In a single blink, the world around me dissolved into shadow, only to flare back into being an instant later. It took my eyes a moment to adjust, but once they did, I realized I was definitely not where I'd intended to end up. Instead of the modest restroom I'd expected, I stood in an impossibly ornate chamber worthy of royalty. Polished columns rose around me, carved with delicate vines and inlaid with filigree that gleamed under a series of hovering mana lamps. The ceiling soared overhead, painted with pastoral scenes in rich, shimmering hues. Even the floor was set with pearlescent tiles that glowed faintly as though channeling ambient mana through an intricate network of runes.

I blinked, momentarily awestruck. This restroom, if it could even be called that looked more like a private spa suite designed for the uppermost of the upper crust. An enormous mirror framed in gold occupied one entire wall, and plush benches were arranged near a set of tall, frosted-glass partitions. The air carried a hint of rose and citrus, a delicate perfume that hinted at the presence of someone who cared deeply about the finer things in life.

I took a tentative step forward, my senses still reeling from the unexpected teleport. That was when I saw her: a striking, chestnut haired human woman crouched near the wall, her posture radiating a mixture of embarrassment and despair. She looked up at me with wide eyes that shone with unshed tears. For the briefest moment, neither of us spoke her face a study in mortification, mine undoubtedly reflecting stunned confusion.

"Fate just loves taking every option available to humiliate me," she muttered bitterly, her voice trembling. Then, as if the moment itself was too much to bear, she dropped her head into her hands, shoulders trembling with a silent, frustrated laugh or perhaps a sob.

I cleared my throat, heart thudding in my chest. "I uh, I'm sorry," I managed, taking another step forward. "I didn't mean to, um, intrude. The teleport handle must've sent me to the wrong place."

Her response was muffled through her fingers. "Of course it did," she murmured. "Fate and I have a very intimate relationship one built on it, ruining my day at every opportunity."

Unsure of what else to do, I scanned the opulent surroundings, my gaze flicking between the gleaming marble countertops and the ornate mirror frames, looking for some kind of plaque or label that might clarify this bizarre mix-up. With no immediate answers forthcoming, I took a half-step back, forcing a polite smile that felt painfully awkward.

"I'll, uh…be leaving now, then. Good day to you," I stammered, bowing my head slightly, half-apologizing, half-desperate to escape. My voice wavered between courtesy and disorientation, the absurdity of the situation leaving me struggling for composure.

Turning to the handle on the wall the one that had supposedly warped me here, I gripped it firmly. Expecting the usual dizzy rush of teleportation, I braced myself for the whoosh that would take me back. But nothing happened. There was no swirl of mana, no flicker of runic light. The handle gave a slight rattle under my hand, but it refused to respond to whatever arcane trigger made it work.

"Why isn't this thing doing anything?" I muttered, confusion mounting.

"Don't you think I've tried that already?" The chestnut-haired woman let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through her disheveled locks. "I've been stuck here for what feels like an hours, and if it did work, I'd have made my grand escape long ago."

My eyes narrowed. "You said you wanted to escape? Who would you?"

Before I could finish the question, a shrill cry pierced the air from somewhere beyond the door. It echoed in the lavish chamber like a half-stifled yelp, definitely not the sound of someone in distress. I froze, and the woman in front of me looked even more mortified.

"I take it that's who?" I asked quietly, trying to mask the awkwardness creeping into my tone.

The woman pressed her lips into a thin line, cheeks coloring. "They hadn't seen each other in ages, so the moment they got a few minutes alone, they decided to celebrate. Problem is, they forgot I was in the bathroom." She cast a look of utter resignation at the locked door, as if silently cursing Fate.

Her eyes darted back to me, assessing whether I needed further explanation. Judging by the clumsy, rhythmic thuds and muffled gasps now filtering through the door, I didn't. "So, that's why I need out of here," she continued, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's not exactly polite to interrupt… that, and I'd rather not be here when they finish."

I cleared my throat, trying to banish the mental images threatening to form. "Right, of course. So the handle's broken?"

She nodded, frustration evident in the set of her jaw. "It has some sort of override or failsafe. Once it detects wards activated outside, it won't allow an exit or entrance to keep people from teleporting into the room at a… delicate moment."

A fresh wave of shrieking, definitely filled with pleasure rather than fear, caused us both to cringe. My gaze slid toward the ornate door leading to the next room, from behind which the sounds were intensifying. "I… guess that means we're stuck until they finish, huh?"

