Nesryn glanced around the empty lobby. She didn’t expect to see anyone in the middle of the night, but nonetheless her heart hammered in her chest.
Without waiting for someone to magically appear, she snatched the golden key from its pigeonhole and slinked into the elevator.
Floor thirteen.
There was no need to check the number on the key or even have her eyes open when pressing the elevator button—it was muscle memory now.
The scent of fresh linens and whatever room spray they used hung in the air as her shoes pressed into the red carpeted floor. Wooden frames sat neatly in a line on the cream wallpaper, each filled with an equally mundane image of some random location she had probably never visited.
It didn’t matter whether she had visited them, though, she smirked to herself. Nesryn had been to more places than anyone on earth and had seen sights so beautiful that they would make even the most cultured traveler jealous.
Her fist held onto the key a little tighter, her steps just a little more excited than before as she let her mind wander into memories of waterfalls as high as the eye could see, water so sparkly it made gems look dull and grass so soft it felt like she was sleeping on the most expensive mattress whenever she laid down.
Before she knew it, she had made it to the end of the corridor, nothing but cream wallpaper in front of her.
“How sly.” She muttered, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing.
Tracing her index finger along the wall, Nesryn hummed to herself. The second she felt that slight tingling sensation—she now knew was magic—she stopped, fitting the key into the wallpaper and letting it mold around its frame. The familiar click as the key fit perfectly in the lock filled her ears and had her head spinning.
Where would she end up today? The sprawling forests of Chikyuna, the floating islands of Arkuro, the planes of Archonia. The possibilities filled her mind, different personalities she could wear as if she were exchanging masks.
There was nothing like a new adventure, and as she turned the key and pushed open the camouflaged door, she felt giddy with nerves.
Nesryn closed her eyes as she always did, trusting the magic of the key and stepping through whatever portal lay before her.
“Hello, Nesryn.”
Her blood chilled, her tilted lips immediately dropping into a scowl, her eyes opening into narrowed slits.
“What are you doing here, Csepel?” Her voice was cold and uninviting, yet he smirked as if she had just complimented his eyes.
“Of course, I came for you. I always come for you.”
Nesryn gritted her teeth, frustration wrinkling her forehead. The only reason Csepel did anything at all was because he wanted something from it; following her around was no different.
“I already told you to leave me alone.” She couldn’t even pause to take in the beautiful meadows surrounding them with his lazy smirk still in front of her face; she could feel nothing but the long blades of grass and wildflowers brushing her knees.
Csepel was trouble—protection, but trouble. It was as if he brought disasters only to get rid of them, his presence a blessing and curse rolled into one tall, irritating body, and she wanted no part in it.
“Nes, you already know there’s no point in telling me to leave. I won’t go, and deep down, you enjoy having someone else who can share your little secret.”
She shoved his chest with both hands and stormed off in a random direction, leaving him laughing behind her. He was right, and she hated it.
It was lonely to travel through different realities with no one to talk to about it other than her reflection. Still, it wasn’t any better when your only companion was a mysterious man whose favorite pastime was picking fights with strangers and putting you on his shoulders.
“It looks like that one scene from When the Wind Rises…” She mused, entirely to herself.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you hold my hand while I’m working if you want.”
Nesryn was startled; she had been so lost in thought that she had missed the moment when he had caught up with her.
“No thanks.” She didn’t even know what he did for work, not that she cared to.
Outside of their travels, they lived their own lives, her looking after her parents, and him… him doing whatever he did.
She didn’t care to know him, even as he hoisted her shrieking frame into the air and placed her around his shoulders, racing down the hill and forcing her to hold on for dear life.
Even as she bit her lip to stop smiling, and he bellowed all kinds of things into the wind.
Even as he grabbed bunches of wildflowers— roots and all—and pushed them into her hands.
Even as she realized the only thing she knew about him was his name, her heart ached so uncharacteristically at the reminder.
Alisha Umar has a deep thirst for knowledge and a beautiful appreciation for learning. She spends hours pondering over her recent reads, researching for her own stories and scouring every inch of the library. When she’s not engrossed in her books or posting on her social media she can be found spending quality time with her friends and family, engaging in meaningful debates with her loved ones, taking down the next food destination on her bucket list and fantasising about which places she wants to travel to next- whether fictional or real. You can find her on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube @authoralishau.
Featured image by Zane Priedite on Unsplash.
