The light from the gatestone faded, leaving Alexander, Erika, and Elizabeth standing amidst the putrid darkness of the sewers of Pendragon City. Alexander coughed, waving a hand in front of his face. “I forgot the gatestone was down here.”

Elizabeth chuckled, doing her best to hide her own disgust for the smell. “Lovely welcome back, isn’t it?”

Erika suggested, “Let’s get back to the surface and try to find this temple that Master Merlin mentioned.”

They started to walk away from the gatestone, but after a few steps, Alexander felt something was off. A tainted, unnatural pressure struck him. He stumbled, catching himself and grabbing his head, sweat collecting on his forehead. He struggled for a moment, and Erika asked, “My Lord, what’s wrong?”

He could barely put it into words. “The air… it feels heavy. Something feels…wrong”

Elizabeth suggested, “You might be sensing disturbances within the flow of the magic of this world.”

Erika nodded. “Even though you spent the last few months on Avalon, you spent most of your life in this world. It’s your home world, so your body is attuned to its magical flow. The vampire attacks have likely disturbed that magical flow, and that’s what you’re feeling. It’s the world itself calling out to you for help.”

Alexander stood in awe of this ability but also viewed it as a potential burden. “Can you feel it too?”

Elizabeth replied, “Theoretically, it could possible after we’ve spent a few decades back here, properly attuning ourselves to this world, but even then, it would be difficult.”

Erika added, “It’s more of a World Guardian specialty.”

“I see…” he replied.

They maneuvered through the sewers and stepped into the alleys of Pendragon City. The fresh air kissed Alexander’s skin, helping to alleviate the effects of the magical disturbance was sensing. He stepped near the street into the sunlight, basking in it for a moment, relief washing over him. He was truly home.

He noticed other people around him, starting to take notice of the strange attire that he and the girls were wearing. A young boy tugged on his mother’s sleeve, pointing at them.

“Mommy, why are they dressed like that?” the boy asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

The mother glanced over, a puzzled expression on her face. “I’m not sure, sweetie. Maybe they’re actors or something.”

A teenage girl passing by stopped and smiled at them. “Hey, awesome cosplay! Are you guys heading to a con or something?”

Alexander nervously looked at the twins, unsure of how to respond. “Uh, thanks, but no, we’re not heading to a convention.”

The girl nodded, still smiling. “Well, you guys look amazing! Have a great day!”

As she walked away, Alexander turned to Erika and Elizabeth. “What should we do?”

Elizabeth began to grow irritated at the unwanted attention. “We need to keep moving.”

Erika suggested, “Let’s get away from the crowd.”

They hastily walked down the street, trying to avoid the growing crowd of people. As they rushed along, Alexander began to sense something else, a feeling like something was reaching out to him, trying to pull him towards it. It came from the north; he wondered what it could be…

They found a secluded alley away from the crowd of people. Elizabeth asked, “So, how exactly are we meant to find this temple that Master Merlin mentioned?”

Alexander mentioned, “Since we got out of the sewer, I’ve had this feeling, like I’m sensing something. It’s different from what I felt before. It’s like there’s a concentration of magic that’s calling to me, drawing me to it.” He pointed north. “It’s that way.”

Erika said, “We can use levitation magic to get wherever it is.”

Alexander cautioned, “We already drew a crowd with just our outfits. I don’t want to cause a panic by flying around the city.”

Elizabeth asked, “So how exactly are we meant to get to where the source of this magic is?”

Alexander thought for a moment, then remembered the night they rescued him from the lab. “I drove to the lab that night! It’s possible my car is still in the nearby garage!” With a grin, he pulled the keys out of his robe pocket and dangled them in the air as the twins gave him a confused look.

They quickly made their way to the garage near the branch Mek-Tek lab, ignoring the strange looks and attention they received from passersby on the street. Alexander had been dying to make it back to this world, his world, but now he thought that it felt different than before, almost foreign.

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Alexander located his car in the spot where it had been since that night, much to his delight. He got in the driver’s seat and told the twins to get in. Elizabeth nervously got in the passenger seat, unsure of what to expect.

Erika was more cautious, not sure of what to do. Alexander told her, “Just pull the handle and sit down. Think of it like a horse, a motorized horse that can carry more people.”

She gingerly got in, and they drove away. Alexander maneuvered through Pendragon City, the sense drawing him out of the city to the north. As they passed through the city, Erika and Elizabeth looked on in awe, not quite able to believe that such a civilization was possible. To them, the castle where Merlin lived was the largest and grandest building they had ever seen. Alexander thought that seeing the towering skyscrapers and office buildings would be quite overwhelming for them.

He asked, “I know you’re originally from this world, but how long were you guys on Avalon?”

Elizabeth replied, “We were taken in by Master Merlin when we were five.” Erika remained silent, continuing to observe everything around her.

Alexander asked, “If this is all so foreign to you, how were you able to find me that night?”

