Untold of a day had passed, David wasn't sure how long he would be staying in a squalid prison. The thick wooden door to his cell meant that he wasn't going anywhere. The smells were earthy and old. There were no windows. He was alone, watching faint torchlight through the barred peephole in the door.

When he was taken with Talim at the borderline in Ryeland, his head was immediately covered with a hood before being mounted at the back of the horse. After the scene, he had not seen him again. He supposed he must have been forced to board on another steed. 

Really, he had not seen anybody since arriving at the dungeon besides a guard who was one of his captors. He removed the coarse covering and left David after leading him down to several stairs and twisting trails. 

Lying on a tottering cot, he cried himself to sleep. He didn't mean to come in this who knows what world. He should not be locked-up inside the cold, gloomy cell. He should be in his school with his friends or in his home, enjoying time with his family.

Minutes after waking up, a meal arrived through a slot at the bottom. David hesitantly gnawed a gristly bread, which was tasteless. Did people who bake this had no idea that flour wasn't the only ingredient? But the cheese did not taste bad, almost like what he had back on Earth, only a little stinky.

David had shouted Talim's name with hope that he would be anywhere near his cell, but only his echoes answered back. Did they put him in another dungeon? But Talim was supposedly one of these people. Well at least that was what he had told him. What were the chances that anyone here would fail to recognize him?

Talim seemed to know many things. He had a grasp at geography. He had proved himself smart and reasonable since he first met him. Did he miss something? But what if he was really a spy of this evil emperor he was talking about? Were all of his tales just elaborate jokes from the start?

David wasn't a hundred percent sure if all the things he had experienced here were real. Was the feeling of panic during the chase with Marauders had not felt real somehow? He supposed it was. What about when they were crossing the Whispering Trees? The terror and horror felt authentic to him. No way he would be fooling himself!

All his senses agreed that this place was not faked. But some of his instincts hoped they had been just imagined. He was not a fan of any comics and books about magic and some sorts. Sure, he liked playing swords when he was young, pretending to fight monsters with them. However, his tender age quickly faded as his interests went to playing sports.

What if he was just in comatose? People that survived being brain-dead had experienced dream-like situations. But the place didn't feel like a dream either. No matter how hard David tried to convince himself to wake up, he was still in his unpleasant room. He ran his hand at the back of his neck, checking if there would be a microchip injected there. No sign of any insertions.

David threw himself on the cot and laughed—not the healthy one. Maybe his doubts had been the product of his own despair, loneliness, and distress. Staring at the ceiling made of bricks, he wondered how long would this cell be his home. Would he spend his entire life here? Possibly. Perhaps he wouldn't last longer than a week without losing his sanity.

David was startled when he heard a key jiggled in the lock. Without a warning, the door to his cell opened. A pair of guardsmen stepped inside, accompanied by a short woman. She was wearing a brown robe similar to Talim back in the forest.

One hand with a torch, the woman spoke to David, "You have to come with me."

"Where?" he asked.

"You will know soon.”

"I need to know your name."

"We are not supposed to talk," she said hurriedly. "But you can just call me Neri. Now come on."

She led him out of the cell and marched him along narrow and musty passageways, which were dimly lit by torches hanging beside every door. The guardsmen followed behind them.

David had not seen other inmates because all of the cells were locked. They went up to several crumbling stairs and through a series of guarded iron doors. They passed a twisted trail leading to a vast granite door. The woman stopped and handed the torch to one of the guards. She waved a hand before pushing the door open.

The sudden surge of light made David reflexively cover his eyes. It felt like a while since he had seen the daylight. How many days had he been imprisoned? It took only a single nap, so he assumed he had been out for a day or two. Looking up, another set of stairs were waiting.

Neri started to climb, and David followed. The two guards, however, did not proceed anymore. He realized that the dungeon was actually built underground. Beyond the stairs, the outside corridors were composed of the grey-stoned path and a line of gothic style pillars. They looked too fancy, more of an ornament than supporting structures.

Narrow lush lawns served as the gap between the corridors and towering walls made of sandstones. He must be in a big castle! David's heart filled with excitement. At least now, he would finally experience something thrilling about the world of fantasy. Not only about spooky trees and lousy dungeons!

David began to notice people in robes passing by as they strolled through the long passageways. They turned several corners before reaching the enormous courtyard made of cobblestones. A large fountain sat in the center. Water gushed from several spouts to tumble from one level to another before reaching the basin at the bottom.

