Tracy's phone screeched its harmonious music. Signifying the perfect moment to wake up. Five in the morning. Reluctantly, she sat up on her bed with the eagerness of a sloth. The crisp morning air greeted her thanks to the small crack in her window. She would've gotten some sunlight if it weren't for the fact her apartment was located deep in an urban area. Phone in hand, she made her way to her kitchen.

Some days she wondered if she made the right choice. As of now, she was making breakfast at five in the morning despite having no plans until noon. Tracy couldn't really understand herself for doing something like this at all. Now she's barely awake and about to have some cereal. She should've opted to sleep in.

"You surely are not about to eat such garbage food, are you?"

Her brain woke up as fast as she could reach for a knife.

Her eyes snapped around for the intruder but found no sign of another person, only a black cat on her table. At first she believed that it somehow got into her kitchen. Then it hit her like a sucker punch. Everything that happened wasn't just a dream.

Magic was real.

The fact itself was unbelievable at first. But everything changed for her that night. All her life she lived ignorant of the truth, simply believing how absurd it was. But now she saw past the curtains and bore witness to a new world. Sadly, she was barely affected by the information.

"Right, Alexander, was it?" She returned the knife where it belonged. The cat with an unnatural amount of pupils stared at the kitchen tool, undeterred by the fact she pulled a weapon at him. "Got a problem with my breakfast choice?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Why even settle with such sugary rubbish when you could whip up a proper meal?"

"A proper meal? Sorry to burst your bubble buddy, but I haven't bought any groceries since last month. You're welcome to use whatever is in my fridge to cook yourself a slice of ham."

Alexander gave off a look of disapproval.

She watched as the monster disguised as a cat floated away from the table. His journey was short as the destination was her fridge. Tracy expected him to get the ham from the freezer, but then Alexander opened the fridge.

Somehow, Alexander had stocked up on provisions.

She couldn't believe her eyes. What was empty was now filled with all kinds of food.

"Where did all of this come from?"

A sly smirk appeared on Alexander. "I still had some funds, and Lord Vanzyr requires only the best a proud chef could offer. Which is me. So I've stocked up on everything I need to prepare an excellent meal."

There was a starving look in Tracy's eyes. As if she was trapped in a desert and an oasis was just over the horizon.

"Oh? Well, seeing as you are our host, I'd gladly prepare something. Think of this as payment for your generosity."

"Really!? I mean. Sure, I could definitely go for some good stuff. Don't wanna be a picky eater though; I don't like broccoli."

He nodded, and the bell on his collar chimed as his head tipped down. "Noted."

Before she knew it, everything around her was covered in a strange aura. Alexander's pupils shifted in one eye. Everything about him just spelled unnatural. Other than the fact that he acted like a human, Alexander was just an insult to reality. As if her apartment was haunted; objects and ingredients started to float around.

"If you mind, I'd prefer that you leave this kitchen so I can focus."

He said, not moving his eyes away from the buttered frying pan.

Alexander wanted no one around when he was cooking it seemed. Not wanting to be an obstruction to his work, Tracy walked out of the kitchen and looked for a distraction.

She found another odd scene when she entered the living room. Right on the couch sat a ten-foot-tall man. Eyes glued on her television, and watching the shopping channel.

He was so focused on the machine, that he didn't even register her sitting down next to him.

He was tall, and despite being average in height, Tracy felt smaller than usual when she was next to the man. Her eyes scanned over him for every detail. From the majestic ceremonial robe to his mystic helm and its fiery crest. Magic did not interest her, but the helm did. Despite being a being of ancient power, he looked as if he had just recently worn his armor.

Tracy turned her attention shifted over to the television and saw that he was watching a man present a fancy mop. It had a self-drying action and was easy to change between mop heads.

As much as convincing the salesman was, Tracy didn't see anything else other than the fact it was a normal mop.

Perhaps there was just something else to look out for. Maybe she could go for a new pot or pan. She looked back to her kitchen. There was a lot of nonsense going on in there. With floating ingredients and utensils. What a change in her life this was. Tracy was your average store clerk. She was finishing up her shift before she met them. From scanning products to meeting wizards and a shirtless lunatic. Life couldn't get any crazier for sure.

That sounded a little too ominous.

Oh, look at that. The salesman was presenting a nice juicer.

