Pietro finally contacted her the previous night.

He told her that his brother was in the hospital. That he was the victim of the April 2nd attack. That he was in a coma.

She offered to talk with him as long as he wanted, but he said he just needed to be alone. Her chest was tight. It hurt knowing there was nothing she could do to help him. It hurt knowing he couldn’t rely on her.

After that, Anastasia couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t even bring herself to lie down and try. All she could think about was that she needed to be stronger. If she was stronger, then she could make a difference. She could help Sadie and Gregory find who was causing this all to happen.

She was on the floor, her back supported by her bed. Pale rays of sun were streaming through the blinds of her window. She glanced at her phone. It was already 7 in the morning. She definitely wasn’t going to get any rest now.

“Sorry Gregory,” Anastasia mumbled to herself.

She closed her eyes. Starting at her feet, a tingling sensation ran through her body. She took a deep breath and opened them again.

A cold wind hit her cheeks as it went past her, continuing through the grass of the field and disappearing over the hills in the distance. The sky was still gray with clouds, and it seemed like it might rain at any moment. Like before, the gate of bronze stood quiet, massive and unmovable by the breeze.

She walked toward it. Through the pillars that made it up, she could see the ruins. She couldn’t help but feel that it looked like castles smashed together. It was as if a child took stone blocks and combined them haphazardly, and then left it that way for hundreds of years.

How did it end up in such terrible condition? Surely it hadn’t always been this way. Could someone have lived here? Was something like that even possible?

She supposed there was no way of knowing. All she needed to do now was focus on getting stronger.

She took a step forward and remembered what Gregory told her. Magic was the answer to the ‘voice’ of the mana she sent through the gate. If she should think of it like an actual voice, then she wondered if being closer to the gate would carry it further.

She moved to the center of the gate, grasping a pillar from each side of its massive double doors. She decided to start simple. She had lots of practice with the wind, so that’s what she would call for from the other side.

She took a deep breath and stuck her hand through the gap in the gate. Something welled up inside of her, and then it was quiet. Did it work? It usually didn’t take this long.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came at her through the gate. It was so powerful that it would have knocked her down if it wasn’t for the fact that she was holding onto the pillar with one hand.

“Wow,” she giggled. This was a stronger wind than she had ever made. If she could familiarize herself with it, it would be her best bet in a fight. She could probably stop someone dead in their tracks, even if they struggled.

But what about fire? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t manage to get her fingers to snap. How did kids figure out how to do it so easily anyway? Was it something you had to be born with?

She looked down at her fingers. Friction. That’s what Gregory said there needed to be to create it. Just like how she matched the wind through the flowing motion of her hand, she needed to find a way to align herself with fire.

“Hmm,” she glanced around the gate and then down at her hands. This time, she stuck both her hands through the gaps.

Taking in a breath, she rubbed her hands together as quickly as she could. She felt them getting warmer, but they didn’t look like they would burst into flames anytime soon.

She stopped as she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. On the other side of the gate, something was stirring.

“Hello?” Anastasia called out. “Is someone there?”

Something groaned. She could hear the sound of something sloshing around. It was like the sound of jelly being stabbed into by a knife.

One after another, dark figures emerged from the shadows of the ruins, like they were melting from the darkness itself. They walked with their backs hunched, and their arms hanging down in front of them. They were coming toward the gate. Toward her.

Anastasia pulled her hands back. Her legs quaked beneath her as she backed away.

It wasn’t long before dozens of them were at the gate, putting their arms through the gaps and grasping for her. She tripped, falling onto her rear-end. They looked down at her with huge gaping eye sockets, their mouths dripping with thick, putrid sludge.

She had to leave, and she had to do it now. She closed her eyes as hard as she could. She could hear groaning, and the sound of them pounding on the gate. It got louder and louder, and finally she heard something snap.

She screamed.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her room again. The gate was gone, but the sound of those things groaning still echoed in her ears.

Panting heavily, she looked around her room. Her things were strewn about like a storm just went through her apartment.

“Oh come on,” she sighed. It must have been the wind that she summoned while she was at the gate. Realizing what that meant, she was suddenly very thankful she hadn’t succeeded in creating fire.

She looked over at the clock. Still 7 o’clock. Like the last time, it appeared that she hadn’t been gone for more than a few seconds.

And what were those things? Were they even real? Had it all been a dream? A chill ran up her spine. She was supposed to get there around noon, but she decided to send a text to Sadie to see if she could come over early. It took around a minute before Sadie replied to let her know that it was fine.

