Rafael & the magic DarKNight

Chapter He was a survivor.



The very next day, Saturday morning, his luck ran out.

Rafael relied on Centisom’s helpful navigation system to avoid Bobby outside of class. Thanks to the entity’s unexplainable fondness of him, he didn’t even need the brass plates to communicate with it anymore, although he always pretended to whenever his peers were around. However, no system is failure-proof when you’re being stalked.

They cornered him on his way to soccer training and swiftly got down to business.

The assault was silent, brutal, efficient. With the first, sharp blow, every coherent thought fled from his mind, rendering him useless to conjure up a defense. Time stretched out into interminable, painful seconds. A flurry of fists rained down on him until he laid in a motionless heap of misery on the cold ground, sucking labored breaths.

He had forgotten how it hurt.

The attack had been short, yet he knew it marked the beginning of a long hardship. The searing agony would fade quick enough, chased away by the slow burn of shame, pity, and scorn. Few understood the aftermath was the most excruciating part. The body healed while the mind fought to make sense of the unspeakable and failed to answer the terrible question that haunted him for way too long: Why him?

Bile rose in his throat and dripped from the corner of his mouth. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the rough stone floor against his face and tried to will the pain away so that he could regain control over his body.

His treacherous mind circled back to the past when life had been an adventure. Going to school was fun and exciting. Kids were friendly to him, and he loved hanging out with them. But all that changed when she came – the new teacher.

He couldn’t pinpoint when or how the tide had turned, but gradually, things went awry. She had drawn attention to his different personality traits, criticized his attitude, and ignored his pleas for help while lavishing the other kids with affectionate attention. Soon, he was in the middle of his own private hell. Verbal abuses gave way to small physical attacks, and physical attacks escalated to full beatings, often at the hands of his former friends. His complaints only amplified the negative spotlight on him.

The hideous feeling that they were right about him when they said he was a piece of crap – after all, even the teachers blamed him – had clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t say a word to his parents. They loved him. They wouldn’t understand that he was broken and worthless.

With no one to turn to, he had wished for death.

Here we go again.

His hand slid off the doorknob, and he pressed his body to the doorframe to stop the tremors. Ever so slowly, he reached once more for the knob and forced his fingers to grip it.

“Rafael! What’s up with you?”

He was too weak to turn. So, he just leaned into the door until it clicked open. Ignoring Poppina’s outraged cry, he fell into his room and staggered to the bed.

He heard her rush inside behind him, Maddox and Kiano in tow.

A stunned silence descended upon the room. Here comes the pity, he thought, unable to work up the energy to care.

“You’re supposed to be training...” he said, hating that his voice sounded wheezy and thin.

Poppina crouched next to his prone position and murmured, “Kiano heard Bobby’s crew gloating about how they got you. He fetched us, but by the time we found the spot, you were gone.” Her brows were scrunched in a fierce scowl. “They won’t get away with this, don’t worry. But first, you need medical attention.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” His body shook in an ugly, broken laugh. As they waited for him to continue, he took a shallow breath and willed the dizziness to pass before trying to sit up. “I’m not fitting in. I’m broken. I’m the odd one they find easy to hate. That’ll never change because I can’t help who I am. I don’t belong here.” A grunt escaped him as he reached a sitting position and hugged his middle. “I’m done. Go away.”

A low growl startled him. Poppina’s eyes were spitting fire. “Don’t you dare push us away. We’re your friends. And you promised that we’d get through the training together.”

Maddox, who had been silent until then, lowered himself beside her. “Let me at least heal you, dude. Then we can speak some more.”

He was taken aback by their support. He had expected pity and disdain. His eyes swept the room, noticing that Kiano had left, while his mind tried to process the sudden turn of events.

“Please. Let us help you.”

The soft-spoken plea undid him. A tear streamed down the side of his nose as he gave them a shaky nod.

None of them even thought to report it to the teachers. Nobody likes to be labeled a snitch – and adults who had dedicated their lives to holding children hostage wouldn’t care anyway.

It was handy to have a high-powered Healer for a friend. After only two months of training, Maddox could heal anything from little scratches to broken bones with his bare hands. His magic reduced the sharp pain to a dull throb that Rafael could almost ignore.

“Your face is bruise-free. How come?” Poppina asked. She looked like an irritated owl with her round eyes beneath her creased forehead. It made him smile a little.

“Simple: It’s too visible. Risky. Adults tend to react to a damaged face.” He suppressed a yawn. The injuries had taken their toll.

