Realm of Noah

Chapter 6

10th November 2019

NOAH

"A Portal Bubble? That's it?!"

I gaped in disbelief at my one-way ticket out of the Pit, wondering how on earth it would help us escape the ISA. It was too simple of a solution, something that didn't line up with Johannes's flamboyant style.

"Yes, Noah Stark. Did you expect us to be riding an elephant out of the Pit of Darkness? Perhaps a magic carpet?" Johannes snapped, waving his hands gently to let the bubble expand.

"But, there's no Shield," I told him uncertainly.

"Bah, you and your useless Shield," He scowled in distaste. "I've performed a spell on this that will render us invisible...so that no one can track us or the bubble. It's much more convenient."

I didn't reply, carefully observing the spell he used, so that I could replicate it later. The ISA had refrained from teaching us the intricate bits of magic, only limiting our knowledge to what was appropriate to reach the White Realm.

I had to say, Johannes had several tricks up his sleeve, including this neat little spell. It had many more advantages than the Shield, including being easier to use and requiring lesser energy. I was slowly beginning to see why people called him a criminal mastermind.

Once the bubble looked large enough to carry the both of us, Johannes turned to Fergus, who was ready with an ocean of tears.

"Sir, I'm going to miss you so much," He sobbed rather noisily, dabbing his wet face with a rag. Being Johannes's scapegoat, he'd vowed to hide our escapade from the ISA.

"I will miss you too, Fergus," Johannes pulled him into a comforting hug. "But we'll be back whenever dear Augustus decides to pay a visit..."

"What?" I interrupted. "I thought we were leaving forever."

Johannes rolled his eyes at me.

"Do you want the ISA to find out that we've escaped?" He demanded. "We need to come back here occasionally and pretend to be pitiful prisoners so that Augustus doesn't suspect us!"

"Yeah right, I knew that," I nodded knowingly, not wanting Johannes to scream further.

Soon we drifted off in the iridescent bubble, sailing past the deep bowels of the Spirit Prison, over to the lower security areas. Shay would've been in one of these areas, and I knew that she had to be out by now.

If so, why hadn't she rescued me yet?

Was Isaac stopping her?

We left the Spirit Prison, floating back into the external world of the Spirit Realm. The hyper-realistic trees and identical neighbourhoods brought out unexpected nostalgia in me, before reminding me that I didn't live here anymore.

I didn't have a home or a family now.

I was all alone-

"Boy, are you still wearing those disgusting grey robes?" Johannes questioned, dusting his new set of velvety purple robes with delicate silver embroidery. "You're free now, you can wear what you want!"

I nodded, before switching over to my dark blue hoodie and black jeans. It made me feel better, much more comfortable than the rough robes I'd donned earlier.

"That's what you like to wear?" He questioned, sounding annoyed. "Spirits these days, your sense of fashion is abysmal!"

"Yeah, well, people don't dress like warlocks anymore," I spat back, eyeing his ridiculous outfit.