She looked around the room again and grumbled. She would clean it all up later. For now, she just needed to get out of her apartment. The thought of those things grabbing at her was still too fresh. Without even changing clothes, she left and headed toward the train station.

It was Sunday, and not nearly as crowded as usual. With more personal space on the train, she was able to catch her breath and calm down a little.

She thought about Pietro’s brother again. She didn’t know him all that well, but she remembered how protective Pietro was of him when they were younger. That fact alone was enough to make her blood boil, but it was more than that.

Despite what Sadie said about magic’s inability to stop time, she couldn’t help but imagine the attacker as a magician misusing their powers. The thought of someone using magic to hurt people made her sick.

Finally, she reached her stop. As she left the station, she decided to try to quit thinking about it. It was just making her emotional. She made it out off the main roads and walked toward Sadie’s neighborhood.

The change was always gradual. Houses started looking a little bigger, cars more expensive, landscaping a little more kept. Then she was hit by the sudden realization that she was somewhere she didn’t belong. It was the same city she lived in, but almost like another world altogether.

She continued on until she reached the hill that led to the Truesdale mansion. There was someone standing at the foot of it.

“Ms. Harrow,” Walter was in his usual butler attire, and he wore his usual expression of thinly veiled disgust. Anastasia awkwardly smiled in return, trying to assure herself that it was just how he always looked.

“Hello Walter,” she gave a small wave.

“Please allow me to collect your belongings.”

“Oh, of course,” Anastasia pulled her phone out of her pocket and gave it to him. “I didn’t bring my camera today.”

“Very well,” Walter turned on his heel and walked ahead.

Anastasia rushed to keep up with him. Like before, he stayed quiet as they ascended the hill.

“So… nice weather we’re having,” Anastasia stammered.

“Indeed.”

She fumbled with her hands. “Do you, uh… ever get time off?”

Walter glanced back at her, his eyes as uninterested as ever. “I must assume that you are not inquiring for romantic reasons.”

“O-Of course not!” Anastasia blushed, but then realized how rude she sounded. “Oh, no! That’s not to say that you aren’t perfectly fine the way you are. You’re a little old for me, aren’t you? Oh god, not to say that you’re old! W-What am I even saying?”

Walter turned his head back in front of him. He said nothing, but Anastasia was almost sure that she saw something change on his face. It was almost like he let out a laugh. It was almost like he smiled.

It must have been her imagination. Were familiars even capable of laughing in the first place? Did they appreciate humor in the same way humans did?

The two of them continued to the manor, and through the courtyard to the double-doors that led inside. Two younger looking butlers rushed out, opening the doors for them.

“I’m afraid that the mistress is out and will be unable to greet you,” Walter said as they came into the entryway. “I apologize on her behalf.”

“Oh no, she really doesn’t need to worry about me,” Anastasia waved her hands in front of her. “She seems really busy.”

“Indeed she is,” Walter said. “The master… is also out, I’m afraid.”

“It’s really fine,” Anastasia said. On the contrary, she would be fine with never meeting Sadie’s dad at all. “No need to fuss over me.”

Walter gave her a shallow bow, then disappeared down the hallway along with her things.

Anastasia let out a sigh, and walked over to the staircase. Although Walter wasn’t all that different from normal, she felt there was a definite lack of smarminess from him. She wondered if he might be in a good mood. She couldn’t even imagine what made him happy. Could familiars even be happy?

“Ana! Stop spacing out and get up here,” Sadie stood at the top of the stairs waving at her. “Ready for some serious magic training?”

“I sure am,” Anastasia tried to smile as she ascended the stairs. “Are you helping me too?”

“Yeah, but just for a bit,” Sadie said. “I have to get ready for my autograph session on Tuesday.”

What did getting ready for an autograph session really look like? Did she practice writing her signature or something? Did she do hand warm up exercises? She decided she would probably just come across stupid if she were to ask.

“That reminds me,” Sadie grabbed her hands as she reached the top. “I want you to come! Do you think you can make it?”

“Oh, of course,” Anastasia’s face burned. “Tuesday, right? I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

“Yay!”

The two of them started down the hallway to Gregory’s room.

“Hey Sadie,” Anastasia said. “Can familiars… feel happiness?”

“Hmm? Of course they can,” Sadie smiled. “They really aren’t all that different from people in my opinion. Daddy doesn’t really feel the same way though.”

“Why not?”

“I guess he just figures that they're like robots,” Sadie said. “He always says that something simulating emotions is different than really feeling them. To be honest, I don’t really get it.”

