Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Ghoul or Winx Club. They both belong to their respective owners.

Cover Art from FoxyAtTheCorner.

Shadowhaunt

Within the vast underground stood a castle hidden in sight from prying eyes, cleverly masked as stalactites. The main tower which is larger than the others, is surrounded by 5 smaller jagged towers all connected by narrow pathways. Underneath the castle lies a lake covered in white flowers formed by the droplets of water that drip down the rocky walls.

Serrated windows, almost as large as a door, are scattered evenly against the walls. Devoid of any form of life, not even spiders scurried across the cracked corridor walls as the miasma of dark energy suffocates any living creature that is not embodied with the same energy. All except a single shadow bat circling the fortress like a hawk.

The only form of light came from phosphorus rocks that pierced through the darkness, illuminating a calcified corpse sitting upon a scratched and crumbling onyx throne.

The creature had been deep in slumber for quite some time until something familiar began to rouse him from sleep. Stone begins to crack all over, and it glows a dull orange like the embers of a dying flame trying to reignite.

A large burst of dark magic shatters the calcified husk into pieces, revealing the figure to be Lord Darkar, who, after only taking one step, collapses onto his knees due to sheer exhaustion.

Disgusted with his weakness, he slams his fist into the ground, his scream echos off the castle walls reaching the cave itself and causing rubble to rain down into the lake.

Weak. Vile. Humiliating. A powerful being like himself, the primordial God of Darkness, in such a helpless position

The only silver lining is that none of his followers are here to see him in such a pitiable state. Speaking of which...

His followers.

At this moment, he senses little to no lifeforms within his castle. For how long had he been sealed away? Long enough, it seems for his disciples to abandon his cause.

A familiar shrill has him still in his rage, Darkar looks up to see Kerborg do a swoop of the tower before gliding through the window, Darkar holds out his arm for his long faithful companion who chirrups upon reuniting with his master.

Darkar took note of his malnourished physique and stroked Kerborg with a claw, taking special care not to cut through his flesh. These are the few forms of affection that Darkar is capable of, and it is reserved solely for his most valuable ally. "You stayed here after all these years? Just like before. You are a rarity." Wishing to reward his undying loyalty, Darkar figures he could take Kerborg for a much-needed meal. Not many creatures could survive being this far underground except for the citizens of Downland. He's sure a fat, juicy bird would be an excellent meal for Kerborg.

A trip to the surface would prove no problem for him, yet as his dark magic fizzles and smoke leaks through clenched talons, he realises it won't be as simple as he thinks.

He needs magic. Now.

"It appears you must be patient a little while longer."

Unable to teleport anymore, Darkar is forced to walk through his hallway just like his minions had done, which only serves to show how far he's fallen. The journey took far took for too long, his liking, but here he arrives, the Northern Tower; his personal lodgings. Even with his defeat, he knew his apostles dared not enter the tower, let alone plunder his treasures.

And true to his word, there they are his supply of whisperian crystals right where he left them. Untouched and ready for use.

Even after draining his whole supply of crystals, he still didn't reach full power, but it was more than enough for a trip to the surface. Within seconds, the light peeking through the gaps of the verdure burns through his armour. He wanted to blast the sun out of existence, but that was an asinine thought. All that would do is destroy the branches, thus increasing the volume of light.

Irritated with his master's distraction, Kerborg squawks and flaps his wings but does not dare fly off without his master's permission.

"Feed." Kerborg shoots off into a tree, latching onto a mother bird sitting on its eggs and tearing into its flesh. The bird shrieks as it writhes furiously trying to escape the clutches of its captor. A final crunch! and the bird drops dead allowing Kerborg to finish feeding. Except that it wasn't enough. One bird turned into two, two into three and so on.

As Kerborg gorges on the living, Darkar plans his next course of action which is recruiting allies. Any attempts of communicating with the Ancestresses fall short meaning that they are somewhere he can't reach even with his infinite power.

But that doesn't mean there's no way to find the Ancestresses.

Darkar teleports to his archive, the towering shelves and drawers filled to the brim with the most ancient of texts, grimoires, bestiaries and other artefacts.

Wrapping a strand of hair from each of the Ancestral Witches around a moldavite crystal attached to a mercury chain. Why he has strands of the Witches' hair is baffling but honestly, we're better off not knowing.

Holding the pendulum now dipped in ink above a blank sheet of parchment, Darkar casts the spell and the pendulum swings erratically spelling one word.

Obsidian.

A realm outside the magic dimension with a gate that can only be opened with a key.