"Unfortunately," she muttered, pressing her back to the wall and sinking down again. "Believe me, I've tried everything. Banging on the door, calling out… they're too lost in each other to notice. Or maybe they did notice and just don't care."

I swallowed hard, searching for a way to break the tension. The suite was grand, but the awkwardness of listening to such intimate noises through the wall made the lavish surroundings feel more like a cage. After a beat of silence, I sighed and joined her, lowering myself to the floor at a respectful distance.

"So, any idea who they are?" I asked, keeping my voice hushed. "Or is this a random palace affair?"

She gave a humorless chuckle, hugging her knees. "They are good friends of mine, who I just found out have been having a relationship behind my back."

I nodded slowly, exhaling. "That's rough, buddy."

She let out a short, hollow laugh that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Exactly. Welcome to my life trapped in the palace's finest bathroom, forced to listen to my two best friends enjoy themselves while I—" She gestured to herself, chestnut hair askew. "—just want to vanish through the floor."

Another crescendo of moans filtered through, making the air feel thicker, tinged with second-hand embarrassment. I tugged at my collar, wishing I could vanish just as badly. "Look, I'm really sorry," I murmured.

She glanced over at me, offering a faint, apologetic smile. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. Fate just needed to add a cute boy to the mix to make everything worse. At least now I have someone to share the mortification with."

I let out a small, tight laugh. "Glad I can be of service."

We lapsed into a brief lull, the room's silence broken only by the muffled noises from the next room. The polished mirrors reflected our anxious postures: two strangers stuck in a most undignified predicament, each praying for a quick end to the scenario.

Eventually, I cleared my throat, trying to steer the topic toward safer ground. "So, how'd you end up here in the first place? If you don't mind me asking."

She shrugged, her voice strained. "I had a…meeting, I had to sit through it before the gala started. I excused myself, came in here for some peace and quiet, then realized someone else had 'entered' next door for a different reason. I was about to slip out when the wards went up. And then you showed up, courtesy of some misfiring teleporter."

As if on cue, another round of enthusiastic cries from behind the door made us both wince. She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "I swear, Fate has a twisted sense of humor."

I forced a crooked smile. "Yeah, well, Fate is a bitch. You're not the only one she's screwed over."

She gave a soft snort, the tiniest curve lifting the corners of her mouth. "At least we'll have a story to tell someday. For now, I'm going to pretend this whole evening is just one prolonged nightmare."

I glanced at the handle again, half-hoping it would spark to life, but it remained stubbornly inert. With a resigned sigh, I shifted to a more comfortable position. "However long we're stuck here, might as well make the best of it."

She raised an eyebrow, the barest trace of amusement in her eyes. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

I shrugged. "Small talk? We can complain about the palace's design flaws. Or maybe plot revenge on these fancy ward systems."

She let out a breathy chuckle, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. "You know what? That sounds a whole lot better than listening to them enjoy themselves."

I finally managed to take a proper look at her when she raised her head, a shy, tentative smile curving her lips. The shift in her posture, along with the gentle light catching her features, revealed far more than her earlier hunched stance had allowed. No doubt she was of noble birth her refined accent gave it away, that polished enunciation characteristic of the upper-crust families hailing from the heart of the Imperial Federation's Isles of Albion. Nobles in this world rarely hid their roots, especially those who commanded significant magical or political clout.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Still crouched near the wall, her gaze flicked upward, letting me see the full extent of her amazonian build. She had a well-toned physique slender shoulders, a strong torso, and a substantial chest that would've turned heads anywhere. Even at a glance, it was clear she stood only a few inches shorter than me, no small feat in as a human where my own height often made me stand out. Nobility, particularly the women, tended to develop powerful magical aptitudes, their status further reinforced by inherited political influence. In many corners of the world, it was the same story told in different ways magocracy, where those with the strongest magic rose to the top.

An odd familiarity tugged at my mind, a faint thread of recognition that I couldn't quite place. I found myself searching her face for clues: the graceful line of her jaw, the warm brown of her eyes, the way her hair fell around her cheeks in gentle waves. I knew I'd seen her before, and not just in passing. As she glanced at me, her expression grew wary, and for a second, I considered letting the matter drop. But my curiosity won out.

