CHAPTER 15

First came the warmth. The warmth was pleasant and comforting, and there was a faint crackling. an open fire? Tessa opened her eyes and blinked at what she thought was the sky. However, didn't the colours appear a touch strange—a little lifeless? Her hunger made her tummy grumble. Her memories began to surface as she raised her hands to rub her eyes. Tessa took a deep breath, rolled off what she now recognised as a couch, and leaped to her feet. Her hands reached for her weapons but couldn't find any. Oh, dear.

"Don't be frightened.

Her gaze was drawn from the plush white couches to the thin brunette standing behind them by the voice. She had white robes with silver stitching, appeared to be in her forties, and wore a silver band around her head with a green crystal in between her eyes. The light from the fireplace reflected off the emerald stones that dangled from her ears. Her mannerisms gave her the air of a noblewoman. She had a thin build and seemed unfit for combat, but Tessa would not underestimate her after Gues's sneak strike.

"I am the Keeper of the Books in the Land of Light. Once more, the woman talked in flawless warrior dialect. I have no weapons, and I don't intend to hurt you. I promise."

"I see." Tessa looked around the room for anything she could use as a weapon while maintaining a neutral tone in her voice. The poker next to the fireplace caught her attention.

If it will help you feel more at ease, you can have that. Now that Tessa was lying on the sofa, the bookkeeper walked over and sat down.

Tessa took a second look around, noting the windows to her left and right as potential exits, and then she sat down.

You don't desire it? Surprised, the woman inquired.

"Isn't this the Land of Light?

"Yes." With her nod, her green stones dangled.

I've been sleeping for four days, then.

"Sixteen hours," the woman rephrased. She grinned at Tessa's expression of surprise. "There are shortcuts between our kingdoms."

sixteen h. The time since her last meal was more than a day ago. Of course, she was starving.

Why didn't you grab the weapon, I asked? Again, the bookkeeper questioned

"A weapon shouldn't be held unless you plan to use it. I might kill a few guards if I use a weapon inside this castle, but I'll die eventually. I won't kill until it's necessary to survive. Tessa took another look around, observing the lighter-coloured patches on the walls. "I'm not staying for very long, am I?"

The bookkeeper shifted her head. You figured it out from the missing portraits, right? She said with a relaxed grin, "I see now why he was so confident you would succeed."

Tessa scowls. She had been suppressing her terror ever since Gues raised his bony finger in her direction in the Warrior Kingdom's main hall, but she was no longer required to do so. The frustration that caused her fingers to curl overcame her fear for her life. I don't want to keep bringing up the obvious ones, but who are you referring to, and what are you succeeding at?

The woman's statement, The leader said you were the only one who could save my son," was so direct that Tessa was surprised.

That's your son? He's in peril, right?

He's in very real danger.

When Tessa heard the newcomer's voice, she swung around and looked at his tall stature, night-black hair, and blue eyes. This man, in contrast to the bookkeeper, was dressed in uniform. He was wearing a white coat, white trousers, and a pair of dark blue boots. He also had an odd triangular emblem on his breast and a thin sword at his hip. He sat next to the woman and took her hand in his as he came around the back of the chair. He had a silver band around his head like the woman, but his gem flashed a dark blue. It didn't take much to figure out that he was the boy's father.

The woman's voice was chastising: "Hector. I beg you not to startle her.

"There is not time, Book Keeper. Hector leaned forward and looked intently. Even though you're young, you're an officer, so you need to be prepared to handle trying situations.

Tessa nodded in agreement while trying to think of what sort of problems their son would have gotten into for them to want a warrior's assistance.

You must have received training to overcome your scepticism and handle the current circumstances. Hector enquired.

"Yes." Tessa concurred. Therefore, I beg you to clarify the matter without further ado. The more concise, the better.

Hector gave a nod. You are aware that we in the Land of Light have technology that is beyond your comprehension.

"Your ice glass covers our keep walls, our arid land is beginning to sprout fruit trees, and your chariot travelled four days' worth of distance in only sixteen hours. I am conscious that I am unable to imagine what else you are capable of.