Simply put, it wasn't worth the effort. By the time he frees them, he could've already entered the Relix Realm.

It'd be quicker to recruit some new allies. There must be plenty of criminals strewn across the Magic Dimension maybe not as powerful as the Ancestresses but beggars can't be choosers.

Darkar calls forth Kerborg who is tasked with searching for potential allies as well as the location of the Codex. Kerborg spreads his wings and shoots into the air out the window.

Needing to properly plan his next course of action, he takes a step back only for his foot to hit something, glancing down he sees a familiar book. He picks it and examines the title, The History of Ghouls by Argulus du Noire.

Unable to resist, he leafed through the pages until he stopped on the page he wanted. "'The Legend of the One-Eyed King'; the Dragon that will reset the world and life once he destroys it."

He remembers this. An important figure within ghoul mythology; the One-Eyed King was worshipped by ghouls as a god who would lead them to salvation but with the extinction of ghouls his name became a distant memory.

It's a shame. According to legend, the King himself is believed to be the epitome of strength and ruthlessness. He could topple down an entire kingdom with a flick of his tail. His breath consists of the most vile poison that induces madness in the sanest of men. His scales are as hard as diamonds and can cut through the toughest of metals.

Darkar flips to the next page as that was what mattered the most, it was a summoning sigil. Complete yet no guarantee it was correct.

He shouldn't. Especially with his current level of magic. Only a fool would take such an unnecessary risk. Why was it here? Darkar notices some other books strewn across the floor along with shattered pieces of black metal. Peering up, he sees a bookshelf with a cracked top and above it is a lone chain while others have chandeliers hanging from their ends.

Analysing the pages once again, Darkar cites the day he discovered the existence of the One-Eyed King. The unfurled painting that stretched on for miles revealed his entirety of existence - the beauty he holds, the despair he wrought, the kindness he taught, the cruelty he endows.

Just look at how blood drips from his metal claw gauntlets, how his throne is perched upon a mountain of corpses as his robed acolyte stands steadfast behind him devoted to serving his cause even if it ultimately leads to their death, his shoulders hunched as if he struggles under their combined weight.

And yet...

As Darkar stares into the one eye of the skeletal king he sees that steely gaze that goads any challenger to stupidly lay down their life for an attack that will ultimately be futile but will never falter in his convictions.

The One-Eyed King is true; a magnificent god that this world truly deserved.

It's decided.

Slamming the book shut, Darkar decides to prepare for the summoning. Luckily, it shouldn't take long since he has all the materials needed right here.

Unknown

In the middle of an unknown galaxy stood a lone platform with numerous tube televisions swirling around a chaise lounge and there sat a woman relaxing without a care in the world while sipping a black liquid from a wine glass.

She had to pause mid-sip when two tube televisions smashed into each other without provocation. She puts down her wine glass and leans forward, licking her lips as the two screens miserably attempt to fuse.

A crossover - two universes combined. It usually leads to a timeline diverting from its original path thus a new opportunity for her amusement.

It's been centuries since something like this has happened and she welcomes it with open arms, she was getting bored after all.

One screen shows two young males talking while they sit on the roof of a building while the other screen shows a very familiar armoured deity performing a summon.

The Shadow Phoenix.

My, they haven't seen each other in aeons. Let's see their last meeting was the making of the Tree of Life through convergence with the other primordials, wasn't it? No, ah, it was the funeral for the Great Dragon... except he didn't attend. Damn it, when did they last meet?

Not like it matters.

Perhaps she should pop in for a quick, 'Hello', although she knows he wouldn't take kindly to her appearance. She can imagine how would it go down, just popping for a greeting only to get her head blown in return.

Freaking, hothead. Just because she teased him a little too much.

Picking up her wine glass, she swirls the contents taking care not to spill any, it may be wine but it was still made from the essence of a black hole. She'd rather not have her home sucked into nothingness.

Not even Chronos would be able to retrieve her belongings and it's not like she would ask him to, she could hear his smug voice going, 'I told you you would spill it. I told you so.' Annoying, but at least he makes good wine.

Glancing back at the tvs which were gradually deteriorating from the constant force of the battle, Fate decides she needs a little more entertainment in her life. You only live once and why shouldn't one enjoy it to the fullest? And with a flick of the wrist, the incomplete summoning circle that Darkar has drawn has now been remedied.

This should be interesting.

Fate downs her wine in a single gulp before standing up, her wings unfurling as she stretches until her bones crack just right.

"Time for popcorn."

