Through the desolate streets of the ruined city, Ezra and Richard ventured their footsteps echoing against the backdrop of destruction. Amidst the debris, they encountered pockets of activity: people laboring to clear rubble, bound together in a collective effort. Richard's gaze lingered on a woman with peculiar ears, a rare sight amidst the populace.

"She's a fae, a forest spirit," Ezra explained in a hushed tone, her words barely audible over the din of the city. "They're seldom seen among the common folk."

Their journey led them to an inn, its name emblazoned boldly above the entrance: "The Afterlife." Two guards stood watch, a silent testament to the city's waning security.

"Cause no trouble, if you want no trouble," one of the guards warned as Ezra and Richard approached. There was authority in his voice, the kind honed from years of use. He’d had this job for a good while.

With a nod of understanding, Ezra led the way inside, leaving Richard to marvel at the lively scene within. The inn bustled with activity, patrons engaged in games of chance and merriment, laughter ringing through the air.

With all the entertainment came the rancid welcome of warm air and strong alcohol. It was so strong Richard could almost taste it.

"For a place called 'The Afterlife,' it seems rather lively," Richard remarked, amused as he observed the jovial atmosphere.

Ezra turned to him with a playful smile.

"Richard, could you go ahead and secure us a room? I need to attend to something," she requested before disappearing into the crowd.

Left to his own devices, Richard approached the reception desk. His gaze lingered on the receptionist with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

"I will require a room for the night, please," he stated, voice polite yet reserved.

"Double bed or single?" the receptionist inquired, with a warm and inviting smile.

"Double, please," Richard replied, brows furrowing at the receptionist's peculiar demeanor.

Accepting the key with a nod of thanks, Richard made his way to their designated room. He entered, and the soft click of the door closing filled the air, followed by the gentle illumination of the lights. His gaze fell upon the oversized bed before him, a stark reminder of the unexpected comforts amidst the chaos of their surroundings.

"That's a bit large for a double bed," Richard mused to himself, though he found himself grateful for the unexpected luxury. With a weary sigh, he settled into his new accommodations, the events of the day swirling through his mind as he prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.

Richard sat on the bed, his mind adrift in a sea of reflection. Memories of the man with the knife sent shivers down his spine, a cold chill gripping the pit of his stomach.

"I have to get back home soon," he whispered to himself. He could hear the urgency in his voice—the impatience. "I have to know she's okay."

Reclining backward, Richard lay on the bed, his gaze fixed upon the ceiling, fingers interlaced before him. With a silent command, he willed his left fingers to pass through his right ones, marveling at the surreal sensation.

"This is crazy unreal," he muttered, brows furrowed with worry. "What have I become?"

With a tired sigh, he rose from the bed, only to be interrupted by the growl of his stomach.

"It would be Emily's turn to make dinner," he mused aloud, making his way to the bathroom.

As the soothing cascade of water enveloped him in the shower, Richard's thoughts swirled amidst the gentle patter of the droplets.

"I can do this," he reminded himself, determination burning strong within him. "I promised them I would always take care of her. I refuse to fail them."

The knocking at the door pulled him from his reverie, prompting him to step out of the bathroom, a towel draped around his waist and another atop his head. Opening the door, he was met with the sight of Ezra holding an array of food.

"I know I look good,” she said. “But I'm quite sure it's the food you're falling in love with.”

"You're most definitely right there," Richard chuckled, accepting the bags from her. With ease, he set the bags on the table, Ezra's observant eyes noting his attire.

"I'm glad you're becoming less tense," she remarked, a smile playing on her lips as she settled on the bed.

"Though I cannot say I understand what you're going through, being gloomy and sad all the time won't change anything," she advised gently.

"Good choice on the double room,” she said with a smirk. “I tend to move around a lot when I sleep.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Richard paused, eyes caught on her smirk. He found it oddly seductive.

