He did not know how the enemy found him.

For many years, they managed to stay away from each other, going about their lives without the awful reminder that the other one existed. The sudden intrusion had to have had a real reason to even be considered a possibility. The curse had a wicked way of clashing their paths together, which often led to great disasters.

Some things were unavoidable, but Ullie would have liked to have avoided them for a bit longer.

Despite his disdain for hand-cast portals, he had a lot of trust in those crafted by portal masters. Instead of being weaved from patterns, these were built under a special system of coordinates that was established by mapping the energies of the world. If well made, they were durable enough to outlast empires, holding up as long as the sigils could draw power.

Being as old and experienced as he was, Ullie had discovered plenty of secret ways to get around the world. The circumstances had forced him to be on his guard and to traverse the continents in pursuit of whatever he deemed worth the trouble. Fortunately for him, these gateways existed in almost every convenient place and large enough city, creating an incredibly complex network of shortcuts.

"Works like a charm," he said joyfully, as he kicked the lid open with his foot.

After carefully scanning the night for danger he jumped out of the trunk. Except, it was not the rugged trunk buried under layers of old fabric he kept in his home, but the trunk of a red sedan. Hidden in plain sight, it gathered dust on a poorly lit parking lot. At that time of night, there were no witnesses and no one to ask questions about a strange man leaving such an unusual place.

Instinctively, he checked his body for signs of teleportation glitches, counted his fingers and toes, and tied his hair up to see better. He was certain that despite the diversion there was still a good chance he would get caught. It was an unwritten rule that once he was up against his equal, nothing was certain. He needed to get creative, and resort to trickery instead of magic, so as not to leave neon breadcrumbs for his pursuer.

As he prepared to cut through the world down a rather confusing wormhole, several crows paced on the tall sign above his head, the purpose of which had been hidden behind a swarm of legal papers stating that the place had been certified as "dangerously haunted".

The street lights flickered, and raindrops caught up with him soon after, but he did not stop to question his poor choice of footwear. The endless concrete wall, poorly drawn graffiti, and faded posters along the way did nothing other than remind him he was in a shady part of Helden, his least favorite place in the world.

"It's always been like this," he scowled shaking his head next to the ghost of the pale woman, whose unclenched jaw was frozen in a silent scream. He'd met her before, but she never seemed to remember him and always made poor attempts at being scary. "A bit of color wouldn't hurt them. Am I right?"

The ghost of the lumberjack who limped behind him had a chainsaw embedded in his thigh and for some reason, everything made him sad. He put his hand on Ullie's shoulder and wept like a baby.

"Yeah, I know you feel it too."

"I'm waiting for you, you know?" said an old man's ghost, whose long black robe floated around him as he used a staff made of skulls to move about. He was a ghost of a necromancer from many centuries ago, most likely killed in the purges, who tirelessly followed all the other ghosts around trying to convince them they should help him with his "project".

"For me?" returned Ullie like it was the first time he'd heard such a thing. He'd already arrived at the abandoned construction site, full of forgotten and discarded things, and looked for a way inside that did not involve stepping into puddles.

"Yes, yes. You'll do just fine in my collection. When do you plan on dying?" the ghost insisted in a creepy tone.

"Ah, well, who knows," returned Ullie balancing on a plank across a long hole in the road. "Haven't had much luck with that."

"Things can be arranged. I could make sure of that," the necromancer added polishing the skull on the top of his staff. "You can die any time."

Having found his destination, Ullie waved goodbye to the small army of ghosts surrounding him. A part of him was saddened by their fate, but there was hardly anything he could do to help them. It was, after all, his enemy's department.

"Next time, I promise," he waved them goodbye as he slammed the door at the back of an old freezer truck.

***

It was cold and dark and it smelled funny. The space suddenly got too tight for him to move and he did his best not to panic. It happened every time, the feeling of being caged in a place he could not escape brought back memories from the darkest corner of his mind. Screams and fire, lighting flashing before his eyes, and a river of blood filling up the box.

"Let me out," he screamed slamming the metal walls with his fists. "Someone please let me out."

it took some time, and it felt like an eternity. Too many monsters came crawling out from the dark, demanding reprieve.

When the door finally unlocked and the man in a white coat pulled him out over a long metal tray, Ullie was as pale as a corpse. Trapped in some painful tremors he rolled himself aside until he dropped to the floor, unable to stand. Even when he got his freedom, it took a lot more effort for his mind to recover.

"What... what is this?" The man said holding the back of his head with both hands. "What were you doing in there? How long have you been locked up? Who did that?"

"It's alright, Ullie said as his words stretched thin. He rubbed his eyes looking at the light and slowly pulled himself back on his feet. "I just took a wrong turn it seems."

"A wrong what?"

