The girls come home late, and when they walk into the cottage, Professor Faramund is waiting at her desk.
Her eyes look worn, and she's out of breath. Then, when she sees them come in, she shoots out of her seat. "Eila! Where have you been?" The professor runs up to her and examines her face. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Eila pushes her away. "I'm fine! I was with Terra the whole time."
"I was looking everywhere for you. I checked the medical tent multiple times, and neither of you were there. Where did you go?"
"Gabriel asked us to help with the festival setup," Terra says. "Eila came with me. She wanted to get out of the house."
The professor stands up straight, and her face falls. "You did… what?"
"They wanted us to help out. So, we did. You've said we need to fit in with fanice society."
"I did not say Eila could sneak out, or that you two could go somewhere without telling me. Do you forget the stakes here? If anything happened, I would have had no way of saving you!"
"Calm down," Terra pleads. "It's okay. Nothing happened. We were careful."
"No, you weren't!" the professor shouts. "Sneaking out and going to a secondary location with the enemy is the opposite of careful. I can't believe you two. It's as if you've completely forgotten the mission!"
Terra places her hands on her hips. The professor sure likes to tell them what they should and shouldn't do, while simultaneously keeping them in the dark about her own activities. "All I know about this mission is that I'm supposed to distract the king. That's what I've been doing. I'm sorry Eila was bored out of her mind waiting for you to do something, but I kept her safe when she came to me."
"You shouldn't have involved her in the first place! It's dangerous enough for you."
"Stop fighting! Both of you!" Eila shouts. She has come between the two women and is holding her hands up. Tears stream down her face. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry."
"Apologizing isn't going to cut it. Eila, until we rescue the humans, you are banned from going anywhere without my permission, and Terra…" She turns to her, gritting her teeth. "I am much more disappointed in you. This is not the way to protect your sister."
Terra clenches her fists. Sure, if they had slipped up, they would have been screwed, but that hasn't happened for months. Gabriel's new policies on half fanice have kept her family safe, and other fanice like Ariel seem to fully believe they're on their side. Then again, that could change any day, especially with people like Michaela. Maybe the professor is right, especially about Eila.
"Don't blame Terra!" her sister cries. "It's my fault too. I chose to go. I've been watching you build things forever, and every time I asked what you were doing, you told me to leave you alone. I was so bored, so I ran away. I-I didn't think you would care this much."
At the sight of Eila's tears quickening, the professor's expression softens. She bends down and hugs the little girl. "Do you think you're useless in all of this?"
She nods.
"That's not true. I like having you around. I just thought my work would bore you. I wanted you to be a kid. You shouldn't have to worry about all this."
"I do worry, though. I'm a part of this, just like you guys."
"I understand. I will keep that in mind from now on. You do still need to stick with me, okay?"
Eila wraps her arms around the professor and sobs into her shirt, repeating the words, "I'm sorry," while Professor Faramund strokes her head. It should be a tender moment, but something about this feels wrong. What was she expecting Eila to do, play with air? There isn't much to do in these dark caves other than invent things. It doesn't seem that the professor was thinking about her at all. Terra opens her mouth to say something but then closes it. Nothing good will come from starting another argument.
The professor makes eye contact with Terra, and she frowns. She lets go of Eila and sits back at her desk. "Well, now that that's settled, I have news for you. The wait is over. I've figured out where the humans went."
Her anger rapidly turning to curiosity, Terra sits on the couch. "Wait, you do?"
Her sister joins. "Are we going to rescue them soon? I'm so excited!"
"Yes, we will, and the Celestial Festival will be the perfect cover. Hang tight, both of you. We only have a month left to wait."
"Yay! I'm so excited. I miss playing with my friends."
"That's… great," Terra says. "So, where are the people?"
The professor places a finger on her lips. "This information is hush-hush, even among the fanice. I don't want you girls to breathe a word of this, or we will certainly get caught." She says, "You girls," but only looks at Terra.
"I understand," she responds. "I won't tell a soul."
Professor Faramund's eyes turn red, and she holds her hands up. In them, a black hole opens. Terra's heart skips a beat, and she holds her arm over her sister. "Don't worry," the professor says. "It's safe." The hole in reality grows bigger until it's roughly the size of a torso. Then, in the center, an image appears. It seems to be a void, grey and endless. In it, multiple figures are floating. They are in fetal positions with their arms wrapped around their legs. Those are humans, and there are thousands of them, maybe even millions as far as the eye can see.
Terra's jaw drops, and she reaches toward them. "Is this… real?"
The picture glitches out and disappears along with the portal. Professor Faramund groans.
"Damn, I can't keep it open for more than a few seconds. You saw what was on the other side, though, right?"
The girls nod. "What was that, Miss Faramund?" Eila asks.
