushes as she sees who it is.

Pierre.