Tokyo Ghoul World

"Thank you for trying to stop me, but I'm tired of being helpless." Kaneki starts to pull up his mask but stops, he looks back to Tsukiyama who is curled into a fetal position with tears streaming down his face.

Kaneki couldn't just leave him like this.

"Tsukiyama." Tsukiyama lifts his head and sees Kaneki kneeling beside him with a soft smile on his lips. "I really hope to see you with the others when I come back."

And with that, Kaneki makes his leave, leaping from building to building in the direction of Anteiku. He knows going alone is selfish. He knows that Hinami and the others are waiting for him. Still, this is something he has to do.

Anteiku was the place where he was accepted even if the CCG burns it to the ground as long as everyone survives then Anteiku can live on. He'll save everyone and-

'-We'll live together in peace.' Kaneki swore as he landed on another rooftop but the second his foot made contact a luminous red sigil with foreign writing and drawings appeared under him.

"What the hell?!" Kaneki cursed as he began to sink into the sigil and showed no signs of slowing down. He dug his fingers into the concrete and even tried to propel out of it using his kagune but nothing he did could save him from his predicament so he sank and sank until he was completely consumed by the ground.

Kaneki suddenly finds himself soaring through a rainbow tunnel, its beauty is indescribable yet the evil on the other side seeps through and only grows stronger. He felt fear grip his body yet there was something oddly familiar about it despite this Kaneki refused to see who or what would be on the other side.

"No! Let me go! I'm going back!" Kaneki roars as large bursts of magical energy cause the tunnel to crack until it shatters and Kaneki is reintroduced to the starry night sky but he has no time to enjoy it as his sight violently flickers back and forth between the night sky and a sea of green trees.

Kaneki thinks he screams but the howling of the winds leaves him deaf to all other sounds. The speed at which he is falling makes it difficult to determine how close he is to the ground but he knows the fall will definitely kill him if doesn't make a move soon. He tries to stabilise himself so he's no longer fumbling about like a tumbleweed in the desert. Unfortunately, by then, he's smashed into the first line of defence of the treeline and Kaneki grunts and shouts as branches scratch and stab into him.

He needs his kagune. He has to grab a branch. He has to do something and yet his body is screaming from pain and exhaustion that came from nowhere. He can do nothing as his vision blurs and just before the world goes dark he hears a voice.

"Imperial Gust!"

A gust of wind thrusts him into the air for a couple of seconds before he hits the ground. He lies blanketed by branches and leaves, wondering what happened when today's events came crashing onto him within seconds and instantly falls unconscious from the trauma.

Shadowhaunt

Darkar continues the chant, his bellowing voice growing louder and desperate as the magic begins to writhe and resist until finally it explodes. He puts up a barrier just in time before the backlash could maim him.

Glowering at the burnt summoning circle, Darkar snaps his fingers and the flames die out before languidly testing his aching wrist.

"Truly a worthy ally."

To think after all these years he could still experience pain. The legends only spoke of his magnificent strength but to think the King would have his own set of magical powers especially powerful enough to injure him... it is astounding.

The King may have escaped but this is only a minor setback. Once he regains his full power, he'll retrieve the King himself; there is nowhere he can hide where he won't find him.

Closing the book, Darkar decides to focus on more pressing matters for the time being. He throws a final glance at the summoning circle and notices it's not the same one he drew, some of the symbols are different but who changed it?

Alfea Staff Room - 6th September 2005

To say the tension in the room is unbearable would be the understatement of the year. The staff members of Alfea are scattered around the room still dealing with the aftermath of the Trix's attack.

Griselda huffs as she pushes the loose strands of hair from her face for the umpteenth time this hour before the scratch of a pen starts back up.

Wizgiz downs his fifth cup of coffee and is about to get his sixth but Palladium, with his watchful eyes, takes note of the anxious leprechaun with shaky hands and replaces the empty cup with a glass of water and some painkillers.

DuFour stood hunched over by the wall, fiddling around with the cord of the landline as she tried to convince another set of parents not to pull their daughter out of school. She's unsuccessful in this endeavour as well as with most of the previous calls.

Faragonda glances at her staff taking note of the bags under their eyes and the subtle yawns hidden behind their hands. After the siege of the schools, cleanup hasn't exactly been easy, the Council of Magix intended to make Griffin their scapegoat and when Faragonda and Saladin stuck up for her, they shifted the brunt of their rage onto the schools.

When they have to manage the bodies of the fallen? No rooms left in the morgue nor any form of transport to get them there. When injured teachers need their prescriptions or appointments? Delayed indefinitely. Rebuilding the schools? Construction organisations are busy leaving only the false and shady to offer up their grisly services.

