"Oh mama!"

"La vache!"

"Dios mío!"

The three exclaimed as the bright light faded and revealed a different world. Upon first sight, it looked like they happened to be in a Venetian-inspired casino. Canals slithered between rows of small shops, with cement fences lining the canal banks; a couple of gondolas glided across the canal waters and underneath cement bridges, their passengers sitting relaxedly inside; unlit lamps, looking similar to the ones used in old European cities, lined the stone streets. A closer look, however, revealed their true location. The signs hung outside the stores were written in an alien alphabet, not in English or Italian or any known human vernacular. The gondolas seemed to be rowing themselves since no gondoliers were seen navigating them. Most tellingly, the sky was not the conventional bright blue, but instead was a very pale purple. They were not on Earth.

"Where are we?" Edmond asked.

"I think we're in Otrâlmondé," Stella said.

"Otra-what?"

"Otrâlmondé. I think it's the name of this world," she told Jon. "I read it on the door."

"You can read that?" Edmond asked her, surprised.

"You can't?" she asked, equally shocked. The three of them stared at each other for a moment.

"Maybe she has superpowers," Jon said, "that is why she can read it."

"Maybe that's why she was led here," Edmond spoke, "but us? I don't have any powers I know."

"Maybe because you don't know yet—"

Whoosh. A gust of wind blew past them as a man snatched Stella's bag and made off with it. "Hey!" she shouted, as she ran after him. She galloped as fast as she could. The figure, outrunning her, began to gradually fade from her view.

Whoosh. Jon and Edmond bolted past her as they chased the thief. Seconds passed as the two pushed closer to him. Jon outstretched his arm and reached for the bag that was dangling from the thief's arm.

Fwoosh. The figure leaped towards the roof of a shop. He landed on the rooftop, smugly smirked at the three, and continued his escape. "Don't let him go!" Edmond shouted. He stepped onto the shop's lowest windowsill. He reached for the upper ledge, scaled the wall, and climbed onto the rooftop. He continued to pursue the figure as Jon and Stella tried to follow from the streets below.

The purse snatcher was already three roofs away. Edmond vaulted over the chimney, jumped towards the next building, and sprinted. The thief picked up a loose roof tile and threw it backward. He dodged it and continued to run. He lunged forward as he neared the thief.

Zap! A bolt of lightning escaped his fingertips and struck the thief mid-leap. He released the bag as he fell to the ground.

Edmond froze, his wide eyes fixed at the spot where he struck the thief. He raised his right hand. His jaw dropped when he saw smoke rising from his fingertips, and he continued to stare at it as his mind processed the revelation of his power.

"Edmond!"

Oh, right. There was still a bag to retrieve. Edmond glanced at his right side. There was a drainpipe on the right wall. He held onto the pipe as he descended from the roof and landed on the ground, then took a left turn around the corner and into an alley. The bag had fallen not far from where the man was. Upon seeing him, the thief immediately got up and scurried away from him. Edmond picked up the bag and brushed away the dust.

"Edmond!" Jon called out.

"I'm here!" he shouted. He turned right at the corner and to a small street. Jon and Stella were jogging towards him. When they saw that he had retrieved the sling bag, their eyes widened. Stella sprinted towards him and he returned the bag to her.

"Grazie! Thank you!" she said.

"You're welcome! D-did you see what I did there?" He pointed at the roof. "I fired lightning!"

"I saw"—Jon pointed at the roof—"you were so cool!"

"I know! I-I-I didn't even know I could do that! I have lightning powers!"

The three of them raved about the incident for a while. After the initial excitement wore down, they wondered: what should they do next?

"Well, since we're already here," Jon began, "why not we explore more?"

"Explore more? Euh, I'd rather go home," Edmond said.

"But we just got here!"

"We just got here and Stella got mugged. This place doesn't look safe, so"—Edmond took a step to the right—"I'll be going back home. Or, I'll try to."

He paced towards where the door was, only to be dragged in the opposite direction. The force released its grip on him once he stopped resisting.

"Looks like we still have to follow the force," Stella said.

"Let's go this way!" Jon beckoned, jogging in the same direction Edmond was being dragged along.

Stella and Edmond followed after him. Once they caught up, the three strolled down the street, the waterway widening the further they walked. Above them, a sky of dark violet and burgundy red started to replace the palette of pale purple. The lamps began to brighten the streets with yellowish-white light. Light escaped the windows and glass doors as the shops began to open. More people poured into the streets; the town was becoming busier.

At first sight, the people of the town could easily be mistaken for humans—their bodies seemed to be of the same size and proportion as human bodies. Their hair colors were not unusual—dark shades of brown and black were a common sight. Nothing much could be said of their manner of dress, except that they seemed fond of very long coats, which covered them from their necks and shoulders to their wrists and ankles. The only other visible piece of clothing was their footwear; the majority wore low-cut leather shoes, most of them without shoelaces.

