"Choosing a new capital was not an easy decision. Originally, the island of Mancika located on Imperia was only supposed to be temporary. But due to the council's inability to come to a decision on anything, Mancika stuck around as the new magic capital." - Excerpt from a Mancika Tourist Brochure

What does a spy bring on a mission to a magical world? A mission so important that the fate of the world is in his hands. And every other world. And every person on those worlds. Not to mention all the animals. Trees and plants too. Could cockroaches survive the end of time? After all was said and done, would cockroaches and Twinkies be the only things left in the entire space-time continuum?

This is not helping me pack any faster. I push those thoughts away, but my anxiety lingers. Who's idea was it to put the fate of the universe in a thirteen-year-old's hands? I take a deep breath, forcing the butterflies in my chest to fly away. There's no need to think about that right now. I should focus on preparing for Mancika.

The magic capital of the universe. Part of me still can't believe I'm actually going there today. It made sense I'd travel there eventually being the future Warp Wizard and all, but I never thought it would be so soon. The pictures I had seen of it were stunning, almost unreal. I can't wait to see it in person.

And there will be other magicians and wizards there! Magic would be running free and wild. Who knows what I can learn.

But what do I need to bring? We are only going to be there for a day, and we're only supposed to be gathering information on time decay. Obviously, I'll take The Book, but what else?

The Book slides into my backpack alongside some spare pens and crumpled pieces of paper from school. I look around my sparingly decorated room. I don't really have anything else to take with me. A jacket? Is Mancika cold this time of year? I shove it and a water bottle in my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. Good enough.

As I leave my room, the heavy weight of the backpack brings back all my anxious thoughts. They distract me so much, I completely miss the sound of a door opening right in front of me and run right into Tessa.

"Oomph. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I rub the back of my neck and try to slip past her, but she grabs my wrist instead. I resist the urge to groan. I really didn't need this right now.

"Can we talk?" She asks, still holding my wrist. Does she really need to be so close? She's making the butterflies in my chest worse. "About the mission, I mean. Ro and Cas said we had to come up with a plan for everyone."

I flinch. I hate that she's right. We can't just go into this blindly. We needed a plan of action. Finding information on the time decay is important and can really help us in the long run.

I pull my arm away and turn to face her. "Yeah, but let's come up with something quickly. It's almost time to leave."

"Okay!" She flashes me a quick smile and heads back into her room.

She doesn't come back out. I blink. She doesn't expect me to follow her into her room, does she? I wait for a few more awkward seconds before braving going inside. I'm already imagining all the teasing I could get from Fred for this when Tessa closes the door behind me. Great. Even better.

Any thoughts that I have about being teased vanish when I'm struck by how small her room is. I definitely expected her to have something more grand and spectacular. Not quaint and cozy. Her room isn't much more than a mattress on the floor, a low table, and a couple of large floor pillows meant to be used as chairs. Looking around, her room couldn't even fit anything more than that.

The deep red and gold curtains hanging on the walls only add to my growing claustrophobia. The ones hanging low across the ceiling don't help. To top it all off, the room is lit by a single, low-hanging light bulb. A few candles stand around, but for the moment, they're unlit.

How does she sleep in here? I feel like I'm in a tiny tent, and there isn't even any way to see outside.

Tessa is standing next to me, standing too close again. Not that there's anywhere else for her to stand in this place. I rub my suddenly sweaty palms against my jeans as Tessa sits on her bed, looking up at me with her big purple eyes. "How much do you know about Mancika?"

"Not a lot," I reluctantly admit. No doubt Tessa already knew everything there was to know about the city. She's already miles ahead of me when it comes to magic, it makes sense that she would also be way ahead of me when it comes to research and knowledge too.

She shrugs her shoulders. "Me neither."

"Really?" The word slips out of my mouth before I can think to stop myself.

"Rowena had me focusing on history and strategy. Not current affairs or geography." She gestures to a few books piled on the floor next to her bed. "I know a bit about its history, but not much about it today. We'll have to get a good vantage point and survey the city before we do any exploring."