The professor says the next words in barely a whisper. "That was the humans. They are in another plane. The fanice used their powers to transport them there, and they're in a form of stasis. Think of it as a coma, one they will never wake up from."
"What?" Terra asks. "So… they're another dimension? How is that possible?"
"I told you fanice technology is different from ours'. When they ruled this planet, they made incredible breakthroughs about the multiverse and even learned to hone dimensional power."
"Wait, when they ruled this planet?" So, when Gabriel said, this planet is ours' once again, he meant it literally.
"Yes, they used to rule here, but that's not important. Stay on topic, Terra. I should have known where everyone went, but I didn't want to accept it. It's going to be extremely difficult to rescue them."
Terra leans in. "What you just did wasn't a projection, was it? It was a portal. Is there a way to make a bigger one?"
The professor looks at the ground, then back at the girls. "Unfortunately, as a half fanice, that's all I can do. My power is limited, so we can only view the people. We'll need another method to get them out of there."
"Tell us what to do," Eila says. "I won't let my friends be trapped forever."
"When I was a child, my mother and I moved from village to village, but none were more interesting than Faecliff, the very place we call home now. There are countless tunnels underneath this place, and when we took a certain route, we would come across a room unlike any of the others. It was filled with blinking lights and giant screens, displaying every use of the fanice's spells throughout history. They called this place, 'The Server Room.' Recently, I managed to sneak back down there, and I confirmed my suspicions. It's the system that runs the fanice's magic. If we can shut it down, the fanice's magic will cease to exist. Then, with nothing to hold them in the other plane, the humans will be ricocheted back to their home dimension: this one."
Terra's heart sinks. Their magic will… cease to exist? Doesn't that mean they'll be helpless to the wrath of the Nadurian Citizens? She swallows. They're your enemy, Terra. she reminds herself.
"So, the fanice's magic is run on one big computer? How old school," Eila comments.
The professor chuckles. "Indeed, it is. The fanice's technology may be EMP proof, but still has a physical source. I've been working on a device that will destroy it once and for all. The tricky part is getting down there without being caught. Most of the fanice don't know about The Server Room, but it was still hard to get down there without raising suspicion. That's why we will leave when the festival reaches its peak: the song and dance portion. The fanice should be distracted, and I doubt any guards will be in the village. It will be our only chance."
Terra takes a deep breath. Finally, she's getting some answers. "So, I only have to distract Gabriel for another month?"
"Yes, your job will be done soon. We can do this. We can win."
"That's good." This is fantastic news, but she can only think of the chaos afterward. What will the humans do once they find out about the fanice? Most of them will still be underground, but will that protect them? She doubts it.
"I'm so excited!" Eila says. "Everything is about to turn back to normal."
"That's right," the professor says. Although she doesn't sound sincere.
Terra doesn't know how to break it to her sister; no matter what happens, nothing will ever be the same. There's going to be anarchy.
Professor Faramund stares at her, her eyes narrowing again. "Terra, you do not look happy about this news."
Eila at her suspiciously, and Terra crosses her arms. She really doesn't want to start more conflict, especially considering she hardly talks with her family anymore. However, if she doesn't speak her mind now, they'll pester her until she's forced to. "There's one thing I'm worried about; what will happen when the humans return? I doubt they'll like the fanice very much after they made them disappear."
Her sister's eyes widen, clearly just realizing that factor in the situation. Now, both girls look at the professor.
For a moment, the professor presses her lips so tightly together they turn white. She doesn't look happy that Terra asked that question, but then she takes a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie; there will be some fanice deaths, but not as many as you think. Most likely, the majority of them will be forced back underground. Our government needs the fanice alive, you see. Otherwise, they would have killed them all long ago."
"They need them… alive?" It's hard to think of a reason why, but it makes sense. The fanice have magic, but the humans of Nadura City have technology: firearms, explosives, and weapons of mass destruction. If they wanted the fanice dead, they would be dead. Simple as that.
"Yes, please don't ask me to elaborate more. It's a complicated situation, and neither of you need to know about it for the mission. Just trust me. I'm sure things will be chaotic for a little while, but then the fanice will go back underground. You two will be… alright. I will do everything in my power to protect you. I promise."
Eila's eyes are sparkling. "That's great, Miss Faramund!" Meanwhile, Terra tries her best to sound happy about that answer. "Thank you. I'm a little less worried now." It's not a lie. Oddly enough, she's glad the fanice are going to be okay. Well, as okay as they can be back in their dreary underground villages. Maybe her sister is right. Perhaps she is starting to sympathize with the fanice because she can't stop thinking about how horrifying it's going to be watching men, women, and children dragged down the streets and forced back underground. Sure, some of them like being down there, but not all of them. And Gabriel… she winces. He's the last royal. Would they really let him keep living?
