The Hidden World of Nitea [2 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter Six

It was 3:00 p.m., Nitean Capital Time. The brewmasters at the Gatekeeper-run apothecary were especially busy. In one of the laboratories, a department of brewmasters was busy with brewing panaceas. Each one had an entire table and cabinet to him or herself. Though there was plenty of movement inside the room, the noise was minimal. Barely any interaction occurred between those working there, for they were too occupied with their own tasks.

Grimelda was the only brewmaster who had a whole section of the laboratory reserved for herself. As the Head Brewmaster, she was not only tasked with brewing the most difficult potions, but also reviewing recipes for new potions and overseeing the work of her fellow brewers. She was in her room, sectioned from the rest of the lab by glass walls, testing a recipe for a potential panacea.

Tap. Her phone tapped her wrist to notify her of a message. She lifted her right hand and glanced at the screen. The Nitea-Paris portal was opening! But none of the Realm Seekers have class right now, she thought. Who was passing through? She glanced at the thermometer. Twenty degrees.

"Apprentice," she called softly.

A young man in plain attire had been observing her from afar, standing near the door to her private lab. He marched towards the table.

Grimelda stepped aside. "Panacea twelve, step one-eight-two, twenty degrees."

The apprentice gave a short nod and took over her work, squinting at the thermometer as he monitored its temperature.

Grimelda removed her goggles and gloves before placing them on a separate desk. Once done, she twirled her right arm. Dark mist rose from her hand and shrouded her figure, transforming her lab coat into a dark tailored suit. Once she had changed her clothes, Grimelda marched out of the laboratory.

She blinked. Fwmm. A force dragged her body as though she was being squeezed through a coin-sized hole. Her feet then felt solid ground. She opened her eyes. In a blink of an eye, she had teleported from the apothecary to the forest that surrounded the pond portal.

Judging from the lack of light coming from under the water, the portal should have closed already. Ripples formed as a figure struggled to swim to the surface. Splash. Water erupted as the pond spat out the figure who had just crossed over to Nitea. A girl. Grimelda scrutinized her from afar, using her psychometry to gather information about her. Name? Michelle de la Fontaine. Age? Sixteen years old. Species? Human. Wait, a human? Grimelda lifted her wrist and opened her phone. She entered the girl's details into the database. No results—she was neither a Gatekeeper nor a Realm Seeker. A trespasser. Grimelda teleported herself to a spot not far from where the human was.

The girl was startled by Grimelda's sudden appearance. The Gatekeeper brushed it off.

"Greetings, Michelle. I am the Prime Guardian of this portal and according to the database, you are not authorized to enter this realm. Let me erase your memories and send you back to Earth."

"Wait, what?"

Grimelda did not bother to elaborate. She lifted her wrist and began scrolling and typing on her phone. Out of the blue, chills ran from the top of her head to the base of her spine. Wait, why am I sensing dark magic? She returned her attention to Michelle and squinted. Her psychometry told her that Michelle was a human, yet she could detect sorcery coming from where she stood. No, the sorcery was not from within Michelle, but from something she was wearing, like a cursed object.

"Is there something wrong with your right hand?" Grimelda asked.

"My right hand..."

Michelle gasped. Her right index finger had transformed into glass.