Elizabeth replied, “It was easy. We were able to sense you. Your latent magical ability gave off a signature we could follow. It was dark, so we couldn’t quite see everything, not to mention we were kind of focused on fighting the vampires.”

Alexander chuckled and accepted this answer. He continued driving for nearly two hours, the source of magic growing stronger and stronger every second. Finally, they arrived at a small town nestled in a valley in a small mountain range. The town gave off a comfortable, cozy vibe. Alexander thought that not more than a few hundred people could live there. There were a few buildings he could see immediately that looked like small businesses and restaurants. Also dotting the streets were small market stalls, and he noticed some larger buildings that looked like apartment buildings.

He parked the car, and as they exited, the people on the streets all turned to look at the three of them. None of them said a word; they simply looked and nodded. Alexander noticed a sign out of the corner of his eye, and while still looking at the townspeople, he nervously asked Elizabeth, “What does that sign say?”

She answered, “It says the town’s name is Bellmonty.”

He chuckled for a moment and then wondered aloud, “Is it named after my family?”

Erika, finally speaking up, said, “Or the other way around. Perhaps your family took the name from this village.”

Elizabeth asked, “Is this the source of the magic?”

Almost on cue, one of the nearby villagers pointed to a set of stone stairs leading up a winding path into the mountain. Alexander awkwardly thanked the person and turned to the twins. “I’m gonna go with yes...”

They followed the stairway leading through the mountain trail, twisting and turning as they ascended. After a while, Alexander and Erika started feeling fatigued. Alexander wiped the sweat from his face, breathing heavily.

“How much further do you think it is?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.

Erika, equally winded, shook her head. “I have no idea, but I hope we’re close.”

Elizabeth, who seemed unfazed by the climb, scoffed at their lack of stamina. “You two are really out of shape.”

Alexander chuckled between breaths. “Not everyone is used to moving around with full plate armor like you, Elizabeth.”

Erika agreed. “Yeah, some of us prefer lighter clothes.”

Elizabeth smirked. “Maybe you should consider some endurance training.”

Alexander grinned. “Yeah, I’ll add it to my to-do list.”

After resting a moment, they rounded one final bend, and Alexander saw a clearing in the rocks. Stepping into it, he found two stone doors that were sealed shut. In the ground next to them was a crystalline gatestone, just like back in the sewers in Pendragon City. He expressed surprise upon seeing it. “What’s that doing here?”

Erika explained, “Gatestones aren’t just for moving between realities. In fact, that was never their intended purpose. They’re meant for the World Guardian and their servants to move quickly around their own world. If this is the temple, then it makes sense for one to be here.”

Elizabeth approached the stone doors and noticed a runic pattern etched onto them. She traced it with her fingers, then admitted, “I don’t know what it means.”

Alexander looked at it for a moment and remembered seeing similar patterns in a tome back on Avalon. Erika asked, “What does it say?”

He simply replied, “It means Bellmont.” He waved his hands in front of the doors, and they creaked to life, slowly turning inward, opening the way for them.

The opening revealed a dark corridor with more stone steps. As Alexander stepped into it, torches on the wall ignited, the flames sparking to life in recognition of his presence. They followed the corridor into a large foyer. An ancient-looking stone table dominated the room, and more torches lit up, revealing the dark-colored stone walls all around the room. The air within smelled musty, but there were no cobwebs or dust in sight. Alexander saw multiple doors on either side of the foyer area, presumably leading into other rooms or deeper into the temple.

Elizabeth commented, “This must be the place we were looking for.”

Alexander confirmed, “Yeah, this seems to be where the magic was drawing me.”

Erika wondered, “I wonder what all is here? Perhaps it has its own library full of ancient spells and knowledge for us to consume!”

Alexander admired her curiosity but admitted, “The vibe of this place is a bit dated for me. I’m more into modern aesthetics.”

As soon as he said this, the walls and floors of the room began to shimmer and hum, surprising them all. The ancient stone walls melted away, leaving in their place the sleek walls of a modern lab. The floors transformed from stone to tile, and modern furniture materialized in the foyer.

Alexander, stunned, questioned, “Uh, what the hell just happened?”

Erika said, “It seems like the temple reacted to your desire. It’s possible the magic here can respond to its master’s wishes, causing the temple to take on a form you like.”

He smiled, commenting, “Magic really is amazing.”

Suddenly, the pressure and strange uncomfortable feeling that he felt back in Pendragon City returned, causing him to stumble forward and clutch his head again. The twins rushed to his side, concern etched on their faces.

“My Lord, what’s happening?” Erika asked, her voice filled with worry.

He explained, “That sense of danger is back…stronger than before…it’s coming from back in the city…”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “We need to get back there, now.”

Erika nodded in agreement. “Let’s not waste any time.”

Alexander, still clutching his head, managed to stand up straight. “Alright, let’s go. It’s up to us!”

With renewed determination, they hurried out of the temple, ready to face whatever awaited them in Pendragon City.