"The Book might have more information we can use." I think out loud. "I've never used it to look up magic worlds, but it shows tons of useful information about places and times on Earth whenever we warp."

Tessa nods, but I can tell her mind has already wandered to something else. She chews her bottom lip. "Do you think we should tell them the truth?"

I didn't need to ask her to clarify. I knew exactly what she'd meant. I'd been thinking about it too. "Honestly? No."

Her shoulders slump with a sigh of relief. "I agree. I understand why Cas and Ro wanted to tell us, but we shouldn't burden our friends with this knowledge. I don't think they'd want to know. What was it Ro said?"

"Not if I still had my innocence. I'd want to hold on to that as long as I could." Her words and the haunting look in her eyes had stayed with me. I don't think I'll forget them anytime soon.

Tessa nods again. "Yeah, that's it. It's been overwhelming for me to deal with. It's too much too soon. I've been so nervous. I feel like the All Father chose wrong, like I shouldn't be here."

"You deserve to be here more than I do." I wince. Why did I say that?

A soft smile plays along her lips. "At least we have time to become better wizards. Even if the countdown already started."

As much as I don't want to admit it, it's nice to hear that she's just as nervous as I am. Hearing her say out loud all the things I've been thinking in my head the past two days is actually pretty reassuring. The butterflies in my chest settle just a little bit.

And if I'm being honest with myself, seeing Tessa like this is refreshing. It's nice to see that sometimes she's not selfish and over-confident.

"It would probably be best if we split up when we get to the city. We could cover a lot more ground that way. And if you and I stick together, we won't have to worry about the others finding out about our role in all this."

Tessa raises her perfectly manicured eyebrows at me. "You want to explore the city with me? Alone?"

I didn't even think about that. Splitting up and keeping the truth about the time decay a secret meant she and I would have to be on our own together. "I don't really have a choice."

She frowns, moving her gaze downward.. "Oh, that's fair." She clears her throat. "Well, splitting up like that would put our friends at a disadvantage since they wouldn't really know what they were looking for. They might not be able to learn anything at all."

She is on a roll with being right today. And if she was poking this many holes in our plan, who knows how many Ro and Cas would find.

"But, as you said, we don't really have a choice. We have to do this to protect them. Let's just hope we can uncover the truth about all this and put a stop to it before they find out the truth on their own."She stands up, forcing a smile onto her face and transforming back into her usual self. "Okay. Let's do this. Time to scram out."

"Why do you talk like that?" I couldn't help but ask. Tessa threw out random words and phrases like that all the time. "Is it a Boston thing?"

"Huh?" Her face lost all color as she hurried out of her room. "Must be. Never thought of it before."

I shrug it off and follow her out. We make our way to the main hall where everyone else has already gathered.

"How is it that you're the last one to arrive? Did your internal clock break? Or were you just distracted?" Fred jokes to me. I really hope he doesn't know we were hanging out in Tessa's bedroom. That kind of teasing is the last thing I need on this trip.

"Actually," Tessa shoulders her backpack, "we were doing our job as the leaders of this group and making a plan of attack."

"Aren't Rowena and Cassius in charge?"

Tessa waves away the comment. "They asked us to make a plan, and we did. Together," she adds with a pointed look to Ro and Cas.

They actually look mildly impressed. Jeez, is it really that surprising? I press my lips together and turn away. That's kind of embarrassing. Maybe this mission will be good for our relationship. Or at least we can be better about faking it in front of Ro and Cas.

"All right then. Is everyone all set?" Rowena holds her hand out, a soft purple glow already appearing in the air in front of us. "Remember, you are going to Mancika only to gather information about the time decay. Keep a low profile and don't draw any attention to yourselves. Stay safe. Mancika may look pristine and harmless, but it hides a dark underbelly of crime and corruption. We won't be around to rescue you this time if you get into trouble."

I wince. I understand that Ro wants us to be safe, but reminding us of our failure from last summer doesn't exactly instill confidence in me or make me feel prepared for this mission. I look around at my friends, who are all wearing expressions of excitement and hope. Tessa is the only one who looks the way I feel, nervous. This mission would only be the beginning of our journey in trying to stop the time decay from destroying the entire space-time continuum and wiping out all of humanity.