Somehow, the reconstruction ended as a success despite a portion of the school still in ruins and at the rate they are working Alfea will open on time at the start of the semester. Great Dragon knows how they did it but they did.

The only problem would be the mass of students who would not return for this year. Not that Faragonda could blame them but she hopes everything will soon go back to normal.

At that moment, the ground beneath them begins to shake and the objects in the room such as the table, bookshelves and chairs start to tumble.

"What is happening?" DuFour gasped rushing to stop the bookshelf from tipping over although she was still pelted with books.

A vibrant red glow invades the room so the occupants look out the window to find the night sky slowly yet powerfully started morphing into a funnel that strikes scarlet lightning and explodes with a thunderous roar.

"What was that?" Palladium freaks out. All the teachers scurry outside scouring the forest, they split up to cover more ground and Faragonda finds a black and white-haired adolescent buried under a blanket of branches.

With a swipe of her hand, the branches are thrown off the male and she kneels to examine him and is disturbed to see what he is wearing. She calls the other teachers to her location and then teleports them all to Ofelia's infirmary.

"Could you please examine him?" Faragonda asks Ofelia as she magically cuffs his one hand to the bed frame. A precaution. Just in case he turns out to be dangerous. After all that's happened, she can't be blamed for taking caution against a stranger especially one dressed so villainous.

Ofelia shooed away her fellow coworkers so she could treat the stranger without distraction. The rest of the teachers head back to the staff room to continue to prepare for the new year.

Infirmary

Ofelia begins by removing Kaneki from his leather suit and mask, she has to snip away the material of the arm due to the cuff but it is easily repairable so she hopes he won't mind as she gets to work.

What she finds or doesn't find leaves her baffled. No injuries. Not even scratches under the smidgens of blood that she wipes away from his face and body.

"What in the world?" Ofelia mutters under her breath. She saw the red portal in the sky and the explosion so she assumed he was a wizard who simply cast a spell that backfired. A backlash of power like that should've left burns yet nothing.

Since there were no clear signs of injury, a scan would be the next step. She received the results on her tablet which revealed no internal injuries although he was suffering from magical exhaustion. There was something else, a sac-like organ in his back around his waist which was storing something. Ofelia has never seen anything like this. She'll inform Faragonda first and if necessary send these results to a hospital.

It wasn't until some hours passed that Faragonda could come to the infirmary, the rest of the staff members following behind her. They inquire about her patient.

"Your skills are truly to behold," Palladium compliments as he carefully examines Kaneki's arms, as a healer himself, he didn't want to accidentally aggravate the male's injuries but couldn't resist the urge to admire Ofelia's work.

"Almost unbelievable in fact," Wizgiz adds, turning his head in her direction. "He fell from the sky. I'd reckon that calls for far more injuries."

"He didn't have any injuries."

The room falls silent and everyone turns to Ofelia. "What?"

"Is that even possible?" Griselda questions.

"Honestly when you brought him to me I was under the impression he had simply gone through the magic backlash. There were no hints of him having fallen from a great height; no broken bones, no blood splatter."

"So he's not human," Palladium surmises. "But what humanoid species could survive from such a fall?"

Ofelia hands him the tablet with Kaneki's diagnosis, which they examine together, but only Wizgiz recognised what he was. "A ghoul?"

"I've heard of them. Aren't they extinct?"

"Supposedly," Faragonda hums, holding her chin before she looks to her colleague. "Wizgiz, you have the most experience with ghouls. What do you know about them?"

"That none should exist. They were the first major casualties of the Great Hunt of Magical Creatures. Not even their bodies remained, and, believe me, I've searched high and low."

"If so, then how is he here?" Everyone turns to look at the boy and then look at each other, knowing that whoever this male is, he will definitely bring trouble.

Ofelia chooses to speak up. "You can ask him when he wakes up."

Staff Room

"Faragonda, I must ask what will we do with the boy when he wakes up. It's not like he can stay here, especially since the school year will be starting soon."

"DuFour has a point," Palladium interjects. "Having a member of a long since extinct species is gonna get unwanted attention, especially from the Council. You know they're keeping a close eye on us."

"You make some valid points. But honestly, I have no idea." Faragonda leans back in her chair and massages her forehead at the unexpected problem.

"Well, isn't it obvious? Let him decide what he wants to do." Griselda pipes up and the dumbfounded stares of her coworkers make her snap. "How am I friends with dimwitted fools like you?!"

