Bon Voyage

"Are you sure it's going to work?" Deathstalker asked, his eyes still lingering on the screen in front of him.

"It worked on you, didn't it? The same technology we used on you has been advanced over the past 25 years and has been successfully applied to more than ten people since," Mrs. Rauss replied in a calm tone, sipping water from the glass in her hand.

Deathstalker said no more. The procedure he underwent at the age of five had indeed worked. Afterward, he lost all his previous memories, including the traumatic events he had endured.

Dr. Gladimoore, the lead researcher for the Memory Adjustment procedure, assured him that the latest technology could now erase or alter specific memories. With this procedure, Jennifer would retain all her memories—except those of him. In fact, she would believe she had always been married to Peter Thompson, and that Sophie was their daughter.

Jennifer had to undergo this procedure because, unfortunately, even with all her power, Charlotte couldn't bend her mind.

"If only I'd had you two as childhood friends back then, my life would've been so much better," Charlotte said, sulking over her failure but masking it with excitement. She had only gained control of her ability at the age of nine. By then, all her friends were terrified of her, leaving her to grow up without friends, apart from her lunatic trainer.

"Has Peter accepted the deal?" Deathstalker asked Mrs. Rauss again.

"Of course. Persuading him was easy," she replied with a thin smile. She then turned her gaze to Deathstalker. "Our souls are bound. If you can't trust me, trust the bond we share—I won't betray you."

Deathstalker sighed heavily and glanced at his watch. "I need to prepare for the trip," he excused himself.

"Please, do."

About an hour and a half later, Deathstalker was following Mrs. Rauss down a flight of stairs into what appeared to be a basement. He wore a long robe-like garment with a golden cloak draped over his shoulders. His now waist-length hair was styled into a single braid.

Trailing behind him was Bruno, dressed in a simple, shabby outfit with no cloak. He seemed to struggle under the weight of a massive, ancient-looking suitcase while a dirty cloth bag hung from his shoulder.

"Why do you need to carry so much stuff? And why am I the one carrying it?" Bruno grumbled. Eventually, he gave up carrying the suitcase properly and began dragging it along the floor, wheels or not.

"Beat me," Deathstalker replied flatly. "It's full of gold and other items I can use for bartering there. And you need to train your muscles to carry it all the time once we're there. You're the one who insisted on coming, remember?"

Bruno grumbled but said nothing more. It was true—he had insisted on joining Deathstalker for this journey. Lily had left for the same destination months earlier, and he was deeply worried about her. Initially, Sara rejected his request to join the mission, pointing out that their destination was a unicultural, Eastern society. Bruno's brown skin would make him stand out too much. But with Fred's help, Bruno discovered that the nobles in this society kept servants and slaves from other regions, including the Black Continent. He used this information to push the idea of posing as Sir Ming Huo's—Deathstalker's character—servant.

The three of them stopped when Mrs. Rauss pressed a series of buttons, unlocking a heavy door in front of her. As it opened, it revealed a room dominated by a single massive machine. Its centerpiece was a circular mouth, about ten feet in diameter, sealed with interlocking iron plates shaped like jagged teeth.

"This machine will teleport you to a ship en route to your destination," Mrs. Rauss explained to the two men.

"Why can't I just teleport there?" Bruno asked.

"Because this destination is in a different universe," Mrs. Rauss replied.

"What?!" Deathstalker and Bruno exclaimed in unison.

"It's still Earth, but not quite Earth as we know it," Mrs. Rauss clarified.

"So… it's underground?" Deathstalker asked.

Mrs. Rauss nodded. "As Sara may have informed you, this is why we can't use any of our equipment or technology there. We don't fully understand how advanced their technology is or how their systems work."

"The people there—are they even… human?" Bruno asked, exchanging a glance with Deathstalker.

"Their appearance and anatomy are like humans, but they are stronger and more powerful. Let's just say… they're superhuman," Mrs. Rauss explained, her words making both men exchange uneasy glances again.

"Uh-huh… So, this ship—how can it sail there?" Deathstalker asked, breaking the silence.

"We discovered a pathway to their universe. This machine will transport you to the end of that path. However, the path ends in the middle of an ocean-like body of water," Mrs. Rauss said.

For the third time, Bruno and Deathstalker exchanged wary glances, both swallowing hard.

"Just like on Earth, they use ships for transportation. In about five minutes, a ship heading to your destination will cross the end of the path. If you miss it, even by a second, you'll end up in the ocean."

"And how are we supposed to come back?" Deathstalker asked.

"There's another path on the land of your destination that leads back here. Viper has the coordinates," Mrs. Rauss replied. "Once you locate it, your mission will include destroying it so no one from their universe can cross into ours again."

"How many paths connect our worlds?" Bruno asked.

"Several lead to our world, but only a few lead to theirs. There's only one on the land you're going to," Mrs. Rauss explained.

"Two minutes, Madam," a man nearby informed her.

"Turn on the machine," Mrs. Rauss ordered.

The machine roared to life, filling the room with a loud, mechanical hum. The iron plates covering its mouth began to retract, exposing a deep, circular void.

"Ninety seconds," the man announced again.

"Well, get ready, gentlemen," Mrs. Rauss said, patting Deathstalker's shoulder. "I believe you'll accomplish your mission and return safely."

"Sixty seconds."

Deathstalker approached the gaping mouth of the machine, sitting on its edge. He helped Bruno lift the heavy suitcase and place it behind them. Moments later, Bruno sat beside him.

"Bon voyage, gentlemen!" Mrs. Rauss called out, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"10…"

The machine began sucking the air violently, and both men clung tightly to the edges of the opening, holding onto the suitcase with their free hands.

"9…"

"Do not let go until I say so," the man warned them as the machine's suction intensified.

"5…"

"4…"

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

"Let go!"

The instant they released their grip, they were sucked into the machine and vanished.