Thankfully, the little fish who brought me here knew exactly what to do.

After a few games of charades, me nabbing an old rucksack full of jewels and an oncoming headache caused by a lucky slap from the fish we then dubbed ‘Fin’, we were finally back where we started - the pond.

It was finally time to leave - I almost didn’t want to go.

But I had things to do.

“Fin, do you know how to get back to the human world?”

He swam as if he shook his head.

“Damn. Echo? Any ideas?”

“You mentioned earlier that you entered after you dropped blood onto the floor, right? A lot of ancients used blood as a gateway to their secret storage facilities and places of refuge.”

“So what, I share a bloodline with someone who can get here?”

“Yes.”

“That’s kind of cool and weird. Does that mean my parents and sister can enter this place too?”

“Sister? Yes. Probably one of your parents though. Or both if they’re related.”

“Ew.”

Echo squinted as he observed the weeds around the pond.

“So what - I just pour the blood onto the grass?”

“Not the grass, it has to be something that’s unlikely to change too much over time.”

“The dome? That’s too far away, how am I supposed to reach that today? I have to be back soon or-”

Echo sighed frustratedly, “How about the pond? That’s much closer.” He squinted amusedly.

“Sure.” I grinned.

I picked at my scab hard and blotted it all over one of the stone bricks as if I was a four year old learning what finger painting was.

Just as he suggested, the pond glowed and patterns swirled all over the surface in an old, unreadable language.

Fin waved at us before diving deeper into the pond, along with all of his friends.

I waved back, just as the light became unbearable. My arms shot to my face, but a blink later I was back at the building, though now the floor was bathed in rouge and orange hues of sunset. The dust inside had become massively displaced, and the particles rushed away from me in torrents.

The cloak Echo put on me still engulfed my body and my back was heavy with the rucksack. The obsidian amulet still hung around my neck, but I couldn’t see Echo.

“Echo?” I called out into the air. I gripped the amulet tightly.

“I’m here.” Echo exclaimed, “Just not visible. It’s probably best for us if no one knew I was here, right? We might as well communicate through thoughts like this.”

A wave of relief and amazement rolled over me. I laughed giddily.

“Damn, can I do that too? Can you hear this?” I sent him.

“Yes.”

“Holy shit that’s so cool. Can you hear everything I’m thinking about?”

I could feel Echo try to rifle through my head somehow, as if someone was trying to thumb through the files of a densely packed storage unit. It was almost ticklish.

“Only the outermost thoughts, or if it's strong. You can go through mine as well, it seems like.”

Neat!

“We can both definitely feel each other’s feelings, and I don’t know if we can block them. I understand that having both of us feeling the same thing can be very overwhelming.”

“I guess we’re just going to have to have better emotional control where it’s important.” I shrugged.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I poked Echo in my mind.

“Are there any other party tricks we can do?”

“Don’t know. I’m sure we’ll figure it out though.”

Well, that sounded incredibly ominous.

The chirping of the birds caught my attention.

“Anyway, prepare to be amazed and disappointed. Welcome to the modern human world.” I clapped. Echoes reflected back, adding to the pitiful applause, “First things first, I gotta get some of this exchanged somehow for some dosh.”

“Can’t you just exchange them for items directly?”

“Yes and no. It’s not like it's easy to find someone who needs this stuff. Instead we trade in worthless metals and plastic notes with the ‘promise’ of whatever the value was. Each note is standardised, though it's all slowly getting worse with debit and credit cards - you don’t even get to hold the money in your hands anymore.”

“...That sounds incredibly stupid.”

“Eh, some people agree, some people disagree. We can’t do much to change the flow of the world, only turn it to our advantage,” I grinned, “Personally, I think it’s a conspiracy theory so that people of higher powers can stockpile it for themselves. Don’t know what they intend to do with it all though.”

I could feel Echo ponder over it, so I let that sink in for him.

My eyes almost bulged out of my sockets when I saw the time.

Shit.

I had to get home or Mum was going to lock the door on me again. But where do I hide all of this stuff? And the cloak too?

Maybe I should leave some of it here? But Echo said that anyone with the same bloodline as I could access it.

“Echo, do you know how to hide some of the stuff here so no one can get to it, or know about it?”

“Hm. I could make a hole underneath the concrete floor for you to put all of your stuff in. Would that work?”

“Perfect.”

I poured out a bunch of the massively large jewels and kept three smaller ones; a ring, a necklace and a diamond about the size of the nail of my thumb. I stuffed them all into the rucksack.

But what about the cloak?

I mean it was pretty. And soft. And warm to wear.

“Why are all women the same?” Echo pondered loudly.

I shushed him and stuffed the cloak into my bag too.