"Sorry." They reply sheepishly.

"But it's like I said, that boy is the only one who can decide what to do. We will provide the necessary information and explain the circumstances of the situation. If he wants to leave, then we let him. We can't just lock him up simply cause he might be troublesome."

The rest of the staff could find no fault with her logic so they decided to continue preparing for the start of the school year.

Alfea - The Next Morning - 7th September 2005

"Kaneki." A familiar voice calls out which causes Kaneki's eyes to snap open. Right in front of him was Hide who was waving a hand in front of his face.

"H-Hide?" Kaneki stutters before looking around to find himself on Kamii grounds. "We're at Kamii?"

"Man, you were spacing out bad if you can't remember where we are," Hide jokes though his eyes scanned Kaneki for anything else wrong. "Well that's what you get for reading all those books all the time, you start to lose your mind," Hide warns shoving his face right into Kaneki's who flinched back before rolling his eyes at Hide's usual silliness.

"Better than having my brain rot from all those video games you play," Kaneki quips then laughs when Hide gasps dramatically.

"For shame! That's it. After all these years of friendship, this is how you treat me?" Hide sobs before getting smacked up the head by someone.

"Shut up, you moron," Touka huffs adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"Touka?"

"Who else?" Touka rolls her eyes before gesturing for them to follow. "Our shifts are starting soon, I'm not gonna pick up your slack."

"Ah, yes." Kaneki didn't know what was happening but he wasn't going to complain.

The trio chatted and joked with one another as they made their way to Anteiku but the sight they came to was nothing what Kaneki expected.

A large sea of red, orange, and yellow engulfed the café scorching every part of the building. The window panes explode, spraying shards of glass with the intensity of numerous bullets. Parts of the cafe started to crumble and collapse to the ground and billows of smoke danced above the raging flames in tune with the wind. The roar and crackle of the flames were almost deafening.

"W-What?" Kaneki mutters in a single breath, his eyes wide in shock reflecting the flames. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Hide laughs but it lacks any humour. Kaneki whips right around to find a kagune extruding from his and Touka's stomach.

No, not a kagune, a quinque.

Touka continues, blood leaking from her mouth and eyes. "The CCG found out about this place."

Suddenly, Kaneki found himself surrounded by the Doves who just stood there, not moving an inch. They didn't even bother to unlock their quinques.

Something crashed onto the ground right in front of him and to his dismay, they were the mangled bodies of his loved ones.

Kaneki stumbled backwards before letting out a horrifying shriek filled with the raw emotion of despair and agony. By his feet lay his friends and allies dead. Battered and bloodied, limbs chopped up. Some were even missing their eyes. Hinami, Nishio, Manager, Banjou and his friends, Koma, Irimi even Kimi... dead. Tortured to the very edge of life.

"Do you get it now? It's all your fault," Touka and Hide condemn as blood leaks from their eyes and mouth. The fallen bodies of Kaneki's friends rose to their feet, echoing their words. "Your fault. Your fault. Your fault."

"No," Kaneki whimpers falling to his knees as he clamps his hands over his ears to drown out their echoing blame. "No!" The flames augmenting until Kaneki could feel the blaze charring his skin. The temperature continued to soar to the point where it became suffocating.

Can't breathe. Can't breathe. Can't breathe!

Kaneki's eyes snapped open only to be met with darkness, his starved lungs were screaming for air which sent him into a panic. He tried to kick and claw to free himself but it was proving fruitless until finally, he ripped the blanket from his frame. Kaneki shot up from the bed gasping and panting, before analysing the room.

Multiple beds were lined up against the bed all equipped with privacy screens, the pristine white walls were plastered with eye charts and other medical posters. The stench of disinfectant was thin yet ripe enough to give Kaneki a headache. He makes a move to cover his nose except he finds his wrist chained to the bed frame. The cuff itself wasn't made of metal but rather out of strange green energy.

He tugs at it gently, it clanks quietly against the metal frame and does nothing else. Where is he? It couldn't be a hospital. A ghoul as dangerous as him wouldn't be put there and even if they decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, he should be chained to the bed in isolation. What with all these other beds? They took his suit and mask which he wasn't impressed with. It was most likely standard procedure but he was still pissed. At least the sweats he was given were comfortable though it gave him a terrible sense of foreboding.

Ever since he found out about Kanou... let's just say he didn't trust hospitals after that.

