Welcome to My World

In a verdant evergreen forest, two cloaked figures slowly walked along an old dirt road. A light rain pitter-pattered down from the gloomy clouds above. The tall, curvy figure in a royal blue fur lined cloak supported a thin figure in an oversized simple green cloak. The green cloaked figure often staggered and gasped for air. They stuck underneath the trees as much as they could.

Every so often, the blue cloaked figure would pull the green cloaked figure into the trees. Shadows would flash by far overhead. Several minutes later, the figures would be back on the road. Something would occasionally buzz and flash inside the blue cloaked figures pocket. They clicked their tongue in annoyance and pulled a flat, palm sized disk out of their waist belt. A few taps later and the disk was silent for the rest of their trip.

Several stops and detours later, they finally arrived at their destination: a time-worn, massive mansion nestled deep in the wilderness. The gothic style stone complex boasted of beautiful twin towers and stained-glass windows. At first glance, the mansion almost seemed like a magnificent gothic cathedral that had been randomly dropped into a pine forest.

The pathway to the mansion was blocked by crumbling stone walls and an ornate double gate formed out of a dark rusted metal. Ivy and moss clung to the sides of the walls which seemed to barely help them stay together. As they approached the gate, the blue cloaked figure took a key out from their cloak and inserted it into the lock. The gates creaked open, and the blue cloaked figure quickly looked around before bringing the green cloaked figure inside. The pair continued on their way after the green cloaked figure rested for several seconds.

They walked on a wide stone pathway overgrown with weeds towards the mansion. Occasionally the green cloaked figure would trip over the uneven stones in their exhaustion. The willow like trees and untamed grass lining the pathway shook gently as they passed. The cloaked figures took several more minutes to finally arrive at the building. The green cloaked figure was out of breath again by the time they finally began to climb the short steps to the tall double doors of the mansion.

The blue cloaked figure reached into their cloak again and took out another key. They gently pushed the key into the lock on the door and turned it. With a soft click, the door unlocked. The doors creaked open with a slight push. As the figures stepped inside, the air was thick with dust, and the clouded windows choked what little light came through. The scant details visible through the dim haze appeared trapped under a thick, fuzzy layer of light grey.

The green cloaked figure began to lightly cough from the dust. With a snap, a wave of cleanliness radiated outwards from the blue cloaked figure. The layer of grey dissolved to reveal ornate woodwork and peeling wallpaper. The air now tasted fresh and pure, and the grime dissolved from the windows allowing the stained glass to paint vibrant pictures on the floor and walls.

A weak orb of light appeared in the hands of the blue cloaked figure, who then guided their partner down the short hallway into a large open area. They bumped past objects covered in tattered, yellowed sheets to an enormous brick fireplace on the opposite wall of the room. The blue cloaked figure threw the ball of light into the fireplace, where it turned into a fire and began to faintly crackle. An old sheet was pulled off of a nearby object, revealing what looked like a sofa.

The blue cloaked figure gently removed her hood, revealing a mature woman with coily raven black hair and flawless mocha colored skin. Her sharp amethyst eyes flickered with concern as she pulled the couch closer to the fire and helped the green cloaked figure sit down. The green cloaked figure pulled their cloak around themselves tighter and placed their shivering hands closer to the flames.

"Stay here for now. The safety mechanisms on the building look intact, but I still need to take a quick look around. You should have better heating in a few minutes."

The woman softly patted the head of the green cloaked figure then turned and walked into the darkness. The exhausted face of a young woman peered out from under the hood of the green cloak. Unruly strands of espresso colored hair framed her tanned face. Her honey-colored eyes focused on the fire as it snapped and popped. Over time, her shaking slowed and her teeth stopped chattering.

Aayla Glowery was a normal girl with adventurer parents on Earth just a day before. Memories came flooding back into her mind as she gazed into the fire. The send-off of the second exploration team, tracking her brother who foolishly followed them, arriving at the strange underground chamber, watching that lunatic murder the second team, struggling with him over a strange metal sphere, and finally the black circle pulling her in... What happened to her brother Mikey and the others after she disappeared? Were they alright?

She quickly clapped her hands on her cheeks and shook her head to get rid of those awful thoughts. Aayla pulled a crumbling pendant out of her pocket. The pendant was intricately carved out of a dark, light weight stone. Formerly, its circular surface was covered with tens of tiny symbols neatly organized around two moons in the center. Now, the pendant had cracked into several pieces and appeared as if it had aged at least a century. Aayla frowned. Did she break it during the struggle with that lunatic?

A long time ago that pendant was given to Aayla by her godmother before said godmother disappeared. Her parents never talked about where her godmother went or their time together with her. Fortunately for Aayla, she was found by that same godmother shortly after she arrived. Her godmother was Ramona Heston, the raven-haired woman who saved her and led her to this crumbling mansion.

Ramona was a wizard from their current world, who was accidentally transported to Earth when one of her experiments went horribly wrong. She had disappeared from Earth when Ramona travelled back to her home world. Aayla's parents helped Ramona adapt to their world, and eventually discover a way back to Tellus. Favors for which Ramona was eternally grateful.

When Ramona found her, Aayla was exhausted and freezing. Their reunion was soon cut short. Ramona bundled her up and they quickly left for reasons that Ramona did not have the time to explain. Eventually, they arrived here. Where ever 'here' even was. Hopefully, she could get some answers soon.

After several minutes had passed, a terrible screech like nails on a chalkboard broke the silence which ended with a loud bang. A sudden loud, low rumble started from beneath the floor that eventually faded into a soft hum. Aayla gasped in amazement as the house seemed to awaken after centuries of slumber.

The lamps flickered back to life while the chandeliers glistened and sparkled to reveal a tall vaulted ceiling. The fire crackled and flared up with a golden hue. Sheets slinked off of bulky objects to reveal worn but grand tables, chairs and couches. Drapes pulled back to allow light to pour in from the windows. Two grand staircases were illuminated standing on opposite sides of the hallway that Aayla entered from.

There was a gaping hole with another flight of stairs next to the first flight of stairs of one of the grand staircases. Footsteps echoed from the darkness below as Ramona emerged. After stepping on the top of the hidden stairs, the floor closed behind her with a smooth swish. Ramona joined Aayla sitting by the fire and plopped down on a chair.

"Alright, now we should be able to talk safely and comfortably. How are you feeling?"

"Well, my fingers don't feel like popsicles anymore. The world isn't jumping around like I'm on a roller coaster anymore, but now everything's swaying like I'm on a boat."

"Better than getting worse I suppose. Let's get you warmed up and calmed down a bit more before talking again."

Ramona hung their cloaks near the fireplace so they would dry. The pair stayed by the fire, letting it warm their bodies as the night grew deeper. Occasionally, lights as bright as the sun would illuminate the forest far off in the distance for a few minutes. Aayla's shivering stopped completely, and the world returned to normal. Ramona quietly sat by her side, letting Aayla calm down. Eventually, Aayla became comfortable enough to talk again.

"What are those lights outside?"

"The bright ones that make the night seem like day?"

"Yeah, those."

"They are spells. Most likely extremely powerful detection spells specialized for dimensional rifts. We should be safe though. I covered my tracks, and you don't have any mana to leave a trace of."

"So, magic really exists here. Where is here, exactly?"

"This is the soon to be reopened Nafriton Residence Hall. Welcome to my home, Nafriton University of the Arcane Arts. The premier magical studies university in all of Tellus for the past few thousand years."