After Lis let off the hook regarding training, we took a train from Bucharest to Brasov. We toured Brasov, visited the history museum in Piaţa Sfatului, rented a car, and drove to the Gate.
Lis and Mahya touched the Gate, and Lis grimaced, saying, “Blech! I hate these things.”
“You should read the local literature about them, especially the romantic stuff; it’s hilarious,” Mahya suggested, with a wide grin.
When I touched the Gate, my eyes widened, and I asked, “They’re real?!”
Traveler’s Gate #468217257
Destination: Království Krve
Status: Integrated
Mana level: 52
Threat level: Nosferatu–non. Other humans/beings–lethal.
Lyura leaned in, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. “What are those?”
“Human predators—blood drinkers,” Lis replied, his tone blunt and no-nonsense. “Never go to a world like that; they’ll either eat you or make you a blood slave.”
“With her elent, she should be fine,” Mahya chid in. “They’re highly flammable.”
“Bad!” Rue’s telepathic shout echoed in my mind, his tone sharp and alard.
“Yeah, buddy, they sound nasty,” I murmured, reaching down to give his neck a comforting scratch. Rue had been growing fast; his head now nearly reached my chest.
“You should buy him Telepathy so he can talk to all of us,” Lis suggested, glancing at Rue.
“You all have the ability?” I asked, glancing around the group.
They nodded in unison.
“Then why are we even talking out loud?” I asked.
“It looks more natural,” Mahya replied with a shrug.
Lyura looked towards the Gate, her expression serious. “So, do we go in or give up on this one?”
“With Invisibility, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Lis said. “Just to be safe, I’ll cross first and return last.”
I bought Rue Telepathy, and it cost 5 points! FIVE POINTS! A familiar was an expensive business. As soon as I got him the ability, all three of them winced and started scratching his ears and neck. Of course, the first thing he said/shouted to them was to ask for more scratches; my dog adored attention.
We popped in and out of the Gate, returned to Brasov, and took a train to Cluj-Napoca. We spent three days there, loved the architecture, and visited the baroque-era Bánffy Palace Museum. Then, we rented a car and drove to the Gate, which also led to Království Krve. By this point, I was expecting it.
From Romania, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal, and spent three days touring the city. We visited Belém Tower, Castelo de S. Jorge, and Jerónimos Monastery, and we thoroughly enjoyed the food.
I couldn’t resist stocking up on supplies for the journey ahead. As I packed a stash of the local delicacies into a bag, I shot the others a warning look. “This is mine. If you want any, buy your own,” I said, half-joking but mostly serious.
Three pairs of eyes fixed on , pouting in unison, while Rue, lounging under the table, telegraphed a wave of smug satisfaction. He knew, as always, that I’d end up sharing with him.
We rented a car and drove to the next gate.
Traveler’s Gate #369017227
Destination: Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly
Status: Integrated
Mana level: 46
Threat level: Low
What the hell?!
“I love those!” Lis exclaid, his eyes lighting up as he practically bounced on his toes.
“What is it?” I asked, confused by his sudden enthusiasm.
“Genoy world,” he said, a grin spreading across his face.
“How do you know?”
“The na,” he explained, pointing at the Gate. “It’s always very long and ridiculous, and you need to learn to pronounce it correctly before first contact, or they’ll get really offended.”
“I read sothing about them in the Archive. Aren’t they really short?”
“Yep,” Lis nodded, holding his hand at waist height. “The tallest only cos up to about here. But they’re amazing engineers and inventors, very smart, and they’ve got advanced magic knowledge. They’re also a lot of fun,” he added, his smile widening at the thought.
“How do I pass as a local? Aren’t I too tall?”
“They’ll just assu it’s a genetic mutation and feel sorry for you,” he said with a chuckle. “It’ll actually work in your favor—they’ll buy you plenty of drinks out of pity. This might be my next world if we don’t find anything better; I love Genoy.”
That thought hit like a punch to the gut: at so point, each of us would move on to another world, and the realization left with a deep, lingering sadness. We were at different levels of ability and knowledge, and logically, it made little sense to continue together. But logic didn’t make it any easier to swallow. I knew I’d miss Lis terribly, even with his torturous training. After over three years together, he wasn’t just a friend anymore—he was my family, my brother. The family you choose, the kind that understands you in ways no one else can.