*I see you're awake.* A kind voice greets and Kaneki's head jolts towards where the voice came. He is introduced to an elderly woman with grey short curly hair, dark blue eyes, and black horn-rimmed glasses. She was wearing a long-sleeved light pink shirt with ruffles at the end of her sleeves and a navy blue vest with white trim and puffed sleeves. She wears a long pink skirt with ruffles near her ankles and black high heels.

"Who are you?" Kaneki makes a move to defend himself when the yank of the chain reminds him of his predicament. This is bad while this woman may look kind and cordial, he still has no idea who she is. Highly unlikely to be a part of the CCG since she did not speak Japanese nor did she have a quinque on her person yet something about her put him on edge. She's a soldier, Kaneki knows the eyes of a fighter. And she has seen things.

Faragonda raises both hands by her head and slowly spins to reassure her guest that she's not a threat. She utters a single word. *Translate.*

Kaneki raised a brow at the unfamiliar word trying to discern its meaning but there was no need.

"Can you understand me now?" Faragonda inquires despite knowing the answer.

"You can speak Japanese?" Kaneki doesn't let his guard down and readies his kagune, the situation could change at the drop of a hat.

"No," Faragonda corrects, crossing the room and sitting on the bed next to his and with a flick of her wrist she rids Kaneki of his cuff. "I'd figure you'd be more comfortable."

Kaneki stares at his wrist where the cuff magically disappeared before eyeing her in suspicion. "Great trick," Kaneki comments gruffly and Faragonda raises a brow at his response. He must be a powerful wizard if he could dismiss such a simple spell as a trick. "I'm sure you are capable of greater feats."

"I can sever my thumb and reattach it." Kaneki shrugs not knowing what she is actually referring to.

"OK." Faragonda knew that that was an age-old Earth trick which probably meant he was from Earth. Perhaps he's like Bloom, just now discovering his magic but there's no way a beginner could do such high-level magic. He must have had a teacher but who could it be? "I'm sure you have many questions and I'll do my best to answer them. I hope you'll show me the same courtesy."

"Where am I? This place can't be a part of the CCG."

Faragonda took note of the unfamiliar name, filing it away for later. "You are on Magix."

"Where?"

"Whatever do you mean by where? Magix is the centre of the Magic Dimension and the crossroad for all other planets." How could his mentor not mention Magix? Is he not from the Magic Dimension? But that makes no sense, there are almost no other magical beings other than those wizards but there's no way they would teach a ghoul. This is getting confusing.

"Planet? I'm in space? Nice try, lady, but I wasn't born yesterday. Magic doesn't exist."

"Did you not see me use magic to vanquish your restraint?"

"High-tech technology."

"I'm baffled that a wizard of your calibre could dismiss magic but then again ghouls weren't known to have any magical ability."

Kaneki chose to ignore the wizard's comment and instead focus on a more important matter. "So you know I'm a ghoul. If so then why would you release me?"

"I don't believe in locking people up just because they could be dangerous. Precaution should be taken but never should you be cruel."

"I really must be on a different planet. Listen I don't have time for this so can you just tell me how to get back to where I'm from? I'd like to get back to my friends-my friends! How long have I been here?! How do I go back?! I need to go back! My friends are going to die otherwise!"

Faragonda tries to interject but cannot find an opportunity to do so she makes one. Infusing magic into her vocals, she firmly says one word, "Stop."

Kaneki found himself obeying without hesitation and though he could still speak, he didn't want to continue.

"I know you're worried but I can't help you if I don't know the full story so please tell me everything."

"I found out that the CCG ordered a raid on Anteiku, a café I used to work at, it was owned and run by ghouls who provided aid for any ghoul in need. Some of my friends chose to stay back and fight even when it meant they would die. I couldn't just sit back without doing anything so I went to save them but this glowing circle appeared under me next thing I knew I was flying through this rainbow tunnel then falling from the sky."

"CCG?"

"Counter Commission of Ghouls; an organisation that is dead set on eradicating ghouls from existence. They're set in almost every country."

Such a thing doesn't exist. Faragonda is sure that the first person to know such an organisation exists would be Wizgiz considering his reaction upon discovering the male's true nature. The more she learns, the more confused she becomes.

"Wait a moment, none of the information you gave me makes sense. A staff member of mine had been a great friend to the ghoul community in the past. When they disappeared he searched high and low and even continued his search centuries after."

"Then it seems we're not talking about ghouls from the same Earth. I don't know what kind of friend would sit idly by when his friends are being slaughtered like lambs. Every. Single. Day."