Maddox sat back on his heels, his face drawn. “Now what?”

Rafael flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I tried, I truly tried. But it’s the same old story all over again.” He paused to catch his breath. “I did everything in my power to ignore Bobby. I steered clear of him. In essence, I made myself as invisible as possible. But he still beats the crap out of me.” He slapped his forehead with his open hand. “And I let him. What a loser.”

His friends exchanged an uneasy look.

“When one tactic doesn’t work, then you have to rethink your position,” Poppina said, without much conviction.

He lifted a hand to stop her. “Fighting back makes things worse. It always backfires. I don’t belong here anyway. That’s the one thing Bobby is right about.” He pushed up from the bed. “I’m out of here.”

Maddox jumped to his feet, his hands fisted. “You can’t leave!”

“Yet. But I will.”

Poppina jerked an accusatory finger toward his face. “That’s why you stole the Transcry, didn’t you?”

Rafael tensed but didn’t deny it.

Maddox settled back with a crooked smile. “Well, the Transcry won’t do you any good. You can’t even link to it.”

“Right, because I need to be in Dreamland, in real-time,” Rafael insisted.

Maddox shook his head with vigor. “Nope. It won’t make a difference. To use a Transcry, you need to connect to it.”

“So, I’m stuck here forever?” Rafael raged. “Is death the only out?”

His friends paled.

“It’s easy to be confident when you know you’ll make it home. But I don’t. I’m trapped here! Do you get it now? Are you happy?”

Before they could recover, he scooped up his stuffed bunny, bolted out the door, and sprinted toward Gateway Hall, where the doors to Dreamland awaited.

“Wait!” Poppina called.

But he was done waiting.

It was a short sprint because his legs felt like blocks of cement, but he managed to soldier on. Poppina and Maddox, who had caught up with him in no time, matched his stubborn, clumsy steps. Aggravated by their silence, he drew to a halt.

“Look, I’m not an idiot. This whole thing here,” he said, waving to indicate Centisom, “is funny business. The teachers are hiding stuff, and I’m not normal.” He wiped the moisture from his eyelashes with a flick of his thumbs. “I miss home.” He turned away. “I tried to make it work, but I can’t anymore. Please let me go.”

“I know.”

Poppina’s empathetic reply made him pause. “What do you mean by that?”

Her eyes darted around the vacant corridor, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I kind of overheard some things... and I’ve been sniffing around. You’re right: Something bad is going on.”

“Oh please, spare us the T.P.O.D. investigation, that’s old news,” Maddox said with an exasperated sigh.

She jabbed him with a pointy elbow. “Shush. It’s time we talked, Rafael. Please, don’t leave us yet. I swear we’ll help you get home if that’s what your heart wants. But first, hear me out.”

Her elbow found Maddox again, whose eyes grew round like a deer caught in the headlights. “Yes, okay,” he agreed with a huff.

Rafael glimpsed a silhouette moving about up ahead, near Gateway Hall.

His gaze hardened. “Deal.”

“Let’s go to our hangout then,” Maddox suggested. “We can’t risk someone overhearing.”

At that point, Rafael didn’t care one way or the other. His body hurt, his heart ached, and his soul cried.

Was that how it felt to die inside?

They were halfway to their destination when an alarm bell sent an echo through his bones. Gripping the wall to stay upright, he swept the area with a vigilant gaze. Poppina and Maddox stared at him with question marks on their faces.

“Alarm. You didn’t hear it?”

They shook their heads in the negative. He was about to explain when Mr. Demetriu and Ms. Pepper came tearing around the corner and raced toward Gateway Hall.

Without a word, the young trio walked to the edge of Gateway Hall to sneak a peek, concealing themselves in a shadow.

Ms. Pepper knelt next to a prone figure on the floor. Meanwhile, the Headmaster slowly rotated on his heels and surveyed Gateway Hall’s doors, which were flung open and spilling a milky white mist into the hall.

Crouching behind his friends, Rafael plunged his hand inside the bunny’s belly and closed his fist around the stolen Transcry. As long as the doors were open, Centisom was operating in real-time. This was his chance.

“Chen is unconscious,” Ms. Pepper said.

“How bad is it?” Mr. Demetriu asked, still studying the doors.

“He’ll be okay, already stirring,” she answered while checking her colleague’s vitals.

Rafael cradled the bluish crystal in his hands and closed his eyes. Please, let me go home.

