Spellbound by Destiny: A Witch's Portal

Trading Places

With a sly smile, she knew exactly where to go—the place held the key to her liberation and the destruction of anyone foolish enough to cross her. After months of searching, she had found her target. There were only a few occasions when the journey took longer than expected, and Sebastian noted her absence.

With a surge of willpower, she summoned the arcane energy needed to create a shimmering portal whisking her away to other worlds—realms mirroring her own yet diverged in intriguing ways.

In some, the differences were subtle, like a faint shift in hue or a slight change in the rhythm of life. In others, the contrasts were striking, with landscapes and cultures that felt familiar and alien, revealing their existence’s infinite possibilities.

Almost every world she visited contained a version of herself--each reflection distinct but similar. Yet, she was on a quest to find the perfect doppelganger capable of successfully deceiving her people.

Some individuals lacked the right hair, body type, or personality. Some had children, some were overweight, and some had tattoos or scars from abusive relationships.

In other worlds, she found no copies because they had already perished or never existed. After 45 days of searching through the vast tapestry of existence, she found her Journey.

She was a little too sweet and good, without any magic. She came from a world devoid of magic or power, leading a mundane life where one lived and died. However, Lorelei discovered that her magic still functions in this world.

She spent another two weeks observing her, noting her daily routines and activities. She only planned to inhabit Journey’s identity for a short while.

Journey grew up in the foster care system, moving from one unloving home to another. She felt like a ship adrift in an endless ocean, unable to form attachments with anyone. Without family or friends to notice the changes in her personality, replacing her would be all too easy.

She was perfect. If she didn’t look identical to her, she could have pretended to be a friend, offered a drink, and then carried out her plan. But, unfortunately, that wouldn’t work. They had the same face and body.

Journey would freak out if she came face to face with someone who could only be described as her twin. She would assume it was a result of her upbringing in the foster system. So maybe... no, once she was dropped into Lorelei’s world, she could tell Sebastian about her bizarre encounter with this twin. But what if he believed her? No, a face-to-face approach wouldn’t be practical.

Under the cover of the night, Lorelei crept into her house, anxiously waiting for Journey to fall asleep. Her heart raced in anticipation. Once Journey’s breathing evened out and light snores escaped her partially opened mouth, Lorelei emerged from her hiding spot under the bed. In the dim light, she retrieved a syringe from her pocket and jabbed the needle into her arm.

Journey’s eyes flew open as Lorelei pressed the plunger, injecting the fluid into her before she could fight back. Journey’s gaze, which had locked onto Lorelei’s, fluttered shut within seconds. Lorelei had found this concoction in Sebastian’s room, and she scowled at the discovery. She could only imagine what he intended to use it for or who he intended to use it on.

The tricky bastard had it for her; she knew it. She rolled her eyes at the audacity of that man. He was lucky he was damn hot, she thought to herself.

Hovering her hands over Journey’s head, she whispered a spell designed to mimic the effects of a hangover upon her awakening. The enchantment would create confusion and make Journey less credible when she starts ranting after Sebastian finds her. A sly smirk crossed her face; Sebastian would eventually find her. He was tracking her using the damn necklace, which was supposedly an engagement gift. f*****g men, she chuckled out loud.

The idea she might have had too much to drink the night before could lead Journey to question her reality, giving Lorelei more time. Instead of dropping her sleeping double in the house, she created the portal in the woods. She wanted Sebastian to experience the tension of uncertainty one last time for the thrill of it.

She wished she could have watched it all unfold. The look on his face, his frustration when she denied being Lorelei. His anger and what he might do to Journey. Would he carry out his threat of the dungeon until the wedding? She hoped it would be the case; she relied on it. It gave Journey less time to convince or prove to him she was not Lorelei.

She peeled away her clothing and pulled all the blankets off the sleeping twin. She undressed the twin in a hurry before placing her discarded outfit onto Journey’s body. After that, she adorned Journey with her necklace and bracelets to complete the transformation.

Stepping back, she surveyed her handiwork, still naked, as she stood over the unwitting woman. A satisfied smirk graced her lips at the sight before her.

“Now it’s time for you to go to your new home, Your Highness,” she laughed.

Once Journey had been pushed through the portal, exhaustion washed over Lorelei. Still without clothes, she climbed into Journey’s bed, snuggling into the pillows and the thick, plush comforter. For the first time in months, she slept worry-free.

***

This morning, she stirred awake in her soft, inviting bed, nestled within the confines of her small but comfortable apartment. The space may have been modest, but it was entirely hers, filled with the sweet scent of freedom.

Her mind buzzed with excitement as she stretched and took in the sunlight filtering through the curtains. She had a bold plan: to form a new coven and seize power in this world where no rival could challenge her ascent.

As the witch wandered through the apartment, her eyes were drawn to the open laptop, which required a thumbprint to unlock. Not a problem. Once she accessed it, Lorelei discovered Journey was a freelance writer for a magazine and an aspiring novelist at just 25 years old. Lorelei realized these occupations served as another barrier to the outside world, keeping Journey in solitude and making her a modern-day recluse.