A different Earth? Was he summoned? That would explain the appearance of the funnel but summoning is a complicated endeavour due to the large amounts of magic needed to perform it and the fact there's no guarantee that it'll work. Also for what reason would this boy be summoned? He seems like a regular ghoul despite being able to use magic and even then why would someone summon a ghoul? Nothing makes sense.

"If you are from a different Earth then that would explain a lot. It also complicates things. Travelling through realms outside the Magic Dimension is complicated and judging by your reaction to my magic, I doubt it would be possible for someone from your world to conjure such a powerful portal."

"What are my chances of returning home?"

"Slim. Your best chance is to find the one who summoned you."

"I was summoned?"

"I believe so. From the information presented this is the most logical conclusion. A glowing circle meant a sigil and the rainbow tunnel is the vortex that connects dimensions and was the old way to travel before the use of gateways and ocean gates."

"I can't just stay here though, I have to get back." Kaneki gets off the bed and asks about his suit since it wasn't in the bedside drawer.

"Ofelia has your items," Faragonda responds, "but I can't return them to you just yet."

"Why not?"

"Truth be told, I don't feel comfortable letting you go out and about especially after the fiasco from three months ago. There's also the fact that ghouls have been extinct for nearly six centuries, if the council find out about you then you'll be locked up for study."

"This council that bad?"

"Not exactly. I wouldn't say they are corrupt, while each member has their own agenda, most of them are truly dedicated to improving Magix within their sector. If they believe you to be a threat to Magix then they'll stop at nothing to prevent that threat."

"Sounds like you're on their hit list."

"Unfortunately, you are correct. The fiasco that I mentioned was of three witches from Cloud Tower who stole a part of the Dragon's Flame to resurrect the Army of Decay and wreaked havoc on Magix. They were defeated and locked up but the damage was done. A warrant was put out for Griffin's arrest, since she was the headmistress of Cloud Tower she was also responsible for the damages wrought by her students, but Saladin and I came to her defence and she was let go. Some of the council members saw this as a betrayal to Magix and now we're no longer seeing eye-to-eye."

"How troublesome." Kaneki realises that if this council find out about him then he'll be seen as trouble or a threat simply through association. He should listen to Faragonda; just until he learns enough of the going ons of this world to blend in.

"I'll lie low for now but I'm still going to search for a way back home."

"Naturally. I'd like to propose that you stay at Red Fountain. Saladin will work out the details, but I believe it'd be the best way to blend in. Also, I'd have to inform Saladin of your nature."

Kaneki wasn't sure if he wanted anyone other than Faragonda to know that he was a ghoul. Ghouls have been extinct for quite a while so there's no CCG here to combat them but if someone does find out he's a ghoul, there's no guarantee that they won't freak out. The fewer people that know the better.

"I'd prefer not," Kaneki explains his reasonings.

"I understand but I can't accede to your wishes. Red Fountain is still a school; a school with minors and adults. It'll be irresponsible of me not to inform him of this and it will irreparably damage our relationship."

"Fine," Kaneki concedes as she is doing him such a big favour. He shouldn't be too greedy.

"Also I should inform you that my staff already knows that you're a ghoul."

"That's fine. It can't be helped."

"Then it's settled. Unfortunately, as the school year comes close to a start my staff and I will be busy trying to get everything in order, it'll take some time for me to get the necessary papers for you to fill out but in the meantime, you can busy yourself with the magic archive. It contains a plethora of rare and precious books about the Magic Dimension which includes summoning."

Ofelia arrived soon after and gave him a quick check-over before returning his mask and suit in a bag. Faragonda leads Kaneki to the Magic Archive and they chat as they head to their destination.

"No disrespect but what are you? If you can use magic then are you a witch?"

"Well, I am a fairy."

"Really? I thought fairies were little winged beings that sprout from flowers and live in the enchanted forest?"

"Those would be the pixies," Faragonda corrects. "Magical creatures who bond with a fairy and assist them in becoming accomplished fairies."

"I assume this school and the other two schools you mentioned have magic in their curriculum."

"Cloud Tower does as it is an institution for witches while Red Fountain is paramilitary for males who have magical energy but are unable to fully utilise it."

They arrive at a dead-end hallway with nothing but a large mirror to their left, when Kaneki looks into the mirror he finds a door yet when he looks at the adjacent wall, there's nothing there. Faragonda touches the empty wall and it opens like a door revealing a cylindrical library that stretches far above.

"Welcome to the magic archive," a blonde-haired pixie greets flying down to their eye level with two small animals with wings flanking her sides, a seahorse and a red panda. "Faragonda, it's good to see you. And I don't believe I've seen you before." Concorda tilts her head to get a better look at Kaneki who gives a little wave at the little being.