Tessa locks eyes with me just as Rowena opens a tear in front of us. With one final nod, we walk side by side into a new world.

Somehow, I manage to make it through the tear without becoming nauseous. Rowena's tears are much nicer than Tessa's. My relief that not all tears are magical vomit comets is short-lived, because once I see where we've landed, my mind goes blank and all my senses hone in on the sights, sounds, smells, and presence of Mancika.

I don't know if my words can do this city justice, but I'll try my best.

We're surrounded by snow-white bricks and marble. It's on the floor, the low walls ringing the terrace all around us.

And the looming castle-like building waiting in front of us. It's so tall and spotless, I swear I can see the sunlight glinting off the towering walls and domed roofs. The windows and doors are surrounded by intricate carvings of magical symbols like hourglasses, eyes, and a few I don't know what to call. Several statues of presumably famous people and mystical animals stand guard along the edges on the ground and high above jutting out from the walls. It's as beautiful as it is intimidating.

A fountain blasts silver water into the air nearby, flowing into a small pond surrounded by low-hanging trees and stone benches. It might just be a trick of the light, but I swear it looks like the pond goes right over the edge into nothing but air.

My feet move backward of their own volition, and I bump into the low wall that circles the entire terrace and castle. I glance behind me and have to do a double-take because my mind cannot understand what it's looking at. It takes longer than I want to admit for me to accept what I'm seeing, which is sad because I really should be more used to magic and impossible things by now.

The entire platform we're standing on, castle and all, is floating in the sky. Like, way up in the sky. I've been to the top of the Empire State Building a few times, so I'm not afraid of heights, but looking down on the massive city below, my heart skipped a beat or two.

So the castle dominates the sky above the actual city of Mancika. Buildings and roads sprawled out underneath us. Out of the corner of my eye, I see falling water from the pond, cascading down into a river far below. The river then winds its way through the city and empties out into an ocean far off in the distance. and nobody around us bats an eye at any of this. Meanwhile, no one in our group can keep our mouths shut or close our eyes for more than a second. So much for keeping a low profile. We look like tourists. Which, I guess we are technically. The New Yorker in me cringes at this.

"No matter how many times I come here, I will never get over how beautiful this place is." Cas folds his arms and leans over the wall.

Boom!

An explosion sets off a cloud of yellow smoke in the city directly below us. Everyone scuttles away from the wall. This far up, we don't feel any vibrations, but our magical moment is ruined nonetheless.

Cas clears his throat. "Or how dangerous this place is."

Ro lets out a long breath. "I cannot stress enough how important it is that you all remain as safe as possible during this trip. Remember, you're only in Mancika for the day. Be back here at sundown so we can all get back to Horae Manor and discuss what you've discovered."

"But before we let the six of you go, I think it would be a good idea to hear this plan Joe and Tessa came up with." Cas smiles at the two of us expectantly. I don't say anything. I don't want to be the one to disappoint him with our admittedly problematic and simple plan.

Fortunately, we're saved from having to explain ourselves when a burly man walks our way. "Hello, commanders," he says with a sneer. "I hope you two have a good reason for calling this meeting today. Do you know how busy I am? I had to rearrange my whole week just for this so-called emergency. I seriously question your judgment, and I'm sure I'm not the only council member who feels this way."

Wow, I didn't know it was possible to dislike someone so much after they've said so little. But I really don't like this guy, and clearly, Ro and Cas don't either if the grimaces on their faces are any indication. His close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and sweaty forehead remind me of my math teacher Mr. Berwick back home, which only makes me dislike him even more.

"Yes, Chess, believe it or not leading a council for twenty years does give us a good sense of urgency." Ro forces a smile onto her face. "I promise it will not be a waste of your time."

Chess huffs and narrows his bright yellow eyes at her. Which magic was associated with yellow again? Was it fabricomancy? "We'll see." And with that, he storms off toward the castle.

"He seems nice," Fred says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. No doubt he's thinking of Mr. Berwick too. "I bet you can't wait to be stuck in a room with him all day."