"That's fine, I move around a lot too," he replied, before portioning out the meal onto two plates on the only table in the room. The aroma of roasted lamb filled the air, accompanied by perfectly cooked potatoes and sauce. Tentatively, he sampled the sauce, his eyes widening in delight. "Oh wow, that's delicious!”

"Figured you would like it," Ezra replied with a smirk.

Richard took a seat at the table and eagerly dug in. "What's it made from?"

"Magic! It's made from magic to taste like the best thing you can imagine. We take food magic very seriously here," Ezra explained, her tone dipped in pride.

"Thank god for that," Richard replied, oblivious to the frown that briefly marred Ezra's lips at his words of gratitude to a higher power.

Ezra shook her head, reflecting on how a few days ago, she too would have offered thanks to the gods before a meal. But now, in this altered world, everything felt different. The loss weighed heavily on her heart, a reminder of the fragility of life. Though an orphan herself, she couldn't help but feel the pain of those around her who had lost loved ones.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," she said then walked to the bathroom.

Richard gestured at the food. "Won't you have some?"

She scoffed playfully, then puffed out her chest comically. "I am a powerful mage, I know not what hunger is."

Then she headed in and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Richard continued eating, but the food tasted different now, tainted by suspicion. Why was he trusting so easily? She was a stranger, capable of dismantling two fully grown men in combat with ease.

"Not like she would need to poison me," he reasoned with himself. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Finishing his meal, Richard made his way to the bed, sighing as he lay down. With his eyes closed, he savored the sensation of the soft bed beneath him.

Minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open, but he kept his eyes closed until he felt movement on the bed.

"You know, if you kept your eyes open, you might have seen something amazing," Ezra teased.

"I have been amazed enough for a lifetime, thank you very much," Richard retorted.

"Not like that, you haven't," she said, doing nothing to conceal the mischief in her voice.

Richard said nothing at first and kept his silence to himself. There was no real reason to indulge in friendly banter when he had other things on his mind. It had been relatively smooth sailing so far, but he had questions. Questions that needed answers.

"Why did you come looking for me?" he asked, choosing to start with the easiest question. He refused to assume it was merely a coincidence.

"I wasn't looking for you particularly,” Ezra answered. “You could call our meeting a chance coincidence, good luck on your part.”

"Good luck, huh?” Richard couldn’t say he was feeling lucky. “I don't particularly feel lucky at all.”

Ezra laughed. It was an easy sound, soft and gentle. It made Richard want to smile.

"Trust me,” she said. “When we get to Sol Sanctum tomorrow, you will feel the luck, so much so you'll bottle up that feeling and sell it."

"Yeah, I hope so.” Richard stared out the single window in the room, at the other buildings and the starry night sky. “How long have you been a mage, Ezra?"

"That would be around ninety-six, give or take," she replied casually.

"Ninety-six what!?" Richard's eyes flew open, his neck whipping around to face her in disbelief.

"Don't make that face, you're making me feel old. In the realm of mages, I am relatively young, just about to reach my prime years actually," she explained, finding his reaction amusing. "Most people in our world can live to a hundred and eighty. For mages, that's probably just the halfway point."

"A hundred and eighty is crazy,” Richard mused. “So let's start there."

Ezra looked at him in surprise. "Don't people live that long in your world?"

"No.” Richard shook his head, resigned. “Once you hit fifty, it's mostly downhill from there. Though in the religious books, people in ancient times are said to have lived till seven hundred,"

"Interesting, but the average in your current time is fifty?"

"Yes."

"What a strange place you come from.”

"What a strange place you live in," Richard countered with a wry smile.

They both promptly shared a laugh, the sound echoing softly in the room before quiet took over. Richard closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him, but instead of restful dreams, all he saw was darkness. It was as if he was back on the Shroud, the memory haunting him even in his slumber. With a frantic gasp, he awoke.