"Curious," Tracy nearly had a heart attack when Vanzyr spoke. It came out of nowhere and his voice echoed in her head.

She had thought he was too absorbed in the television to even notice her.

"During my long sleep, humanity has advanced far more than I've envisioned." He swapped to another channel where it showed a documentary about weapons of old. "War… It always did inspire progress. I've seen men create monsters when it is needed. And these monsters would either serve only on the battlefield, or help a civilized society."

From primitive blades to muskets. The documentary talked about how far people had gone with these inventions.

"History… How strange. What happened to the orcs, the elves, and the dwarves?"

"Those exist?"

He looked at Tracy as if he was amused by her answer. "They should. But after setting up a series of magical nodes, I've seen or sensed no sign of them. As if they didn't exist. I cannot even recognize the world we live in now."

"Wow, to think there were more civilizations than just humans. What were their weapons like?"

"As you expected from them. You see how far we've gone with our weapons, and we aren't that different from the dwarves."

"Are you actually human? Why the heck are you so tall then?"

He found it amusing that her question related more to his height than the other races.

"That's a story for another time. I must thank you for allowing us refuge in your home, honorable host. We were out of options and I found myself lost in this world, things were simply alien to me. If I ever succeed in my plans, perhaps you have a place among the elites."

"Don't sweat it, big guy. Hey, if it pays off in the end, I won't regret this whole situation." Her palm cupped her chin as she remembered something. Tracy heard about a person called Sam. She didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation last night. Really, Tracy was hungry so she went to get some food from the fridge and that was when she caught a few names. Now the question was whether or not she should ask.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Something bothering you?"

Tracy scrambled to make herself presentable. "Nothing! Everything is honestly fine. I was just thinking about last night, and how my life basically changed. But… I'm curious about these people you're fighting against."

"You need not worry, they are not your concern now and forever."

She arched her brow at that statement. "Is it? Seeing as how you guys forced me to look behind the curtains, I'm pretty sure whatever it is you all are doing I would be caught in the middle of it."

"Perhaps you're right. But this is not your war. Just know that I am indebted to you and that I will not allow any harm upon you or your family."

The two went silent as the conversation died. Their attention switched over to the television which showed another cleaning product, a roomba that could clean every corner of the house. Bold claims since it looked no different than your usual roomba.

As the two sat there, Tracy couldn't help but examine Vanzyr once again. It seemed they were back at square one where the great wizard was focused solely on the television. But she knew better than to doubt. This man was aware of his surroundings, and she started to doubt that he'd be easily caught by surprise.

She wondered how much stronger he really was. If he could bend the stars to his will, then perhaps he could easily split the ocean. Command it to freeze even. Only time could tell her, and if she stuck around, who knows, she could learn something new. Something related to her hobby of course.

******

In the suburbs of Goldcrest, you'd find a small home. This in particular looked no different than the rest, not even special by design. But the only thing that made it unique was that it housed a very important character. Two to be in fact. And they are Sam and Mia. The heroic duo of Earth, enemies of Vanzyr, and symbols of peace.

Mia, the familiar of Sam, was hard at work in finding Vanzyr. But her efforts were met with disappointment as she couldn't find a single trace of him. As if he didn't exist at all.

Sadly, she knew the truth. There were many magical nodes all around, but Mia knew that these were decoys meant to distract her or lead them away. In the end, she would find him. All she hoped was that it wouldn't be too late.

Just then, Sam entered the room, backpack in hand and ready for the day.

"Oh, good morning, Sam! Grab some breakfast, we're having leftover pizza!"

Sam sat down at the table and looked at the reheated pizza. It was the same one from last night. Ordered from a nearby pizza parlor since the two didn't have time to prepare a proper meal for dinner. They've forgotten to defrost any meat beforehand. Now they're eating the same pizza because Mia was far too busy today.

"Man, I am not seeing any signs of Vanzyr anywhere! This guy must be so scared that he's hiding in some cave or something."

Sam said nothing and reached for a packet of hot sauce.

"Right, I worry about him and you worry about your social life. Anyway, need a ride to school? Oh, that's cool. I can stay here and work. Hey, how are your parents?"

Sam bit down on her slice of pizza, savoring it with every bite.