"I need to ask if you could share some of the archives' contents to help him out."

"Depends on the contents," Concorda replies nudging her glasses further up her nose, "I believe that knowledge should be shared but some things are forbidden for a reason."

"You can decide what he can and can't see, I'm sure he won't cause you any trouble."

"Very well. Come in, young man."

Faragonda turns to Kaneki stating that the information here will help him way more than information from a public library before making her leave.

"I am Concorda, Guardian of the Magic Archive, and they are my companions, Mujina and Hippocampus." Both pet pixies believe Kaneki to be no danger to them so they fly over to him, Hippocampus nuzzles against Kaneki's cheek while Mujina keeps searching Kaneki for something. Concorda scolds her for her behaviour knowing what she wants. "Mujina, enough already! You have already eaten enough for today." Mujina ignores her and continues to search Kaneki which prompts Kaneki to laugh and Concorda to sigh as she smooths the wrinkles on her blue robe.

"I don't have any snacks on me," Kaneki apologises and as a result, Mujina huffs then floated onto a regular-sized desk, that had some stacks of papers and notebooks and a quill beside a pot of ink, and napped there.

"I'm surprised that they took to you so well but they can tell when someone is kind-hearted." With a wave of her hand, Concorda summons a chair to the desk and a miniature armchair for herself while cups and a teapot. She pours herself a cup and asks if he cares for some tea.

"I'm more of a coffee guy. The bitter, the better," Kaneki responds so Concorda obliges, another teapot floats over to them pouring into a cup for him, Concorda offers him some sugar and milk but he refuses.

"What books do you need? It'll be easier to get what you need if you know what you want."

"Dimension travelling and summoning." At her inquisitive look, Kaneki explains. "I have been summoned to this world and I wanna get back to mine."

"Interesting, I've never heard of a successful summoning, at least one from another world. It's much easier to summon objects that exist in your own world, people are harder but doable. Let's get to work."

Staff Room

When Faragonda arrived she found her staff members waiting for her eager to learn about their unexpected guest, Wizgiz especially so. "Faragonda, how is he?"

"Physically? Just fine. Emotionally? Shaken up. Turns out he's from outside the Magic Dimension."

The teachers look at one another while muttering about what they've just learned. Palladium chooses to speak up. "Outside? Is that possible in this day and age? Plus there are no gateways nearby so why did he arrive near Alfea?"

"Based on what he has told me, I believe he was summoned but by who, I don't know."

"A complicated endeavour," Griselda notes with a frown.

"Indeed which is why I need Wizgiz to talk to the boy. I can't figure out why someone would summon that boy, he seems like a regular ghoul but then again I haven't spent that much time with him."

"So you'd like me to investigate him?" Not that he was complaining, it'd be interesting to learn about the boy especially if the ghouls from his world are similar to the ones in this world. Biologically it seems so but he wants to learn more after all, it's been centuries since Cosmo and his people disappeared.

"Yes. While I don't believe he's dangerous, trouble may come to follow especially if the one who summoned him decides to come get him. You have the most experience with ghouls having been alive before their extinction. I assume you know the intimacies of their culture and traditions."

"I'll do my best," Wizgiz promises with a salute.

"Where will he stay?" DuFour inquires which is a valid question. "Alfea would be fine but what about when the school year starts?"

"At Red Fountain. I'll request Saladin to take him in, it shouldn't be difficult. One thing, he doesn't want anyone to know is that he's a ghoul so this must stay between us. I have an obligation to inform Saladin which he has agreed upon but no one else should know not even Griffin."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Fear. Apparently, back in his world, ghouls are hunted down and exterminated and he doesn't want to risk his safety."

"An understandable decision. It'd be best to get him away from Alfea as soon as possible. That portal released a massive amount of magical energy which will garner a lot of attention, it won't be long till Council Member Favian comes down here himself. It'll be difficult to hide the boy considering how shrewd he is."

"I'll contact Saladin right now and explain the situation. You focus on the task at hand, we have to make sure that everything is for the school year to run smoothly."

I'm back, peeps.

I'm sorry for being late but I've had a busy year, I had a baby and motherhood is tiring. I couldn't work as much as I wanted to and even now a lot of chapters are still incomplete but I thought I should upload one which will stop me from procrastinating.

I don't know when future chapters will be done or uploaded but you guys have been waiting long enough so enjoy.

Also, new chapters will have chapter titles, so those on AO3 and fanfiction, where I haven't taken down the story will know what has been updated.