I poured all the items on the floor. Echo drew the magic from me and started off the spell. The items all collapsed deeper into the earth, and a neat layer of concrete formed back on top.

I bolted out of the building, heaved the door shut and scrambled to get home.

But what then? Are they even going to bother? Do they even know I’ve been out?

I slowed to a light jog as I finally approached the outside of the house.

Angelica and our parents were no longer outside and the gusts of wind had grown stronger and chilly.

My hands hesitated over the handle.

“Yeah, uh, just a word of warning. Dinner’s going to be annoying as hell, but try and keep quiet so I can focus,” I warned.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“...I’ll try.” Echo was doubtful.

I was so screwed.

With a sigh, I twisted the doorknob and tried to sneak in as quiet as I could.

But no.

Instead, I opened the door to Mum’s angry face.

“And where have you been?” She folded her arms.

“A walk in the woods, Mum. I think I’m entitled to that at least. No one else was supposed to be using it on the other side anyway.” I grumbled.

“So where did all of this stuff on your back come from? The woods?”

“No, I got a message in the middle of my walk to pick up the textbooks I ordered for uni. I left the woods and headed to town to pick them up since I had nothing better to do,” I lied.

“So you went to town, and not the woods?”

I threw my hands up in the air frustratedly, “Did you not listen to a word I said? I got a message in the woods. I could have absolutely gone to both places in the time it probably took you to notice I was gone. Now can I come inside? It’s getting cold and this is a stupid thing to argue over.”

She moved to the side coldly and silently.

Ignoring her stare, I kicked my shoes off and bolted up the stairs before she had the chance to interrogate me harder.

Speedily, I snuck everything that was in my backpack into the boxes with my clothes in and taped them shut.

If they find that, they all have several screws loose.

To keep my lie believable, I lifted the box containing my textbooks onto the bed and folded open some of the flaps so it appeared as if I just placed them in.

“Is doing all of this really necessary?” Echo questioned, “It seems a bit over the top to me.”

“It’s better to hide it and keep it to yourself. It's harder if they manage to find holes in your story, which inevitably ends up in you having to make more lies or explain everything,” I explained.

I groaned as I sunk into my bed. I stared up at the shade on my bedroom light and brushed my curls back.

“Everything out here seems so different to what I ever thought humanity was capable of.”

“Technology and the understanding of the world has developed immensely over time, thanks to scientists of non-mages.”

“Non mages?”

“Majority of this world is made up of people who cannot do, and don’t know any magic. Around about 600 or 700 years ago, a bunch of witch hunts to eliminate mages and the supernatural remaining in this world began, and the rest of us went into hiding. Ever since, we’ve been a secretive society that has a bigger hand on the other side than here.”

“Wow,” Echo’s shock emanated from within, “That was something I never expected happening.”

“Eh. It’s life for us now, and honestly? This kind of life isn’t so bad.”

I closed my eyes, smelling the fresh air coming in from the window and the sounds of a gentle shower outside. Nature was at peace.

At some point I must have dozed off, because my eyes shot open to the thunderous sound of Dad’s relentless knocking.

“Ember, dinner’s ready!”

Here we go again.

The door slammed open, cracking the wall further with the doorknob.

“What the fuck, Dad!?” I groaned. “It’s been 2 seconds since you shouted the first time.”

“Your mother made fish and chips, so be quick.”

Well, I’ll be damned.

I scrambled off the bed and followed Dad’s method of jumping over the bannister, landing silently on the carpet below.

Mum slapped our arms lightly with a frown.

“Ember, help set up the table,” Dad pushed me towards the countertop and gracefully slipped his seat.

I grabbed the plates from the cabinet on autopilot and arranged them all as normal.

Footsteps echoed from the basement below, and a blonde head poked out from behind the wall. Angelica ran up to Dad, excitedly wrapping her hands around his neck in a rough hug.

“How’s the training going, sweetie?” He kissed her cheek.

“Good! Wanna see?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Just as I filled the jug, water burst from the spout, spinning brilliantly in the air and landing elegantly into each of our cups.

“Wow, you’re getting pretty good at water magic now,” He took a massive sip from his cup obnoxiously, “Hm! Tastes great. Thanks Angelica!” He ruffled her blonde hair affectionately.

It was the same water that came out of the taps! How could it taste any different?

I sighed silently and refilled the jugs again.

There was only so much you could act cute before it became annoying.

“Is that how she acts all of the time?” Echo groaned, “It looks so fake.”

I scoffed, “I know right? I can’t believe they’re this blind.”

Smoothly, I pulled out my chair and seated myself, rubbing my hands.