"Still stuck at work, huh? Guess it'll just be us until then, and I can provide for the both of us just fine. Until they send you your allowance, of course. Oh, you're heading out now?"

Sam finished up her unhealthy breakfast by washing her hands in the sink. Once done, she made her way to the bus stop after giving Mia a short goodbye.

As for Mia, she continued her little job of tracking magic energy.

******

"Bon appétit,"

Tracy couldn't believe her eyes. Moments ago, the table was empty, but now a proper meal was present. Alexander outdid himself today. Her plate was filled with a nice stack of waffles complemented with all sorts of berries along with an omelet. And he was quite generous with the spices. She could taste the basil and parsley already. Even with the asparagus, she knew she'd enjoy the meal. And best of all, there was whipped cream and syrup on the waffles. She couldn't ignore the poached eggs that were perfectly made as if it was the very gods who poached it.

But it wasn't just put together carelessly. No, Alexander made sure that it was presented as if it was a work of art. Everything was arranged perfectly on her plate. As if it came out of a show.

"Your lack of comment gives me pride," Alexander said smugly.

It was clear to him that he impressed Tracy with this simple breakfast. Alexander took pride in this. Despite knowing that someone was insignificant she was.

"Is it to your liking, Lord Vanzyr?"

"It… I cannot lie, my old friend. This all tastes different from what I remembered."

Tracy hadn't realized that Vanzyr had already taken a few bites from his meal. He kept his helmet on, and it was quite an amusing scene. There sat a mighty wizard enjoying a nice little breakfast served by a cat. Somewhat comical. The way Vanzyr dealt with the meal was so, in layman's terms, fancy. He was the picture of sophisticated grace.

Even then, it seemed that this breakfast didn't meet his expectations. Something Tracy does not know the context.

Alexander dipped his head down in defeat. "Forgive me, my Lord, that I did not meet your standards."

"Raise your head high, Kincaid. This is no fault of yours, and be proud of what you've achieved today. Come, let us all eat and enjoy this bountiful breakfast."

"Oh, right!" Tracy stuttered as she remembered the plate in front of her.

She raised her fork and stabbed into the first thing she laid eyes on; the tasty stacks of waffles with a good coat of syrup. It was a new world of flavor after she tossed it into her mouth.

One magical cat had just impressed her greatly with his cooking. It sounded like something from a work of fiction. Then again, magic itself wasn't common, true magic and not those street performers she'd see on the way home. If she didn't know better, perhaps Alexander did a few spells just to make the food amazing.

Tracy felt like she was in heaven.

It was doubtful that this magnificent breakfast collection didn't reach Vanzyr's expectations. But you know how the saying goes: The customer is always right, in matters of taste, of course. So she couldn't exactly relate with Vanzyr's little conundrum. He can be dissatisfied and confused all he wants. Tracy on the other hand would rather enjoy Alexander's cooking for the rest of her life. Hopefully.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

"Honorable host, your strange trinket sings?" Vanzyr asked curiously.

"It is a mobile smartphone, my Lord." Alexander answered.

"Sorry, it's my boss. Gotta take this," She grabbed her phone and walked out of the room for some privacy. "Hey, Rick, what do you need?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry for calling, but do you have the keys? She lost hers and I don't have time to help."

"Really? Fine, I'll go and open the store. Be there in a few." She returned to the kitchen knowing the fact she wouldn't be able to finish her breakfast. "Hey, I gotta go to work. My co-worker lost her keys and can't open the store."

"It is no problem, honorable host," Vanzyr said. "Your breakfast shall remain warm until your return." He promised.

"Magic sure is useful, ain't it?"

With that, she said her goodbyes and left for work. It wasn't much trouble getting to work. No one bothered her early in the morning. Which she was grateful for once. Tracy didn't like interacting with strangers unprompted unless it was important.

Rick accompanied his daughter with an appointment, so that meant the only person who could open the store other than him was her.

As Tracy grew closer to the store, she took out her set of keys. She noticed someone waiting, and it wasn't her coworker. This person was short, about half her height. A bit plump, but Tracy wasn't one to judge easily. Though, judging by the height, this must've been a kid. This meant that this poor child had irresponsible parents seeing how round they were. What really caught her attention was their strange hoodie. Two large ears on top. And Tracy swore they were moving. Not with the wind, but much more precise.

