The Secret Land of Otrâlmondé [1 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter Nine

It had been a week since the new trio's first day of training. Stella, Edmond, and Celestine had been waiting in front of the portal for nearly twenty minutes. Stella turned her head as she searched for Helene, but she was nowhere to be found. Stella found it odd; Helene was always the first to be there.

Edmond checked his wristwatch. "It's nine ten. Should we go ahead?"

"No," Celestine said, "we can't leave them behind. I'll call them."

She retrieved her cellphone from her purse. She dialed a number, turned on speaker mode, and held it close to her face. It took a few seconds for José to pick up.

"Hello?" said José.

"Hello," she said, "what's taking you so long?"

"I'm on the way, I'll be there shortly."

"Shortly, shortly! You're lucky Helene is too busy to be with us today. She would've dragged you using telekinesis by now."

"Si, si, we're almost there. I'll see you soon, goodbye," he said. She promptly hung up on him and put her phone back into her purse.

"Zia, why is Helene not joining us this today?" Stella asked.

"She has some things to do. She may be retired, but sometimes they ask her to help train the recruits or do other things," she answered.

Footsteps sounded from the other side. The father and son had finally arrived! Celestine rolled her eyes at them as they climbed down the stairs and approached the portal. "Sorry we're late," José apologized. Celestine said nothing and pressed her hand on the door.

They crossed to the other world. It took them a little longer to reach the gymnasium. Helene often treaded at a quick pace; without her, they walked more relaxedly. Stella observed that the dilapidated buildings that once lined the ladder street had been replaced with low-rise residences and an expansive playground.

The apartments on the left side were unlike anything she had seen; their rooftops doubled as hanging gardens. Waterfalls cascaded from one roof to another, their source of water coming from the cascading fountains that occupied the park above them. Short, thick, fruit-bearing trees and flowering bushes filled most of the rooftops. Circular hatches, similar to the ones found on submarines or on top of underground chambers, served as entrances to people's homes. Tiny balconies with iron railings were built on the walls facing away from the ladder street, most of them allowing only enough space for two people to stand. The windows facing the ladder street were small, square, and could only be opened from the inside.

On the right side, a children's park stretched from the bottom of the ladder street to the edge of the cul-de-sac. In addition to the usual slides, swings, and seesaws, the playground boasted six sets of zip lines, varying in height and length. Stella felt tempted to ask Celestine if she could drop by the playground but felt too shy; she was already thirteen years old.

They arrived at the gymnasium. When they had managed to find their room, José retrieved his card from his pocket and held it in front of the scanner. The door automatically opened. Before they began training, Celestine made an announcement.

"Helene can't be with us now because she has some things to do. Edmond, you will join Stella and me for your first lesson today," she informed.

"Okay," he said nonchalantly.

He walked towards the right side and stood next to Stella. A barrier surfaced in the middle of the room. Celestine used her tablet to summon two identical targets, located ten meters away from where the two were standing, and formed a force field around herself. She placed her tablet on a nearby table.