Did you misread the last two sentences, fellow readers? I thought that at first and reread the sentences again.

"'I just wish that they were gone. I would be better off.'" Nope. I read as it was written. I frowned at Ava.

"Do not waste your breath, Cassandra," Ava said. "I already know what you are going to say. That I was right all along."

"How could you?" I said.

Her face became puzzled. "What?"

"Do not play dumb with me. An elephant is in the room."

"That is impossible because no elephant could fit through the door."

I knew that she was joking with me and refrained myself from pointing out that it is an expression. "I know too well to buy into one of your sinister tricks."

"What trick? The diary is the very one that the Lubriem used to write in before she rose against the real world."

I shut the book and shoved it back in her hands. "You wrote the entry."

"What? Goodness, no."

"You can lie as much as you want, Ava Campbell, but we both know that you faked that entry to make it seem that our Lubriem was not fond of the real worlders."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah." She opened the diary to the page and showed it to me. "My handwriting is totally like this."

"Y-you forged the handwriting."

"Cassandra, think about it. Would I sign the entry in cursive that is hilarious to look at?"

I stared hard at the signature at the bottom of the page...and realized that she was correct. Ava's cursive writing is small and neat, while the cursive here was big and sloppy. I huffed, crossed my arms, and tapped using my fingers.

A sinister grin spread across her face. "Say it."

"You are right," I grumbled.

She closed the book and cupped a hand over her ear. "I cannot hear you. Speak louder."

I repeated my statement a little louder. "You are right."

The Forlot villain sighed out of satisfaction and put back the diary where it had been. "It warms my heart when people agree with me."

You know what this means, dear readers? The Lubriem did not like the real worlders after all. I was so taken aback at that fact that I had to place a palm on the wall to keep my balance.

Ava pulled out two pieces of what I thought were earbuds and handed one to me. I asked her why she had these and why she was giving one to me. She explained the whole story as she shoved her bud in her left ear.

"They are inventions of Libby's. I stole them from the lab."

"How am I not surprised?" I commented.

"They are used to make us visible to the real world. Put one of these babies in your ears, and any and all real worlders will see you as if you were a part of theirs."

I knew that she was telling the truth because her lies never sound ridiculous. I put the bud in my right ear and remarked that I felt no difference.

"You are not supposed to feel any difference, Cassandra. You will only be visible."

It was time to wander into the real world, and even though that I was nervous, I was also a bit excited. I had never been in the real world, so this would be a journey that I would never forget. Also, it would prove that real worlders are far from lame.

Before Ava and I exited through the gates, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Actually, two taps, one on either shoulder. I spun around and saw my two friends Kathy and Sophia.

"Where do you think that you are heading off to?" Kathy asked me.

Sophia held up an empty carton of milk. "Is Forlot out of milk? Is that why you are venturing into real world territory?"

"No, Sophia," I said. "I...Ava and I—"

"You are working with Ava? Ava Campbell?" Kathy interrupted, demanding an answer from me. "Never guessed in a million years that the best agent in the agency would team up with a dangerous villain. I will have to find myself a new partner."

"Yes, I am working with her, but not in the way that you think. You see, Ava claims that because she and Mary Sue used to be friends, she is the only person who can convince Mary Sue to spare the real worlders."

"Ah. I get it now." Kathy gripped my arm. "I am coming with you."

"I was hoping that you would. I honestly do not feel safe being alone with Ava."

"If my best friend Cassandra is going, then so am I!" Sophia proclaimed with excitement.

I shook my head. "Sorry to say, Sophia, but you cannot come."

Of course, she gave me the puppy eyes. "Why not?"

"You are not a fighter. You are too soft."

"Am not! I can be tough!"

"Prove it to us," Ava suggested. "Show us that you have some spunk within you."

"Gladly."

Sophia pushed one of the gates...and ran to the real world.

"Sophia..." I groaned.

Ava, Kathy, and I chased Sophia until we were in a town that was much bigger than Forlot. It was a part of the real world. I cheered, and we surveyed the town for Sophia.

"That friend of yours knows how to run," Kathy said. "My legs are tired now."

Ava pointed a finger at a set of televisions that were stacked and displayed in a shop, and watching the screens was none other than Sophia. She had her face and palms pressed against the glass. We hurried over to her.

"You are not supposed to be here," I told her. "You will not survive."

That was when Sophia said something that caught my interest. She pointed to the television screens.

"Cool! Mary Sue is on television! And she has a gun."