I’d miss Mahya, too. Her impish spirit, the way she could turn every situation into sothing to laugh about. But not like I’d miss Lis. The thought of not having him around made feel empty and lost. He had beco my anchor, and the idea of continuing without him felt like stepping into the unknown without a map.
On the train ride from Lisbon to Madrid, I got lancholic. Lis noticed my mood shift, his brow furrowing with concern. Without a word, he slipped his arm around my shoulder, pulling into a side hug. “Is everything all right?” he asked quietly, his voice gentle.
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I hesitated, then sighed. “Yeah, I just realized that we’ll part ways at so point, and I’ll miss your company and friendship,” I admitted.
Lis gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We can keep in touch.”
“How?”
He smiled softly. “In the Archive, did you see posts that start with strange word combinations and don’t make much sense?”
“Yeah. I wondered about those.”
“Those are ssages between Traveler friends,” Lis explained, his voice softening as he leaned in closer. “We should pick a word combination of our own, sothing unique to us. That way, we can send each other ssages no matter where we are. And listen, if you ever need —really need —just send an SOS with the Gate chain attached. I don’t care if I’m ten worlds away or on the other side of the universe. I’ll find a way to get to you,” he said, his tone turning serious, the playful light in his eyes replaced with unwavering determination.
He looked in the eye, making sure I got how serious he was. It wasn’t just a promise; it was a bond, a commitnt that went beyond friendship. At that mont, I realized I wouldn’t be alone, no matter what. Lis would be there, even if it ant crossing countless worlds to reach .
“And you better do the sa for ,” he added with a crooked smile, the seriousness of the mont lting back into his usual good-natured warmth. “No excuses.”
I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude wash over . “I will,” I promised, my voice steadier now. Having this kind of connection made the future seem less intimidating. It wasn’t just about the code words or the Gates—it was about knowing that soone had your back, no matter where you were.
That thought made feel a lot better. As the train rocked gently on its tracks, the rhythmic clatter filling the small compartnt, Lis leaned back in his seat with a grin. “Alright, let’s co up with our Archive nas,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
I thought for a mont, then offered, “How about ‘Healer’ or ‘Doctor’ for ?”
Lis chuckled. “Or… how about ‘Clueless’?” he suggested with a playful smirk.
I blinked, taken aback. “What? No way!” I protested imdiately, sitting up straighter. “I know stuff! I’m not clueless!” My voice took on a slight edge of panic as I realized the others were nodding, their amusent growing.
Mahya covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “It’s kind of perfect, though,” she teased. “You’ve got that ‘deer in headlights’ look half the ti.”
Even Rue chid in, his voice filled with childish mischief. “Clueless! Funny!”
“Co on, guys, I’ve been learning a lot!” I protested again, glancing around at their grinning faces. “I can’t be ‘Clueless’—it’s not fair!”
Lis, still laughing, raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I was just joking, but… well, it kinda fits, doesn’t it?” he said, a hint of apology in his tone, though his grin didn’t fade.
I groaned, trying one last ti to salvage my dignity. “What about ‘Strategist’? Or ‘Guide’? Sothing that sounds competent?”
Lyura, who had been quietly watching the exchange, finally spoke up, her voice laced with amusent. “Sorry, John, but ‘Clueless’ has a certain… charm to it.”
I slumped back in my seat, defeated. “Fine,” I muttered. “But I’m not happy about it.”
Lis hugged and squeezed my shoulder, still chuckling. “You’ll grow into it,” he said with a grin. “And hey, it’s all in good fun.”
Rue nudged my leg, his tail wagging. “Pats?! Scratches?!”
Mahya shook her head, smiling fondly at Rue. “No, Rue, you’re ‘Hungry.’ You’re always thinking with your stomach,” she said, reaching over to give him the ear scratches he was angling for.
“Lis should be Sensei,” I suggested, half-seriously.
Lis shook his head, still chuckling. “Nah, too dignified. I think ‘Inventor’ sounds less pompous.”
“How exactly is it less pompous?” I shot back. “If anything, it’s even more pompous.”
He and Mahya burst into laughter. “Inventor is perfect,” Mahya declared, nodding in agreent. “And I should be Versailles. After all, that’s the palace I’m going to recreate one day, down to the last chandelier. The na will remind to keep the dream alive. And I think Lyura should be Television.”
