Chapter Sixteen: My Mind

  The easiest way Elijah could describe to himself what he was seeing was strange. It looked like what a director with a one-hundred million dollar budget thought an interdimensional portal would appear as. The air winded and warped, sometimes solid in black or gray matter. Often, the scene would glitch, purple and pink lines zooming through the air. The ground was the only difference, green grass spiralling back and forth, rising and falling gently around him.

  He looked around, searching for any difference to the landscape, for proof that an exit existed, but there didn’t seem to be any.

  “HELLO?” He screamed to the air and to his mysteriously disappearing Guide. “IS ANYONE THERE?”

  No answer.

  For some reason, he wasn’t surprised.

  Did it happen again? Did I switch bodies with someone else yet again?

  He wanted to sit down and wait for someone to arrive, for reality to shift back in. But this time, he controlled himself, steadied his breathing and looked at his hands.

  Princess Gold’s hands.

  He was still in the Advantian universe.

  So where the hell was this?

  Swinging around for a few seconds, he chose a direction at random and sprinted forwards, praying that he was going in the right direction. But the landscape provided no hint that he was right or otherwise. Only the swirling air that quickly dizzied him and caused a small ache at the top of his head.

  How long he sprinted, he didn’t know. His breath never left him as he ran forwards, and his legs grew no wearier, instead feeling stronger with each step forwards.

  What is this sorcery? What have the Karthans done to me?

  Farther and farther he ran.

  Farther and farther.

  The landscape never ended, just shifted and he ran farther, as he pushed harder, as he screamed into the void.

  But there was no one there.

  Until there was.

  Like a punch to the gut, with no explanation, another being entered the world. Elijah wasn’t sure how he knew it to be true, but something inside him told him he wasn’t alone anymore.

  “Stop running, Princess,” a voice called to him from behind, and his brow furrowed as he tried to place the voice. He couldn’t tell if it was male or female, but, considering what he’d seen in this world already, it could be neither. Fists raised threateningly, his heart pounding so quickly the person had to know he wasn’t as courageous as he looked, he turned around slowly, his eyes shifting to the person now in front of him, and his heart stopped.

  She was the most beautiful person in the world, and thank God—Gods?—that Guide Amanda wasn’t there, because he would stare as much as he wanted at her face. It radiated beauty, her eyes small yet striking, eyes black, pools of infinite knowledge. Her mouth twitched upwards in a smirk at his stare, and her golden hair pooled down invitingly, tips dyed black. He placed her age in the early twenties. For so long he stared at her face that when he finally looked down, he jumped.

  She was wearing nothing, and when he looked around in embarrassment, she laughed.

  “Nervous?” The woman asked. “I guess Princess Amanda Gold really is a virgin. But, if you wish me to cover up, so be it.” Black clothes erupted around her, covering her figure enticingly finishing with a back cloak that enveloped all except her face. Her face was set in determination, and Elijah knew what it meant.

  A show of power. She dominated this dimension, and he was stuck under her, whether he liked it or not.

  “Don’t worry, princess, there is no need to be afraid,” the woman promised, and her beauty was almost enough to assuage him, but he held his ground, narrowing his eyes to glare at her.

  “Why am I here?” He asked, a slight bend to his words proving his fear.

  “My, my, straight to the point, are you? I like that,” the woman smiled. “No asking who I am, or where this is. Do you not care?”

  “Frankly, I just want to leave,” Elijah admitted. “As much as I dislike the Karthan Emperor, somehow, she’s warmer than you are.”

  The woman laughed. “You’ll be back before you know it. I need not give you an explanation, but I will, as a gesture of good faith.”

  “I’m running a little low on that, considering you kidnapped me.”

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  “So dramatic,” The woman rolled her eyes, then disappeared, causing Elijah to jump again. The next moment, she was beside him, hooking his arm in hers and dragging him forwards. “Here walk with me. My name is Faría,” she said with a flourish, and when he cocked his head, she grinned. “No recognition? I’m saddened. But, at least you know who I am. As to where this is, it is the world I created. The Karthans sorcery is not the only magic, you should know, but what I have is long gone now, I assume. This is my Gráfa, and here whatever I wish may happen. If I trap someone in here, then they shall never escape.”

  “Am I trapped in here?” Elijah asked.

  “No,” Faría affirmed. “I wish not to hurt you. I’m here for an alliance, a…mutually beneficial partnership. Yet, I do not know if I can trust you.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course not. You do not see what we…I want,” Faría eyes glanced at him. “I wished not to kidnap you, but I had no other choice. I do apologize, but it was my only choice.”

  As much as his brain screamed at him not to, he was beginning to like this woman. There was a warmth to what she said, he couldn’t deny that, and she seemed genuine, yet how could he know? This wasn’t his world. He had to be careful.

  “Why do you want me?” He asked again, keeping himself guarded.

