MISHELL'S POV…
After the unexpected meeting with my mother, Corelia and I had to return to the human world almost immediately. Reappearing in our room, the first thing I noticed was how… clean everything was.
Too clean.
Everything was neatly arranged, perfectly aligned like someone had been trying very hard to impress invisible judges.
I glanced around once.
"…Guess Lydia isn't completely useless after all," I muttered under my breath.
The shift between both realms still felt wrong, here, the air was heavier, thicker and It just sat there like it had nowhere to go. It didn't flow, didn't breathe.
Underwater, everything moved with you.
Everything listened.
Here?
It just… existed.
I dropped onto my bed dramatically, one arm flung over my eyes. Corelia lay back on hers, staring at the plain white ceiling like it had personally offended her.
There were no glowing corals.No drifting currents, no soft aquatic light bending across marble walls just a ceiling fan and that annoying squeak every three rotations.
Ninety-three days.
The number sat in my head like a countdown I didn't sign up for, ticking louder than it should.
"What if we fail?" Corelia whispered.
I didn't answer immediately.For once… I didn't have sarcasm ready.
"We won't," I said finally, my voice quieter than usual. "We can't."
"We are nowhere close yet," she replied.
"I know," I said, dragging my arm off my face. "I'm very aware of that. All we have to do is speed up our research and locate the scales."
"And before that—we capture the Ruin Wraith," she added.
I groaned and dropped back again.
"…That too?"
"Yes."
I turned my head slightly toward her.
"To get rid of it, you'll need to stay close to Jax," she continued. "While I keep an eye on Vic."
I frowned.
"Can't you do both?"
She gave me a look. A very clear don't even try it look.
I sighed.
"Alright, fine… everything is stupid. Stupid wraith, stupid mission, stupid world, stupid humans—"
The door suddenly clicked, someone was unlocking it. We both froze for half a second then relaxed immediately. We didn't even need to think about it.
Lydia.
She burst in like she had just heard there was free money being shared inside the room.
"Lydia…" I said flatly, not even bothering to sit up properly.
"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!" she shouted.
"Did you check Oceania?" I replied.
She froze mid-step.
"Oceania?… What's that?"
"Our world," Corelia answered calmly.
Lydia stared at us. "…Come on, be serious."
"We are serious," Corelia said. "We went home."
Lydia blinked slowly.
"Oh… you're serious?" she said. "Oceania is real? I thought that was a myth or something."
She just stood there staring like her brain had stepped out for fresh air.
"You still there?" Corelia asked, waving a hand.
"Yes—just—never mind," Lydia said quickly. "Back to my question you both left without telling me. Why?"
I sat up slightly.
"What were we supposed to do? Take you swimming with us to Oceania?"
"You should have stayed back home" she shot back.
I gave her a look. "Trust me, I wanted to. But your life was on the line."
She blinked. "My life?"
"Lydia," Corelia stepped in gently, "we were summoned by the Queen concerning our mission."
"Oh…" Lydia said automatically. "…that's kind of cool."
I sat up half way this time.
"Cool?" I repeated. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one trying to capture a dangerous witch before ninety-three days runs out."
She blinked again.
"Ninety-three days?" she said. "That's insane. No wonder you were gone for so long."
I frowned. "So long?"
"You were gone for over a day," she said. "Actually… a day and six hours."
I paused.
"…What? We didn't even spend twelve hours there."
That's when it clicked and when it did—
I sat up straight.
"Hold on…"
Corelia turned toward me and I smiled slowly.
"Time difference."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Twelve hours underwater equals… more than a day here."
I nodded.
"Exactly. Which means ninety-three days there is not ninety-three days here."
Corelia sat up now.
"So with the right calculation…We have about seven to eight months," she said, getting my point.
For the first time since we returned— I felt my mood lightened up.
"That's… actually useful," I admitted.
Corelia nodded.
"It gives us more time."
I leaned back slightly. "…If we don't waste it."
"Now that we know this, we need to move faster," Corelia said.
"Agreed."
Lydia, who had been watching us like she missed three chapters of a book, finally spoke again.
"Okay… quick question. After the mission—what happens?"
Corelia hesitated just slightly.
"We leave," I said simple and direct.
Lydia's expression changed immediately, her shoulders dropped.
