Dominic stood in front of his house gate.
It was early morning, just after sunrise. The streets were quiet, with only a few people walking by.
Blood still dripped slowly from the side of his forehead. His shirt was torn and dirty. His joggers were soaked in mud, and he was barefoot.
He stared at the compound for a while. The gate was locked.
He wondered where his mum and sister, Ifeoma, could've gone.
He looked down the street, then turned and started limping toward the spot where he had dropped his belongings before chasing Lune. His right ankle throbbed with every step because of the bullet wound. His left leg burned from the splinter that had pierced it in the bush.
When he reached the spot, he stopped.
"As I expected," he thought. "They're gone."
He looked back at the gate.
"Could they be looking for me?" he wondered.
Suddenly, a sharp headache hit him. He held his forehead with one hand.
"The bleeding has reduced, but that thing's still lodged in there," he said quietly. "I gotta do something about that."
He paused. "Can I do something about that?"
He moved his hand away from his head, and a faint wave of energy pulsed around his fingers for a split second before fading. He blinked.
He remembered Master Aro's words: You do have an affinity.
"Ahh, this whole week's been insane," Dominic muttered.
He thought about Ifeoma. "She'd love to hear about Zandria," he said to himself, smiling. "But she probably wouldn't believe me even if I told her."
He limped back toward the gate. "But first I have to figure out where the hell they went."
***
We cut to Zandria.
Inside a dim cave, Master Aro and Lune stood in front of a glowing rift spread across the cave wall.
Master Aro asked, calm but serious, "How long have you known about this rift's existence?"
Lune scratched the back of his neck. "For about a week."
Master Aro said nothing for a few seconds. He kept his eyes on the rift, its light reflecting off his face.
Lune asked, "You think the Guardians know about this?"
Master Aro frowned slightly. "The Guardians couldn't care less."
Lune hummed. "What do the Guardians actually do anyway?"
Master Aro didn't answer immediately. Then he said, "Lune, I feel there's something you aren't telling me. Give me that rune you told me about."
Lune hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. He handed it to Master Aro.
Aro examined it closely. "Who exactly told you about the Mandrake and gave you this rune in the first place?"
"I told you, it was a witch doctor," Lune said. "She stays in a tent."
"She doesn't have a name?" Aro asked.
"I don't know," Lune replied. "No one does."
***
Somewhere far away, in a dark tent, an old woman sat cross-legged on a mat. Her skin was wrinkled, and her eyes glowed faintly green. She looked into a crystal ball showing the image of Lune and Master Aro in the cave. A grin spread across her face.
***
At the academy, Oravi, Rhoj, and Emby were outside the dormitory building.
Oravi pulled out a small device that looked like a thin tablet. A blue hologram screen appeared above it. She tapped a few buttons and said, "Hmm, there's nothing scheduled for the academy today."
Emby stretched her arms and smiled. "That's great. Some peace and relaxation for once."
Rhoj crossed his arms. "We shouldn't find pleasure in unearned idleness. We should use this time to be productive. We're here with the aspiration to become sorcerers. That won't happen if we jump for joy at every vacant hour. In fact, we should question why the academy would have a free day this early in the school year instead of treating it lightly."
Both Oravi and Emby stared at him wide-eyed.
Oravi asked, "Where did you learn that from?"
Rhoj shrugged and pulled a book from the back of his trousers. The cover said "Big Boy Words" in bold letters. "From a book I read," he said.
Emby raised her eyebrow. "Where did that book come from—"
"Even so," Oravi interrupted, "you have a point. But what should we do with this free time?"
Emby crossed her arms. "I still think resting is a good use of time."
Rhoj said, "I need to return this book to the library."
"Then I'll come with you," Oravi said. "Maybe I'll get a walk in."
Emby sighed. "These guys, man." She groaned but followed them anyway.
***
Back to Lune and Master Aro.
They were walking along a dark forest path. The trees around them were tall and blocked most of the morning light.
"Are you sure this is the correct way?" Master Aro asked.
"I'm sure," Lune said. "But there used to be a bridge here."
Before Lune finished speaking, they were already on the other side of the gap. Lune blinked.
He didn't feel anything. No movement. No time passing.
"Then let's keep going," Master Aro said.
Lune thought to himself, This man loves flexing on us.
They continued into a tunnel lined with square tiles on the ground.
"This tunnel wasn't here before either," Lune said.
He stepped forward, and the tile under his foot turned red and glowed faintly.
The ceiling cracked open, and spikes shot down. Lune ducked instantly but froze when he saw Master Aro stop the spikes with one hand.
"It seems she doesn't want visitors anymore," Master Aro said calmly.
"Looks like it," Lune replied, standing back up.
They reached the end of the tunnel and stopped in front of two giant stone doors placed side by side.
Lune tilted his head. "Was this supposed to stop anyone? Doesn't she know we can just go around?"
He started to move around the doors. Suddenly, a huge stone hand shot out and grabbed his face.
A second later, the hand was severed off. Master Aro appeared beside Lune, holding him by the shoulder.
The doors shifted and transformed into two enormous stone monsters. Each had four arms and two torsos fused together. The ground shook as they moved.
"Type threes," Master Aro said under his breath.
"Actual type threes?" Lune said, stunned. "I've never seen them up close before."
One of the monsters lunged forward with blinding speed. Master Aro dodged easily while still holding Lune. The other giant charged, and Aro slid between its legs. Both monsters collided into each other.
In one motion, Aro tore off one of their legs and swung it like a bat, smacking both giants at once. The impact sent out a shockwave that destroyed them instantly.
