Mari


    I didn’t believe I was standing next to an alien. No, sorry, a phoenix—how stupid of me. Until, that is, the sun set and the temperature went from chill to cold. Until I turned to suggest we head inside only to find Blaise’s skin radiating a light—glow? Her eyes, when she turned to me, were completely gold, no whites at all.


    “Blaise?” I swallowed hard, “You—you’re glowing.”


    “We need to leave,” all traces of the innocent idiot following me around were gone. The person in front of me seemed…dangerous; like maybe I should have been more cautious before spending hours with her.


    “Yeah, let’s head downstairs,” I hurried to the elevator. The elevator operator looked at Blaise wide-eyed but thankfully he remained silent.


    As soon as we stepped out of the building, Blaise’s glow died down to an odd tan.


    I breathed a sign of relief, “So…what was that?” Don’t be intimidated.


    “Phoenixes are meant to be in the tropics where we absorb heat, not exude it,” Blaise said like it made perfect sense.


    “So have you seen enough? Are you going back?” I asked—more like snapped.


    My stomach chose that moment to grumble.


    “I am hungry too,” Blaise said matter-of-factly.


    “Okay, food then print the pictures then get you home,” I checked my phone, almost nine. Lights out at my dorm was eleven.


    Luckily we were on a busy street so most places closed late. We walked into a sandwich place—the smell of bread and meat and herbs made my mouth water.


    “What is that smell?” Blaise asked a little too loudly. Oh God, she was gonna get our food spat on.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    “You mean that wonderful aroma? That’s the miracle of sandwiches,” I smiled at the clerk behind the counter. Probably best if I ordered for both of us. “Just sit, I’ll bring the food over.”


    Two roast beef sandwiches, two fountain sodas and two bags of chips—man, I need to stop spending this money!


    Blaise looked at the sandwich, inspected it from every angle, taking a bite her face lit up, her mouth widening into a smile. “Thish ish goude,” her words slurred around the food.


    I tried my best not to look annoyed. The longer I stared at this beautiful idiot the more convinced I became that there was no way she could have masterminded a trip to another world. There’s no way… “How did you get here? To this world? Was it an accident?”


    Blaise shook her head, “I—wait you believe me now?”


    This time I couldn’t help rolling my eyes, “You glowed—of course I believe you’re…different.”


    Blaise’s smile blazed, brightening her whole face, “That’s wonderful.”


    “Ugh,” I almost banged my head against the table, “Soooo?”


    Blaise looked at her hands, “It wasn’t an accident,” she gave a deep sigh, “It’s rather complicated but let’s just say before now the idea of a world without magic was only a myth and I just proved it’s not,” a smug smile danced on her lips.


    I latched onto the one thing I understood, “Aha! It is a place with magic!”


    Blaise shrugged, “What do you call those machines you drive or that thing that lifted us to the top of the building or all those moving pictures or even that ‘phone’ you took ‘pictures’ with.”


    “Technology,” I said flatly.


    Blaise shrugged again, “Exactly, something that helps manipulate your world for your comfort. Just like our magic.”


    “But it’s not magic—magic is creating portals to other worlds!” I snapped, “There is a solid science based on the laws of physics behind our devices what is your magic based on?”


    “The laws of aether,” Blaise answered without hesitation.


    My jaw dropped, “What the hell is that?”


    “What are the laws of physics?” Blaise answered calm as can be. It was driving me insane.


    “Um—matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” I stated triumphantly.


    “Hmm—no wonder there’s no magic here if this universe makes such a rule, we have no such law in my world.”


    I stared, slack jawed again.


    “I mean how else can a dragon condense into this form—or a Kraken for that matter,” Blaise continued with nonsense.


    “Ugh,” I threw up my hands in frustration, “If you’re done eating, let’s go.”


    We walked outside, I immediately tightened my jacket against the cold, “Okay where to? I mean you’re heading back now, right?”


    Blaise looked at the sky, “Actually I can’t leave until morning, something about a rising dawn.”