"Sorry for the scare. It wasn't intentional," he added and wobbled out of the morgue. He picked up the pace in the hallway and felt life return to him by the time he reached the elevator. As he rode up, he pretended he and the fern in the corner were one and the same.

The fresh air on the hospital roof was all he needed to recover and had he more time to mingle, he would have loved to enjoy the view and chat up the old patients about the long lost time of their youth. Instead, he went all the way to the farthest edge of the terrace and climbed the wall that separated it from the abyss.

"Where was it now?" He walked up and down the edge, measuring the length with his steps. Hinged portals were a nightmare when it came to remembering where they hung from and he had a tendency to mix up left and right. The margin of error in this case was a bit too thin for his liking.

"Don't do it," said an old woman pulling her infusion stall along as she tried to come closer. "You have so much to live for. Please get down from there."

"It's alright, madam. I've done this before," returned Ullie showing a reassuring thumbs up. As more and more people gathered to watch the unfolding of events. they grew into a crowd. The panic spread like wildfire among them, followed by muffled screams and loud gasps.

Stolen story; please report.

"Whatever you're going through, it's not over, there is still hope," said another patient in a wheelchair. "Please, don't do this to yourself."

"I'm not going to jump," Ullie insisted. "I mean I am going to jump but I'm not going to... uh, well, never mind. It's fine." A part of him wished he was still in Helden, for at least there, no one would have cared to see him jump.

"You're too young to die," someone screamed from the crowd, as a few more people tried phoning the emergency services and resident psychiatrists.

"I'm really not," he smiled widely and did his best to keep his thoughts away from the metal box. "There you are," he added quietly and snapped his fingers in celebration of finding the right spot.

"Please..."

"See ya," he let his left foot touch the air first and then he gracefully tilted himself forward, allowing gravity to do all the work.

"Noooo," they cried in agony, but when they got closer to the edge and saw the street below, they were surprised to find there was not a single trace of the suicidal wizard at the bottom.

***

"No adults allowed in my kingdom," said a young girl with a paper crown on her head, pointing her magic wand at Ullie.

He was bouncing up and down like a rubber ball inside an inflatable castle, as more and more children gathered around to inspect the intruder. They poked him with their toy dinosaurs and random sticks like he was an alien.

"Are you friend or foe?" said an angry little boy with his toy gun and a funny hat. "Speak or I'll command everyone to scream."

"Friend," said Ullie with arms raised. "I come in peace."

"Prove it," the boy insisted. "You could be a spy. How are we to know? The kingdom must be pro.. pro... protected." He turned to the girl beside him and gave her a subtle nod. She proceeded to gather her friends and together they took a silent breath, ready to explode with ear-wrecking sounds.

"I'll prove it," Ullie defended. "Look," he reached into his left pocket, shuffled around like it had no bottom, and pulled out a paper crane. It was made entirely of old chocolate foil and when he threw it in the air it spread out its wings and started flying around the castle like it was a real bird. The children followed it with their eyes in absolute silence and awe, before they decided it was more fun to try and catch it. The moment they did, it exploded like a pinata, filling the entire castle full of sparkle, fireflies, rainbows, and whatever was necessary to keep the children entertained.

"Are you a wizard?" asked the self-proclaimed queen.

"I am, but it must remain a secret."

"Do you have a unicorn?" she returned poking his forehead with the glitter-ridden wand and chuckling like it was funny.

"No," he shook his head as others surrounded him. "But I'd like one."

"Can you cast spells with your hands?" asked a girl with great enthusiasm and sparkle in her eyes as she raised her arm trying to imitate an explosion.

"Well, yes."

"Can you turn me into a penguin?" asked a little boy with a penguin on his shirt. "Please?"

"I'm sorry. Perhaps when you grow up."

"Can you make me fly?" said a girl dressed like a leaf.

"Not in the way you want."

"That's not fair."

"Nothing is."

"If you won't do anything then why did you come here?" the boy with the gun insisted. His hat had fallen over his eyes and he used the tip of the gun to put it back in place.

"I got in trouble. And I must hide."

When the cake arrived, he knew it was time to go. He could not risk getting caught by anyone at the party, and getting to the table meant cutting straight across the lawn and avoiding all the guests. If they discovered him too soon, the spell may not have worked and he would have lost precious time. Over the walls of the castle, he peeked and counted the waiting staff, predicting their trajectories.

"What kind of trouble? Who's chasing you?" said a wide-eyed boy with a plastic toy shaped like a black unicorn.

"Another wizard," returned Ullie timing his maneuver. "Because of a big and scary curse."

"Wow." The children looked at one another as if such things were a bit too much even for their wild imagination.

They whispered among themselves, preparing to bombard him with more questions, but he was already sliding out of the air contraption. "I must go now, little ones, my adventure awaits,"

"Will you come back, Mr Wizard?"

