The living room was bathed in the soft glow of the television, casting flickering shadows across Venna and Kai as they lounged on the couch. The air was tense, broken only by the occasional crunch of snacks they absentmindedly nibbled on. On the screen, the logo of Channel 7 News appeared followed by the news anchor, Sarah Johnson, reporting with a serious demeanor.

"Good evening, Arizona. I'm Sarah Johnson, bringing you the Saturday evening update on a series of unsettling events that have unfolded across our state this past week."

Kai leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the TV screen, while Venna watched with a steady expression, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes. Sarah continued, detailing various incidents from different parts of Arizona: a mysterious disappearance in Flagstaff, severe weather damage in Tucson, and a vandalism spree in Phoenix.

"Now, turning to Mesa," Sarah's tone grew somber, her voice trembling slightly. "We've witnessed some truly horrifying events. At Emberfall High School, a mass killing has left the community in shock and mourning. Reports indicate that at least twenty people were killed, including twelve students and eight teachers and staff members. The police suspect that the incident was due to a school shooting, though the identity of the perpetrator has not yet been determined. Investigations are still ongoing. The school has suspended all activities indefinitely and a memorial march will be held on the tenth of August, followed by a commemorative ceremony later that day to honor the victims and provide support to the grieving families."

She paused, taking a breath before continuing. "Shortly after, a devastating house fire claimed the home of one of Mesa's most prominent residents, Mrs. Ellen Buffay. This fire has been described as a major blow to the community."

"And just yesterday" Sarah added, "a Mesa resident, Miss Lyra Thompson, was reportedly attacked while walking her dog in her neighborhood...."

At the mention of Miss Lyra's name, Kai's demeanor shifted. He set down his snack, brow furrowing with concern. Venna, sensing his unease, mirrored his reaction. They exchanged a quick glance, their shared apprehension evident as they absorbed the gravity of the news.

Sarah's voice turned grim, "The community is reeling from these tragic events, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward." Her voice continued, now filled with urgency. "While these events may seem isolated, there is growing fear that something more sinister might be at play here in Mesa. Moving on to Glendale..."

The Reporter's voice faded into the background as Kai's thoughts raced, grappling with the implications of these closely linked events. For both Kai and Venna, the unfolding series of incidents hit close to home, stirring a mix of empathy and a growing unease about the safety of their community.

Kai suggested going to his room to try and relieve them from the weight of the news.

"Do you think all these events occurring have to do with-" Kai paused, not wanting to completely voice their thoughts as he closed the door to his room.

He had expected Venna to call him names or assure him he was overthinking to make him feel better, but instead, she sat there in silence, her eyes staring into space, lost in thought.

Kai realized they had mentioned the death of her mom on TV and was about to offer some comforting words when his room door opened to reveal his younger foster sibling-five years his junior.

The girl appeared nonchalant, as if she had been compelled to deliver a message.

"Kai, your friends are here to see you. Mom said to bring them to your room since they came to study."

"Friends? And Ma agreed?"

His sister only shrugged and marched into the adjacent room. The door, already partially open, revealed three other teenagers he had certainly not expected to see at his house.

"Hola!" Elmz called as she poked her head in first and waved.

"Holy sh-, what are you guys doing here?" Kai exclaimed, more as a confirmation than a question.

"Yo, that's no way to greet your classmates," Ikzar said, smiling as he pushed the door fully open and let himself in. He went straight to sit down beside Venna, who wore an expression of shock on her face mirroring Kai's.

Not only was their presence unexpected, but the clothes they wore-regular, proper civilization-like attire-made them look so... normal. If "normal" could ever be applied to the trio, their darker skin tone and unique eye color always made them seem a little strange-and even more attractive.

"Hey, Vee, how've you been?" Ikzar asked, a mixture of worry and concern on his face.

Shaking off her surprise, Venna gave him a smile. "I'm fine now, thanks." She got up and walked toward the others, this time seeming more friendly than during their last encounter. "Why are you standing by the doorway? Come in, Kai's room isn't going to bite," she laughed.

"I thought you'd still be mad at me," Elmz said, her head bowed in regret.

"Nah, we're past that. I'm actually glad to see you guys. I mean, how did you find this place-oh, pfft, magic, right? Come in, come in, make yourselves at home," she gestured toward the bed for them to sit.

Kai gave her a worried look before speaking. "Okay, ignoring Venna's strange behavior, let's move on. What are you guys doing here? And how did you get Ma to let you come directly to my room?" he asked, squinting suspiciously at them.

Benkrat rolled his eyes. 'Ma-'

"Macaroni and cheese,' Elmz interrupted, her response quick and a touch uncertain. 'Yeah, we introduced ourselves and offered her mac and cheese as a gift for visiting the first time,' she finished, shooting Benkrat a warning look."

"And she took it? Without any comment?"

"Not really. She asked if it wasn't too pricey for us teenagers and made a comment about saving our allowance instead of spending it on gifts."

