The Mad Ҡìղց

3 Dimensions

Wang asked the group, "Do you trust me?" as they entered the house, his voice tense with urgency.

"Yes, why did you ask?" Meng responded, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Wang glanced around the room before replying, "Let's put up a barrier spell first, and a mute spell as well. It may seem like I'm being overly cautious, but I feel it's necessary." Meng, Duan Dan, and Wang worked in unison, casting the protective spells before Wang finally exhaled and spoke again.

"My magic has grown so powerful that I can feel its connection to the earth itself," Wang said with a hint of awe in his voice. "I believe I can take us to Ayana. We can learn what we need to know about the witch, and come back to handle her."

"That's a bold plan," Duan Dan replied, though her face betrayed concern. "But traveling through dimensions comes with its own risks. That's why Ayana never stays too long."

Wang, unfazed, nodded confidently. "Not for me. I can handle it."

Zhan, always the skeptic, hesitated for only a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay, let's do it then."

Wang wasted no time. He drew a pentagram on the floor using his magic, its intricate lines glowing with an ethereal light, he added a circle, pulsing with energy. The group gathered closely, standing shoulder to shoulder and holding hands. Wang began to chant, and the air around them crackled with power. As the chant grew louder, they were abruptly pulled into a dizzying swirl of space, lost in the vastness of dimensions.

When they landed, it was at the Lan estate, a place none of them had seen before aside from Wang. The sudden shift left them momentarily disoriented, but they quickly found their bearings.

Inside the estate, it was a peaceful morning, and the household was gathered at the table for breakfast. The familiar clatter of dishes and soft conversation filled the room, but when Wang led the group inside, the scene froze.

Wanji, sitting at the head of the table, was the first to notice the newcomers, and his eyes widened in shock. His gaze fixed on Wang, and for a moment, he couldn't find his voice.

"W-what is this?" Wanji stammered, his face draining of color as he stared at Wang, his exact double. "Ayana, if this is your doing, stop it right now!" Wanji's voice trembled, betraying his fear.

Everyone at the table turned to see what had startled Wanji, and when they laid eyes on them, their expressions mirrored his shock. The room fell into an eerie silence, the atmosphere thick with tension.

The silence stretched for a long moment before Ayana finally spoke. She had been seated quietly at the far end of the table, observing the scene with an unreadable expression. "It's not my doing," she said softly, her voice carrying an edge of uncertainty. "But if Wang is here, then something far greater is in motion than I anticipated."

Wanji's face twisted with disbelief, but before he could respond, the air around them began to shimmer, the fabric of reality itself vibrating.

Zhan moved closer to Ayana, his voice tense. "Ayana, I was following a witch before I got kidnapped, and now we need your help."

Chang quickly pulled out a picture and handed it to Ayana, her hands trembling slightly.

"No... it can't be," Ayana gasped, her eyes wide. "Are you sure this was the woman you saw?"

"Yes," Zhan confirmed with a serious tone.

Ayana's breath hitched. "She... she died with the others," she rasped, struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.

"What others?" Chang asked, her voice sharp, but the room was already filled with a stunned silence. Wanji, along with his grandmother and father, stared at their carbon copies, their expressions mirrored in horror.