After Cara left, we exchanged a look. I was thinking about what to say and how to explain when I heard Hew propose a new theory he had read on the Internet: the idea of people from an alternate reality invading our world.

I sighed and listened to their arguments for a moment when Matt turned to me and asked:

“What do you say? What Cara said is just as likely as anything you said."

I rolled my eyes, but he continued:

"I know you believe in witches, but if we're going with the witch theory, isn't it possible that witches on the other side of the globe could make portals? As crazy as it sounds, Hew's idea has some merit too. Could what we interpret as magic be technology from another dimension? You know, I'm having trouble with the idea: why would our witches go bananas and destroy everything around them!?”

I sighed. I was a bit upset that he was talking about witches without the shrouding field. Besides, what could I answer? What other arguments could I make without revealing more about myself?

I shrugged and stood up. They were advancing theories based on facts they knew. But they don't know what I know. The question remained: do I have enough data for my theory?

"I'll go check it out; the people over there might be able to tell me more." - I concluded.

“Wait! Don't go!” - Matt grabbed my hand, pulling me back towards the table.

I hesitated. I restored the silencing field around us and said something about people dying over there and that I could help. He rubbed his temples:

“This is a decision you might regret,” – he said – “Please think about it because once you reveal yourself, there is no going back!”

I sighed:

“I know, but I also know that I can significantly improve the chances of survival for hundreds of people. Fucking dilemma, isn't it?”

“If you can do that, you can get a permanent spot at the hospital and enter the Lores healing hours. You could make a fortune with it, but doesn't it consume you? There is no such thing as a free lunch in the universe; if you heal so many people, there have to be some repercussions somewhere. What if you find it's eating away at your life? If you start doing this, you may not be able to stop even if you want to. You may be viewed as a strategic resource, irrelevant to the theory that is correct. You can lose your freedom, and other people can start deciding what you can or can't do. Are you sure you can heal so many? Are you sure you will be able to heal when they ask you to heal?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

What he said was not wrong. I tend too much to make up my mind on the spot.

“Look, I try to do the right thing once in a while. Cost is just mana to me, mana that I continuously generate. It only goes to waste if I don't use it. I plan to go to that hospital in disguise, and if I don't like what I see, I'll find a way out.”

He sighed and looked into my eyes but didn't add anything. I surprised him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe it's better to wait until I contact you, ok?"

He tried to protest: "But we are in a band together?"

"Look, if I'm going to have to lay low for a while, I would feel better if you're not going to make waves looking for me."

He shrugged:

"If you think so..."

I left.

I hope the multiverse theory is true and that in other realities, I went back and sat in that chair and talked to him. There must be some realities in which I revealed even more about myself, and thus we got even closer to each other, but in this reality, we didn't. I left him there to go help the army and heal the wounded soldiers. Well, not before giving him back his cell phone.

I took my bike and drove towards the Saint-Ana Hospital we'd seen in one of those social media videos. Once I got closer, I decided to park my bike on a quiet street and walk the last few hundred meters.

It was late at night, and everything looked creepy. This brought up a few thoughts:

"You know, I wonder why all the people who have magic seem to be evil? Why would our witches go bananas, he asked! I mean, where are the paladins, the healers? Why is nobody there healing the troops? It's as if only black magic made it into this world, except for you, of course. Am I so exceptional?"

White Flower sighed:

"How did they get to this world? Through possession. That was the case for the black angel; that was the case for the warlock. And possession is a black magic spell..."

"But warlocks cannot possess?"

"True, but could be helped to it by a dark priest. Why would a dark priest help a paladin?"

"Huch, you may be onto something!"

I wonder, could this be the reason why those shadows were chasing the souls of players in Dreamland?

That was an interesting line of thought, but I had to discontinue it once I got closer to the hospital and saw more activity around me.

I changed my appearance to look like that weather lady I had already copied a few times and focused on my current quest.