“Could you at least shut the doors?” Ms. Pepper’s melodious voice rose in the tense silence.

Rafael concentrated harder, the image of his mum floating in his mind. Home. Now. Please.

“Not yet. I can’t risk the fools being stranded outside.” The Headmaster’s tone suggested he would be happy to see the perpetrators of that stupid prank punished.

Nothing. Still nothing. The pictures in Rafael’s head blurred. Mum, Dad. Lennart. Home.

“We need to get Chen to the infirmary.”

“Of course. I’ll ask Centisom to take a headcount and call for a stretcher. In the meantime, please gather his notes. It’d be a pity for him to lose his work on top of this.”

Rafael was running out of time. The Headmaster tilted his head to the side and touched his temple with the inked finger. After a beat, he nodded to himself.

“Okay, everybody’s inside, and help is on the way.”

The doors slammed shut, sending jarring clangs to the pit of Rafael’s stomach. His window of opportunity was closed. He had failed.

“Rafael?” Maddox whispered, taking his arm to pull him up. “We need to disappear, come on.”

Poppina plucked the useless crystal from his numb hands and seized his other arm. “He tried the Transcry,” Poppina whispered. “Rafael, we’ll sort this out, I promise. But right now, we need to hurry.”

He let them drag him back to his room, resigned to the painful truth that he was stranded on Centisom island, with no way to escape.

The dragon in his guts wailed in mourning.

Before they could talk, Centisom surprised them with a brief announcement.

“All trainees. Please gather immediately in the central kitchen.”

Maddox looked stunned. “Whoa, I didn’t know Centisom could do that.”

“I guess we should get going,” Poppina said, her face pale.

The vast central kitchen was packed with what appeared to be every kid and staff member at Centisom.

An expectant hush descended on the space when Mr. Demetriu sprang up onto a table. “Dear colleagues and trainees, due to a breach in Gateway Hall, for your safety, we’ve placed the mansion on lockdown, and no one may go outside until further notice.”

Rafael’s heart skipped a beat. There went his beloved soccer – for the second time. He wondered how long this lockdown would last.

“Remember it is explicitly forbidden to open Gateway’s doors to Dreamland, and transgressors will be sanctioned,” the Headmaster droned on. “Furthermore, all of you will be questioned as to your whereabouts during the past hour.”

The noise level rose.

“Quiet!” the Headmaster called, his tone a blend of authority and annoyance. “Dangerous, criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”

“Why can’t they just ask the all-knowing Centisom where everyone was?” Maddox asked from the corner of his mouth.

Rafael shrugged, but Poppina’s eyes widened. “I think I know why–” she started to say but was cut off by the sound of a gong.

Mr. Demetriu’s hands were on hips now. “Each Head of Department, except for Mr. Zhou – who was attacked and is recovering – will interview a group of students,” he said. “Centisom will now transmit instructions to each of you. Do as they say.”

Instructions in red text appeared in Rafael’s vision. Subdued, the teenagers began to order themselves into groups. Instead of following them, Bobby swaggered over to the Headmaster and talked while waving his hand toward Rafael’s group. As the Headmaster headed toward the exit, the gloating smile appearing on Bobby’s face put Rafael on edge.

“Rafael, come with me,” Mr. Demetriu instructed as he passed by.

Rafael glanced at Poppina, who nodded once, seized Maddox’s arm, and followed.

They approached the Headmaster’s office in silence, struggling to keep up with the man’s angry steps. Rafael’s frayed nerves brought him to the edge of nausea.

What sort of lie had Bobby fed to them this time?

The Headmaster went right to the heart of the matter. “Bobby seems to believe that you, Rafael, assaulted Mr. Zhou.”

“What?” Poppina and Maddox sprang up from the couch, their bodies tense in outrage. Rafael stayed seated, lacking the energy to be upset.

“Calm down,” Mr. Demetriu thundered. He sighed and lowered his voice. “Just relax, so we work through this.”

Rafael wobbled back and forth as his fired-up friends sank back at his sides. “That’s preposterous. Why would I do something so horrible?”

Mr. Demetriu lifted a hand to curb his protest. “Bobby alleged that you don’t get along with Mr. Zhou and pointed out that you missed your soccer training. Your absence coincides with the timeframe of the incident.” He arched an eyebrow at their gasps. “Plus, you are the only trainee who could have succeeded in operating the doors.”

Rafael blinked in surprise. “Me?”

The Headmaster crossed his arms in front of his chest, making his muscles bulge underneath his classy suit. “It’s in your best interest to tell me the truth.”

