Prologue

  Wind howled through the canyon, loud, sharp, and restless, as if it could tell what was about to happen.

  A cloaked figure stood under the branches of an ancient tree, looking in the distance. Then suddenly, another cloaked man appeared from the shadows, holding a leather sack.

  “You’re here.” The man spoke from under the tree.

  "Of course. This is an urgent matter as you know. We can't leave him here." The cloaked figure in the darkness whispered urgently. His voice was steady, but there was a hint of worry. "We have to send him somewhere far away—where he’ll never return."

  The man replied from under the tree, colder and more certain. "There is a world beyond other’s reach. Earth. He will be nothing there. Forgotten. Even he himself won’t remember who he truly is. Even if he ever comes back, he won’t know that he is the prince of Elrodia. Send him now."

  The other hesitated, then nodded.

  The man raised his hand towards the ancient tree. With a flick of a hand, the air shimmered. A portal swirled open, glowing like liquid silver. In a flash, he was gone.

  Chapter I - The Dimension Keeper’s Daughter

  "Laura, wake up!"

  The voice yanked Laura from her dreams. She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Mom, seriously? Four in the morning! Can’t I sleep just a little longer?"

  "No! You have training. And if you don’t wake up, I’ll come in there with cold water again!"

  Laura sighed. Being a Dimension Keeper was exhausting. For generations, her family had protected the balance of hidden realms, making sure no traveler disturbed their order. Since she was five, she had trained every morning before school—no exceptions. Not even on weekends or holidays.

  "Ok fine, I’m coming!"

  She sat up, rubbing her tired, black eyes. Her normally neat dark brown hair was very bushy. Her little brother Dan poked his head through the doorway, his black eyes looking just as sleepy as her black eyes but clearly much more excited. "Hey. What do you think we’re learning today? Portal recognition? Magical energy control? Ooh, maybe another dimension’s language! That would be fun."

  “Dan, it’s 4 AM. How are you not sleepy?” Laura asked in a tired voice.

  “I had a really nice dream today. It was about having a date with Mia all day.” Dan replied.

  Laura rolled her eyes. ‘And you always dream that dream. Dan is way too excited for 4 am. Maybe he learned some magic that makes you excited.’ Laura thought.

  Their father entered the room, his arms full of thick, ancient-looking papers. He placed one on the table—a large image of a swirling blue portal, shining like liquid sky.

  "Study this carefully." he instructed. "Portals always have hints about where they lead."

  Laura leaned in, searching for the clue. At first, it looked like every other portal she had seen before. But then, deep within the glowing ripples, she saw something—a vast, silver-lit forest stretching deep into the horizon. The trees shimmered like moonlight, and the sky above them was a soft lavender.

  A realization sparked in her mind. Lunthera—the dimension of the moon.

  She sat up straighter. "Dad, this is Lunthera, right?"

  Her father smiled. "Exactly right. Well done. Now, onto the next one."

  He unrolled another scroll, this one showing a portal with jagged red edges and swirling black mist. Within the glowing portal, you could see a dark forest. The trees were black with no leaves, and there were dark gray clouds in the sky.

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  Dan leaned in. "Ooh, that one looks scary. Is it the Firelands?"

  Laura shook her head. "Nope. That’s Varnok. The dimension of shadows. You can tell the difference by the mist pattern—it curls inward, not outward."

  Their father nodded approvingly. "Good eye. Both of you."

  Their lesson continued, portal after portal. Some led to peaceful dimensions with a bright atmosphere, while others led to dangerous lands, with no color. Laura took notes, her mind sharpening with each new portal.

  By the time the bright morning light spilled through the windows signaling the time for school, she had memorized five new types of portals and sketched out their outlines.

  "See you later, Dad! Bye, Mom!" Laura called as she climbed into the bus.

  She climbed into the bus, her satchel heavy with books—and one small pouch for a few magical wares tucked safely inside.

  Suddenly, the bus turned sharply, making Laura drop her pouch. A boy sitting on the other side, Nate, picked it up and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” Laura thanked Nate. Nate just nodded in response.

  As they drove toward school, Laura stared out the window, wondering if she would have a normal day.

  Chapter II - The Hidden Portal

  Ding, ding, ding! The recess bell rang, and the classroom erupted with the sound of chairs scraping and sneakers pounding against the floor. Students rushed out, laughing and shouting, eager for fresh air.

  Laura stayed behind. She bent over her desk, shuffling papers for the Harry Potter trivia game she had volunteered to make for her classmates. At least, that’s what she wanted everyone to think.

  Ms. Everett, her teacher, paused at the door. “I’m just stepping out to the teacher’s lounge for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just work on this!” Laura said brightly, flashing a smile.

  But as soon as the door clicked shut, her smile faded.

  Because there was another reason she had stayed.

  Laura glanced around the empty classroom, her pulse quickening. She crossed to the far corner, where the classroom library was, and crouched low. “I think it was around here…” she whispered, running her fingers along the floor.

  Then—Aha.

  A faint shimmer rippled in the air, like heat rising off pavement. Slowly, a small portal flickered open, glowing orange and unstable.

  Laura’s stomach tightened. “Hmm… this portal isn’t big enough to pull people in yet, but if it grows…” She swallowed. “It could cause chaos.”

  But then she sighed, shaking her head. ‘Chaos isn’t what I’m most worried about. It’s my classmates’ reaction. If they saw this…’

  She pressed her lips together, thinking fast. ‘Wait! I can figure out where the portal leads, then leave the currency of that dimension in everyone’s lockers. That way, if anyone gets pulled in, they’ll at least be able to buy supplies. Or survive for a little while.’

  Laura squinted at the swirling light. “Come on, you just did this this morning…” she muttered. She focused harder, her eyes narrowing.

  And then it hit her.

  Beyond the portal shimmered a massive glowing castle, its towers made of crystal, gleaming under an seemingly endless sky.

  Her breath caught. “That’s Elrodia’s capital castle.” she whispered in awe.

  She dug through her pouch, fingers brushing past dozens of small pouches until she found the right one. Pulling it open, she revealed a handful of sparkling blue shards — Starlight Shards, the currency of Elrodia. They glittered like sapphires in her palm.

  “Found them!” she said softly, relief flooding her chest.

  She hurried outside. From locker to locker, she slipped a few shards into each one. “I hope they keep them.” she muttered. “Otherwise, all this work would be useless.”

  When she finished, she turned back to the portal. Its glow seemed stronger now, pulsing faintly, as if it knew what she was doing.

  “Not today.” Laura whispered. She raised her hand and murmured, “Invisibilis Obscura.”

  A flash of white light burst across the room, then vanished quickly. The portal shimmered out of sight — or at least, it seemed to.

  Laura exhaled, her shoulders sagging. But before she could relax, she felt a familiar presence approaching. Ms. Everett.

  “Oh my.” Laura muttered. She darted back to her desk, flipped open her trivia notes and scribbled furiously.

  By the time the classroom door opened, she was bent over her paper, looking perfectly studious.

  “Wow, Laura! Great job.” Ms. Everett said warmly. “You can go to art class now. Thanks for all your help!”

  Laura smiled, gathering her things. “Of course, Ms. Everett.”

  As she walked down the hall, her thoughts churned. I’m pretty sure the portal won’t get any bigger… but if it does, at least people will have what they need to survive. At least for a little while.

  She tightened her grip on her pouch. The faint shimmer of the shards inside seemed to pulse in agreement.