When I finally woke up I turned to see that Seliph was already gone. With the sun shining upon his empty bed.

I roll out of bed and walk over to the closet to get dressed. Now that Seliph has left for a while I wonder if I can find anything that could tell me what’s going on. This ‘rumor’ didn’t sound as harmless as he was trying to make it seem.

‘Knock, knock’

The door to the room opened to the room as I walked back in brushing my hair. Felicia came in carrying a tray of food. Seliph must have left on business already then.

“Good morning Felicia what’s on the menu this morning?”

She then turned to me surprised that I was already awake.

“Some toast with some eggs and bacon miss. I didn’t know you were up or I’d have come sooner. Seliph said you were still fast asleep.”

“So did he just leave?”

“No, he left a while ago.”

I set my brush to the side as Felicia laid the tray on a side table. I really wasn’t sure what to do today. What I wanted to do was find out what this rumor was, but I probably wouldn’t be allowed access to his office.

There was also the fact that Felicia probably had orders to keep watch over me all day. Which would severely limit my ability to gather information. I ate my breakfast as I pondered my next move.

When I finished eating I stood up.

“Thank you Felicia, for a wonderful meal as always.”

“Thank you miss, did you have any plans for today?”

“I did, can you take me to the library? There are some books I wish to look for.”

“Of course miss, but first, let’s finish taking care of your hair.”

I brushed my fingers through my hair to realize she was right. My hair was still a mess. I guess I did get a little distracted, didn't I.

When Felicia finished brushing my hair she led me to the library where I had first entered the citadel. There had to be some clues here I could use. If I couldn’t find out anything about this rumor I might as well use this free time to try and find a way home. No matter how slim the chance of me finding anything useful here. It wasn’t like I had any other ideas that could help me.

I opened the door to the library and saw it was just as I'd seen it last time. Still filled to the brim with books with the sun illuminating the stray dust flying about the room.

“Is there anything else you need of me miss?”

“Could you help me find some books?”

“I’m sorry miss, but you should ask the library. He should be somewhere around here. Mr. Camus ... Mr. Camus?”

We then heard a crash of books before a man stumbled out from behind a shelf with deep bags under his eyes. His hair a sloppy mess as he took off his glasses to clean them on his shirt before putting them back on.

“Guests? Sorry, I was working on a project. How can I help you -”

He stopped mid-sentence when he looked at me.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry for my earlier rudeness, how can I help you?”

“It’s okay, Camus?”

“Yes, I am the librarian of this great collection. His Majesty told me to be expecting you. I have a number of books that you should find helpful in your research. I’ve been pouring over them myself you can look over my notes if you wish though I’m afraid I’m no farther then when I started, unfortunately.”

Seliph really wasn’t kidding when he saying he’d help me. How many people did he have researching a way for me to get back?

“Are you okay Camus you don’t look very well.”

“It’s nothing I was just up all night looking over some books. I thought I had finally found something but it turned out to be a dead end. With only conjectures and hypotheses that were never tested.”

“Did they have any merit to them?”

“I want to say yes but most of the theories contradict each other.”

I followed him to a table full of scattered paper and books. I picked up a loose page and looked it over. The notes where well written but towards the end he just stopped halfway through.

“Why you stop halfway through on this one?”

“Honestly I can’t remember, it’s been a long night.”

“Then would you mind telling me any hypotheses you have on getting back?”

He scrunched his face as he organized his notes.

“A couple though most of them don’t offer most help. My first theory is that somehow we all existed on different planes of existence and somehow arrived here. Summoning rituals drag a similar subject from their reality to ours. My second theory is the exact opposite, but the theories would still explain why they can only summon human heroes. But the problem is that I can’t prove my hypothesis it’s all conjecture.”

“How does that involve me getting back?”

“The problem from what I can gather is this.”

He grabbed a stray piece of paper turning it over to a blank side before grabbing his pen. He then drew a stick figure and a line splitting the paper in two leaving the stick figure on the other side.

“Summoning rips one from one reality to another and has been developed to serve this function. The problem is that to send something back. One would have to know where to send them and input much more power to sending them back.

It’d be like knocking a cart off the road and then having to repair it and get it back to speed again.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

He drew the line into the other area on the paper before making a bigger arrow going back.

“Like capturing a stray asteroid in a planet’s gravity and then sending it out. I think I understand what you mean, but wouldn’t it have to escape it’s home gravity to enter another’s?”

He stared at me in confusion with a puzzled look on his face.

“What are you talking about? What is this gravity and what does it have to do with planets and asteroids?”

Seems like I used too much Earth science in my explanation.

“Let me explain myself again. It would require more energy and a better grasp on where you were sending something.”

“Yes, which is giving me so much trouble. I’ve found a way to move something a distance but that’s between two known points. I have no idea how to send someone to somewhere I’ve never been.”

“Then would it be possible for me to send myself back?”

“No that’s just the thing. You know where you are from, but on a magical and locational basis, you don’t know where you are from. It’s like sending me to a human city and telling me to walk back blindfolded. You would have no frame of reference to base your transport and it’d be hopeless.”

He went back to work organizing his notes while I pondered what he just said.

A frame of reference? I wonder if I could use my blood ties to locate my family. Actually, thinking about it, I wonder if I can use this gender change to my advantage. This might be a bit of stretch but since I became a woman I wonder if my X chromosome cloned itself when I changed my sex.

If it did I might be able to more easily find my mother since she would have given me my X chromosome. Though actually thinking about this it is quite a stretch and doesn’t even include the possibility of Dibella changing my DNA in her beautification.

“Is it possible to locate family member over long distances using magic?”

He looked puzzled at my question but nodded.