A closer look would give away their true identities. Their eyes were something out of the ordinary: many had red eyes, some had orange irises, other eyes were colored purple, and a few pairs even had a mixture of colors. Their skin tones, instead of being a single color, was instead a gradient of hues. Peach with a tinge of pale yellow. Light creme with a blend of ash grey. Ivory white with a tint of pastel pink. For some reason, they were all bedecked in jewelry. Entire fingers were concealed in rows of rings. Numerous necklaces dangled from long necks. Bracelets and bangles covered whole forearms.

The three eventually stopped at a three-way intersection. The canal was split into two, with one channel flowing to the right and the other channel flowing to the left. There was no waterway running through the street up ahead. Connecting the pedestrian lanes was a circular bridge, which had a signpost that stood in its center. Stella briefly read the sign. Towards the left and right were primarily residential areas. Rows of low-rise apartments, which were about the same size as the shops they were passing by, occupied the sides. Up ahead was the main street: a large thoroughfare, lined with sizeable buildings and tall trees.

The three crossed the round bridge and walked to the main street. Unlike the apartments and boutiques, which were short and simple in design, the structures that lined the thoroughfare were massive and elaborate. Sculptures, most of them depicting people, were carved intricately into the walls. Layers of paint, either glossy or matte, made each sculpture more lifelike. The level of detail was astonishing; you could see every single strand of hair, all the folds and creases in the clothing, and some statues even had veins bulging out of their necks and arms. Some buildings, in place of carefully chiseled figures, had enormous stained-glass windows. Some were as big as two men standing side-by-side, while others were five times as large. Unlike the sculptures, the windows primarily portrayed nature. Flowers and trees were a common theme, with individual pieces of glass constituting individual petals and leaves.

One of the largest buildings there was roughly five stories high. Large columns carried the heavy entablature. On its roof were three statues: a woman holding a short stack of books, a man grasping some sort of stylus, and a child unrolling a scroll. A stained-glass dome occupied the center of the roof. Smooth velvet cushioned the stairs leading into the building. Stella felt her right wrist lunge toward it.

"We have to go there." Stella pointed at the structure.

The two followed her to the building. Together, they ascended the stairs and reached for the door. They did not even need to touch the door handles, as the door automatically opened itself just when they were in front of it.

It was a library. One look inside made the exterior look deceivingly small—the interior was so spacious that it seemed to go on forever. There were indeed five floors, but they only occupied the corners and edges, so that the immense wooden bookcases that stood in the center would be able to reach from the very bottom to the very top without anything blocking their paths. The giant shelves towered over everything, their heads almost touching the glass dome. Books were flying and fluttering around them like birds and butterflies. Round tables and tufted chairs were scattered around.

"C'est magnifique," Edmond breathed, taking in his surroundings. "Maybe we can find some useful info around here—"

"Let's sit here!" Jon said, claiming a seat at the nearest table. The two followed him to the table. All three lounged in their chairs; they were much more comfortable than they looked. A small leather-bound book landed softly on their desk.

"What's this?" Stella picked up the book and brushed the dust off the cover. There was no title. She flipped through a few pages.

"What does it say?" Jon asked.

"It's about magical jewelry," she told them. Suddenly, the pages turned themselves and stopped after about twenty pages. Since the boys could not read what was written, Stella had to read the contents out loud.

"The powers that the jewelry bestows on its wearer depends on the materials and symbols that were used to make it," she read aloud. "Most jewelers prefer to use metals, not only because they are durable, but because they grant desirable powers. Metals such as iron and copper are often used because they are plentiful, but once it rusts, it weakens the object's power until the magic no longer exists. Magical objects made from precious metals, such as gold and silver, are the most powerful and are quite expensive. Other materials, like glass and crystal, also grant immense power, though they are not as tough in comparison. The more expensive a piece of jewelry is, the rarer.

"It is a common myth that gems will enhance the powers of an object. Gems do nothing more than make it look more attractive, increase the price tag, and if ever, grant a weak passive ability.

"The symbols engraved onto an object determine what powers will be granted to the wearer. Common symbols have elemental themes to them: for example, a flame pictograph or a carved snowflake. This is why most owners of magical jewelry possess elemental powers. Line patterns are often used because they are perceived as beautiful and easy to make, though the type of powers an object gains from such designs is hard to predict.

"Magical pieces of jewelry often show no spectacular sign, making them seem ordinary to the eyes of an ordinary person. However, the most powerful objects will often glow when touched by someone worthy. In the case when a being with no magic or superpower wears a piece of magical jewelry, it often won't show signs unless it has 'chosen' the person as its rightful owner. Cases like this are extremely rare."

Three flashes of light suddenly radiated from their jewelry. Stella glanced at the boys. Jon was wearing a crystal ring, which was gleaming bright blue. A ruby red light was coming from under Edmond's shirt. He reached under his shirt and tucked out his glowing golden necklace. Stella looked back at her right wrist. A vivid violet was radiating from her bracelet. The three of them looked at each other.

"We are chosen?" Edmond spoke.