Rafael’s heart pounded, and his mind raced. Bobby’s lies had him cornered. He pondered his options. Since an outright denial wouldn’t escape the Headmaster’s laser-sharp scrutiny, he settled for a light version of the truth.

“It’s true that Mr. Zhou doesn’t like me, but it doesn’t bother me to that extent. And you’re right, I missed soccer training... but because I was injured. That’s why these two were with me,” he said, pointing to his friends. “They came to my aid, and Maddox healed me.”

Mr. Demetriu’s stern expression was unnerving him, challenging him to tell everything or brave the consequences.

“Don’t you remember seeing the three of us when you and Ms. Pepper were running to Gateway Hall?” Rafael added, fighting to resist a yawn. “Anyway, doesn’t Centisom keep track of everyone’s whereabouts? You should be able to verify I wasn’t near Gateway Hall when Mr. Zhou was attacked.”

A muscle twitched in Mr. Demetriu’s jaw, and his face relaxed a little.

“You checked with Centisom already, didn’t you? You know it wasn’t me,” Rafael continued. “So, why are we here?”

“Not everyone can open the doors,” the Headmaster replied.

On his slow dash to Gateway Hall, it never occurred to Rafael the doors would be locked. But of course, access to Dreamland would be restricted, even monitored. “Look, it wasn’t me. That’s it.” He tried to stand up, but Poppina put a restraining hand on his leg.

“Mr. Demetriu, I know for sure Rafael wasn’t involved. How come you can’t pinpoint who it was? Is Centisom malfunctioning?” She fired the questions in a rapid, dry cadence.

To Poppina’s credit, she didn’t cower under the Headmaster’s hard stare. She seemed to realize she wouldn’t get an answer and went on. “Oh, and what do you mean about Rafael and the doors?”

The Headmaster grimaced and pinched his goatee, his dark eyes unflinching with steady menace. “Very well, you’re off the hook. Go back to your rooms.”

They filed out as quick as their legs could carry them.

Rafael snorted. Off the hook, right. For how long?

Despite the early hour, Rafael was exhausted. He would have loved to rest in his secret room, but his friends were determined to keep him company. It felt ridiculous to lay in bed while they camped out in his place.

“Look, you can’t keep your eyes open. Go on and sleep for a while, we’ll hold down the fort for you,” Maddox insisted after Rafael tried to get rid of them.

“That’s the least we can do after what Bobby did to you,” Poppina added, fidgeting with her hair. “After all, we let it happen.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Rafael answered in a groggy tone. “They’d have caught me sooner or later.”

His eyes gave up, and the last thing he could feel was the warmth of the familiar coin clutched in his hand.

He woke up to a rapid battle of whispers. His friends behaved like siblings, sometimes, and it made him smile. But before he could stir, his mind caught up with what they were discussing. For a second, he debated whether he should interrupt them or not. His curiosity prevailed.

“...I wish he could get the Transcry to work,” Poppina said in a soft, sad tone.

“You don’t understand. It’s better if he doesn’t.”

“Don’t be selfish! He feels miserable.”

“We should be better friends and help him–”

“Thank you,” Rafael said quietly, drawing a wince from them, “I forgot I also have friends here.”

He rolled on his side and laid his head on his folded hands. His stomach growled. A glance at the clock showed it was early afternoon. “I guess it’s time to work through these problems. After we eat, of course. Sweets are on me.”

Smiles lit up the room.

Sleep had cleared his head and soothed his aches. His friends’ sympathy and concern for his well-being tugged on his heartstrings.

Maybe he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

Lunch was awkward. Due to the late hour, the kitchen was nearly empty. Despite the hunger, Rafael was unable to work up an appetite for the cheese-cream tortellini.

“Eat.”

He looked up at Poppina, taken aback by her bossy tone.

“Look, I appreciate–”

“No, you don’t,” she stopped him mid-sentence, “otherwise, you’d eat.”

“But–”

“Don’t “but” me, Rafael. You need nourishment. Now eat.”

Maddox’s eyes were bulging. “Now, Poppina–”

“Don’t finish this sentence, Maddox.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to Rafael. “Now, Rafael, where is all this talk about death being the only way out coming from?”

He blushed under Poppina’s scrutiny, wishing the ground would open and swallow him. He settled for an indifferent shrug. “Can’t we forget about it?”

“That’s a big, fat no, Rafael. No friend of mine expresses a death wish and gets a free pass to forget about it. Start talking.”