"You still look troubled, Terra." the professor says, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Do you have any more questions?"
She stands up. "No. I'm just exhausted. I'm going to bed."
"Are you sure? We can keep talking. I hardly get to see you."
"I'm tired, okay? I'll talk to you tomorrow." Before Professor Faramund or her sister can form a rebuttal, she's already heading down the hall.
…
When they wake up in the morning, Professor Faramund insists they talk more, but Terra leaves for work. After yesterday, she needs some time to clear her head.
She takes her usual route out of the house tunnel, and when she emerges into the city, she breathes in the flowery air. In preparation for the festival, colorful streamers and vines adorn the ruins. All sorts of fanice fly up and down between the decorations, from young couples to old men and women with faded wings. Terra can't believe that a month from now, all of this will be gone.
And that hellish city they used to live in will return.
This is supposed to be a good thing. Terra should be joyful that in these agonizing months of waiting, everything will finally return to normal. Innocent people are in trouble: trapped in another dimension, and the fanice belong underground. It's how things have always been.
Yes, the fanice used to rule this planet.
The professor said that yesterday. What does that mean? When were they in charge, and for how long…? Does that mean the humans are the invaders?
Step step
Before she can think about that further, several fanice emerge from behind a building. They block her path to the medical tent.
Terra looks up at them: three tall men, two with dark blue wings and one with crimson. The man with the red wings holds out his arms. "Well, look at what we have here."
Her breath catches in her throat. These men look like the ones she and Eila used to run into when they were homeless: greedy and angry, looking for someone to take advantage of. She looks around for help, but all the other fanice are too far away to notice.
"Hello, can I help you?" she says calmly. "If you're sick, please come to the clinic with me. I will get you looked at there."
The fanice scoffs. "I'd rather die. The fact that they even let halflings touch us should be a crime."
"We're not humans. We're half-fanice. We've been helping out, just like everyone else."
The three of them step closer, and Terra backs away. "Whatever you're thinking of doing, stop. You'll regret it."
The fanice laughs. "Oh, we know all about your relationship with the prince. How ironic, considering you lot killed King Azrael. You deserve to be punished."
She takes several more steps back. "We were on the surface the whole time. We didn't kill him."
"Shut up!" he says through gritted teeth. "No one believes that. They're just too scared to say it. Not me, though. Your crimes end today." The three fanice walk closer.
Realizing there's no reasoning with them, Terra spreads her legs apart, putting one foot in front and the other in the back. She can't expect to fight magical beings bare-handed, but at the very least, she can take a stable stance. Next, she reaches for the gyp in her pocket and holds her hand out. It glows yellow. "Back down," she says confidently. "I will hurt you if I have to."
The lead fanice laughs. "You have quite the mouth on you, lass. Do me a favor and shut up." His eyes turn pink, and those familiar particles appear in the air. Terra's hand erupts with a fake flame, but then her head starts pounding. The pain is so intense her ears begin to ring, and she collapses to her knees. She tries to scream, but no sound comes out.
"So pathetic. You can't even counter a basic telekinetic spell." Through her blurred vision, she can see the man walking closer. "How does it feel? I'd bet it's agonizing, but it's not even close to the pain your people have caused the royal family—have caused us."
Terra's head pounds and pounds, and she feels as if her eyes are about to pop out. It's the worst pain she's experienced in her entire life. She wishes she could yell, scream, or do anything to fight back, but her body won't listen. If this goes on too much longer, her eyes might fall out of her skull and her brain right along with them. Is she going to die here? She thinks of her sister, of the professor… If only she'd stayed behind with them. These creatures are deadly. She's spent so much time with them, she forgot that fact.
Then, her vision goes black. No, no! Terra thinks. She thinks of her life up to this point: images of her mother looking down on her, calling her a burden, and her father visiting from the military. She then sees her mother crying all alone, and when she tries to talk to her, the woman screams at her to get out, saying that if they had never been born, he wouldn't have given his life. Next, Terra runs away with Eila, not realizing that the streets are no better than home. Finally, after years of going in and out of homeless shelters and begging for scraps just to survive, Professor Faramund stands over them. "Terra, can you hear me?" she asks. For some reason, she is glowing red, but her smile is as warm as the eternally setting sun. "Are you alright? Please, say something." Come to think of it, the professor's expression doesn't match her words. How strange.
"Professor… Faramund," she mumbles. "You're not making… any sense."
Suddenly, the image of the professor shifts. The background turns from a bustling street to city ruins covered in flora, and in the foreground, the professor is no longer there. Instead, Gabriel sits directly over her, and Michaela stands over him, frowning.
"Professor…? What's a professor?" he asks.
"See, I told you they're hiding things," Michaela says.