"Wait, maybe this book knows our powers," said Stella. She flipped through the pages in search of an answer.

"Maybe you can ask it," Jon suggested.

"I'll try," she said. She asked the book, "Can you tell us what powers we have?"

The book did not respond. Stella repeated her question. This time, the book flew out of her hands and fluttered away.

"Well that's just rude," Edmond muttered.

"Maybe it doesn't like us," said Jon.

"I guess we have to find out our powers ourselves," Stella sighed.

"At least you know your powers. I don't know mine yet."

"But the book said we can determine our powers by looking at the symbols on our jewelry. Maybe we can guess what abilities we have," Edmond said, lifting his pendant to take a closer look. Jon removed the ring from his finger and scrutinized it; Stella held up her right wrist. All she saw was a silver chain and star—she could not guess what her other abilities were.

"Mine has a snowflake, and a moon, and a drop of water. I think that means I can control water," said Jon.

"Wait." Stella retrieved her tumbler from her sling bag and opened it in front of him. "You can try to control the water in here."

Jon peeked into her tumbler and made a slight motion with his hand. The water rose, forming a liquid peak, before sinking back into the container. Jon gasped. He lifted his fingers. The water rose once more.

"The pendant on my necklace has a flame on it, and a sun," Edmond said. He opened his palm. A small flame lit in his hand. They gaped at him.

"Fire and lightning? Why do you get the cool powers?" said Stella.

"Your power is useful too. If you couldn't read, we would not be able to know what the book was trying to tell us, right?" Edmond said. He glanced at his watch. "Well, now that we know that we have powers, I think it's safe to say the force won't pull us anywhere anymore. Let's go back."

"What time is it?"

"It's almost eleven," he answered Stella. Her eyes widened.

"I have to go back!" she announced, closing her tumbler before stuffing it in her bag. She stood up immediately and quickly made her way out of the library.

"Wait!" Jon said. He and Edmond followed her to the thoroughfare. Stella scanned the street for any landmark. She needed to find her way home, and fast.

"There!" Edmond pointed to the right, "I see the bridge. That way."

The three jogged in that direction. They crossed the round bridge and trotted down the lane. Everything was starting to look familiar. Eventually, they saw the door. A humungous, wooden slab standing still in the middle of the street. Strangely, the door was much plainer than when they first saw it. There was no handprint, no special symbols, no crazy carvings of any sort. It only had an inscription at the center.

"Stella, you can translate no?" asked Jon. She squinted her eyes.

"It says you have to knock three times on the heart of the door," Stella said slowly.

"Hmm, heart of the door. It must mean the center of the door," Edmond said.

He tried knocking on the door three times, using his knuckles. The door did not open. Jon tried knocking three times, using the front of his fist instead. The door still did not open. The boys knocked on the door repeatedly, using different techniques and knocking on different areas around its center. Meanwhile, Stella scoped every inch of the door and noticed a heart carved into the bottom-left corner. She knelt and knocked at the heart three times.

A bright light consumed them as the door opened wide, transporting them from Otrâlmondé and returning them to where they were in the first place: in front of the wooden door. They covered it with the white sheet before they exited the building, closing the metal door behind them.

"So," Jon began, "are we going back?"

Edmond bit his lip. "I don't know. I mean, I don't know if it's safe, but we haven't discovered all our powers yet."

"We can go back tomorrow. We can meet here at nine o'clock," said Stella.

"That sounds too early. What about ten?" Jon suggested.

"I think ten's good enough."

"Fine, then ten o'clock it is."

The trio reached the edge of the forest. Edmond took a step forward, then paused. Nothing. He walked some more. A smile widened on his face as he rejoiced, "We can go home now!"

He ran into the woods. The two sprinted after him. Fortunately for Stella, he was not running at full speed, or else she would have been left behind. Her breathing quickened as she dashed between the trees, and she later sighed in relief once Oppidula loomed in her vision. The three halted when they had all gotten out of the forest.

"My house is this way." Stella gestured at a path. She waved. "Bye!"

"Bye!"

"See ya tomorrow!"

The three waved as they walked in different directions. Stella strolled back to her aunt's house in happy spirits. She just made two new friends, found a whole new realm, and discovered that she had superpowers! The holiday with her aunt did not turn out to be as bland as she thought it would be. She raced back to her aunt's house, hoping that she would arrive before noon. She knocked on the door. Her aunt opened it and welcomed her inside.

"How was your morning?" asked Celestine.

"It was great! This town is more interesting than I thought."

"That's good to hear! Wash your hands; it's time for lunch."

Stella did as she was told. During their midday meal, she desperately wanted to tell her aunt what happened earlier. Instead, she decided to keep it a secret. She won't believe it anyway, she thought. She spent the rest of the day smiling, thinking about what happened that morning.

✧ ✧ ✧

Fun Fact: Otrâlmondé was derived from the French words autre and monde, which mean "other" and "world" respectively. Get it?

I hope you liked this chapter! If you did, please vote by pressing the star-shaped button on this chapter!

Thanks!