“It is, but its effect greatly diminishes over longer distances and to be honest I have no idea if it’d work regarding your, change.”

I nodded in agreement as he walked over to a shelf brushing over a few books before taking one out and bringing it over to me.

“This should teach you the magic, but I can’t guarantee any results.”

“Well it’s a start at least, let’s see what else we have to look over. No need to narrow our possibilities.”

Camus then split his existing pile of books and I joined him in his search. Most of the books were either cringe-worthy with their theories, dull and boring, or barely pertaining to what I wanted to know.

I rubbed my head as the mental anguish accumulated. Turning to see how Camus was doing I saw that he was fast asleep on a book quietly sleeping away. I couldn’t blame the guy, but I had to question why he was working this hard on this. Maybe he just worked this way, but it kinda bothered me that he was pushing himself this far for me. Even if he was only following orders from Seliph.

I closed the book I was currently reading before walking over to the window. To get a change of scenery making sure to do so quietly to avoid waking Camus up.

Looking outside I could barely see the sun overhead as clouds passed lazily by. I turned around stretching my stiff body to see Felicia walking in with a new tray carrying some lunch. I met her halfway at a table where she set down the tray.

“I thought you might be getting a little hungry so I brought you some lunch miss.”

“Thanks, I was just feeling a little peckish.”

I took a bite of the food relishing in its excellent taste. An excellent relief from the monotony of this research.

“Any luck so far?”

“Nothing promising unfortunately. We’re missing far too many variables unfortunately. Which doesn’t bode well for my odds.”

I ate my lunch in the quiet room. It was surprisingly relaxing and I found myself enjoying it. But, at a subconscious level, I couldn’t help but miss seeing Seliph this morning. I couldn’t point out why for the life of me, but the thought was still there.

When I finished eating Felicia gather the empty dish carrying it out with here leaving me with nothing better to do than return to my stack of books.

I sighed and decided against that deciding to look at that book Camus had given me earlier.

Flipping through it I started gathering mana around me as I tried to copy what the instructions in the book detailed me to do. It took me a while but when I felt I had grasped the basic concept I tried to gather as much mana as I had on following the steps. I doubted it would work out at all but if it had a chance at all I had to use every ounce of mana I had.

Tearing out a small strand of hair I laid the hair out in front of me before enveloping it in my mana layering the mana with my DNA or ‘essence’ as the book called it.When I had fully saturated my mana I compressed it as tightly as possible before slowly spreading it out around me as far as I could possibly spread it in all directions.

I did my best to spread it as far as possible but the further I went the more area I had to cover which led to me reaching my limit when I had reached a to what felt like a 10 km radius around me.

Pretty impressive considering the book said it’d only work to about a km radius. But even with my mana, it seems this method won’t work. I sighed as I slowly started to disperse the residual mana but as I was I felt a faint sensation nearby. I stopped and slowly shifted my focus inwards. What I found surprised me.

I felt someone nearby. But, that had to be impossible I was the only one sent here. I focused on the source and I was surprised to find it was close by. I stood up and started walking towards the signal. Exiting the library and walking down the halls in search of the source.

The drain on my already low mana was considerable but I was able to recycle most of my earlier used mana to keep the spell going. I ignored the odd looks of onlookers and kept walking until I found myself in front of a door.

I opened the door finding myself in what looked to be in the servant area with people busily moving about. I didn’t care though. She was in here and I was going to find here. I pushed my way through the people in front of me zoning out everything around me as I moved forward. Following the signal in front of me.

Opening another door I found myself in what looked to be a kitchen. But I didn’t care, I took another shaky step forward. When I finally arrived at the signal I found myself standing behind a young girl.

Canceling the spell I struggled to stand my ground as my strength slowly started returning to me. Using this strength I gripped the girl by her collar lifting her up and turning her around.

Before I could finish though I saw her grasp for a dagger as I heard the cold sound of steel come out of its sheath. I quickly subdued her grabbing her wrist and shoving her to the floor. The dagger slid across the floor as she struggled under my grip. Still struggling with her I managed to turn her face towards me and I was angered that my guess had been correct.

“Unhand me right now!”

“Why are you here sis?”

Staring into her eyes I could see her face just as I remembered it. But her eyes looking at me couldn’t register who was I was. With her only angrily struggling underneath me.

“Long time no see Anna what’s it been, a year?”

A look of shock registered on her face as she stared up at me.

“No way! It can’t be!”

Angered coursed through me. Why was she here and why was she in the castle. Not only was this dangerous, she shouldn’t even be here!

“Why are you here Anna?”

As she silently mouthed in shock my senses finally returned to me as Felicia shock my shoulder.

“Diana? What’s the matter why are you pinning Isabelle to the ground?”

I turned to see everyone frozen and realized what I had just done.

“Her real name is Anna and she is my sister. Call for the guards to escort her to an empty room. We have some catching up to do.”

In a few minutes some guards come in and secure her and a maid follows them leading the way. As they take her away I stand awestruck as all that just happened suddenly starts hitting me.

“Diana, are you okay?”

Felicia stood by looking at me worriedly. I shake my head doing the best I can to reassure her I’m fine.

“Yeah, just used too much mana just now. I was trying out a spell when I found here. I’ll explain the details later. Right now I just need to talk to -”

I stumble with Felicia catching me and guiding me to an empty seat as another maid brings over a glass of water.

“Take it easy miss, you are clearly shaken in more ways than one. The guards will keep good watch over her but you clearly need to recover your strength first.”

I hated to agree but she was right. I greatly accepted the water as I calmed my breathing. She was right, I needed to catch my breath first. Because me and my sister were about to have a long talk.