"And The Next Step scores a total of... 87 points!" I squeal along with Danny and our other bestie, Michelle.

We start jumping up and down while leaving the stage. The rest of our team hugs us as we get to the backstage.

We had just performed the trio routine, which was the second of the competition's first round.

"You guys were amazing!" Congratulated us Miss Kate smiling.

"Thanks!" We replied together and went to our changing room.

I sat in front of the mirror and sigh in relieve. My first routine is done...

I check my phone and realise I have a missing call from my sister. I immediately panick (because that's what I always do...) and call her right away.

"RILEY!" She shouts from the other aide of the line, making my heart start racing.

"What happened? Is Granppa okay? Are you okay, Em?" I start rambling but trying to sound calm.

"I am not okay!" She replied but her voice sounds excited.

"Em, tell me what is it already!"

"THE NEW EDITION OF THAT COMIC BOOK I LOVE IS ALREADY OUT!"

I sigh relieved and roll my eyes...

She is just having a fangirl moment...

"Alright, Em... And is that a reason for you to scare the life out of me?!"

"Yes! Because tomorrow there will be an autograph session of the first copy! And guess where? Right there! In Manhattan! Can you believe the odds?"

"Still, I don't get it... You are there in Bendale, I am the one who... Oh... No, not happening!"

"Please, Ri! I need this! Please, please, pleeeeeeaaaase!" She continues in her annoying tone.

"Ugh... Fine! I'll go... When is this?"

"Tomorrow. 1 pm. I'll send you the adress later."

"I'll see what I can do. I have to go now, need to get changed. Bye!"

"Good luck! Love you!"

"Yeah, yeah... Love you too." I hang up the phone and get my next outfit.

"What's the emergency?" Asks Michelle with a smirk in her face.

"She wants me to go get her an autograph..."

"I'll go with you. We can get to know the city a little more."

"Sounds fun! Thanks!"

xXx

I pay the taxi driver as we get to the adress my sister gave me.

I look around trying to find the store I am suppose to go to. However, it seems to be a rather abandoned street... There's only a café and what looks like a gaming louge.

"I think you're sister sent you to the wrong place... There nothing here..."

"Yeah... Maybe they wanted privacy... Don't know. Let's just check it and if we can't find it, we leave."

"It's a deal" Michelle says.

We look around for a while, trying to spot a rather crowded place but we aren't lucky not lucky... Not only does it seem like there is no one outside, but I also arrived a bit late, which means it may be already closed or something...

Em is going to kill me... Or I will kill her...

I decide that it's better to ask someone. Who? I have no idea. There is literally no one outside...

"What about we split? Maybe the taxi driver made a mistake and we are not on the right street."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll go this way" I point to my right.

"Okay. Who finds it first call the other."

I nod and start walking in that direction. It looks like I am in a remote part of the city. There are only abandoned infrastructures and a few trees.

A cat shows up from nowhere, scaring the life of me.

This place is creeping me...

I keep walking and end up facing an arch that supports a tall, antique buidling, which, unlike the others, doesn't look abandoned. Instead, it appears to be the entrance to a community or something similar.

There's a gate made with a silver material, but which doesn't look like steel. It has many details, almost as if it had been taken from a fairytale or something, and on the center there's a big symbol. A tree with blue detail.

I approximate it and take a close look.

I have seen this symbol before... It's just like my necklace!

Suddenly, the gate starts turning into a shade of bright blue, and then it opens.

I gasp, scared but at the same time curious.

Did I just open it?

I step inside and walk down the tunel which the arcade creates.

In front of me is literally a very small town. There are diferent buildings with different sizes and a plaza where a fountain is standing.

This is beautiful...

I feel a sense of belonging, almost as if this was my home, which only makes me more curious.

What does my necklace have to do with this?

I notice a boy and a girl at a certain distance heading in my direction, and I stay hiden. I debate whether or not I should talk to them, maybe they know where this store is...

I am about to come out when I hear my name being called.

It must be Michelle...

I run back out and find her with her back facing me.

"Michelle!" I shout back and she turns to me.

"Where were you?" She asks concerned, and I reply by point at the building, which strangely has its gate closed again.

"You transpassed private property? Way-to-go Raymond... I know you can't exactly be arrested but I can. And what the hell is that place anyway? I tried calling you but you didn't have a signal..."

"I don't know what it is but I appears to be a community or something... I think my necklace opened the gate..." I express my theories and win a chuckle in return.

"Are you sure you're coming for you sister? Because I think you're the one who has been reading too much..."

I shake my head. "Yeah, you're right." And give her a fake smile.

"Well, then. I found your store, it's just on the other street on the left."

"That's great! Let's go then."

We start walking to the store and I look back at the building again.

I don't know what happened back there but I will find out.

Before I turn again, I swear I saw someone looking at me from the other side of the gate.

XxX

I spent the rest of the day thinking about that place, about that symbol...

It brought all the memories from the night my parents were killed.

How my necklace had shone... How those man couldn't be human...

Am I turning insane or something?

Maybe it's the pressure from the competition that is making me imagine stuff.

Either way, I decide I'll check it again, just to clear things.

It's not like it would do any harm...