"Yep, sounds like my foster mom," Kai affirmed as he pulled out a chair from his bedside table and offered it to Venna. When she declined, he took a seat on it.

"Okay, so that leaves us with why you're here?"

"The news?" Elmz replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what about it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Doesn't anything seem strange to you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kai said, feigning ignorance.

"Fine, I'll explain," she sighed, clearly frustrated. "The series of horrifying events happening in Mesa-doesn't it seem odd to you?"

"Not really. Is this your first time watching the news?"

Elmz's frustration grew evident. She turned to Venna. "Help me out here."

"I just have a question," Venna said, raising her hand with a hint of amusement, "You guys watch the news?"

Kai laughed. "To be honest, I was surprised too."

Elmz was practically boiling with frustration now. She stood up defensively, her arms folded in front of her. "Why can't we watch the news?"

"I mean, stone houses, wooden doors, sand-more sand," Venna answered, trying to hint at something.

"We're surprised there's any electricity there," Kai added.

"Do you get," Venna said almost immediately, as they both burst out laughing.

"Stop it, you guys. Elmz doesn't get Earth jokes," Ikzar said, his tone firm as he noticed the look of embarrassment and the tears forming in her eyes.

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to upset you, right, Venna?"

"Um, yeah. So about the news, horrifying stuff like this is mentioned all the time. I mean, it's mostly those kinds of things you hear about nowadays," she shrugged.

"Okay, but you were there. You witnessed the school massacre. You know it wasn't just some crazy shooter," Ikzar pressed.

"I mean, it could be-"

"Give it a rest, Venna. They're right. Crazy things have been happening lately, and maybe if we start listening to them, we'll be better off."

"So you're just going to give up believing in reality to side with these people? You really think a magical realm exists?" she asked, air-quoting as she continued. "A world where immortals lived? Eldorem? Don't you see? They're probably trying to play a prank on us or something."

"Come on, think about it, Venna. What if they're right? What if we're the cause of everything wrong that's been happening? You can't deny that creature appeared in school, or that we saw Elmz transform, or-"

"Or what? That your powers actually caused the fire? That you're indirectly responsible for my mom's death, huh? No, come on, let's talk about that!"

"Venna, I..."

"At first, I'm not gonna lie, I almost bought this stuff. But now, I can see they're just crazy. All of you are crazy!" Almost out of breath, she looked around the room, meeting each of their eyes. With nothing left to say, she marched towards the door. Just as she was about to step out, she turned towards Kai.

"You know, if there was ever anything I wanted to believe so bad, it would be the fact that you were my twin. But now, I can see how that's crazy," she said, slamming the door behind her.

Kai must have lost his mind if he thought magic was real. Venna couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be a rational explanation for the bizarre events of the past week.

Since her house had burned down, Kai and his foster family had offered her a place to stay to prevent her from being sent to a random foster home. She was starting to settle in and even appreciate it- until those three showed up. Their constant presence was a thorn in her side. Sure, riding a griffin was thrilling, but their arrival had only brought more trouble into her life.

It was beginning to dawn on her that maybe she and Kai weren't the problem-it was them. She had to make Kai see things clearly.

Frustrated, she kicked a pebble down the road, only then realizing she had wandered back to her old house. Staring at the charred remains, tears threatened to spill. She refused to believe magic was responsible for her losses. Turning away from the blackened walls, she felt a sense of resignation.

An idea sparked in her mind. If she could find proof that magic didn't exist and wasn't attracting all these creatures, she might be able to convince Kai and bring him back to reality.

She had almost missed the turn to Miss Lyra's house when she realized it could hold the answers she was seeking. With Miss Lyra in the hospital, it might be the perfect opportunity to investigate.

Without hesitation, she turned into the cul-de-sac. Though she knew no one else lived nearby, she approached the house quietly.

The door was locked, as expected, so she decided to enter through a window. The panes were old and lacked locks, making it easy for her to climb inside.

The dim light from outside barely illuminated the room. As she navigated the dark space, she found the light switch and flipped it on, revealing the vast library that had captivated her the last time she was here.

With no time to waste, she started pulling books off the shelves, searching for any references to Eldorem or anything related to a magical realm.

After an hour of relentless searching, Venna's patience began to wear thin. What kind of woman was Miss Lyra, anyway? The question gnawed at her as she thought back to their brief encounter.

Miss Lyra had excused herself right after they'd shown her the necklace, claiming she needed some time to read. Perhaps her study upstairs held the answers Venna sought.

As she climbed the stairs, the old wood creaked ominously under her weight, sending a shiver down her spine. She dismissed the unease and steeled herself.

"Alright, down to business," she muttered, her voice barely more than a whisper in the silent house.

The first room she entered was unremarkable: a bed, a side dresser, a wardrobe, and a door leading to a bathroom. The second room was almost bare, containing only a bed and a dresser.

