“Huh!? But it always works! Why can’t I open the void!? Leo, Vanessa!? How are you not freaking out!?” Katherine was beside herself when she realized she couldn’t escape this dimension under her own power.

She looked so ridiculous, that even Vanessa started to laugh. “Because we’ve come to terms with it already. Allegedly, there’s this dragon…”

After reciting the story to her, Katherine’s face paled. “You can’t be serious. How long would that even take!?”

Vanessa turned to me, looking for answers, but all I could do in response was frown. Katherine did have a point. We had only been here for three months, yet the time on Earth hadn't followed the same flow. Who knows how much more time would pass if we actually completed the objectives we were supposed to.

“Vanessa,” Hazeel crawled over my lap to look into Dantae’s eyes, “Why don’t you try to contact the Goddess? Surely Tirania would be willing to listen to her Adept, and her Chosen, would she not?”

“That… might work!” Leresa said, gesturing for Katherine to move to the edge of the couch, which she obliged. Leresa then sat down in the middle, with Rexir taking the seat next to her.

“We should try. The worst she could do is say no.” I said, and took Vanessa’s hands in my own.

She nodded. “I’ll try… but the last time I did something like contact the goddess, it didn’t really happen voluntarily.”

I released her hands, and watched as Vanessa got up from the couch. She walked over towards the windows, and sat down against the wall below the largest one. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

“So… are we waiting for something in particular? Also, did you all say goddess just now? Those things don’t exist, right?”

No sooner had the words left her mouth then a flash of light burst from where she was seated, and columns of fire, ice, wind, electricity, water, and ice surrounded her. She gulped and moved her hand, which had only been inches away from the fire.

Hazeel chuckled despite herself. “I don’t know if the beings that govern this world match the descriptions of the gods you have in your own world, but here, they very much do exist, and don’t like to be looked down upon.”

“In fact,” she continued, “Leo and I have seen the ascension of a god with our own eyes, after he helped to repair Vanessa.”

Hazeel looked very proud of herself, and basked in the look of wonder in Katherine’s eyes. I shook my head, and took a cup of tea that Leresa had offered.

After taking a sip and putting it down, I returned my gaze to Vanessa, who was steadily breathing against the wall. She had been through so much, that it seemed wrong to place the entirety of this duty onto her, but there was little the rest of us could do, aside from praying.

I wasn’t even sure that would work, as we weren’t from this world in the first place. But if we could get Reya and Rexir to pray… My train of thought was cut short as Katherine spoke.

“Hey… I know I’ve only been in this world for one day, but is that normal? Somehow I don’t think that’s the right color for the sun.” I stood up to see out the window, and sure enough, the entirety of the mansion was bathed in a green hue.

“Tirania’s light.” Leresa breathed out. “It’s my first time seeing it in person.” Suddenly, the light intensified, and we were all forced to look away from the windows.

“It has been a long time, my Chosen.” A voice called out through the light. When it finally faded down, it revealed Vanessa standing there, with seafoam green hair, and matching colored eyes.

“I have heard you, my children. I was always listening.” Her words felt like added weight onto my own body, and I struggled to keep myself upright.

Unfortunately, most of the others had already succumbed to the gravity, and were on their knees before the goddess incarnation.

“What the hell!” Katherine was trembling. “Is this- mmm!?” Tirania had made a pinching motion, and Katherine’s mouth closed of its own accord.

“You are in luck, Leo.” Tirania’s tone lightened, as did the weight on my shoulders. I began panting from the relief, and releasing a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

“Because of this interloper,” she said, pointing to Katherine, “the time flow of our planets has been temporarily synched, just like it was when you arrived.”

I heard Katherine take a long breath behind me, and weakly ask, “So, does that mean we can return to the day that I left?”

Tirania nodded, and held her hand out to the right. A green portal opened in one of the windows, looking ominous. Rainbow colored smoke drifted from its depths. “Just this once, I shall make an exception. Return to your world now.”

I took a step towards the portal, but stopped when I heard Leresa’s nervous question. “My goddess, Rexir-”

“I have already given him his answer.” Tirania grinned. “However, I will say the same for all of you. I am a goddess, not a tool to use at your own convenience.”

She glanced at me as she spoke. “If you want to say your goodbyes to the people in this world, then don’t take this path, and wait until you go through the proper quest.”

I can’t afford to wait. I began walking to the portal, and stopped in front of Tirania. “Where my master goes, I will follow.” Hazeel said, stepping up behind me and resting her head on mine.

“Well, my departure is already a foregone conclusion. Back to modern technology!” Katherine shouted, stepping beside me.

I looked back to see Rexir and Leresa looking into each other’s eyes, and having a conversation between themselves.

“We’ll go too.” Leresa finally said, turning to face us. “It’s not like we’ll never be able to come back here, anyway. Rexy’s parent’s will hear from him… just maybe not in a timely manner.”

I smiled as Tirania led the way through the portal, and the rest of us followed in a line. It had been a long three months away from Earth, but we were finally heading home.