"We'll meet again, I promise."

"But will you defeat the evil wizard and save yourself from his curse?"

"Well technically, it's my curse, and he's not really evil. it's just a bit too complicated," he said as he rushed forward. "Farewell, young ones."

Before anyone noticed him zapping across the lawn Ullie was already hiding under the cake, crossing his fingers and waiting for the portal to take him further.

***

Crouching low, he peeked from under the cloth, seeing shiny shoes all around. The smoke of cigars fell around the room like a curtain and made it a little harder to see the exit.

The people argued about something, accusing one another of hiding cards in their sleeves, slamming the table, and spitting at the sides.

"Great," Ullie mumbled as he spotted the guards at the door. It had to be another one of the illegal gambling dens the city of Jorval was known for. Still, it was a risk Ullie was willing to take, if it meant bringing him close to his goal.

"You fraud," one of the gamblers yelled, kicking the chair back as he stood up.

"You wish I cheated. You're just a sore loser. You always were," said another, as the sound of plastic ships and paper bills scraped against the table.

"Come on, come back," said the third as the winner went for the door, and signaled the guards to let him go. But, before they even got the chance to do so, the man backed off, pointing his finger at the sounds coming from the outside.

"Police. Open up."

"Fantastic," Ullie spun around like a spinning top and looked for another way out. Unless there was a hidden entrance behind one of the shelves, he was inevitably trapped.

"What are you waiting for?" someone yelled as the room erupted in commotion. "Grab the stuff, and let's go. We've been made."

"Tragic," Ullie chuckled as the guards and the six men from the table ran for the only window at the back. Somehow, they thought it was a good idea, even though it was more likely they would get stuck in the process.

The front door burst open, and an entire squadron of police officers stormed in. They scattered around the room, pointing a guns at everything in sight, like they were breaking up an armed robbery.

Ullie sat still with his legs crossed, pretending he was invisible, and while everyone else was too busy either arresting or getting arrested, he decided to wait it out.

"You there," yelled one of the officers, after the table fell over from the weight of some unfortunate fellow. "Come out with your hands above your head."

"I have nothing to do with any of this," Ullie returned with a diplomatic smile, as he got back on his feet. "I'm quite innocent."

"You are under arrest for illegal gambling, distribution of illegal substances, bribe, and hindering police investigation." The officer cuffed him and handed him over to the next in line. "This one is the leader," he said, as they compared his face to the photo of some other man. Certain, broad similarities were present, though Ullie considered such comparisons to be quite an insult to his person.

"That's not me," he yelled in protest. "Have you no eyes? I'm infinitely more handsome than whoever that is."

"Take him away," was the last he heard from them as they rolled him into the back of the police van, along with all the others. They sat in silence, looking at one another as if they needed to figure out which one was to blame.

Ullie however, had no interest in their petty squabbles and with the way out closer than ever, he eyed the small window covered in bars.

"Boss?" the tallest one of the men said to Ullie's reddened face. "Boss, why are you here?"

"I'm sorry, there's been a misunderstanding. You're confusing me with someone," the wizard returned, paying him no mind.

"What do you mean?" the man whispered leaning in. "Oh, is that your new plan, pretend we don't know each other?"

"Sure," Ullie nodded as the van started moving. He kept his eyes peeled to the glass, waiting for the right moment. "Hey, could you do me a favor... uh, I'm terribly sorry, what was your name?"

"Good one boss. I've never seen you either."

"Right, yeah. The favor?"

"Yes, boss... apologies, unknown gentlemen."

"Can you reach in my pocket and find a red pencil?"

"Yes... yes?" the man returned raising his eyebrow.

In a strange maneuver, they sat back to back as the big man reached deep into the pocket of Ullie's robe. The challenge turned out to be more difficult than it looked.

"Anything?" Ullie asked wiggling on the metal bench, making the others even more agitated than they were to see him there.

"How big is this pocket? There is something in here? It's moving."

"Don't touch anything that's not a pencil."

"It bit me."

"Just keep looking."

"There's also something big and round. It's moving too."

"The pencil?"

He kept shuffling, as they struggled to remain in place and adjust to the turns the van took.

Eventually, they made it.

"This it?" he held the pencil behind his back as Ullie turned to grab it.

"Thank you. Now, avert your eyes for a moment."

"Yes, boss."

Seconds after, the van flashed with bright light as the magic pencil shattered his cuffs to pieces. Smiling with joy, Ullie rushed to see where they were, before using the same trick to open the back door.

The others protested, being left tied up, as the back door dangled with the promise of freedom.

"Wait, what about us?" they yelled. "You need to free us as well."

"I'm not your boss," the wizard said the moment the van stopped at the red light, and he jumped into an open manhole like it was something he did every day.