The number of people in sight was like the same amount of people in a park during weekdays. They walked in and out of the castle towers. David felt weird that his normal outfits seemed out of place among the bunch of people wearing the same kind of attire.

Some robes were the same as Talim's or Neri's. There were also people wearing white cloaks, bicolor mantles, and some long garments that were partnered with colored shawls. He felt a little relief when he saw two men in fancy suits looking like ordinary businessmen walking in the busy streets.

A cascade of steps leading up to the wide-open mirrored doors gave access inside the expansive great hall. Neri was gaining a couple of steps ahead, so David hurried in order to stay close.

The high ceiling was adorned by intricate golden patterns. The windows through the hallways were matched by the curtains with emblazoned edges and gilded linings. They passed several chambers of pure alabaster. He had not seen many people inside.

David had never been in this kind of place. He imagined the castles back on Earth that he had mostly seen printed in textbooks or featured in some TV programs. Could any of them rival the architectural style of this impressive castle? After a series of climbing stairs and turning corners, they stopped in front of a wooden door. Neri knocked thrice before the door opened by a boy about David's age, wearing his casual dark robe.

Talim's face brightened when he saw David. 

"Hey. How are you doing?"

"Got stuck in the dungeon," David replied coldly.

"As I have heard."

"You can have more time later," Neri chimed in. "But first we need admittance to the Magus."

"Sorry," Talim said, opening the door wider.

David stepped inside a posh chamber. Full of warmth and color, it looked like a royal office room. The relatively modest chandelier hanging from the ceiling was synchronizing the color of thick beams. Fine paintings and tapestries hung in abundance on the walls. The middle part was dominated by a low table made of glass, surrounded by a set of couches.

At the far end, a middle-aged man sat behind a mahogany desk with a pile of books and a plant miniature rested atop. An arc-shaped bookshelf was stacked with books and glued against the wall behind him. His brown hair was cut short and neat. The stubble on his chin and cheeks couldn't hide his friendly face.

"You're the Magus?" David asked.

He smiled and looked over his shoulder. When he spoke, the room resonated with his strong baritone voice. "Neri, I understand you have matters to discuss with Ramses. I'll dismiss you early today."

She gave a slight bow and went to the door.

The man addressed the two boys, "Why don't you two make yourself comfortable?"

Talim and David went to the soft cushions and sat opposite to each other.

"So, are you really the Magus?" David asked again.

"I have the honor," the Magus said. "But I always prefer my name, Dectus around my colleagues and to some extent of informal meetings such as this."

David swallowed. The next question mattered most, and the sole reason why he came here. 

"Can you send me home?"

"I cannot," Dectus replied in a straight face.

David's face fell. He looked to Talim and back to Magus. "What should I do?"

"The portals to the other realms have been inaccessible before the division of this world into three kingdoms," Dectus said. "It's impossible for you to crossover. Yet... seeing you made me think twice."

David bit his lip. If even the Magus could not help, who would he go? Where and how? He wouldn't want to cry in front of them, but his eyes were already filled with tears.

"Do you know anyone who could help?" David asked, wiping his eyes.

"Opening a way out requires an unimaginable amount of power," Dectus explained. "In which none here can manage."

"What about the emperor?"

"He certainly has the right answers. But seeking his help would be a foolish idea."

"I have to try."

"It could be your end. And even if you find a way to meet him, I doubt he will let you out."

"Why?"

"Your essence, child. You are surrounded by a mystifying aura. You are more of a body inside a power than a power inside of a body. Given the chance, the emperor would be happy to find a way of exploiting you."

"What can you say about it?"

"Tell me about your arrival."

"Didn't Talim tell you?"

"He told me his perspective. I want to hear it from your mouth."

David started to recount the day when he played basketball and rode his bike home, then woke up in the middle of the forest.

"Truly peculiar," the Magus said, stroking his chin. "I'd say you're only teasing if it were not because the mystery of your arrival is teaming up to your obscured essence."

"Why do I have such a weird power?"

"I lack a certain explanation. I'll have to investigate first," Dectus said. "For now, Talim will escort you to his friend. She will be your tour guide to have you get a sense of the place."

"When do we meet again?"

"I expect sooner," the Magus replied. "Away with you."