The Invite

Chapter 5

I sat across from the Third Master.

Or whatever his name was.

The man noticed me staring.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I folded my arms.

"I want to go home."

He sighed.

Here we go again.

"Zilla—"

"No."

I pointed at him.

"It has been five days."

"Six."

"That makes it worse."

He rubbed his temples.

"You cannot leave."

"This is kidnapping."

"It isn't."

"It literally is."

"No."

"You're terrible at arguments."

---

The Third Master leaned back in his chair.

"Do you want to learn about your lineage?"

I stared at him.

Honestly?

No.

Not really.

What was learning about my ancestors going to do?

Pay my rent?

Buy me a car?

Increase my savings?

I doubted it.

"My salary just increased from seven hundred thousand to one million."

The Third Master blinked.

"What?"

"I need to collect it."

He stared.

I stared back.

The man was talking about destiny.

I was talking about direct deposits.

Priorities.

---

Eventually he handed me a book.

"Read."

"How long?"

"A few days."

I groaned.

Everything in this castle involved ancient books.

Ancient secrets.

Ancient bloodlines.

Ancient headaches.

---

Later that afternoon, I finally found a weak internet signal.

Two bars.

Beautiful.

Glorious.

Wonderful.

I nearly cried.

Quickly, I checked my work portal.

Then I froze.

My salary had already been deposited.

I jumped from my chair.

"YES!"

Finally.

Something good.

At least my life wasn't completely falling apart.

---

With nothing else to do, I opened the book.

The first twenty-five pages were blank.

Naturally.

Because nothing in Navigas could ever be normal.

Then the actual content began.

I started reading.

Family after family.

Bloodline after bloodline.

Power after power.

Most of the noble houses served another house.

And those houses served an even greater house.

The hierarchy was ridiculous.

Eventually, I found the Sixth Family.

I sat up immediately.

Finally.

Answers.

Or so I thought.

The more I read, the more confused I became.

The Sixth Family was known for forming powerful alliances.

Powerful marriages.

Powerful bloodlines.

Powerful heirs.

I stared at the page.

Then stared harder.

Then looked at the ceiling.

"What does that have to do with me?"

No answer.

As usual.

---

I must have fallen asleep while reading.

Because when I opened my eyes...

The castle was gone.

The room was gone.

Everything was gone.

I was standing inside a dark forest.

Again.

"Not this place."

A familiar voice answered.

"Welcome to the past."

I groaned.

"I don't want the past."

The First Master's voice echoed through the trees.

"Unfortunately, the past wants you."

"Take me to the future instead."

"No."

"Rude."

---

Branches moved.

Leaves rustled.

Then a boy stepped from the shadows.

He looked around seventeen.

Maybe younger.

Maybe older.

Something about him felt strange.

Very strange.

I immediately pointed.

"Who are you?"

The boy smiled.

"I am the forest."

I blinked.

"What?"

"The trees."

"What?"

"The wind."

"What?"

"The rivers."

"What?"

"The land."

I stared.

He stared.

I stared harder.

"So you're crazy."

The boy laughed.

"My name is Val."

"Thank goodness."

"Why?"

"Because talking to 'The Forest' would have been exhausting."

---

Val began walking.

I followed.

Mostly because I had no idea where I was.

"So."

I kicked a rock.

"Can I go home?"

Val's smile disappeared.

"No."

My mood instantly darkened.

"Why?"

"The Third Master forbade it."

I stopped walking.

"Excuse me?"

"The gateway is sealed."

"The what?"

"The path connecting your world and ours."

I rubbed my forehead.

"No."

"What?"

"I hate every sentence you've said."

Val laughed.

I wasn't joking.

---

A short while later, I somehow stumbled into a room.

A hidden room.

Books covered every shelf.

Symbols glowed across the walls.

Magic floated through the air.

And standing in the center was the Third Master.

Shirtless.

Again.

At this point I was beginning to think the man hated clothing.

Blue light flowed across the scars covering his body.

The markings pulsed beneath his skin.

Power radiated from him.

Raw.

Ancient.

Dangerous.

I stared.

For a moment, I forgot how annoying he was.

The man looked unreal.

Then I noticed the scars.

My expression softened.

"Who did that to you?"

Immediately his eyes lifted.

His voice became deeper.

"Why are you here?"

Good question.

I honestly had no idea.

"I got lost."

"You got lost."

"Very lost."

---

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then I looked directly at him.

"I want to go home."

His jaw tightened.

"You can't."

"I want to."

"You can't."

"I do."

His expression darkened.

I wasn't backing down.

Neither was he.

Then he stepped closer.

Far closer.

Too close.

His aura crashed into me like a wave.

My entire body reacted.

Goosebumps.

Heat.

A strange flutter in my chest.

I hated it.

Absolutely hated it.

He reached out.

His fingers brushed against my cheek.

Warm.

Gentle.

Dangerously gentle.

"Tell me the truth."

I swallowed.

"About what?"

"Everything."

Before I could answer, another voice interrupted.

"Am I disturbing something?"

I turned.

The green-eyed man stood in the doorway.

The same one.

The man from the first night.

The one who called me the heir of the Sixth Family.

The Second Master.

---

I pointed immediately.

"You."

The Second Master smiled.

"Me."

"Why are you here?"

"Checking on a little girl."

"I am twenty-seven."

"Still little."

I gasped.

The disrespect.

The Third Master rolled his eyes.

The Second Master laughed.

And for the first time since arriving in Navigas...

I realized something.

The Masters weren't acting like rulers.

They were acting like brothers.

Which somehow felt even more dangerous.

And one question suddenly entered my mind.

If this was the Second Master...

And this was the Third Master...

Then where exactly was the First Master?