Chapter 77

"Are you sure about this?" Emilia asked one final time.

She held a book, large and heavy, full of flying specks of dust that would've had a human coughing fits. It was a spell book. Full of ancient spells that were pretty forbidden… and also illegal.

But what greater hypocrites are there than the ones who hold power. Right?...

'Ugh… if Alastair finds out about this…'

"It's be convenient if you just told Alastair about this".

"Oh come on. We both know he wouldn't allow this. He'd waver and I really need to do this".

They weren't in the palace anymore, that would be too dangerous. So they rented a room at an inn. In a town way off the Capital. It was safe.

Safe from Alastair. Maybe not safe from mercenaries and such, but Alastair could be scarier than any of those brick heads.

"That's right. But are you sure five minutes is enough time?" Emilia nervously fiddled with pages.

"It's enough time for me to get back and Alastair to have still not found us".

Emilia sighed.

"Get ready".

Alexis heard words she couldn't understand slip from Emilia's lip. A burst of bright blue light exploded before her. Strong gusts of wind creating a tornado around her, she could feel it and couldn't see anything except the bright blueness.

Slowly her hair which flew upwards calmed, settling on her shoulders as a familiar sight lay before her.

Her room.

It was dark outside. Just as it should be. Her laptop lay open and just for nostalgia she looked at the screen, seeing her failure displayed in black letters.

She didn't feel disappointed this time. Instead she laughed at the girl who thought her life had ended and even tried to kill herself.

'You idiot' she sighed.

Her phone wasn't in her hand, but on the table. Where she had left it when Alastair kidnapped her. It buzzed.

'In some alternate universe I'm doing that again' she chuckled.

She picked up the phone staring at the message from Blair.

'Party?' – Bitch

Alexis frowned at it. As much as she wanted to reply she didn't have much and instead called the ones she had to.

The phone rang, and moments after it stopped as an excited voice met her ears.

"Alexis! What did you get?" She heard her fathers voice exclaim.

"Hey dad, how are you?" She felt her lips quiver. She couldn't straighten her hold on her phone.

"Fine. What did you get?" He impatiently asked.

"Nothing too well dad. But don't worry. I got a job offer and I explained my situation to them. They said they'll take me on if I resit", it felt so script like when she said it. So fake.

"Why didn't you say?! Congratulations darling!" She heard the pride, the beaming smile. His hands doing those elaborate gestures.

"Didn't want to jinx it" her throat hurt.

"You really are my kid".

She took in a shaky breath.

"Listen dad. The jobs kinda far. I won't be seeing you guys for a while, so don't freak out if You don't hear any calls or anything".

"Hey now don't go all vagabond on us. I was hoping we could throw you a party or something? It could just be a family dinner if you want".

"That's alright dad. You guys are busy and I'll be starting work right away. I'll see you soon hopefully".

"Alright darling. But you better get in touch soon".

"I will".

And then they said nothing. She listened to the silent line in a comforting silence. She had no will to press the 'end call' button.

Her father pressed it. And then she heard nothing. Just the sound of a dead line.

She placed it in her invisible bag in which it disappeared. And waited for the last ten seconds she had left.

The reason for the time limit was because this spell didn't require you to cut through the fabric of worlds, but instead, you would be taken to a time and space where you would still be in your original body. It was dangerous in that sense and if two of you ever happen to meet the world would begin to break.

It wouldn't remain stable even if it had to contain two of the same things. For this reason it was forbidden.

Alexis had a special situation of course. So no damage should be done.

The wind started around her, blue light once again flashing. Her hair thrashing atop her head, praising when it calmed and flopped on her head in a birds nest.

"Thank you Emilia" she nodded at the woman who breathed a big sigh of relief.

"I was scared I got that wrong for a while. Thank goodness you're fine".

"I'm fine".

Alexis smiled, because for once, she really was fine.

———

Alexis surveyed her work with a face that looked for any unspoken criticism. There was nothing to be said.

It was perfect.

The white button up shirt. The black suit. The hair gelled back in a classy way. And finally, the nervous face beneath it all.

"You look normal enough" she concluded with a slap on his broad shoulder.

"So I won't be tormented anymore", Alastair sighed.

"I'm doing this for a good reason. My parents want to meet you and they need to see a remotely normal looking guy, not an unfairly attractive Emperor" she patted his face teasingly.

"Oh you find me attractive, do you?"

"We've gone over this pumpkin. Now is not the time".

"Alright. Shouldn't we go in now?" Alastair glanced up at the fairly large house. Back home that would belong to a well off commoner family. But… the paint job and fence spoke differently. No commoner could afford that.

'A strange world, indeed'

Alexis knocked on the door nervously. She quickly grasped Alastair's hand in an attempt to calm her beating heart.

The handle knob turned, her heart in her throat as the door opened and her mothers warm face greeted her and the man beside her.

END