“Hey Echo?” I asked in my head, just as Mum served the smoking-hot bubbly battered fish on the plate, filled to the brim with chips and mushy peas. “Have you ever had this before?”

“Never. It looks… interesting,” Apprehension seeped out from within.

“Well, it certainly tastes interesting,” I laughed mentally, “Here, have a bite.”

Following Dad’s cue, I began to shovel it into my mouth.

Crisp, flavourful fish and deep fried fatty lard burst open on my tongue and I resisted the urge to moan out loud.

“Is this what you eat everyday? I wouldn’t mind having that for the rest of my life,” He groaned.

“Oh Echo, my sweet summer child, you ain’t tasted nothing yet.”

He urged me to swallow more, and I complied happily.

“Ember, how’s the search for an apartment going?” Mum questioned me in-between the bites of her own meal.

“Not well - if you guys had told me to move out earlier, I might have actually found a place to move into, but even the applications for the university dorm rooms have closed.” I sighed, “The only rooms available are now £1000 a month, which we can all agree on is too high a price.”

Dad nodded in agreement, whilst Mum’s lips pursed, as if to say not high enough to keep you.

“I’ll still have to stay here for this year, at least,” My expression morphed into a smile, “But, all of the people who harass me should be going to different universities anyway, so they shouldn’t be here to bother me,”

I could feel Angelica’s mood worsen. I wonder if I could make her snap.

“I’ll be spending a lot of time at the university or work - if anyone comes to harass me there, it won’t be because I went out of my way to attack them,” I looked at Dad dead in the eyes, “And I’ll finally be able to prove that I was right.”

“That’s quite smart. By announcing that, it should be harder for them to attack you. However, if they don’t follow and attack you, it would suggest that you really are a liar.” He mused.

“Anything that doesn’t get me hurt is a win in my books, Echo.” I laughed, “I stopped caring about what they thought of me as soon as Dad stopped believing me. Being safe is more important than being loved right now.”

Angelica grimaced when her cup became empty. A thread of anger and mischief slipped from Echo as she eyed the water jug.

“What are you planning?” I asked hesitantly.

“Watch.”

Angelica twirled more water into her jug with magic, and began to cover the cup to form ice cubes.

Suddenly a thick spike from the glass shot out and struck Angelica straight through her palm.

“What the fuck!” I yelped, both out loud and to Echo.

Dark blood flowed heavily from Angelica’s hand and tainting her glass red. Clouds of red ink swirled and collapsed in the water, coating the ice cube thickly. She pulled out her hand from the shards of ice and clutched it tightly.

“What the fuck, Echo? Is this your idea of a prank?” With my sleeve, I wiped away some of the blood on my cheek.

“What’s the harm? I did this all the time with my family.”

“Um, she’s hurt and bleeding-”

“Relax, if your parents are halfway decent mages, they’ll heal her. Besides, she absolutely deserves it. She annoys me.”

They did have the power to heal her - I watched them do it to her growing up.

Not to mention that these accidents were common from what I heard.

But did she deserve it?

Hell yeah! I wasn’t going to be sympathetic to a person who was the reason I got black eyes and bruises for seven years of my life.

“Dude, your family must’ve been bonkers to do this on a regular basis,” I shook my head, resisting the urge to smile, “But give me a warning next time! Jeez.”

More blood began to pour from Angelica’s wound.

“I-I don’t know, I didn’t mean to-” She stuttered helplessly.

Dad and Mum’s chairs fell back against the carpet as they flocked to her side. Mum hugged her tightly as she rocked her back and forth, slowly combing her fingers in her hair and silencing her wails in an instant.

The edges of the room became dark - all I could focus on was the way Dad cupped her cheek preciously like a crystal glass goblet.

My heart broke into a million shards, embedding themselves in my lungs and stomach. My breath was caught in my throat, and my eyes burned.

When was the last time he looked at me like that? Would that moment ever come again?

Echo flinched from my jealousy and guilt emanated from within.

Angelica stammered, “I was just trying to make ice, I didn’t mean to-”

“Honey, it’s okay. Mistakes like this happen when you practise magic - next time do it on an object you’re not holding onto, okay?” Dad soothed with a gentle laugh.

“Here, let me heal you-” Mum fussed over Angelica’s hand, rubbing over it with hushed whispers of a spell until the wound was gone. Wordlessly, she pulled her hand to the sink and washed away the blood.

Clenching my teeth, I looked down at my bloodied self through a watery blur.

I stood alone in this house.

“You’re not alone anymore - you have me.” His voice echoed strongly in my mind, warming my chest.

A small smile formed on my lips, and the sadness that engulfed me before began to lighten.

I scraped my plate into the bin and left it all behind.