Oh My God! I was sliding down, still screaming my lungs out while Vanessa and Lily were just laughing and screaming excitedly. At the end I jumped and landed somewhere. In a circle, I heard "Destination Reached. Please head to the scanner to verify your arrival.." in a monotone. Like a robot. When I got up what I saw made my jaw drop.

It was a city. Like it was 2090 or something because it was so Hi-Tech stuff. Like a Sci-fi movie. "Welcome to Ariela, The City Of Technology.. please head over to the scanner to verify your arrival. For the tour, head over to the red platform" the robot continued, I reached in my backpack to feel something metallic. I frowned in confusion and removed it, it was the golden handcuffs, wonder how they got in there.

I shrugged and left it there, then looked for my phone. Wait..where was it? "My phone! Have you seen my phone?" I ask Vanessa. She shook her head no and motioned for me to follow her and Lily. I followed suit, while checking for my phone in my backpack. I bumped into someone in the process, when I looked up it was a girl.

"Sorry" I muttered.

"No worries, have you dropped something?" She asked. I was about to answer when I got this feeling...

"I think I dropped my phone, I can't seem to find it" I said casually.

"I'll help"

"Really no worries I can do it"

"Are you sure?"

"Yea..." I stopped when I got that feeling again like something was travelling in my mind and eyes then my eyes glowed. That's when I knew.

"Wait.. you're not human?" I ask.

She didn't look fazed at all but she a little when she saw my glowing eyes.

"Yeah..but you also are..not from here"

"Maddie" Vanessa called "We need to get going" she said and reached out for my hand.

"Wait.. how did you know?" I wondered.

"First off, I scanned you, you're not from this universe, second no one here practices magic, third from first. I'm AI"

"Wooaah.." she? AI? She looked human! The jet black straight hair, the green eyes that were full of life, and to finish off with the jeans, orange hoodie and orange headphones with orange sneakers and an orange backpack.

"It's just..wooow"

"Maddie we have to go" Lily insisted.

"Okay..so do you eat? Can you like do many stuff?"

"Yes..what brings you to Ariela?"

"Well..uh..we were just-"

"Maddie! We have to go" Vanessa grabbed my hand. "Nice to meet you" she chirped at the AI girl and dragged me.

"Wait, we don't even know where we will stay, we know nothing about the city" I said.

"Wait I can offer you a place to stay" she offered.

"See?" I told Vanessa. "But we still don't trust her, Maddie" Vanessa lowered her voice. "I don't think she's not trustable" I told her, Vanessa sighed. "Fine but we should be careful"

We followed the girl. Vanessa walked with Lily while I walked with the girl. "My name is Vayra" Vayra. What a unique name "It's a unique name, does it have any meaning?" "Well.. it's associated with cosmic energy for all I know, that's what I'm a little bit made of" "Wow cool, so you have some cosmic energy within you?!" She nods and opens her palm and a ball of purple floats, she then makes it disappear.

"Amazing"

"What about you?"

I smile and do the same but a it bursts, I wince then sigh "I dont know how to control my powers yet" "Don't worry you will, I'll help" "Thanks" We keep walking through the streets meeting up with Vayra's friends, then for about 10 minutes we reached the house..ish. It was a round building with orange drapings and a massive illuminative round ring circled it near the top, it had floor to ceiling windows draped with soft curtains and the balcony contained greenery, with glowing pathways.

"Woow.." I mused. Vayra laughed "Welcome to our home" she announced. "We? As in, you don't live alone?" "Yeah, I live with Mom and Dad" Robots have mom and dads? Well she does look human so I think it's okay.

We headed inside the house and saw Vayra's parents, they smiled once they saw us "So these are the guests, that you said we were having.." she said. Wait how did she know? Vayra must have guessed what I was thinking because she answered "Don't worry, I sent them a voice message" "Oh okay" "Come on in" her dad said and we entered.

Inside was even more stunning, everything was just exotic. We sat this couch like, so Vayra asks "Do you guys need anything to drink" "Water is fine" I said because I wasn't feeling that good, it's like the magic in me was spinning in my stomach, "What about you guys?" "Apple juice please" Vanessa said. "Same" Lily added.

"Learn how to get used to it because you'll feel and become weird" Vayra said as she went to the kitchen.

"Become?"

"Yep. Some people transform into very weird things"

"All that in jumping from one universe to another?"