"Oh, it looks like she's finally coming to!" Gabriel exclaims. His turquoise eyes have a hint of red on their edges. "It's a good thing she'd only just died. Any longer, and I might not have been able to bring her back."
"Died…?" she asks. "That's impossible. People cannot come back… from the dead."
"They can if a royal is there," the king responds. "Are you so out of it that you've forgotten that?"
Realizing this is reality, Terra shoots up from her seat and immediately gets vertigo. Gabriel places a hand on her back. "Woahhh, take it easy there. Your body is restarting. Go slow."
She looks around, noticing Gabriel, Michaela, and the three men from earlier. They're unconscious, and two of them are even bleeding from their ears. The royal guards are tying them up. "Wh-What happened?"
"Those men decided to take justice into their own hands," Michaela says, crossing her arms. "Not a bad idea, but they went about it the wrong way. You died. If we hadn't turned around because Gabriel forgot something at the medical tent, well, you get the point. You got very lucky, halfling."
The men haven't moved a muscle. "Are they… alive?" she wonders, but she wouldn't mind if they weren't.
"Yeah, they're just unconscious," Gabriel says. "Violence against half-fanice is the same as violence against anyone else. They will be dealt with accordingly. I'm glad you're okay. I can't lose you too."
At that, Terra feels a twinge of guilt. The adrenaline begins to fade, and the reality of their situation sinks in. She doesn't deserve that praise from Gabriel. She's not his friend. "I'm sorry I… caused you so much trouble."
"It's all right," he says. "It's my fault for leaving you unprotected. With the violence against half-fanice that's been going on lately, I should have known this would happen. Michaela, I would like you to station one of your guards to protect her, at least when she's on the surface."
"Come on, is that really necess—"
"Yes, it is." Gabriel interrupts. "She interacted with so many of us at the medical tent. Progress has been slow, but I know some are growing more tolerant. If anyone can bridge the gap between us, it's her."
Terra avoids Gabriel's gaze. If only he knew how wrong that statement is.
The fanice king helps her stand and escorts her to the medical tent. They sit Terra on a bed and give her a checkup. "No physical damage," Gabriel states. "That's good. How's your head?"
"It… hurts," she says. That's the only way to describe the dull throbbing clouding her mind.
"That's pretty normal," he responds. "They used telekinesis to shut down your brain. You need to get plenty of rest if you want to recover. Please, take it easy for a while. I can have other fanice take over here."
Terra takes deep breaths, trying to contextualize her thoughts. "How did you… How did you save me?" Of course, she's grateful she's alive, but if her experience with fanice has taught her one thing, it's that there's a limit to their magic, especially healing. It takes at least a few hours to heal even a minor wound and yet Gabriel claims he brought her back from the dead.
"We were lucky you didn't have any physical damage," he explains. "That's more complicated, but if it's magic related, well, again, you should be fine as long as you rest. I cannot stress enough that if you don't rest, your body could go into shock, and you'll die for good."
"Wh-What? For good?" What could have happened finally hits her. She would have left the professor and Eila behind to navigate this dangerous world alone. Eila would be devastated, and her future would become even more uncertain than it is now.
"Yes, it will be permanent. Rest until your head is clear again. It may take a few weeks."
Terra nods resolutely. She feels like such an idiot. She's gotten along with the fanice for so long that she began to believe she was one of them. In truth, this façade could come crumbling down any second. Then, her whole family could die. If those fanice could do that much damage so quickly, she cannot even imagine what Gabriel, a royal, is capable of. He's on her side for now, but he will find out the truth eventually. They need to make sure that it's before they rescue the humans.
Meanwhile, Michaela finishes packing a box of medical supplies and places it outside the tent. "Hey, are you two done flirting? We really need to get this to the southern settlement."
"Ugh, Michaela, you know it's not like that. I'm just making sure she's safe. And yes, we should leave soon. We're already super late."
The captain of the guard takes one last disdainful glance at Terra and heads outside. Terra stands, brushing the dust off her clothes. "I don't think I thanked you earlier. Thank you for saving my life. I'm not sure where I'd be without you," and that's true. If Gabriel wasn't so kind, even naive to a point, there's no way they could pull off what they're going to do in a month.
Those turquoise eyes soften, and Gabriel walks up to her. Then, he wraps his arms around her waist, bringing her in for a hug. Terra thinks of pushing him away, but how he hugs her so tightly and desperately makes her feel bad for him. She returns the gesture.
"I won't lose you too. You're the only one who knows what it's like to be an outsider."
Her body grows stiff. He has no idea she's the last person he should trust.
As Gabriel lets her go and says goodbye, all Terra feels is numbness. She now knows in her heart that the professor's plan is the only way fix things, but she wishes they could do it without putting the fanice… without putting him in danger.
That, unfortunately, is an impossible dream.