“Robots, huh?” Anastasia mulled the words around in her mind.

Finally, they reached Gregory’s door. Sadie flung it open without knocking.

“Ana’s here,” Sadie shouted.

“Yes, she is,” Gregory gave her a grin.

Sadie hurried to set up the room in the usual way, placing two chairs from the corner into the center of the room.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Are you ready to start your training?” Gregory asked.

“Yes,” Anastasia said, sitting down. Sadie sat down next to her. “I’m ready.”

“Have you succeeded in making fire yet?” Gregory asked.

“Um… not exactly,” she frowned. “I just can’t seem to be able to snap my fingers.”

“Aww, don’t give up,” Sadie said.

“I have an idea though,” Anastasia went on. “I figured that maybe I could get it to work if I rubbed my hands together.”

“An unconventional method,” Gregory said. “But let’s give it a try. Go ahead.”

Anastasia took in a deep breath and put her hands in her lap. She started slow, but then quickened her pace after a few seconds. Soon, she could feel her hands getting warmer. She tried to visualize fire, but still nothing appeared.

“No need to rush,” Gregory smiled. “We have all day.”

“Okay,” Anastasia swallowed hard. “But first… I need to talk to you both about something.”

“What’s up?” Sadie asked, tapping away at her phone.

“I went to the gate this morning,” she put her head down. “And I put my hands through the gaps in it.”

“Ana, you can’t do that,” Sadie gasped. “That’s really dangerous!”

“I know,” Anastasia said, still not looking up at them. “It didn’t turn out very well for me.”

“What do you mean?” Gregory asked.

“Some… things appeared,” she looked up. “I think they tried to come after me, but I managed to leave the gate before they could get too close.”

A spurt of energy seemed to shoot through Gregory. “Things? Can you describe them for us?”

“They were like humans I guess,” Anastasia strained to remember. “Except they were all dark, like looking at someone’s shadow.”

“Very interesting,” Gregory stood up, quickly rummaging through some books on his shelf. “I’ve heard of things like this, but I’ve never seen them myself. This is fascinating.”

“Gregory,” Sadie shouted. “Enough with that, you have to make sure Ana knows that magic can be dangerous.”

“I’m sorry,” Anastasia said. “I know you told me not to go near the gate. I just wanted to see if my magic would be stronger if I did.”

“I understand,” Gregory nodded. “But as Sadie said, you’re very fortunate that you weren’t hurt.”

Anastasia knew they were right. She was being reckless.

“That said, I’m very interested in why this happened to you. Between my sisters and I, we’ve been to the gate hundreds of times and never seen a thing,” he adjusted his glasses. “Perhaps it’s related to… the training you underwent as a child.”

“Maybe,” Anastasia said. “I honestly don’t remember much other than what I told you though.”

Gregory paused a moment. “Anastasia, I wanted to talk about Deanna Shore,” he said. “If it’s alright with you.”

“Really?” Anastasia perked up. “Did you find something?”

“Not exactly,” Gregory shook his head. “I do have a theory, however.”

“A theory?”

“About what happened to her,” Gregory cleared his throat. “I’m afraid… it may not have been an accident.”

Anastasia’s heart stopped. “What?”

“I’m getting ahead of myself,” Gregory quickly added. “I want to stress that this is purely conjecture.”

“What did you mean when you said it may not have been an accident?”

“Perhaps she was studying something taboo,” Gregory said. “Namely, a way to teach magic to people outside of the magician bloodlines.”

“Why would that matter?” Anastasia trembled as she spoke. “So what if she found a way to do that?”

“Gregory, this is all still new to Ana,” Sadie said. “You can’t just spring something like this on her without explaining.”

“In the past, magic was about pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible,” Gregory said. “Now it has become bogged down in tradition and self-importance. The idea that those on the outside could gain our abilities is travesty. The association would silence them by any means necessary.”

“My parents were in that car,” Anastasia was almost in tears. “Are you telling me that the association killed my parents too?”

“Gregory!” Sadie yelled.

“I’m sorry Anastasia,” Gregory said. “This is just a theory. I don’t have any way of backing it up. It could have very well been an accident.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Yes?” Gregory asked, looking slightly annoyed.

“Master Gregory, I’m afraid that we have a… situation downstairs,” Walter’s voice came from the other side of the door. “I must ask that you and Miss Sadie come at once.”

Gregory and Sadie gave each other a look, and then got up.

“Sorry about this, Anastasia,” Gregory said.

“Don’t worry,” Sadie put her hand on Anastasia’s shoulder. “We’ll be back in just a minute.”