"Yeah" she says as she comes back with
juice for Lily and Vanessa and water for me.

I take the glass and down it in one sip, then relax.

"So..what really brought you here?" Vayra asks as she sits down.

Should I tell her? Well..we dont trust her yet. So I'll lie "We were looking for something"

"Hope you find it"

"Yeah, I do hope too"

"Since you are here for the time being I must tell you something" her expression becomes serious. "We have this leader. The Tax Collector, he passes by every building to collect tax, he is very cruel and he comes by with his little army. And today is the day he's coming. So, You will stay inside and don't make any noise or he will see you guys"

"What will he do?"

"He will know you're not from here, and he will capture you"

"But the others also are not from here and they looked okay with it"

"You weren't scanned..so he will think you're trespassers and capture you" she said.

I let out a sigh and rub my temples, "You guys should rest, you look tired"

"Maybe she is, but I'm not" Vanessa said. "Me too" Lily said and got comfortable in her seat along with Vanessa. Well, I don't know about them maybe they're used to it but I'm resting. I get out off my sneakers and make a move to put them away when Vayra said "Just put them there" "Okay, Is it okay if I lie here?" "Totally fine"

I lay down and as soon as I did that, I heard a clicking sound and checked then I saw my part dettach from Vanessa's and move a little bit away from her then a plastic see through lid closed on me. I shook my head when I realized that my mouth was open, during the whole process. Will I even want a bedroom when it is so comfy? The warmth slowly guided me to sleep.

I was woken up by rapid movements, when I checked, I saw Vayra wave her hand and the couch/bed moved further from the living room, when I turned back I saw the wall open up and the couch/bed attached to the wall. Then the lid came off replaced by the wall closing. It was a little dark but then, lights turned on which were implanted in the wall, they gave off soft light not bright. The inside was not big. Enough for me only.

I tried to listen but only heard muffled sounds. Maybe the Tax Collector was here, I got off the couch/bed and felt something fall then roll, when I looked down it was small silver ball. I picked it up, and it glowed a soft blue and I heard Vayra's voice. "Hey, I recorded this just in case, infront of you if you're standing there's a door, just press your hand there and say "Intelligence" and it will open, be careful, Vanessa and Lily are in my room, just try to not make noise while heading there, head straight then there's like a glass elevator it will take you up, head to the 3rd room, right side" then the ball stopped glowing and disappeared.

I walked to a wall infront of me, when I pressed my palm, soft white light shone making a door like shape, I said "Intelligence" and within that light frame in the middle it divided like an elevator door and opened "Cool" I murmured and got out as it closed.

I followed Vayra's directions and entered her room, seeing Vanessa on Vayra's bed sitting while Lily was sitting by the window, sketching something on a notebook. They looked up "Hey.." "hi"

I closed the door gently and checked Vayra's room out, It was silver inside but to the corner it was orange that went up to the ceiling. She had posters of what looked like a race that took place somewhere called Grildo. I went to sit to her bed too, joining Vanessa, before I said anything I heard Vayra's voice coming through somewhere when, I looked around it was coming from a big silver ball that glowed blue too and continued whenever the sound came out.

"Guys you should find some place to hide before-" the sound was cut off, she sounded worried because she talked in hushed whispers. Just then the door opened and a robot entered the room "Surrender" It stated. I got up and charged my hands with energy, Vanessa and Lily also tensed up. The robot raised it's hand charging it with a beam. I release energy from my hand instead of shooting it spread throughout the room knocking us all down.

I groaned from the pain, Lily gathered her energy and tore a page from her notebook then folded it then threw it at the robot, it glowed pink then..goo? Shot from the paper and enveloped the robot, making the beam backfire exploding it in the process, we took off from the room to the elevator.

After the door opened, We ran to the living room to see Vayra's parents captured then Vayra was standing while 5 robots lay wrecked, she turns to us, we run to her.

"Are you okay?"

"No, they have my parents"

We looked and the Tax Collector entered the room. My eyes widened when I saw who the Tax Collector was..it was this universe's version of Dad. He was laughing but stopped when he saw me, before I said anything Vayra's mother said "Kids. Be safe. Find us when you get the chance" she then took something from her pocket and pressed a button. We heard a little hissing sound it was coming from beneath us when I looked down orange had circle us and before we knew it-"Oh no, not again" we were teleported.