It even slightly pointed toward her as she walked up to the doors.

She didn't know who this was, but Tracy assumed that they were a customer waiting for the store to open. Now the biggest question was: Where was Mia? Is she waiting at the back? Tracy would look for her after opening the store.

"Sorry about this, Tracy, I forgot my keys."

Tracy froze just as she was about to twist the lock open. Slowly, her head swiveled to the kid, or so she first believed was one. That voice belonged to only one person, someone she had known for a long time now.

A furry face stared back at her. Tracy could only stare back with a look of utter dread. She wanted to scream out in disbelief but kept her mouth pursed.

Mia confusingly looked at the ground beneath her. "Huh, what are you looking at?"

"Y-you…"

"What? Is there something-" Their eyes connected, and it was then that Mia knew something was truly wrong. "Oh gosh! Is my spell not working!?"

Tracy felt her little hands push against her thighs with great urgency.

"Open! Open the door!"

Rushed through the store and into the break room, Mia went straight over to the nearest mirror and inspected herself.

"Huh?" To her surprise, a different person stared back.

In the mirror stood a fair-skinned woman of average height. Auburn hair with green highlights. And eyes that resembled a shade of olive. So all in all, she should be seen as human. But somehow, in some way, Tracy saw Mia for who she truly was.

Tracy stood behind her and examined the mirror. She saw the face of the Mia she knew.

"My spell is still active." Mia said as she furrowed her brows. She sent a suspicious gaze to Tracy. "So how can you see through it?"

"I don't know!"

"What are you hiding?"

"Mia, we have known each other for over three years now. I have nothing to hide!"

"Right, right… I'm sorry." With a single hand, Mia caressed her head gently. She looked absolutely tired and defeated, unlike her human form. Disguise? It seemed to be the better word for the situation. "I've been a bit stressed out since last night. Thought I could finally spend the rest of my life on vacation or something. But things just didn't go the way I wanted it to. Please, I know that whatever it is that caused you to see through my spell, it is related to my problem."

"I don't get it, how exactly does it even concern you?"

"Did something happen last night, Tracy? Seen anything out of the ordinary?"

If you didn't count the whole event last night, where her eyes were ripped open and the hidden secrets of her world were revealed to her. Then no, nothing happened. But as much as she wanted to be upfront with Mia, someone she considered a friend, it would certainly cause a lot of trouble.

If Vanzyr was the Lord of Darkness, then that would mean Mia was part of the good guys. It made sense, the small and a bit unhealthy-looking mouse-like woman was an uncommon sight. Not only was she magical, but she was always a kind-hearted gal. Big heart indeed.

"Two big ones…"

"Tracy! Eyes up here!"

"Sorry!" Tracy turned away as she was caught being inappropriate.

"Focus, I need to know!"

"I…" Well, there was only one option left. "I saw a cat last night, and I went to pet it. But then I saw its eyes. It was… crazy. Just isn't natural, I mean. But the thing I remember the most is that it talked. It scolded me for petting. Then I ran, and that's about it."

"Alexander Kincaid," Mia said. "You were lucky to be here right now. That monster would've done terrible things to you."

Indeed, making breakfast was such a sadistic act.

"I'm guessing you caught him putting some nodes around, and you got affected. I'll need you to take me to the spot later."

Both went silent. Tracy continued to stare at Mia's form. She was greatly different from her human disguise. Aside from looking like a mascot, Mia was round in the right places. She inspected herself in the mirror and compared them together.

"Small…"

"I'm not small!" Mia hissed.

"I wasn't talking about you."

"Well, I don't have time for this, listen. I'll call you soon after my shift. Be safe out there, there's no telling what Vanzyr is plotting right now."

"Who?" She was playing the oblivious character quite well. If she could, she would've patted herself on the shoulder then and there.

"Big bad, typical philosophical villain type. And hey, I'm actually happy that we finally met like this. You were always a good friend, Tracy."

As she smiled, Tracy couldn't help but feel disgusted at herself. Here she was, lying to her friend. It was a terrible feeling. So much so, that she wanted to drown in shame. But that didn't matter. Perhaps she could convince her sister to talk with Vanzyr and spare Mia. That wouldn't be enough though. In the end, there would always be a fallout between them.

As Tracy said goodbye and left the store. She couldn't help but feel regret.