"Have you all heard what Vitaly said?" I asked, as we found ourselves in what looked like a forest.

"I have," Raegan replied. "For once, I have the upper hand. Jeff has cooler powers, but I have the stories on my side."

"You stink of beer," Jeff pointed out. "Why did you drink before the quest?"

"I don't get drunk on beer," Raegan said. "And I never stink."

I hoped it was the truth, because I didn't want to have to deal with a drunk Scottish Enchanter.

"I have an idea," Edgar said.

"Already?" Jeff jerked back. I noticed that he probably had forgotten, for a moment, Wollstonecraft was coming. It was Jeff, Raegan and I who had started everything.

"Yes," he replied. "But you might not like it."

"I like all ideas," Raegan exclaimed. "Especially if it means I don't have to come up with them. Lead the way!"

Edgar knelt beside one of the trees, and picked up a stack of letters.

"What is this?" I asked. I wasn't looking forward to the first of the surprises that we would inevitably find on KI.

"I thought I'd find them here," he said. "I just don't know if my theory is correct."

"Well, let's read them," Jeff said. He picked up the first letter, and he read,

"Dear world #5677, also known as KI,

My name is Jurji and I'm writing to you in English, my second language. My first language is Arabic, but I know English is the language you speak here.

When I grew up, I felt as if no one understood me. But then, looking at the pictures of the world of KI, I found my place somewhere. It meant a lot to see other people like me. Or quite. I don't know anyone who's exactly like me. I still don't. But I'm looking forward to finding out."

A holographic image of Jurji came out of the letter. He was handsome in an ethereal way, with dark olive skin, delicate features and curly black hair tied up in a ponytail. He must have been about my age.

"Keep reading, Jeff," Raegan insisted.

"Growing up, the only belief I could relate to was Traditionalism. I knew the members wouldn't kick out someone like me. Still, I couldn't leave Egypt and join their ranks. Raegan McIntosh is my hero."

"Are you making it up, Jeff?" I asked, troubled.

"Look, I would never make up something like that."

"Well, don't you notice anything strange?"

"Jurji likes me! I'm his hero!" Raegan exclaimed. "I wouldn't call it strange, exactly..."

"The strange thing is that Jurji is from Earth," I said.

"Where else could he be from? He's writing a fan letter to KI. What we need to understand is why someone would send other realms letters," Edgar interjected.

"Well, you said you had a theory," I pointed out.

"I have," Edgar said, but before he could speak, Jeff pointed at something in the distance.

"Look at that," he said. "It's like the reproduction of the Arcane. Perhaps, it's a real Arcane!"

The tower looked like the one we had seen in the Stars Room, but it was as tall as any lighthouse. It would never be able to fit inside the rooms of the Academy.

"If it's a real Arcane," I commented, troubled. "There is a soul inside."

"Maybe not all the legends are true," Edgar offered.

I thought of the Enemy Mirror. "It seems to me they are."

Striped white and blue, and with the windows, the tower looked just like the Blasted Tower. We walked until we reached it.

"Solidified aether," Jeff confirmed. "But then again, even the small reproduction had the same material."

"Back then, you said it was just like the one in the Silver Crypt. I am not familiar with the story, but Vitaly said we should be."

"There's a silver crypt inside the tower," Jeff said. "In the story. Well, damn. I feared the day I would be believing children's stories."

Jeff could say what he wanted. I understood his frustration. Still, I knew him better than that. I knew that, in his heart, he just wished for an adventure and he'd always felt regretful that his frail health and his father's failures meant he was never going to live one.

But now he was living one. Even better, he was in one.

Which was something I could relate to. Guys like me, misfits like me, didn't belong in adventures.

"Who knows why Jono Mitchell bought the reproduction and gave it to your grandfather, Jeff," I said, mindlessly touching the tower. A little door appeared.

"I guess it's our cue to go inside," Raegan shrugged. "Though I don't think we'll find the Enemy Mirror here. It's too easy."

"Maybe it's too fast," Edgar said. "But nothing about it was easy."

"And the New Faith?" Jeff asked. "What was the meaning..."

"Perhaps Jono worked for my father," Raegan replied. "Let's not confuse ourselves with more questions."

I, for one, was still curious about the letters, but I decided to keep it to myself.

"Maybe the letters were sent by a lovestruck Jurji who knew he could reach Raegan here," I said instead, to make light of the situation. "So many naughty jokes about him and you under a tree come to mind..."

"If you have any bad jokes, spit them out, Barnes," Raegan grinned. "I dish it out, but I can take it."

That said, she drank from one of our water bottles. "I'm doing it for Jeff. This counteracts the alcohol. Not that I'm drunk, mind you."

She opened up the door of the lighthouse, and she entered. We had no choice but to follow her, and I realised that it was much bigger on the inside.

As soon as we entered, the door closed behind our backs and a writing started forming on the wall.

'You're welcome, heroes, to awaken me from my slumber

Since last time you've increased from three to four in number'

"Three?" Jeff asked in a small voice. "I thought my father and Vitaly went on this quest alone."