"Oh…" she said softly. "That's it? You're not allowed to stay?"
"Nope," I replied. "We might be sent somewhere else."
I could see it the shift in her face, she didn't like that answer but she needed to hear it.
"I'll miss you both," she said quietly.
"You won't," I replied bluntly. "Your memory will be erased, you won't remember any of this. Any of us."
She gasped.
"Why are you so obsessed with my memory, Mishell?! Corelia, are you hearing this?"
Corelia sighed softly.
"Let's just… see how things go first."
Lydia folded her arms.
"What is your problem with humans anyway?"
"She doesn't like humans," Corelia answered calmly.
"And your Queen sent her to protect us?" Lydia shook her head. "That's a bold leadership choice."
I laughed slightly.
"Correction—we're here to protect our people, not yours. You think I'd risk my life for humans?"
"Stop arguing," Corelia muttered, sitting up again.
Lydia suddenly clapped her hands too loud and sudden.
"Okay! Important announcement," she said brightly. "Interlochen Arts Academy is celebrating its 30th anniversary next Friday. Huge festival and performances, formal dress, It's a big event."
I blinked.
"What's a school festival?"
"It's a celebration," she said excitedly. "Music, food, dancing—"
"No."
She paused.
"You didn't even let me finish."
"We're not going."
"Why?"
I started counting on my fingers.
"One—we're on a deadline. Two—we're hunting a dangerous entity. Three—this is unnecessary."
Corelia nodded slightly.
"She's right."
Lydia stared at us.
"You're joking..."She laughed then paused "You're joking… right?"
"No," I said.
Her mouth dropped open.
"So you're just not going to attend the biggest event of the year? Or go shopping with me?"
"Yes."
"Not even curious?"
"No."
"Not even for research?"
"Who cares? We're not human."
She looked at Corelia.
"Corelia?"
Corelia hesitated.
"…It would be irresponsible."
Lydia placed her hands on her hips.
"You fight spirits. You jump between worlds but a school festival is where you draw the line?"
"It's inefficient," I said.
"It's loud," Corelia added.
"It's crowded," I continued.
"It's unnecessary," she finished.
Lydia stopped pacing. This time—She didn't look dramatic she looked… real.
"You're really leaving after this mission, aren't you?"
I didn't answer neither did Corelia.
"That's it?" she said quietly. "You just disappear and I go back to my normal life?"
"Lydia—your life is normal—"
"You're my only friends."
That landed harder than I expected. She stepped closer.
"I know you don't care about human things," she said. "But this is my world, this is my normal." Her voice softened.
"When you leave… I'll be alone again."
I shifted slightly, It was becoming uncomfortable and I didn't like that feeling.
"You won't be alone," Corelia said gently.
"I will," Lydia insisted. "It's you two".
Then she looked at me directly.
"Don't give me that look". I said instantly.
"You say you'll erase my memory. Fine but right now? I remember you, I remember us, we fight but I value our friendship and I want one normal thing before everything ends. This!!."
Silence filled the room.
"You have months before you leave," she continued. "and you can't give me one stupid shopping trip?"
I opened my mouth but closed it.
"You fight for your world," she said softly. "Let me have mine."
I looked away.
"This is manipulation," I muttered.
"Yes," she said immediately.
Corelia almost smiled. I groaned and flopped back onto the bed.
"This is emotional blackmail."
"Correct."
"You're weaponizing loneliness."
"Yes."
"You're shameless."
"I agree" she said.
I sighed.
"…How long is the shopping spree?"
Her face lit up instantly.
"So that's a yes?"
"It's a conditional maybe."
Corelia exhaled. "One hour."
Lydia gasped. "That's not shopping—that's survival!"
"Two," I said reluctantly. "Maximum."
She grabbed us, both our hands instantly.
"YOU WON'T REGRET THIS."
"I already do," I muttered.
"But seriously," she said softer now, "Thank you."
Corelia squeezed her hand.
"Just don't make us wear glitter."
"No promises."
I groaned.
"If Araxie doesn't kill me…" I muttered, "…shopping will."
"Also we need to cover you up, the Internet Is still on fire". Lydia said.
"I won't mind staying back". I replied
"Hell no we are all going, we will find a way around It". She said excitedly, dragging both of us along.
For the first time since we got back—The room didn't feel so heavy anymore.