Lune sighed. "Well, that wasn't so bad—"
Before he could finish, both giants exploded violently.
Aro immediately lifted them into the air, flying above the explosion. Dust and fire filled the ground below.
Lune rubbed his head. "Okay, you mind just carrying me like this while I give you directions?"
***
Earth again.
Inside a police station, Diana sat at a desk, filling out a missing person's report. Ifeoma sat beside her.
"Mum," Ifeoma said quietly, frowning, "is Brother Dom really missing?"
Diana smiled gently. "No, he can look after himself. I'm sure he's safe. This is just for formality's sake."
"Then why don't we go home and wait for him to call us?" Ifeoma asked.
Diana paused, then said, "Sure. Let's go home."
She finished the report, handed it to the officer, and thanked him. The policeman nodded and wished them well. They left the station together.
***
Back on Zandria.
Rhoj, Oravi, and Emby arrived at the academy's library. There were a few people inside, but most of the seats were empty.
Oravi looked around. "No one really reads books these days. Everything's on the Overweb."
They walked in and greeted the librarian, who smiled politely from behind her desk.
Rhoj headed to a shelf and placed the book back where he'd found it.
Emby was already bored. She looked to the side and noticed a dark section of the library that was closed off by ropes. She walked toward it.
It was dim and quiet. She heard faint whispers coming from the darkness.
Just as she was about to step forward, Oravi grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"
Emby blinked. "Woah. It's like I was sleepwalking—in broad daylight." She looked around. "Well, maybe not broad daylight, since it's so dark in here."
She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small seed, and tossed it onto the floor. It sprouted instantly, growing a vine that crawled toward the window and pushed it open to let more light in.
The librarian frowned. "No Sorcery in the library."
"Ahh, fine," Emby muttered. She waved her hand, and the plant shrank down, wrapping itself around her arm.
Rhoj walked up holding another book.
Oravi said, "I thought you said you were going to return that book."
"I did," Rhoj said. "This one's different."
The new book's cover read "More Big Boy Words."
Before anyone could say anything else, the roof suddenly burst open.
Master Aro dropped through the hole, still holding Lune. A golden beam shot from his hand, hitting the librarian's desk and blowing it apart. The librarian flew backward and hit the wall.
"What the—" Emby shouted.
The librarian stood back up. Her form flickered like a glitching image, then stabilized into that of a fat old woman with white hair and glowing green eyes.
Everyone else in the library screamed and ran out, except the six of them.
Lune said, "So you use the Mandrake too. You sent me to get the Mandrake because you already knew where it was but didn't want to do it yourself. You got me to do your dirty work."
The old woman smiled. "Hook, line, and sinker, my boy."
"Enough," Aro said quietly. He raised a hand, and she froze midair.
She grinned. "You don't know what you're getting into—not even you, Aroven."
The entire library began to shake. Shelves twisted, floors shifted, and traps appeared from every direction.
The old woman's body melted into a puddle of sludge. Emby gagged. "That's disgusting."
Master Aro released the spell. The sludge hit the ground and reformed into the old woman again, now standing on the far side of the room.
Rhoj pointed dramatically. "Come on, guys! We can't let her get away. We're mostly complete, and she's nothing compared to the power of friendship!"
He leaped forward but got smacked through a glass window in a single swipe.
Master Aro caught him mid-air with a gesture, suspending him before he could hit the ground.
The old woman laughed. "Just wait. You're lucky to witness this. A new era is beginning."
Lune sighed. "Oh, stop the yap." He froze for a second. Did I just say yap? Dominic's lingo is degrading my speech, he thought.
He said aloud, "We've got you cornered, lady. What are you gonna do? Blow up the entire library—"
The entire library exploded.
Master Aro reacted instantly, lifting everyone off the ground and flying them above the blast. Smoke and debris filled the sky.
Everyone frowned and looked at Lune.
He scratched the back of his neck and said, "Ahh, I guess she really likes her explosions."
From the wreckage, a single dark book tumbled down the hill and landed in the dirt.
***
Back to Earth.
Dominic lay in a pile of ash. He sat up slowly and saw the Phoenix again. It was perched on top of a tall white gate.
"Ahh, you again," Dominic said. "Well, joke's on you, because this time I know it's a dream."
The Phoenix spread its wings and flew upward, floating above the gate.
Dominic ran after it. He jumped, trying to grab the gate, but it rose higher into the sky.
He landed, then jumped again. A burst of energy from his feet launched him upward. He was just about to touch the gate when he heard a voice.
"Brother Dom!"
He opened his eyes. Ifeoma was hugging him tightly.
He realized he had fallen asleep sitting on the ground, his back against the house gate.
"Brother, you're back finally—" she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening. "You're bleeding!"
Diana, who had just walked up behind her, froze for a moment when she saw the blood running down his forehead. Her expression changed instantly.
"Dominic?" she said sharply, hurrying closer. When she saw how deep the wound was, her voice rose. "Oh my God, this is serious! We need to get you to a hospital right now."
She crouched in front of him, one hand hovering just over the gash as if afraid to touch it. "How long have you had this? Did you pass out?!"
Ifeoma looked at his legs and gasped. "Mum, there's blood on his leg too!"
Diana looked down and her panic deepened. "Dominic, what happened to you?"
He blinked, still groggy. "It's… a long story."
Diana shook her head. "You can tell me after we get you checked."
Ifeoma crossed her arms, still staring at him with a mix of relief and worry. "And don't think I forgot that I told you to tell me everything that happens while you're away."
Dominic gave a small grin and lifted his head. "Well," he said, "I've got quite the story to tell."