The Paradox Corridor

Chapter 44: Out-of-Place, Out of Time

It didn't take very long for the twenty or so wizards that were in the black tower to realize that Amber was not under the spell that bound the rest of the Chosen. She acted like them, she talked like them, but she realized the moment she arrived that her facade wouldn't last. She hastily contacted Merlin to find a way to get out of there, worried about what would happen if she was caught. At first, Merlin didn't respond, and she feared that her communications were being blocked somehow. As she walked past two more magicians in black robes, they both simultaneously stared as she passed, as if they were silently judging her. But, for whatever reason, just like the rest, neither of them did anything about it. All of a sudden, another voice spoke in her mind.

"Amber!" called out Merlin's voice. She almost jumped: his voice was incredibly loud.

"Merlin!" she called back, "I think the wizards here are on to me! I can tell: every single one of them that I've seen has stared at me, but...for whatever reason, they aren't doing anything about it. Why?"

"These magicians, even if they are under a spell, are certainly capable of seeing right through you. My question is: Why did you go to the one part of the camp where there would be plenty of people clever enough to see through your measly disguise?"

"I had to! It's where they sent me after we got into the camp!"

"Strange that they let a girl in at all, actually. That's very unusual. Unless..."

"Unless what, Merlin?"

"Unless they somehow are able to sense your magic abilities. If they were able to do that, they would be very, very afraid of you right now."

"Why? I'm just a girl! I'm just a simple girl, one who's out-of-place and out of time. Why should they fear me?"

"Because you aren't just a girl, like you say: remember when I said how you were the strongest magic user that I've ever seen?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I wasn't lying, Amber. For whatever reason, even though magic is dead in your time, you have greater power than anyone that lives today. If they can sense magic like I can, then they know your power. Question, if someone far stronger than anyone had ever seen walked into your house; what would you do?"

"Um...run to my fath-oh."

"Exactly. I think that they are taking you to their leader, or, at least, their strongest warrior. Who knows; maybe it's the one who brought them all together in the first place. Now, what you need to do is-" Suddenly, without warning, the connection broke off, and Amber stumbled forward, only just barely stopping herself from falling over. The guard who was leading her froze, and turned to stare at her. She stared back as unemotionally as possible. After a pause, he slowly turned, and kept walking forward. Following him, she rounded the next corner, and saw at the end of the long hall a great door, one made of red and black wood. Not stopping to consider how they were able to color wood, she followed the man to it, stopping when he looked straight through the keyhole. If she hadn't known any better, she could have swore that she heard the sound of a retina scanner beeping. The clearly ancient medieval doors somehow slid open like sliding doors. She could see nothing through the doorway, only darkness. The guard did not enter right away, so Amber stayed put. The guard bent to his knees and spoke in a hauntingly familiar voice: why was it so familiar? Something about...a messenger... Her brain suddenly kicked into overdrive as she tried to put the pieces together. There had been a man, but...then he had changed. He had called himself a demon...And his voice...his voice was the same as the one this guard was using! She remembered! She remembered the demon that the messenger had become, and she remembered...she remembered the man who had made him that way. The man who stood cloaked in darkness, the man who's magic far surpassed hers, the man who she believed without a doubt was the leader of the Chosen. The Man...the Man who wore a hat.