CHAPTER 67: TWO WORLDS, ONE CHOICE [Book 1 Final]

Marcus's parents drove him from the hotel where they'd been staying after the hearing back to the college to get his belongings. No one talked during the drive.

Marcus stared out the window, thinking about the crazy things that had happened all year in Valdris. And how Valdris was bleeding into his modern life. Maybe he needed to focus on one life and ditch the other.

It had been manageable when Valdris wasn't full of magic or when his family wasn't forced to work in dangerous mines. But now the people in Valdris. His family there. Were in constant danger. Food shortages, safety issues, war, everything.

In the modern world there was no dark lord threatening their lives. There was no water shortage, no food shortage. People complained about things that seemed so small compared to what his Valdris family faced every day.

He'd made his decision. Until he could create a safe haven in Valdris for his friends and family there, he would live in the modern world like the poorest man. He'd take the least demanding job possible, eat simple food, sleep when he could, and spend every spare moment consuming knowledge that might help.

When they entered his dorm, everyone gave him weird looks. Jake saw him and ran over.

"Buddy, are you okay? I heard they forced you out. I have an uncle who's a lawyer, he could—"

Marcus hugged Jake, cutting him off. "Sorry I wasn't a good friend. Sorry I blew everything. Maybe one day I can explain."

"You don't have to drop out," Jake insisted. "My uncle is a really good lawyer."

Marcus smiled sadly. "Jake, you know me. You know I was never gonna make it here anyway. It's okay."

They went into the room where Tyler was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Tyler, why aren't you streaming? You're wasting precious time," Marcus said, trying to sound normal.

Tyler jumped up from the bed. "Dude, I've been worried sick. Did they really kick you out?"

"Yeah, man. I'm here to pick up my stuff."

Jake and Tyler helped him pack. It didn't take long. He hadn't accumulated much during his brief college career.

"So what are your plans?" Tyler asked.

"I can't go back home. I need to focus on something else. I'll look for jobs here in the city."

Tyler perked up. "You know, I'm about to sign a lease. I'm renting an apartment across from my girlfriend's place."

Jake looked surprised. "You make that much money from streaming?"

"Hell yeah! Four hundred subscribers, baby! But I still need a roommate, I think. What do you say?" Tyler asked Marcus.

Marcus felt a wave of relief. "That would be amazing."

He gathered his belongings and left the dorm to walk toward his parents' car. Now he just had to figure out how to tell them he wasn't coming home with them.

He was halfway across the parking lot, head down, when a voice rang out behind him. Bright, too loud for the moment.

"Oh, there you are!"

Marcus turned, squinting in the afternoon sun. By the bike racks stood Celestine Lowborn, impossible as ever, dressed in a blinding white cotton suit that looked like it belonged in a bad 80s movie. She grinned and waved, drawing stares from everyone nearby. She didn't seem to care.

"I didn't want to interrupt your little funeral," Celestine called, her voice carrying. "And I figured waking you up there would be rude, what with all the important things going on here." said jokingly.

Marcus nearly dropped his box. "Celestine? How—what are you doing here? Are you... are you between worlds like me?"

She laughed, a sound that didn't fit the setting at all. "Me? No, darling. I'm not human. I'm just blending in. Well, trying to."

He looked her up and down. "You're not blending in. At all."

Celestine shrugged. "Blending is overrated. Besides, I needed to talk to you."

Marcus stepped closer, lowering his voice. "What are you, then? What do you want from me?"

She leaned in, her eyes suddenly sharp. "Help me get a copy of the seed, and I'll give you the tools to beat Malachar."

Marcus blinked. "What seed? What are you talking about? You can beat Malachar?"

Celestine rolled her eyes. "Not here. Meet me in your country. Valdoria, Valdris, whatever you call it. We'll talk there."

Before Marcus could ask another question, his father's voice cut through the air, calling his name. He turned for just a second, and when he looked back, Celestine was gone. Vanished. Like she'd never been there at all.

He stood there, heart pounding, the box suddenly heavy in his arms. He'd have to process this later. For now, he walked to the car, mind spinning.

His mother was crying when he got to the car. His father looked like he'd aged ten years in the past week.

"Mom, Dad," Marcus started. "I'm gonna stay here for a while. Tyler offered me a place to stay, and I think I can find work."

"Marcus, please," his mother pleaded. "Come home. We'll figure this out together."

"I need to do this," Marcus said firmly. "I need to figure out who I'm supposed to be. And I can't do that living at home."

His father was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "If this is what you need to do, we'll support you. But you call us every week. And if you need anything..."

"I will, Dad. I promise."

As his parents drove away, Marcus felt the full weight of his decision. In one world, he was a college dropout who'd disappointed his family. In the other, he was someone who might have helped save a kingdom but lost a mentor in the process.

He know which world needed him more. But for now, he had to choose how to live in both.