He shot a glance at Maddox for support, but his friend’s somber expression made him pause. He looked back at Poppina and saw the same look on her face.

He gulped down the urge to flee. They were worried. No pity. No condemnation. They deserved at least some explanation.

He took a deep breath and said, “That wasn’t the first time, you know.” He mimicked a punch. “Back on Earth, my schoolmates turned against me. It was rough. Therapy helped a lot, but it only gets you so far. You know what the ugly thing is?”

They shook their heads.

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “If you cry for help, they brand you with the victim label. They say you are the malfunctioning one. They don’t care to find out what really happened – or how long you held out. They don’t care that you didn’t do anything to deserve such treatment.”

His voice dropped to a whisper. “They think it can’t happen to them because they are different – whole, strong, and competent. They can’t fathom how they, too, would break if it happened to them. They don’t acknowledge your pain.” He closed his eyes. “In the end, you’re just damaged goods, especially when your teacher doesn’t even try to change the situation. The victim label puts all the blame squarely on your shoulders.”

“But it shouldn’t!” Maddox stated with conviction. “You’re not responsible for the behavior of your classmates, or Bobby, or whoever else has a warped mind.”

Rafael’s heart clenched at his assessment. “Yeah, I know that. But if the whole world except for your family thinks that you must have done something to deserve the punishment, then whose opinion prevails? The few people who love you unconditionally, or the overwhelming majority? I can tell you: The majority prevails. And they never let you forget it.”

Poppina reached over the table and gave him a casual slap on the head. “That’s for being an idiot.”

Rafael was so astonished that he couldn’t even think of a response. Not that one was needed. Poppina’s convictions were like heat-seeking missiles that only stopped when they hit their target.

“How long are you going to wear the victim badge on your sleeve? Because if you keep it up, the Bobbys of the world will have a field day with you.”

She smacked the tabletop with her palm. “You, and only you, choose who you are, moron. People treat you according to how you present yourself. So, either stay in the past and let them win, or you push ahead and be a survivor.” She folded her hand under her chin. “Most of all, don’t worry about what the world thinks. People are mostly idiots anyway.”

She straightened her body and stared him down. “Choose. Now.”

Each word sliced through him like glass shards. How could Poppina be this insensible, this hard to him? His mind was jumbled, and his feelings were all over the place. His hard shell inside, the one holding the vow he made to go home, wobbled, then cracked under the pressure of her convictions. Outraged, the dragon roared. Now he felt vulnerable and exposed. How could she dare...

In a sudden move, he was on his feet and yelling at her.

“I’m not a loser!”

At first, his friends jumped a little at his outburst, but then Poppina leaned back with an odd smug smile. “Okay, so if you’re not a loser, then what are you?”

“Survivor. I’m a fighter, that’s what I am!” he shouted.

He paused. Took a breath.

And fell back into the chair when the truth hit him.

Holy snabarca. He was a survivor.

“I’m so glad you’re up and kicking again, dude,” Maddox said with a grin on his face as they made their way to their hangout.

“What do you mean?” Rafael replied, still feeling the survivor epiphany resonating deep in his mind. While the dragon was preening, the hard knot of stubborn resolve was transforming into a bright, new hope. He hadn’t felt so free in ages.

“Well, when you’re playing soccer, you’re incredible,” Maddox observed. “You command the whole field. You fight for each ball, and you never give up, even if you get hurt. You pop right back up and scream for victory.” His voice was drenched in passion. “I haven’t been able to figure out why your competitive mindset on the field doesn’t translate to your behavior off the field.”

Rafael halted in his tracks and looked at Maddox, surprised by the compliment. “I never thought about it like that. Maybe it’s because soccer makes me happy. Free.”

Their hangout was just around the next corner, and Rafael wondered about the ruckus he heard.

Poppina bumped her shoulder to his in a playful manner. “I want to believe we see the real you on the soccer field, Rafael.”

“Soccer’s my life. I’m hoping for a professional career, you know. It’s all I ever wanted.”

“You’re not kidding, are you?” Maddox asked.

“Nope, I was offered a spot in a training academy just before Centisom happened.”

“Yay for you!” Maddox offered him a high-five. “That’s something worth fighting for, don’t you think?”

His eyes misted as a new truth emerged. He had been moping in self-pity instead of looking forward to the bright future he had worked so hard to prepare for.

Poppina slapped his arm. “I have an idea.”

Maddox rolled his eyes. “Why does that not surprise me?”