"It's very likely that Brady was with them," I said, though I was not sure.

Maybe it was the writing on the wall, that was speaking in rhymes as if it was some sort of riddle. Maybe it was being in a different dimension. Whatever the reason, I started feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

And then, another couplet appeared on the wall.

'Whatever is the purpose of the travel, no doubt

That I am sworn not to let any of you out'

And that was when I lost it. I threw up.

"Come on," Raegan said. "You can't be serious, whoever or whatever you are. Of course you will let us out. We know the spell, and Vitaly and Brady will help us from the other side."

"Erm, Raegan," Jeff whispered. "They do not mean they're not letting us out of KI. I think they mean we won't leave the tower alive."

"Why?" Raegan looked puzzled.

Then, she yelped in pain. I realised one of the windows had shattered, and a shard of glass had got into her arm.

"Because, as you have so brilliantly guessed, I am an Arcane," a disembodied voice said. "I don't have a good feeling about your quest. At all. If that makes you think I'll help, you're wrong. You can't win. Not really. Because you're just as obsessed with power as the other side. The fact that you got here just to get to the Mirror proves it. Young Winter, you should know what happens to people obsessed with power."

"Don't you dare talk about my father like that," Jeff growled.

For some reason, this hit us worse than the other times people talked about Samuel Winter. I realised that it was because Samuel had been on KI, and the Blasted Tower had probably known him well.

"Well," I tried to reason. "You did let Samuel, Vitaly and Brady out of here. What makes us different from them?"

"Brady?" the Blasted Tower asked, puzzled. "Anyway, this was one of the reasons why I couldn't let you go. Why would I do that? To see one of you become the greatest Typhons of all time?"

"Vitaly joined the Reapers only to plan his revenge!" I shouted. I knew it didn't sound like much, as an excuse, but I believed Vitaly wasn't that bad. He couldn't be.

The voice paused, like he had his doubts. But I refrained from adding more. I felt like I had to defend Vitaly, but there weren't many nice things to say about him.

"Third reason," the Tower finally added. "You threw up on my parquet. You must die."

I laughed nervously, as Edgar was giving me a side-eye.

"You're wrong," Edgar finally told the Tower. "We can leave from the windows."

I couldn't help my nervous reflexes. When all the windows disappeared, I think I wet my trousers.

And, as usual, under pressure I had a brilliant idea.

I became invisible to the Blasted Tower.

"I do not understand how," the Blasted Tower said. "But one of you already left. The other three better follow his example."

"How did you do that?" Edgar hissed.

"You know how I did that," I replied.

"I meant — how did you manage to fool the Blasted Tower into not knowing what you did?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. But follow my lead!"

My friends became invisible too, and our voices became inaudible.

"So, does anyone have a plan?" Raegan whispered.

"Maybe," Jeff replied. "We could figure out who he is. Maybe there's something that can help us."

"Jono Mitchell," I said, as if struck by inspiration. "It was never the name of the buyer of the reproduction."

Jeff looked at me like I was crazy, but then he understood.

"That's right!" he exclaimed. "Jono Mitchell is his name! It's the name of the person he was before he became... that."

"So, you're telling me we're inside a person?" Raegan replied. "Actually, don't answer that. Just fix my arm."

There wasn't a Mudra to heal small cuts, but there was one that would stop most of the bleeding. I performed it on her.

"What are we going to do with this information?" Edgar asked.

"We're going to taunt him," I replied. "Let's think — why are we here?"

"We saw the Tower before and Raegan decided it was enough for us to go inside," Jeff said.

"It was a clue, though I don't know who left it there and why," I specified. "So, either the Enemy Mirror is here... or we'll find a clue as to where it is."

"We have to look for the Silver Crypt!" Edgar reasoned. "It's been a while since I last read the stories. Raegan, do you remember where the crypt was?"

Then, Edgar frowned and shivered. "The spell... I can't tell if it's working. It's been a while since the Tower taunted us, but I can't feel it."

Jeff performed the Mudra for a scan. "You are not invisible... I don't get it... why?"

"It seems my magic is not working," Edgar said pensively. "Perhaps I really lost it."

"I'll make you invisible," I promised him. "I think I can do that."

He nodded, but he had a defeated and ashamed look on his face.

"While we're going to look for the Silver Crypt — there is a wall that looks like all the others but moves away if you perform the Mudra for opening it," Raegan said. "Edgar can taunt Jono Mitchell about his past."

"No," I replied. "I'll use my energy to make Edgar invisible and I'll talk to Jono Mitchell."

Edgar tried to reply, but I cut him off abruptly. "I'm the best at taunting."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Haven't I taunted you enough?"

"I'm the most insufferable of the two, in a way. You know it's true."

I stopped my spell, and made Edgar invisible. Magic felt different than on Earth, a little slippery, if you will. That was one of the reasons why I wouldn't have enough energy to sustain the spell for two.

