Chapter 2

Yesterday, after dinner, I went straight to bed. Around seven in the morning, the first rays of sunlight began to spill into the room. Since I had neither blinds nor curtains, the brightness hit me directly in the face and pulled me out of sleep. The first thing I need to buy is some curtains, I thought.

From the hallway came the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices. People were starting to wake up. Taking that as my cue, I got up, took a quick shower, and got dressed to go down for breakfast.

When I reached the dining room, everyone was already there, chatting and eating.
“What a surprise. I expected you to sleep until noon,” Quindle said in his usual teasing tone.
“Who could sleep with this sun shining straight in?” I muttered back.
“Your room doesn’t have curtains?” Aedric asked, glancing at Aine in surprise.
“I’m still fixing them,” Aine replied calmly. “The ones in his room had to be replaced after Mr. Quindle tore them.”
“It was an accident,” Quindle protested, a little defensive.

While they talked, I took my seat. Each person had their own plate of toast, and there was plenty of food in the center for anyone to serve themselves. For me, toast was enough.

As I ate quietly, Aedric looked at me with a serious expression.
“Navnlos,” he began, “I think it’s time we explain your situation.”
I lifted my eyes from the plate.
“Your existence is... an anomaly. If anyone finds out who you really are, you’ll be in serious danger. They could arrest you—or even kill you.”
“Is it really that strange for someone ‘normal’ to know about this side?”
“The world of science dominates ours,” he said. “Don’t think of us as special. Modern armies could wipe us out easily. That’s why people from this side protect their secrets fiercely. They don’t tolerate anomalies.”
“So as long as no one finds out, I’ll be fine, right?”
“That’s the issue,” he replied. “You don’t have anything I can use to make you an ID.”
“An ID?”
“That should be common knowledge. You need identification for everything. And right now, I can’t even make you a fake one.”

That caught me completely off guard. I didn’t know much about this world, but somehow, the image I had of a magical realm was very different. A wave of disappointment washed over me.

“In two months, I’ll go to the city,” Aedric continued. “We’ll handle everything there. But before that, you need to obtain two things. First, a clan insignia.”
I stared at him blankly.
“I know you have no idea what that is. Let me explain. Just like in the scientific world, most people live in cities and follow the normal system. But there are still ancient clans and tribes of mages who live in secrecy. Their insignias serve as identification. If you can convince one of them to give you theirs, I can use it to create your papers.”
“And how exactly am I supposed to convince someone like that? Wouldn’t they find me suspicious too?”
“There’s someone who lives a few kilometers from here. She’s the last of her clan and lives alone. If you earn her trust, that will be enough. Hina knows where she lives—she’ll take you there.”
“Grandma Isobel has a difficult personality,” Hina added, “but she’s kind. If you prove your worth, I’m sure she’ll help you.”
“That doesn’t sound too reassuring. And what’s the second thing I need?”
“We’ll talk about that once you get the insignia. Without it, nothing else matters. You’ll leave in five days. Until then, I’ll prepare you for the journey.”

That day, Aedric put me through a grueling physical routine. Since I wasn’t exactly athletic, I barely lasted through most of it. But Aedric didn’t let me rest—he pushed me to keep going. Time was short, and I had to get stronger. By the end of the day, my whole body ached. I didn’t even have the strength to eat dinner.

Later, as I lay in the yard trying to recover, the night sky stretched above me, full of stars. I was about to head inside when I noticed Hina sitting beneath a tree, gazing at the sky. I decided to join her.

“Isn’t it a bit late to be outside?” I asked.
“I like watching the stars from here,” she said with a soft smile. “Though it’s pretty cold at this time of year.”

We both wore light jackets, not enough to keep the chill away, especially when the wind picked up. I sat a short distance from her.
“Have you been here long?” I asked.
“I came about a year ago. But I’ve always lived on this side, so the change wasn’t as drastic for me as it was for you. Though I did feel the difference between living in a city and a small town,” she said, smiling sheepishly.
“Isn’t it strange for someone our age to move from a city to a town? Even with my spotty memory, that sounds odd.”
“Everyone said I was crazy when I decided to come here,” she laughed.
“So why did you?”
“I guess I was just bored. When I met Aedric, studying with him seemed more fun than going to school.”
“I don’t know why, but I can understand that school isn’t all that fun.”
“Right?” she said, laughing again.

While we talked, Drust padded over and lay down beside Hina, who began to pet him.
“You know,” she said softly, “Grandma Isobel was the one who introduced me to Aedric. Thanks to her, I met Drust too. I’m really grateful to her.”
“Are you related?”
“No, but she treated me like family. I care about her a lot. I’m sure she’ll help you too.”
“I hope so.”

“If you stay out there much longer, you’ll catch a cold,” Aine called from the living room window.
“Yeah, we should probably go inside,” Hina said, getting to her feet.
“Yes, it’s about time.”

I tried to stand, but my sore body wouldn’t cooperate.
“Could you give me a hand?” I asked, blushing.
Hina laughed and reached out her hand to help me up.