Portal in the manhole

'Calm down, Evelina' Evelina had an Acrophobia. When she was 15 years old, On the day that she almost died, five years ago, the Stepanov family was driving in the Black Forest. It was a summer holiday and they were on their way to the Maximus Palace. She couldn't have felt happier: they had a great time and she was looking forward to her 15th birthday. Unfortunately, the vehicle they were in, ran out of gasoline; they decided to stop by and have some fresh air, and admire the beautiful scenery in the meantime. They were at the topmost of a 290-foot overhang and could see the breathtaking view of the kingdom. The leaves that came from the tree, flowed as the wind caressed it. It was an embodiment of beauty and tranquility.

However, she was apathetic in the scenery and much more engrossed to a small road that led into some forest; it looked enchanted, hypnotizing her to follow it. She told her parents that she wanted to delve into the area however, on one condition, she should be accompanied by the bodyguards. She trailed the path through some trees up until it came out along a hidden ledge close to the cliff. There was a steep drop, with trees and rocks on either side and then, right at the bottom, a watercourse with boulders around it. She didn't notice that it was a dead end. She fell off the cliff. Fortunately, she was able to grab hold of the edge of the cliff. Moreover, the bodyguards were able to rescue her in time. Since then, she never had the urge to appreciate skyscrapers how much more living on the topmost floor.

"Evelina!! What are you doing? Come on, don't give me that pale face of yours!" Alexi reprimanded. Her face turned pale and sweat began to fall on her forehead and temples; her hands were shaking non-stop. She was trembling in fear.

"I'm sorry but, I can't fulfill your request," she pleaded in despair. 'I'm sorry if I exacerbate your plan. I'm not the savior that everyone is expecting, I'm a failure and should cease in existence' She regretted why her mother was desperately wanting a child. 'This wouldn't have happened at all'

"Evelina, trust me! I know you can do it! Just think of it! Everyone is hoping that you would break the spell! Those poor, unfortunate souls! They are out there, waiting for the spell to be broken so that they could regain their freedom!"

After those words of motivation, Evelina slowly ambled towards the edge of the building. She had a glimpse of the ground and immediately retreated. 'Oh, my goodness!'

"Dearie, don't be like that! Come on!" Alexi was on the verge of breaking down. It was the fiftieth time that he had coaxed her and still got no utterance. He had been convincing her with all his might. Suddenly, an idea came across his mind. 'Aha!' "Evelina, that umbrella that you brought, open it!"

She complied with his instruction. She first bent down to pick up the umbrella on the ground and she opened it. The umbrella was a black-laced parasol. It could shield her face from the radiant sun with the extravagant feminine design of the umbrella. The umbrella might look feeble, but it was crafted with the finest quality. It was designed as a windproof parasol. She remembered her parents acquiring the umbrella from Mr. Walter, a close friend of their family. Mr. Walter was a business tycoon. He had won noble prizes for his inventions that made him triumphant in the field of business. Her parents requested a specially customized umbrella; beneath the canopy, a small fan is attached to the umbrella's grip; when switched on, the miniature fan blows cool air on the person's head. Since the umbrella was big, no one was able to see it from the outside and she can modestly cool down in elegance. It also contained parachute fabric—Canvas, Silk, Dacron, and Kevlar. and Nylon. The umbrella was experimented to be used as an alternative for parachutes; it was scientifically proven and tested. The value of the umbrella was worth a million. She was thankful for her parents that they had acquired such an innovative umbrella! 'Thank goodness! This umbrella is a blessing!'

'You can do this, Evelina!' Closing her eyes for a few precious moments, she breathed deeply and let her breath out in a long, relaxing sigh. She slowly approached the edge of the cliff. She exhaled deeply once again. She held the grip of the umbrella tightly and closed her eyes as she continued moving forward. She fell off the building. She didn't fell off the building, she slowly descended from the top like an enchantress protecting the people from the darkness, brightening up everyone's days.

While she was still preoccupied with landing safely, the manhole on the ground opened a portal. It emitted a bright purple light; it was shining, shimmering, and giving a magnificent light of hope. A moment later, she landed inside the portal.

Evelina felt like she still hadn't landed the ground yet. It was like an endless falling. Her heart was beating fast, feeling the stimulation yet nervousness that was instilled in her mind. 'Ten floors are that deep? Why have I still haven't landed yet? It felt like I'm parachuting,' In a moment, she almost forgot to see the state of her enchanted mirror, Alexi. She forgot to open her eyes and continued flying with her parasol. She then noticed that she was floating in the air, moving side by side.

Since she was too enthralled with floating in the air, she hadn't seen the enchanting ambiance of the portal. It emitted a purple tornado-like. She was dancing with the tornado until it came to the point of a sudden stop of the wind. It was an unexpected drop like she was finally near to the beautiful light of hope.

##

Alexander was in the middle of his sightseeing. It had been a while since he last gave himself a day-off, giving a chance for himself to be away from work buzz. His schedule was fully packed. It was a bright and sunny day in the Kingdom of Ruby. He decided to reward himself. He was strolling around the park near his condominium. He left his employees at the condominium and wanted to distance himself from the others. He wanted to give them privacy. He had a huge headache going around his head.

It was the first time in his entire life that there would even be a much bigger threat than a war. He was dragged into all of this just because of a curse. 'What am I? A knight in shining armor? What a joke!' He was angered by the thought of it. They were supposed to experiment with an animal. They would see how the vaccine would affect on the animal that contracted an incurable disease. He was supposed to help eradicate the spread of the virus in his kingdom yet because of a 'fairytale-like' circumstances, his plans had been postponed.

As he was strolling around the park, he saw a woman who just landed on the limb of a tree with the use of a parasol; she looked slumberous. The woman immediately laid down for a nap, not deciphering the world around her. He was interested in the sight of the situation, thinking of writing it down on his notes that would contribute a lot in his experiments. Alexander walked towards the direction of the woman and silently observed her.