Meet the main character - you ✨
One day your whole world crumbles around you. Literally. The sky splits, and everyone you know turns into dust. You escape to the thousands of glowing portals to any dimension imaginable. Only you are trapped, and hun...
You do find the room, which the Queen has prepared for you. Yet the moment you step inside and take in the darkness, and the night's breeze, and only one billowing curtain next to a crack in the wall... Won't Lars mind if you sleep in his room instead? He's harmless, you'll be safer there.
"It's not about the King," you mutter to yourself and sneak across the hall. "It's the drought."
Eventually, you doze off.
* * *
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The morning comes... with an uneasy feeling. As if somebody's staring at you. You open one eye, then the other–
"Morning," mumbles Lars and doesn't blink. Not a single time.
"Morning," you echo and frown up at him.
Lars doesn't stir or say anything.
"I'm leaving first thing in the morning," you say.
Gave it some thought at night, and leaving looks like your best option. Chicken. Coward. You now hear it in Sun's voice, though it was somebody else who also kept calling you that. Ugh, at least an alive one. An alive chicken.
Oh, hey. "Wanna tag along?" You plunge to your side and prop yourself up. If the two of you go on a trip, then nobody's a coward. You grin. Great plan.
Lars doesn't think so. His eyes widen, and Lars hurriedly shakes his head.
"No? Why?" You move closer, and Lars crawls backwards.
"C-cousin–"
"Well," you almost groan, "he doesn't want you here, you said so yourself. So how about a tri...p."
Lars sniffs and looks away. "It's too dangerous," he mumbles, "cousin won't let me leave."
He has a point, you know that. And Lars, the Mage or no Mage, won't be any use if things take a turn for the worse. You can shove him in Maze's way, sure, and run for your own life. A-and also you won't be a coward to leave the Wands castle.
Kinda makes you feel bad though.
"Let's... erm, ask him?" you suggest. "I've been to a few parallels before, we won't go far. A cosy beach, some coconut snacks, a snowball fight, and we'll get back in a flash. In a few days, let's ask for a few days to make sure. "
Lars opens his mouth, but you shush him and press your finger to your lips.
"And you'll get to meet the Star. She's–"
"I've met her once," whispers Lars without looking up. He fiddles with his fingers. "I'll ask cousin." He doesn't sound convinced, and yet it's a start.
Downstairs is a total mess. You can't even take it in at once. The table lies on its side. Some chairs are scattered about the dining hall. Broken plates, cutlery, the Queen... – huh?!