"Good. Then I won't hold back. Gaia contains portals that open up to a new dimension, where we don't know much about the other worlds that are there. Our scientists have been attempting to cross dimensions for years. No one has yet been able to travel back, despite our success in passing through the portal. Hector gave his wife a loving squeeze as he glanced at her. "Our scientists cannot do what you can," they said.

Tessa maintained a neutral expression as she pondered what, in the name of Gaia, these two were attempting. Other universes, dimensions—it was obviously impossible, but she would ignore that for the time being. What in Gaia gives you the idea that I can travel via one of those portals and return?

Why? "Because one of our scouts saw you do it! With hope in her eyes, the bookkeeper spoke up once more. "You even pulled out Hayvan's leg from the other side!"

"I wha - Tessa paused, remembering the day a few days prior when she had encountered a Hayvan in the floor's black ooze. After she had managed to rescue the animal, there was an odd shifting of the branches. It is impossible. Is that dark stuff the portal?

Hector acknowledged, disregarding the obvious scepticism in her voice, "One of several. "According to what we have seen, the portals appear, stay for a few days, then vanish for a full moon before reappearing in the same place. Three to four times like this take place before the portal completely vanishes.

Right, and what is the connection between any of these and your son? Still not believing a word, Tessa inquired.

Normally, all portals are constantly monitored. Hector squeezed his wife's hand. But seven days ago, one of the guards slept off while on duty, and Michael took advantage of the chance to pique his interest.

The words the man was having trouble saying were "He fell in," which Tessa said. She observed them closely. It was clear that their worry and anxiety were genuine. The most likely outcome was that they were both mentally ill in some way. She didn't know anything about the Light People, so it was possible that they were all slightly crazy. So you want me to go and get your son Michael after he got lost in another world?

The bookkeeper asked in a cheerful tone, Do you believe us?"

"No." Tessa leaned back in her chair and peered up at the ceiling's picture of a clear sky. She was going about her business and slowly moving up the army ranks just a few days ago. Everything has gone so horribly wrong since she tried to meddle in Captain Leo's affairs... Is this the reason that no one who has entered the Land of Light ever leaves? Do you order every one of your prisoners to leap into the black goop and drown?

"Do you think anyone has the time to play such tricks? Hector asked, his eyes gleaming. If we had intended to murder you, we would have done so while you were unconscious.

"Hector!" The bookkeeper extended her hand, then fixed her eyes on Tessa. The Lieutenant is attempting to stir up our emotions so that we divulge things that we'd want to keep private. She doesn't naturally believe us, and asking someone who has just been sold out by her own kingdom to do so is a bit much. She got up from the couch and re-dangled her earrings. "Why don't we talk about our options, Lieutenant?"

"Do I have them?" you ask. Tessa asked while closely observing the senior citizen.

The bookkeeper just replied, "Yes. We'll let you go if you try the crossing but it doesn't work. The furnishings in this chamber demonstrate that we took out anything that would jeopardise the safety of our kingdom. You won't be a threat to us because you have no knowledge, and everything we asserted about dimension crossing will have been disproven.

So far, so good, but Tessa held off on saying anything as she awaited the next choice.

We shall be permanently grateful if you attempt the crossing and succeed in bringing Michael back to us," the bookkeeper added. You won't just be free to go home; you can do it in style as a prosperous woman.

Tessa had no interest in money, but that wasn't important because she wouldn't be dimension-hopping for a while. What if I decide not to try the crossing?

This time, it was Hector who disconnected from his wife. He said, "Then I will make that story about our wanting to drown you a reality," with a look that made her want to believe every word.

The bookkeeper looked angrily at Hector and said, "Time is of the essence. "Will you try?" she asked, turning to Tessa once again.

Tessa stood and said, "Okay. She did not subscribe to the irrational notion that there are other planets, but she did take Hector's threat seriously. She may drown if she tried what they were asking, but she would definitely perish if she didn't. I said, "Take me to the portal.