Lorelei couldn’t contain her excitement, exclaiming, “Oh my God, this doppelganger is perfect!”Her voice rang with delight, echoing the thrill of discovery and the shimmering possibilities ahead.

She couldn’t find a trace that she had a boyfriend, so she had no idea if Journey was a virgin. Lorelei certainly wasn’t, but Sebastian would be none the wiser until the wedding night if he even bothered to find out then.

He consistently rebuffed Lorelei’s advances, making it painfully clear he had no interest in pursuing any physical relationship with her. Each time she reached out to touch him, he recoiled as if her presence was repugnant, a flicker of disgust crossing his face.

However, with disdain, he admitted they would consummate for the sake of producing an heir, and once it was done, so was he with touching her. He even repeatedly nicknamed her Lorelei, which she detested.

Lorelei exuded a captivating beauty. Standing gracefully at 5′7", she had a lythe, toned physique. She struck the perfect balance between athleticism and femininity. Her figure was complemented by her firm breasts, and she often went braless, choosing comfort over convention.

Why possess magic if not to craft your life into a reflection of your deepest desires? Now and then, magical enhancements would transform her reality. She watched Journey for weeks and diligently exercised. Her own mundane, non-magical doppelganger stood in stark contrast.

Dressed in an uninspired wardrobe, her counterpart embodied a world devoid of imagination and flair, flashy or showy, hiding the same body they both had. However, jealousy flared, knowing her copy didn’t use magic or surgery to keep things where they belonged. Her frown was temporary, knowing Journey’s life was about to be anything but miserable soon enough.

The only thing plaguing her was a tattoo. Journey had a single tattoo, but based on Sebastian’s reaction to Lorelei’s advances, she reassured herself he would never notice it, as it was hidden in a place he never wanted to see.

In any case, he wasn’t interested in seeing any other part of her body, either.

She didn’t know what the tattoo represented, nor did she care. She noticed the ink and felt confident it wouldn’t be a problem. In another universe, the other tattooed version of herself had sleeves that were impossible to conceal.

Lorelei turned on the TV in the living room after becoming tired of researching on the laptop. Although both worlds shared many aspects of modern technology, they also had significant differences.

Journey’s world consisted of cities and states, while Lorelei’s resembled an older era yet still incorporated modern advancements. In her world, kingdoms, royalty, and castles coexisted with vehicles, cell phones, and the internet and created peace through marriages. She huffed at the notion.

All worlds were ultimately similar, driven by the ambition for power through politics and takeovers. Arranged marriages existed in this world, whether in less developed regions or among the super-wealthy. Ultimately, things were the same everywhere. The significant difference was the presence of magic and the supernatural.

Vampires, werewolves, and formidable old-world Vikings like Sebastian and Tristan embody raw and powerful strength. In this realm, men are never portrayed as weak or out of shape, as in Journey’s world; instead, they are robust and resilient. This strength equally extends to women, who are depicted as having fierce vitality that matches their male counterparts.

Even with technology, exercise and movement remained crucial due to the realities of the Old World and the wars fought to protect territories—unless one was a witch like her.

She despised it all. Why work hard when you can work smart? The population was also significantly smaller, as people in our world didn’t become pregnant easily. Consequently, each individual performed much more manual labor.

Most species require a fated mate bond for pregnancy to occur at all. Lorelei was confident she and Sebastian couldn’t conceive without magical assistance, as they were not fated mates.

A cliché she encountered crossed the cosmos. Other worlds had magic, but none had fated mates who weren’t werewolves—except for her world, Flonia.

Lorelei was not particularly picky but felt no marking or sensation indicating a bond. If one were destined to mate with royalty, they would bear the royal sigil somewhere on their bodies. However, Lorelei had no such marking, which meant she was not fated for royalty.

She felt slighted by the gods, but her connection to dark magic had drained her soul—if it hadn’t completely vanished. As a result, she didn’t care much about it now, nor had she ever before; perhaps she had never possessed a true soul at all. Her true mate was power; it was all she desired, along with the pleasures of the body.

She jumped on Journey’s laptop after brewing coffee and exploring her house. She picked out a drab outfit consisting of a plain white V-neck tank top, which was the riskiest thing Journey owned and fit her tightly, along with some workout clothes, like sports bras and yoga pants.

She paired it without a bra with the most snug jeans she could find, without any underwear. She hated undergarments. There was no freedom, an irony with the tight clothes, but she loved being gawked at and desired.

She searched the internet for witch groups, covens, or anything leading her to true believers she could bless with enough magic to make herself stronger. Sacrificial lambs, of course, but they were valuable and necessary.

Once she claimed this world as her own and assembled the army she required, she would return to take her original world. Who knows, maybe she would conquer them all. Her golden eyes glowed with a purple hue for a moment, revealing the magic hidden within.

Her eyes held a captivating power, effortlessly revealing her true desires to those who cared to notice.