"Well, good morning to you. You should get ready so we can get to Sol Sanctum today," Ezra said, already kitted up and ready to go. With a murmur of approval, Richard got up and made his way to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, the pair had boarded a transport to the gate of Sol Sanctum, riding on what appeared to be muscular ostriches pulling a coach. Throughout the ride, Richard stared out the window, his heart shaking with fear as they drew closer to their destination.

‘What if I am too late’ He thought, his mind reeling at the idea

"Please, anything but that,’’ he muttered to himself, his mind consumed by worry.

"We'll be fine. Everything might just work out," Ezra reassured him as they arrived at the gates of Sol Sanctum. They exited the coach and made their way to the entrance, a huge black gate that seemed to be ethereal in nature, each piece part of the gate marked with runes.

‘’This is amazing,’’ Richard said looking past the guards into what can only be described as magical, the floor was covered with white marble that seemed almost translucent, Towering trees could be seen all around the walking part, he watched a person attempt to sit and a bench appeared beneath them, several rows of buildings stood off in the distance, all of them sharing the same dome-shaped design, covered in glass as one would see on a sky scrapper on earth.

‘’Impressed,’’ Ezra asked as they stepped forward.

‘’Beyond impressed, I thought Sol Sanctum would be a single building or something but this is a city to itself.’’

‘’That it is, For the Centre of magic and Mage craft it has to be, most developments in magic theory come from here and those that are developed outside here, must still be verified and given approval by sol sanctum.’’

‘’I see’’ Richard smiled slightly, perhaps there was more than hope, more so a good chance to go home.

"A tier mage, Ezra, returning from assignment," she announced to the guard.

"And who is your companion?" the guard inquired.

"The assignment," she retorted, seeing his hesitance. "Lengel is expecting us. Unless you want to keep a councilor waiting, especially in these pressing times, stand aside and let us pass."

The guard acquiesced, allowing them entry into Sol Sanctum. Richard took in the sight of the grand structures, their majesty leaving him in awe, people walked by them it was clear that he stood out as they looked at him strangely.

They hadn't walked for two minutes before a man appeared before them, he was a tall lanky frame, he wore green robes, his hair was dark in color, he had a scar that went down the right side of his face,

His dark eyes stared at them observing them, it would seem he had been observing them for a while.

Richards's brow furrowed, something about this man seemed to put him on edge

"Lengel," Ezra greeted.

"Ezra, I see you found the anomaly," Lengel remarked.

"Richard Blue, meet Elder Mage Lengel, a member of the council and my former mentor," Ezra introduced with exaggerated gestures.

Lengel sighed. "I hope your journey to Sol Sanctum was peaceful, Sir Blue."

"Nothing we couldn't handle. Thank you for having me, but please, I need your help," Richard pleaded.

"Yes, Ezra explained it to me. You claim to be from a different plane of existence, yes? And you require our help to get back to your world?" Lengel inquired.

"That's exactly right, sir. I need to get back as soon as possible," Richard confirmed.

"That's an ability I do not possess, but not a task above Sol Sanctum. We shall have a council meeting on this matter soon. In the meantime, Ezra will take you to your quarters," Lengel stated before turning to leave.

"Oh, and Ezra, I leave him in your care," he added before vanishing into the depths of Sol Sanctum.

Lengel soon arrived at the council chambers ‘’ What was that, that cannot be a normal being’’ he muttered to himself looking down at his hands which had not stopped shaking since he met the man known as Blue.

He wondered if perhaps Ezra's inexperience did not allow her to feel the depths of the man's magic. Countless mages had theorized on the possibility of what the Shroud would feel like. There had been a mage who’d lived millennia ago who’d claimed it would be like being beaten down by a thousand waves from the river of Nevada.

The man Ezra had brought possessed magic just that deep. By all accounts of the speculations surrounding the Shroud, it felt like the Shroud itself.

‘This is dangerous,’ He thought to himself as he stepped into the council room for what felt like one too many times. ‘but perhaps I can leverage this to my advantage.’