Isabelle finished her training for the day and collapsed onto her bed without taking her shoes off. Today was exhausting; she knew it. Yesterday wasn’t better, since she stayed in the nurse’s office all day. She put her laptop away before staring at the ceiling.

Bridget hadn’t returned to her room yet. Benjamin and Lauren were busy with their own work. It had gotten lonely. She didn’t know how to describe it. Although Isabelle found it beneficial to relax after a tiresome day, so—

A resonating beep startled the girl from her thoughts. Her laptop emulated a glow out of the corner of her eyes. Isabelle used the rest of her strength to reach and pick up her laptop again. She opened and found a message from her mother, asking for a voice chat. The screen depicts her mom appearing on the other side with a hopeful smile.

“Hey, sweetie.” She greeted her with a wave. “I hope I’m not bothering you while you’re training.”

“Hi, Mom. Not at all. In fact, I just finished my section. Although, I’m pretty tired after today.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that. Maybe this was a bad time, then?”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you checking up on me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Irene replied. Her smile faded when she noticed something on Isabelle’s arm. “Hey, what’s that on your arm?”

Isabelle glanced down at her burn marks, forgetting to hide them. She bit her lip and gave her mom a big smile. “Well, I got carried away with one of our weather machines and equipment.”

“Be careful, dear.”

“I know, and I will. It wasn’t anything too major. I needed to rest for a day or two, then I’ll be back in business.”

“Well, ‌get some rest. I’ll call you again soon.”

“Okay, see you later. Love and miss you.”

“Love and miss you too, dear. Goodbye.”

Isabelle signed off and closed her laptop, then sighed sadly. How much longer could she keep it up?

She couldn’t believe she had lied to her mother like this, but also knew the risks of making that choice.

A tap on the window soon got her attention. Stretching her arms, Isabelle slowly got out of bed and headed over to the windowsill. She opened it and looked down at Benjamin waving at her from below; the magician flew by her windowsill as the two exchanged pleasantries.

“It’s great to see you again!” Benjamin exclaimed.

“Same here!” Isabelle chirped. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? So, did you miss me while you were gone?”

“Seriously?” Benjamin rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t that long a journey.”

“I know.” Isabelle couldn’t help but giggle at the remark. “So, how’d it go?”

“Oh boy, was it a doozy? But I took care of everything I needed to.”

“That’s nice to hear...” Isabelle’s smile faded as she looked around the area. “Huh? Where’s Chi-Chi and Harry?”

“Oh, they're both busy with something important, but they’ll return soon enough.” It was Benjamin’s turn to gasp and point. “Hey, what happened to your arm?”

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“Oh, this? I got these marks from Bridget. She accidentally hurt me while practicing her magic.”

“Huh? How’d she learn fire magic?”

“I’m not sure. She’s probably working on that aspect right now as we speak.”

“I see. Well, are you okay, though?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, now at least...”

.-.-.-.

Irene finished her video call with her daughter; she slumped against the couch and sighed. The lamp lit dimly against the darkness of the living room. She leaned over and rested her elbows on the table, lost in thought. Something wasn’t right, what with Isabelle’s speeches contradicting other parts of the story and all. But the most shocking part was the marks on her arm. It wasn’t just how brutal it looked, or ‌that her daughter got burned badly at camp.

Something about it looked familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. That was when it clicked. Her face grew pale when she figured it out.

Oh no, it can’t be…

Irene got up from her seat and ran to the office room. She looked around the compact area and opened up some file cabinets. She pulled out a file and book from the drawers, laying them on the table. Irene carefully read through and examined the pages while trying to skim them all at a breakneck pace.

I know I’ve seen this somewhere before. This isn’t an ordinary-looking mark.

Eventually, she came across one image on a page that caught her attention. Her heart nearly stopped as she stared at the flame, symbol, and markings.

No way, this can’t be. This is one of the advanced flame spells! Irene scratched her head and creased her eyebrows. Wait, Isabelle wouldn’t know that, right? It’s a coincidence, right? She continued to think as she paced around the room. Then again, she’s been acting rather fishy ever since she learned about this acting school. That lady also looked familiar, her hair color and voice sound... Stopping in place, her body froze when she recognized the person. Griselda. But, in that case, that must mean... oh no. Not again.

Irene turned on a heel and sprinted out of the office. She grabbed her belongings from her secret bedroom compartment and headed out the doors as fast as possible. Irene didn't think she would have to go back, but it was urgent. She had to hurry.

.-.-.-.

Irene arrived at the local bus stop. The dusk crept up as the sun slowly disappeared. With nobody in sight, she reached into her bag and pulled out holographic glasses. Upon putting them on, the surrounding area became a mix of light greens and blues, with certain objects appearing blurrier than others and sparkles emanating at more prominent spots.

Upon putting on the glasses, a strange-looking bus at the bus stop caught the woman’s eyes right away. It looked very different from the normal ones and was also invisible to the normal human eye.

Irene marched over to the bus and spotted the driver sleeping. She tapped at the windows, causing the driver inside to jolt and wake up. He swung his head and spotted Irene from outside.

“Hey, miss, can you see me?” The driver asked as he opened the doors.

“That’s right,” Irene said, narrowing her eyes. “Do you remember me?”

He squinted his eyes, examining the woman. A few seconds later, he gasped.

“Irene?” She nodded, prompting him to shake his head. “It’s been so long. How have you been doing?”

“It’s been tough, but I’m managing well on my own.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.” His smile dropped when he saw her expression. “So, why are you here?”

“I need you to take me back to the Monster realm.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, is there a problem?”

“I won’t ask for the specific details, as it’s not my business. However, I’d like to finish my lunch break beforehand.”

“I understand. Please keep in mind that I don’t have a lot of time in my hands.” The driver pulled the lever to open the doors. After turning from side to side, she entered the bus.

Hang in there, honey, I’m coming.

The bus driver glanced at Irene, sitting and putting on a seat belt as she stared at the window. He scratched his human mask and got ready to drive off earlier than intended.

Irene, you’ve changed ‌since I last saw you. Ever since- no, it’s not the time to bring that up now.

The driver closed the doors, started the engines, and prepared a magic portal for them to drive through.