“Okay,” Anastasia gave a shook of her head, still trying to calm down. With that, the two of them left the room, leaving her alone.

She was stuck by a sense of déjà vu as her eyes drifted to the drawer where she found the notebook. If she wanted to see more, this was the perfect opportunity for her to take a peek.

She knew it wasn’t her business. It was like reading someone else’s diary. However, the idea of ‘why’ burned deep in her mind. After all, Gregory’s room was riddled with notebooks and papers everywhere. Why was that one hidden? What was so secretive about it that he would go to the trouble of putting it under a false bottom?

She rose from her seat, walking carefully up to the door and pressed her ear to it. She could hear a faint sound like someone talking, but it sounded like it was far away in the house. Whoever it was, they had a loud voice.

She removed her ear from the door and walked over to the desk, placing her hand on the handle of the drawer. She would just take another quick look and then put it back. It would be like she never even touched it.

The door clicked behind her.

She turned with a start to see Walter standing in the doorway. “Oh, h-h-hello.”

Walter came inside the room and closed the door behind him.

“I-I-Is everything alright?” Anastasia’s heart was beating faster and faster.

“Ms. Harrow, I will cut to the chase,” Walter said. “I am fairly certain that you are not who you say you are.”

Anastasia froze.

“I have taken the liberty of looking up your name in the very extensive Harrow family register,” Walter said. “And as expected, you are nowhere to be found.”

“I can… I can explain,” Anastasia began.

“I ask that you not try and deny my allegations,” Walter said. “You will only fall deeper into your lie.”

“It… It was Sadie’s idea,” Anastasia stammered.

“Please,” Walter kept his calm demeanor, but his glare was intense. “Do not place blame onto the young mistress.”

“But…” Anastasia started. She stopped and took a deep breath. “No, you’re right. This isn’t Sadie’s fault. This isn’t Gregory’s fault either. I lied to you.”

Walter stared at her, his expression blank.

“I’m no Harrow,” she could feel her voice shaking, but she wasn’t afraid. “I guess I’m a freak. I don’t even have magician’s blood.”

This seemed to catch Walter off guard, and his eyes twitched for a moment before he collected himself again.

“Can I tell you something?” Anastasia asked.

Walter didn't answer.

“I know this will probably come across as dramatic, but I’ve always kind of felt like I’m stuck between two worlds,” she said. “Like I have one foot in the normal world, and another in the magician one. But I’m not really a part of either. It’s like I don’t really have any place I belong.”

Walter covered his mouth as a sound escaped his lips.

“I knew you’d make fun of me,” Anastasia said, but then gasped. “Wait a minute, you just laughed!”

“I did no such thing,” Walter said.

“Yes you did,” she put her hands on her cheeks.

Walter coughed, clearing his throat, and collected himself. “I did no such thing.”

“I know what I heard,” Anastasia smiled.

The two of them looked awkwardly at each other for a moment.

“May I say something as well?” Walter asked, his usual tone returning to his voice.

“O-Of course.”

“I understand how you feel,” he turned his face away from her. “I understand what it is like to be torn between two sides of yourself.”

Anastasia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Out of all the people she knew, she would have guessed that Pietro would open up to her before Walter would.

They were silent for another moment. She waited for him to go on, but it became obvious that he didn’t want to.

“So what happens now?” Anastasia asked. “Are you going to contact the association so they can dissect me?”

Walter looked long and hard at her. “I will do nothing of the sort.”

“Huh?” Anastasia tilted her head. “Wait, if you’re not telling on me… Then why did you…”

“I wanted to hear what you had to say for yourself,” he said. “To decide if you should be involved in what’s going on downstairs.”

“What’s going on downstairs?”

“A group of detectives have decided to pay us a visit,” Walter said. “It was necessary for me to ascertain if you are on Master Gregory’s side… or if you are our enemy.”

Anastasia wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Do not worry… Ms. Harrow,” he said. “I will not be selling you out to the likes of them.”

“Them?” Anastasia asked.

“Dogs of the government. An enemy of you and I alike,” he turned to leave the room. “Come, we must get you into uniform.”

“Uh, uniform?” Anastasia tilted her head.

“I must ask that you dress as we do,” he went on. “On the off chance that they search the house, I want to make sure that they don’t give you a second thought.”

“Me? Dress like a butler?” Anastasia laughed nervously. “I don’t think I could pull it off.”

“Not a butler,” Walter cracked the door and took a glance into the hall before looking back at her. “A maid.”