  “As you wish,” Faría nodded to him and waved her hand, and in front of them, the air shifted, turning to a hologram, where a man and a woman fought. Upon closer examination, Elijah recognized himself as the princess, and the assassin that had been sent against him.

  “What the hell is this?” He asked, expression darkening.

  Faría sighed. “I sent the assassin against you in the castle, Princess. It was the first test, one you passed brilliantly, I might add.”

  Elijah scoffed, and backed away. “You sent someone to kill me? Why? You want me dead?”

  “If I did, you would be. After all, you are in my Gráfa. No, I needed the assassin to get you inside my Gráfa. He took just a little blood from you, and in his last seconds breathing was able to transfer it to me.

  “And before you ask,” she continued. “No, he would never have killed you. While he was sent to do that, he was inadequate. Look at what happened. You made a joke, and he laughed. He was an amateur assassin, and so would never have finished his job. But, more importantly, you are a Level 24 princess. You are strong enough to defeat many assassins, and I needed proof you could. Good job.”

  Elijah gulped, sighing in relief inside while his heart beat in his chest at a million miles a minute. She still thought he was a Level 24. Could he use that to his advantage? He didn't think so, but he put it in the corner of his mind just in case.

  “Still, I could have died! Why the test?” He asked. “You still haven’t said why you want me! I deserve to know after that.”

  “You do, but unfortunately, I can’t say.”

  “Why not?” He growled.

  She frowned. “It is not time yet. You must pass all five tests for me to tell you the truth.”

  “Then why are you appearing to me now?”

  “Because, Princess,” She smiled, “This is a part of the second test. The second test will span all the others. The first was a test of possibility, to make sure there was a chance you could pass the others, but the others…oh, princess, we will both have so much fun!”

  “You think this is some game?” Elijah asked. “I didn’t like the last test!”

  “The others won’t be dangerous,” she replied defensively. “Well, actually that’s a lie, but you have the strength to pass them. I promise that there is a good reason for all of this.”

  “Well, I wish to know it, and I wish to know what tests I must face!”

  “I’m getting to that,” Faría said. “Like I said, the first was of possibility, and you have passed. The second shall be of research. You shall need to find out who I am. That is all, but I guarantee, even you, a Princess of Advantia may have a hard time finding me.”

  “What if I don’t want to?”

  “Then I swear to never reach out and to leave you alone forever. When the third test comes, even while you participate in the second, you may quit at any time, and this is over.”

  “Then I quit,” Elijah affirmed. “I don’t want anything to do with any of this, alright? I’m busy already, and I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  “Just wait until I’m done,” the woman replied. “I cannot tell you what the last three tests entail, but they will require all your talents. Believe me, as soon as you try to discover me, you shall not wish to back down. Give it a chance, Princess, and I swear to you you shall not regret it.”

  Elijah sighed, lowering his head. He couldn’t believe he was considering what Faría was saying, but it was enticing in a way. Whoever she was, she had a lot of power, and a beauty he couldn’t deny, and, if he was honest with himself, he wanted to find out who she was, where she lived, what she wanted. Everything about her.

  Was it a good idea, though? He could be toying with something dangerous, bigger than himself! She was clearly dangerous, and he was an intruder in this world. He wasn’t even Princess Amanda Gold, he was…just Elijah. And people who had a ‘just’ before their names were always insignificant. Until they became the chosen one, but he would never be the chosen one, right?

  When he raised the objection out loud, she laughed.

  “I may have chosen you, but you are not a chosen one,” she said simply, and that was enough to convince him,

  “I’ll do it, but I won’t give you any guarantees,” he said.

  “I appreciate your honesty, and believe me, I understand you,” Faría told him. “I know you may not trust me now, but one day you will understand all of this.” Her face softened to reveal an honest pleading, a warmth that somehow superseded the warmth there before. “Thank you, princess. This means more than you know,”

  “Whatever,” Elijah said, but he couldn’t help smiling. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. Just don’t try to kill me again.”

  “No promises,” Faría grinned madly, and at Elijah’s widened eyes, she raised her hands. “Kidding. Just a joke.” Elijah sighed and the woman smiled. “You should return to your deal with the Karthans now. Be prepared for the next trials, and find out who I am. I’ll be waiting, princess.”

  “I’ll be back soon,” Elijah replied.

  “I doubt that,” Faría said. “But I certainly hope so. There is a lot of potential in you, Amanda, to do something no one else has ever done.”

  “And what is that?” Elijah asked.

  “Well,you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Faría grinned again. “See you on the other side, fallegt.”

  “What?” Elijah asked, but Faría simply waved her hand, and a blackness enveloped Elijah, like hands grabbing and pushing apart. He raised his mouth to scream, but as soon as the black came, it was gone.

  And the Karthan Emperor was in front of him once more.