The Wizard

Chapter 9 part 3

The great catastrophe happened when the six months ran out. Nothing indicated an imminent danger and the measurements proved that the two planes were stable and that the twin worlds of Earth and Crystal World were oxygenated, as it always happened.

Then I decided that Carol deserved her chance. In the great amphitheater, after she presented the measurements again and proved everything that we both already knew, I decided to authorize. I got up:

"My decision is that the Guardian of the Portals, Caroline Sanders, according to a solemn promise that I made to her on the day of my election, open the portal and explore the overlapping world. But," I emphasized that but so much that she widened her eyes, "to do this safely, we will do it in the world of plane one towards the previous plane, henceforth called plane zero, since it is further away from the Citadel and I determine that another Guardian of the Portals accompany her to give support. Hernandez, the support task will be yours."

Caroline smiled with pure joy, especially because I chose the Spanish man, who was her boyfriend since last month and they both felt very happy. I was well aware of that and wanted to please her to make up for the wait.

"You will do this in an uninhabited and oxygenated world, just in case. The experience will be carried out in seventy-two hours, so that they can position themselves." I knew that Carol needed a break every four planes she crossed. It's not as much as the dragons, who need a whole night, but I wanted her to be well rested. "Tonight I will make a private visit for the final details. Thank you."

Having finished the official part, I winked at her and withdrew to the Crystal Palace. At dusk, I knocked on her door. She opened and threw herself into my arms, happy. Then she pulled me inside and I met Hernandez, a tall and well-built young man, very friendly. We talked a lot about what they would do and I left very calm.

Three days later, I was too restless and two counselors tried to calm me down without success. It was as if I felt that a very great tragedy was about to unfold and that brought to the surface the last words of Sergey, as if he knew that something would happen.

Increasingly worried, I jumped up and opened a portal to where the experience was carried out because, as I said, I could cross all the planes at once.

Even before crossing the gap, I saw Hernandez lighting the place with a stick in his hands, since it was dark night. Carol was a superior, like me, and did not use objects. She must have entered, because she was not visible. As soon as I crossed the passage, I heard the scream. It was a scream of terror so sharp and unreal that I threw myself in one leap in his direction. Hernandez was very nervous and indecisive. He put his foot to go after his girlfriend, crossing the new plane, when he heard me scream:

"Go back to the Citadel," I passed by him running and lighting a ball of light over his head. "The portal is open. Go back right now that I'll take care of her."

But I didn't. To this day I don't remember exactly what happened because the perception of time in that plane was different and strange. As soon as I crossed the portal, my powers began to fail. First the light was reduced to a faint glow until it went out and I was in the penumbra, unable to see anything else. So I had to wait until my eyes got used to the darkness. Then I heard a laugh, a scary laugh. I ran in that direction and saw two shadows, one of them lying down in which I recognized the silhouette of my friend and the other over her. I kicked the thing with all my strength, getting some success to get it away, and picked up Carol in my arms, finding her light, too light. The creature ran after me, colliding and knocking me down. I felt something cold and scary, even though that world was quite hot. It moved away with the damn macabre laugh and I tried to go back, but I couldn't find the exit. I don't know how long I was there and it seemed something around eight hours until I managed to get out, finding out that I was lost in that dark world for three long days, without sleeping or eating or drinking. Ran down, I looked ahead and saw that the portal to the Citadel was still open. My blood froze and I turned pale, but that gave me energy that I didn't know I still had. Determined, I ran in and closed the portal. The first thing I found were some bodies on the ground, the closest one being Hernandez. Only then did I look at Caroline and saw that she lay dead in my arms. That shadow escaped through the portal and killed an entire city. I let go of her body next to her boyfriend and started hunting the entity that did such atrocity. When I found it, I fought a hard battle with it, but I was defeated and had to flee to save my life. I was in shock and ran a lot, desperate, until I ended up here almost dead of exhaustion and met Ezequiel who is the Guardian of Wisdom and saved me, but I had lost part of my memory. All this happened because of me. First because I authorized the entry and then because I left the portal to the Citadel open. When I recovered from amnesia, in Porto Alegre, and came across my dead parents, I returned to the Citadel and erected a mausoleum where I left all the bodies of my subjects protected.