The endless adventures of the Dimension Princess

Chapter 6: The flow of time

"I've finished inspecting the Portal Hall, Your Highness," Heine announces as he enters the throne room a few hours after our discovery.

"Excellent!" I exclaim, setting aside the scroll I had been reading. "What did you find out?" I inquire, eager to learn more.

"You should also have the power to open portals, at will even," Heine replies, his tone filled with a sense of anticipation. "Give it a try."

I nod, intrigued by the idea. "Alright," I say, extending my hand and flicking my wrist. In an instant, a portal materializes before us, its swirling blue hues sparking with energy.

"That's cool! Where does it lead?" I ask, peering into the portal with curiosity.

Heine offers a shrug. "I don't know," he admits.

"Helpful," I mutter with a hint of exasperation.

"My theory on this is, you think about where you'd like to go and then you open a portal," Heine continues, offering a possible explanation.

"Do you think I could open one to home and go back?" I inquire, my voice tinged with hope.

"You'll only know if you try," Heine replies sagely.

With determination, I close the portal and focus my thoughts on home. As I open another portal, the familiar sight of my room greets me.

"Oh my god! I can go home!" I exclaim, my excitement palpable.

However, I notice a shift in Heine's demeanor, a sadness lingering in his eyes. "Well then, go on," he says quietly.

"Don't worry," I reassure him with a warm smile. "This place has grown on me over the past month. I'll come back! Everyone at home must just be really worried about me, since I've been missing for the past month. I just want to tell them that I'm ok, see my family and friends again."

Heine nods in understanding as I embrace him tightly. "You're a great Royal Advisor! Thank you so much for your help!" I express my gratitude before waving farewell. With a deep breath, I step through the portal, ready to embark on my journey home.

The sensation is disorienting, as if reality itself is twisting and warping around me. The rhythmic ticking of a clock fills the air, initially slow but gradually picking up speed until it's a frantic beat.

Then, as suddenly as it began, I find myself standing in my own room, the familiar surroundings momentarily jarring after the surreal experience I just had. Without hesitation, I bound downstairs, eager to reassure my mom of my safety.

"Mom! Mom, I'm ok! I'm back! Don't worry!" I exclaim, relief flooding through me.

She regards me with a puzzled expression, clearly taken aback by my sudden outburst. "What are you talking about, honey? What do you mean, you're back? You just went upstairs and said you were going to bed. You didn't leave."

My heart sinks as her words sink in. "But... I was gone for an entire month!"

She can't contain her laughter at my bewildered expression. "Are you ok? Do you have a fever? Or did you have another one of your weirdly realistic feeling dreams?"

"Was it all a dream? But it felt so real..." I murmur, grappling with the disconcerting possibility.

"I'm just... gonna go back to bed," I mumble, retreating upstairs, my mind reeling with confusion.

Alone in my room once more, I collapse onto my bed, grappling with the unsettling uncertainty of what just transpired. Fumbling for my phone on the bedside stand, I check the time and date, hoping for some semblance of clarity. It's exactly as I remember it before falling asleep and awakening on Auria.