"You look kind of familiar," I ventured, my tone uncertain, as though testing the waters.

Her entire face seemed to pale, like someone whose secret had just been laid bare. "Aspects strike me down now," she muttered under her breath, closing her eyes in resigned dread. "As if tonight couldn't get any worse..."

I snapped my fingers, my own recollections suddenly clicking into place. A year and a half ago, Aspected girls, one sporting a fiery aura, the other projecting an air of frosty elegance, both teasing a friend about her obvious infatuation with the bartender. That bartender had been me.

"Wait," I said, eyes widening as memories slotted neatly into focus. "Were you at King Victor's Bar about a year and a half ago? You came in with two Aspected girls, right?"

She opened her eyes again, lips parted in surprise. "You remember that? I was hoping you didn't remember." Her voice wavered between astonishment and embarrassment.

That alone was answer enough, but I pressed on, recalling the scene in more detail. "You three sat near the back, and ordered a round of exotic cocktails. One of your friends was giving you a hard time and kept egging you on to ask for my Link. I, um...got the feeling you were interested in talking, but you never actually approached me."

A faint blush rose across her cheeks, and she turned her head away, hair falling forward to partially shield her face. "Yes, well, you've got a good memory. My friends that night were...louder than I would've liked."

Something in her demeanor, mixed shame, and nostalgia, confirmed it. I remembered her friends, both Aspected, one evidently tied to some primordial force. They'd teased her relentlessly, joking about how she was too 'noble' to muster the courage to flirt with a mere bartender. It had all seemed innocent enough at the time, but she'd blushed every time I so much as glanced her way.

"So," I ventured gently, "I take it those, uh, Aspected friends of yours are the ones otherwise occupied in the next room?"

She nodded, letting out a long, resigned sigh. "Yes, unfortunately. We were supposed to attend this Yuletide gathering together, but…" She trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the lavish walls around us, as though that alone explained the chaos of the palace's labyrinthine layout and malfunctioning teleport handles.

My lips twitched into a hesitant smile. "Small world, right?"

Her half-laugh sounded equal parts mortified and relieved. "I guess you could say that. Of all the bathrooms, in all the palace, you had to pop into mine."

I shrugged, lifting my palms in a gesture of helplessness. "It seems Fate or whoever designed the palace teleport network had a sense of humor."

For a moment, silence settled between us, punctuated only by the muffled noises from next door her friends evidently continuing their enthusiastic reunion. She glanced at me again, this time with something akin to acceptance in her gaze. Maybe it was the mutual embarrassment, or the memory of that distant night at King Victor's Bar, but something compelled her to speak.

"I, I never got your name back then," she confessed, softly. "Your uniform said 'John,' but I wasn't sure if that was your real name or just a placeholder. Bars often do that."

I smiled, recalling the nametag routine. "It's John," I confirmed. "And you never told me your name, either. Your friends kept calling you 'Lady Something-or-other,' and you, well… never seemed to like that title."

Her cheeks colored anew, though she managed a small smile. "Yes, I hate formalities. My name is " She hesitated as if weighing whether to reveal it, then sighed. "Adorashera. But nobody calls me that except my family. Most people just call me 'Adora.'"

"Adorashera," I repeated, letting the syllables settle in. "That's…nice, though, Adora, like the princess." For some reason, lots of people named their children after the royals. It just sounded confusing to me.

"Yeah, you could say that," She let out a breath that sounded almost like a relief, perhaps glad to shed the burden of her full noble title. "Thank you. And, um, for what it's worth, I do remember you, too how you always seemed polite, even when my friends were being insufferable. I just never worked up the nerve to talk to you that night. The way you laughed reminded me of someone I lost, and I got lost in the notion that you could be him. He died years ago." The way she folded in on herself, it was a topic she didn't want to talk about.

Under any other circumstances, we'd probably have an easier time reintroducing ourselves. But here, we were stranded in a stolen bathroom suite, listening to the increasingly heated escapades beyond the door.

"Guess we missed our chance for a normal conversation," I remarked, voice wry.

A soft chuckle escaped Adora's lips, and she brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Better late than never, right?" Then, her expression tightened as another moan drifted in from the neighboring room. She buried her face in her hands again, letting out a quiet groan. "I'd kill for some earplugs."

I couldn't help but laugh.

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Codex

Transcript of Vid advertisement, Linktube

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