As she continued her search, each new room seemed to blend into the next, their layouts shifting unpredictably. The space felt increasingly disorienting, and Venna's frustration grew as she realized the rooms seemed to be multiplying, each one different from the last.

Standing in the corridor, she could see eight doors-four on each side. It didn't make sense; she had opened more doors than that, and the layout seemed to shift, as if mocking her attempts to find her way. Her heart pounded, and a cold sweat formed on her brow.

At the end of the corridor, a new door appeared, one she hadn't noticed before. She took a hesitant step toward it, then another, and another. The door seemed to drift farther away with each step, mocking her efforts.

Just as she was about to turn back, the door creaked open itself. Driven by a mix of dread and curiosity, she moved forward again, managing to reach the door on her fifteenth step.

Through the narrow gap, the sound of waves crashing against the shore reached her ears, an eerie and out-of-place noise in the otherwise silent house. The only light came from within the room, a faint, ghostly glow seeping through the crack.

Her pulse quickened as she hesitantly pushed the door open a little further and peered inside. What she saw made her recoil in fear, as she quickly slammed the door shut."

"Time to get out of here," she whispered to herself, her voice quivering as she hurried back down the stairs.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, urgency propelling her forward. The others needed to see this. When she burst back into the room, they were still sitting in the same positions she had left them in.

Venna paused to catch her breath, her chest heaving as they stared at her in surprise.

"Try giving us a warning before barging in next time. You scared the life out of me," Kai said, rising from the ground to reclaim his chair.

"Sorry," Venna gasped, still panting. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean any of it."

The room fell silent, everyone eyeing her with suspicion. Breaking the silence, Ikzar rose and asked, "Are you alright, Venna?"

"Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost," Benkrat scoffed.

Elmz elbowed him. "Shut it."

"No, he's right. You could say that," Venna replied, nodding.

"What did you see?" Kai asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"I can't describe it. You guys have to see it for yourselves."

"Where?"

"Miss Lyra's house."

"You went to Miss Lyra's house?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know it was wrong, but I needed to prove that you all were crazy and that magic wasn't real a real thing."

"And?" Elmz pressed.

"Oh, magic is real alright. Come on, I'll show you."

Without hesitation, the four of them followed her out of the room.

"Where are you kids going? Done with your studying already?" Kai's foster mom asked, stepping into the hall just as they were about to leave.

"Uh, Ma, we're going to get some... stuff," Kai said before anyone else could speak.

"Stuff?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we need it for a practical," Elmz added quickly.

His foster mom smiled and stepped aside. "Well, you two don't be late for dinner."

"Okay, Ma," Kai replied, racing after his friends.

Outside Miss Lyra's house, they gathered, unsure of who should go in first.

"Why are we all just standing around? Aren't you curious?" Venna asked, her impatience evident.

"I'm curious, but bravery isn't exactly my strong suit. Maybe someone else should go first," Kai said, taking a step back.

Ikzar chuckled. "Fine, I'll go in first and open the door for you guys."

"Thanks," they murmured in unison.

"This way," Venna said, hurrying up the stairs.

"For someone who seemed so freaked out when you burst in, you've got some nerve leading the way," Benkrat remarked as they followed her.

Ignoring him, Venna reached the top of the stairs and stopped abruptly. The others followed suit, their curiosity mounting.

"What's wrong?" Elmz asked.

"It's not here," Venna said, scanning the area with growing unease.

"Huh?"

"The door's gone."

"Venna, you're creeping me out," Kai said, a note of panic in his voice.

"There were supposed to be eight doors and then one at the end of the corridor," Venna explained, looking around in disbelief. "What? How come there are only six now?"

"Maybe you miscounted," Kai suggested.

Venna shot him a sharp look. "I know how to count!"

Kai raised his hands in surrender, taking a step back.

"The rooms kept shifting and multiplying," Venna explained, her voice trembling. "Then this door appeared-it kept moving away from me. Just as I was about to turn back, it creaked open. I could hear this-"

"Okay, Venna," Kai interjected urgently, raising a hand to stop her, "can we continue this outside? This place gives me the chills."

"I agree with Kai," Elmz added, shivering slightly.

"Me too," Ikzar chimed in.

"Fine," Venna huffed, clearly frustrated but relenting. "Since you're all such crybabies." They headed back down the stairs, making their way outside.

They were almost out of the house when Benkrat suddenly stumbled and groaned in pain.

"Benkrat, are you okay?" Elmz asked, reaching out to support him.

"It's happening again," Benkrat gasped, clutching his stomach.

"What's going on?" Venna asked, her concern mounting, but the others paid her no mind as they focused on helping Benkrat out of the house.

Once outside, they helped him sit on the ground. Benkrat curled up, his face contorted with pain.

"What's happening to him?" Kai asked, kneeling beside him to check his temperature.

"What is it, Benkrat?" Elmz urged.

Benkrat looked up at them, his hazel eyes beginning to glow. "I can feel it," he whispered, his voice strained. "I can sense another Eldorian nearby."