She sent him a nasty glance but went on anyway. “I get that you don’t want to mix it up with Bobby but imagine the damage you could do with your gift.”

“What do you mean?” Rafael asked, massaging his arm. She packed a mean slap.

She muttered something uncomplimentary about boys and their lack of imagination but then relented. “Imagine... soccer... balls raining from the sky... nets wrapping around legs. Are you following me?”

“If you hadn’t slapped me twice already, I’d say it’s a five-star idea,” he quipped, jogging backward to avoid her wrath.

An explosion of noise greeted them. Hovering in the doorway of their hangout, they gasped in unison upon seeing the dismaying spectacle. Bobby and his crew had overrun their refuge. They had rearranged the furniture, redecorated in dark colors, and hung all kinds of gloomy pictures on the walls.

Spotting Kiano, Poppina strutted through the crowd and engaged him in conversation. Within a minute, he was sneering, and she looked agitated.

“What’s going on?” Maddox asked after they left the room of doom.

“Bobby’s angry the teachers didn’t punish Rafael. That’s his way of retaliating,” Poppina huffed.

Maddox looked puzzled. “So, what’s Kiano doing there? I thought he was on our side.”

She shrugged as though she didn’t care, but her eyes were sad. “I don’t know. Kiano told me to get lost.”

“Don’t take it too hard. That’s Kiano’s decision,” Maddox said.

Rafael brushed a hand over her arm in silent support.

She sighed in defeat. “Where do we go now?”

“We need another hangout,” Poppina declared after they had wandered the halls a while.

“Bobby will probably chase us from every common room we find, though,” Maddox observed. “Besides, we need serious privacy.”

As the trio was debating, they crossed under the epic glass dome in Gateway Hall. The image of the smiling blond-haired boy still graced its surface. Golden light from outside passed through his translucent figure and kissed their faces as they passed below. Rafael still couldn’t see any likeness between the giddy boy and himself.

“Shouldn’t you make better use of your free time?” came the familiar voice of Mr. Zhou. He was hovering near the mysterious doorway. It was, of course, not a question. Knowing better than to argue with the curt man, they hurried away in silence.

Rafael couldn’t resist a quick look back. Just then, the teacher aimed a gaslight at the carving, and, for a fleeting moment, a familiar icon materialized in the middle of it. Rafael’s eyes widened. It was the wave slashed by a horizontal line. He must have gasped out loud because Mr. Zhou shooed him away with a hiss.

“We need a new space,” Maddox repeated as they resumed their aimless wandering.

Rafael rocked on his feet while he pondered their predicament. Maddox was right. If they couldn’t find a secluded, secure room, there was no escaping Bobby and his crew. Rafael wasn’t ready to share his secret hideout, and Poppina had nixed the idea to use one of their bedrooms, claiming she didn’t want to share her private domain.

When no alternative came to their minds, Rafael reconsidered and decided to compromise. Maybe it was time to share with his faithful friends. “Come on, then. It’s time I showed you something.”

He led them toward the ancient wing where his hidden den was located. They walked in silence, Poppina and Maddox probably wondering about what he had to share.

“Hold on,” Maddox said, stopping in front of the ancient hallway. “Why are you leading us to a dead-end?”

Rafael blinked in surprise. “There’s no wall.” He reached forward and waved his arm to prove his point.

Poppina’s jaw dropped. “Rafael, your arm is going right through the wall!”

Maddox drew nearer and stretched his arm along Rafael’s, but his knuckles knocked into the stone surface. “That’s awesome. A hidden corridor.”

Poppina’s brow slid up, and she poked Rafael’s arm. “That would be ideal if we could go inside. Is this some weird quirk of the Manifestation gift?”

Rafael stared at his arm. There had never been a wall for him. Was the wing only accessible to him? He shook his head. Centisom had led him here, which meant the entity dictated who had access.

He crossed his fingers and whispered, “Centisom, please allow free passage for my friends Poppina and Maddox.” At his friends’ awed exclamations, he knew he had succeeded. “And exclude everybody else,” he added.

Rafael was pleased by Centisom’s consent. Since his arrival, the entity showed him its support in many little ways, and Rafael had grown to like its gentle nature.

He steered his friends toward the first door, which opened to an empty room. At Poppina’s direction, he furnished their new hideout by manifesting an array of comfy amenities. Centisom seemed to bend to her will too, providing a food nook.

Even the powerful Centisom knew better than to argue with Poppina.


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