I walked in the opposite direction from where my friends were going. Jono Mitchell must have seen me, because cracks started appearing in the walls and on the floor. I tried to jump from one fixture in the pavement to another, but I was afraid if I moved too far from my friends, I wouldn't be able to go back.

And the room I was in was a disaster already — all filled with cracks, and the ceiling looked like it was about to cave in and fall on my head.

I turned around. When I looked at where my friends were, I could see a piece of the ceiling had fallen to the floor. I hoped it had not crushed any of them.

"Jono Mitchell," I said out loud.

"Do not call me that."

"Oh, so I haven't earned the right? Mister Mitchell. Or was it sir? I wonder what you looked like when you were alive."

I heard a booming sound echoing off the walls.

"I was a very handsome man," the voice replied. "There must be my portrait around here somewhere."

The interior of the tower looked like one of those houses inside lighthouses, and above a shelf with mostly useless junks there was the portrait of a good-looking dark-haired man.

I wanted to point out that a man who was so vain might not have decided to let his soul linger on only to rest in the body of the Blasted Tower, but after all, what did I know?

"Were you from KI, originally? We haven't met people here yet," I said. "We're still trying to guess whether they have two eyes like us or nine. Or you know, small details like that."

"KI is not a place for Enchanters," Jono replied. "I can't see how you can do magic here. You shouldn't be able to."

I felt my blood freezing in my veins. So used to being the misfit wherever I went, I had forgotten momentarily that Raegan and Jeff were using their magic too. When I realised this, I had enough strength to go on.

"So you were from Earth."

"Yes, and since you're so intent on going on with your quest, I'll let you know why you can't. I was a young Enchanter a little older than you, once. Though my girlfriend Brooke tried many times to dissuade me, my friends and I had decided to use what we learned at the Academy to space-shift and go look for the Enemy Mirror from the famous legends. I met one of the dark entities that populate this realm. I was killed on the spot. I decided to let my death have meaning and become the famous Tower of the story."

"You're not telling me the whole truth," I said. "There is a clue inside of you. You don't want other people to fail like you failed."

His story had almost moved me to tears, but I wouldn't let that stop me.

Then, I realised the meaning of it.

"Brooke," I said. "She never joined you. She didn't die. But she's not here either, is she? I guess that... Well, Brooke had a baby, didn't she?"

"You're just making wild guesses now."

"But she did. That's why there's your portrait here. It's not because of vanity. That's why this place looks like a home, that's why there is a clue... you were hoping for Brooke and your baby to come back here. But you never told her the truth, because you couldn't. And you silently hope that your son never goes on the quest that killed you. I'll tell you something. I know for sure Samuel Winter would have never wanted the same thing for his son. But my friend here, Jeff, won't lose his mind like his father did. He's the most stubborn person I know, and his life is devoted towards good deeds. Just think that when I first joined the Academy, I'd never lived inside the Aether Realm before, and Jeff almost didn't want me to enrol because he thought I was an idiot!"

The Tower stopped replying. I hoped it wasn't thinking about me, being an idiot.

"You are right," he finally said. "A son deserves to complete the quest of the father."

A wall opened up, and behind this there was the famous Silver Crypt. When my friends appeared next to me, I could see Jeff was injured.

"The potion!" I exclaimed.

"My leg must be broken," he said, wincing. "But the potion is for those near death. Let's not waste it."

Raegan was helping Jeff move. We entered the crypt.

"Have you noticed something?" Edgar asked. "If Jono Mitchell knew the Enemy Mirror was in KI, many people who attempted the spell could know. How do we know the Reapers won't follow us here?"

"We will deal with them when it's necessary," Raegan said. I was probably the only one who knew how much she wanted that to be necessary.

"Am I the only one who heard a sentence being spoken about dark entities that kill people on the spot?"

"We all heard it," Jeff replied. "But Raegan is right — we can't worry about them now. Let's hope we do not get to meet them."

In the crypt, there was a tomb. When Raegan opened the lid, it was empty. But there was something — a map.

Jeff took a look at it, and put it back in his pocket. "Raegan," he said. "Prepare to open a portal. The next stop is far away from here."

"I don't get it," I interjected. "I can't be the only one who doesn't get it. Is this the clue?"

"Maybe so," Edgar replied. "Beggars can't be choosers."

At that moment, writing started appearing on the wall as it had when we first entered.

'The first clue is this,

You need something in your DNA to have magic here

You can't practise magic on KI unless a family member has been here before'

"I... I don't get it," I replied, all the more confused because I did not know who any of my relatives were. "What is this world? What were those letters we found? Just how many people journeyed here?"

Raegan was thinking out loud about the members of her family who could have been there before — a certain uncle Ewan the Fearless came up various times in her monologues.

"Well," Jeff said cautiously. "I know why my magic works. But there's something that feels... strange. About all of this."

Of course there is, I wanted to say. We still hadn't figured out the fan-letters people were sending to KI.

"I opened the portal," Raegan reminded us. "We should go anytime now."

"I've never travelled via a portal," I said. "What do we do?"

"We jump," Edgar replied, and he pushed me inside.