Lyura looked up, surprised. “Television? Why?”
“Because your nose is always stuck in it,” Mahya teased.
Lyura pouted slightly. “Why do you get your dream, and I get television?”
“You do love it,” I pointed out, trying to be helpful.
“Fine,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “At least I’m not Clueless.”
“You see,” I said, turning to the others and gesturing at Lyura. “Even she thinks the moniker Clueless is ridiculous. Co on, guys, Healer would suit so much better.”
They exchanged amused glances, smiling widely, before shaking their heads in unison. Lis hugged again—like that was going to help—and Mahya blew an air kiss, clearly enjoying my frustration.
How did those two get what they wanted, and I got stuck with Clueless? It wasn’t fair.
Resigned to my fate, I joined in as we spent the next hour laughing and trying out our new monikers, calling out “Clueless to Television” or “Inventor to Versailles,” getting a feel for how they sounded. Despite my initial resistance, I had to admit it was fun, and the mood in the compartnt lifted as we played around with our new code nas.
By the ti we finished, I felt more at ease. No matter where our paths might lead, we had our own secret way of staying connected.
After lunch, the girls looked around to check for witnesses and took out their laptops, while Lis and I took out books. I was still giving him the stink eye occasionally, but he would just laugh and hug my shoulders. I sighed—friends were annoying sotis—and got back to my book.
A short ti later, Mahya said, “You all need to see this.” And turned her laptop screen towards us.
There was a story that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) had started acting up. Sotis, it would stop working for a few seconds and then co back; other tis, it would work faster or slower. Recently, the scientists who work with the LHC have received strange readings.
“In the next Gate, we should check the mana reading on this side,” Lis said.
We all agreed with him and lost so of the levity.
When we reached Madrid, we didn’t even tour the city; we just took a train to Toledo, rented a car, and went straight to the Gate.
Traveler’s Gate #369017225
Destination: Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly
Status: Integrated
Mana level: 46
Threat level: Low
On the other side, we touched the gate to check the mana levels on Earth.
Traveler’s Gate #369017225
Destination: Earth/Gaia/Terra
Status: Unintegrated
Mana level: 6
Technology level: Low
Threat level: Humans–moderate. Other species–very high.
The mana level had increased by another two points over the past three and a half years.
“We need to start moving faster,” Lis said, his voice tinged with urgency. “Another two points, and it’ll be too dangerous to go on a plane.”
I tried to stay optimistic. “It took four years to go up by two points; we’ve got ti.”
Lis shook his head, his expression serious. “The higher the levels get, the faster they rise. We don’t have as much ti as it seems.”
Goddamnit!
From Toledo, we took a train to Barcelona; urgency or no urgency, I had no intention of skipping this city. Lis tried to argue, but I wouldn’t budge. I wanted to see Gaudi’s creations. At the Sagrada Família, he admitted it was worth the delay. We spent five days touring the city. I bought more food, and the girls bought a lot of clothes in Passeig de Gràcia.
We rented a car and drove to Congost de Mont-rebel Nature Preserve. I felt a little disappointed not to tour Spain more, but we needed to move it. The Gate was in the nature preserve and also led to Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly. God, this na was ridiculous. Just knowing I’d need to learn to pronounce it might be enough to stop from visiting a Genoy world.
After the Gate, we drove to Lleida and got hotel rooms.
Over dinner, Lis addressed the group in a serious tone. “Because of the new ti constraint, Mahya and I need to finish our project, which will take us four to six weeks,” he explained. “Lyura, I found an active volcano in Italy—Mount Etna. I think it’s the perfect spot for you to progress your elent and boost your mana level.”
He then turned to , his expression firm. “As part of upgrading your class, you need to develop so ranged magic spells. Don’t buy them from the Guidance; finish studying Mana Constructs for Spell Creation and build them yourself. We’ll call you both when we’re done, and we’ll et in Naples, Italy—it’s the closest major city to our next Gate.”
After so discussion, we decided Lyura should fly to Sicily as soon as possible to maximize her ti at the volcano. As for , I’d spend a bit of ti touring Spain to shake off my disappointnt, with a promise to finish studying the book and creating those ranged spells. When the ti ca, I’d either take a train or catch a flight to Naples.
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