"Chess Harlow is an interesting character, but not one to let be your enemy. We have a… civil relationship with him."

"As do we all," a new voice chimes in.

A tall, lanky man walks up behind us, but this one seems more likable. His smile reaches all the way up to his warm orange eyes. Orange, right, another Great Wizard. So, what's his magic?

Cas' face transforms into a bright smile. "Ever!" He clasps him on the back. "We missed you at the last session. How're things in the Kingdom of the Body?"

"Better now that we've got that whole mess with Luca sorted out. I'd ask how things are going in your realm, but given the topic of this meeting, I'd guess not well." Ever rubs the back of his neck. "But the good news is, I learned a few things on the way here. The bad news is, those things are not good."

Cas sighs. "That doesn't surprise me. We'll get started as soon as Rowena and I finish up here."

Ever's eyes flick over to my friends and me and light up with recognition. "Ah, the next generation. I forgot you were training them so young. Hello, kids. Name's Ever, the Were Wizard, nice to meet you." We all greet him in return. He nods to Tessa and me. "I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of you in the coming years. Maybe I can introduce you to Kova. I worry about him sometimes. He's been hanging around Soryn too much, and it's starting to affect him. The last thing we need is another Chess trying to take over the council."

I want to ask him who Kova and Soryn are, but the way he says it, make me think we're already supposed to know them. I make a mental note to ask Ro and Cas about it later, along with the billion other questions I have about Mancika and the council.

"We can discuss that later," Rowena says. "Right now, we better get inside the citadel before Chess uses our tardiness as an excuse to become head of the council."

Ever nods, his expression turning into something more serious. "Agreed. I'll see you in there."

There's a flash of orange light and in the spot Ever was just standing in, a phoenix floats gracefully in the air. I don't even have time to process what I just saw. With a wink and a burst of flame, the phoenix flies off towards the citadel. Just before it enters the doors, there's another flash of orange light, and Ever is back, calmly walking inside like nothing phenomenal has just happened.

Okay, so Ever is a corpomancer. I guess corpomancy powers include shape-shifting. Who knew?

"Wow!" Tessa clasps her hands together and bounces up and down on the balls of her feet. "You didn't tell us we would be meeting the other Greats today. I read about Ever. Is it true he can shift into a basilisk?"

Never mind, of course, Tessa would know that.

"We didn't intend for you to meet the others today. In general, the next generation is supposed to limit their contact with the Greats from the other magics as well as the other future Greats." Rowena frowns. "We should remind the others about this. Kova and Soryn should not be hanging around each other."

Cas shrugs. "It's not that big of a deal, Ro. It's not like we never hung out with Ever before we took over. We even hung out with Chess a few times before he became such a jerk."

"Yes, but this next generation is different, and you know it."

"So, is that a no to the basilisk thing or...?" Tessa speaks out. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was purposefully trying to get them to change the subject away from us.

Cas snorts. "Yes, Ever can shift into a basilisk. As well as a phoenix, as you saw, and many other animals. It's kind of the Were Wizard's thing."

Rowena sighs and tries to bring us all back to the task at hand. "We need to get going. Are you six ready?"

We all nod. I can feel the excitement running through our group. I can't wait to explore a magic city. Who knows what we'll see?

"Perfect. Here, you two will need to wear these while you're in the city." Rowena hands Tessa and me each a contact lens case. Tessa pops hers in without any issue. I've never worn contacts before so it takes me a couple of tries to get them to sit just right. Now we both have matching brown eyes., and we could probably pass as siblings. "Your eyes are a dead giveaway to what you are, and we need to keep your identity a secret for now. You'll be formally introduced to the magic society at a later time. Keep the magic use to a minimum." She gives both of us are hard look as she says that last part. She really doesn't trust us. I want to be annoyed by that, but I can't really blame her given our past performances.

"Okay then." Cas offers us a small smile. "Have fun, but be safe. And don't forget why you're here. Mancika can be very distracting to newcomers, especially people new to the magic world. Always think before you act and don't trust anyone. We'll see you all back here at sunset."

And just like that, they leave us alone. Free to explore Mancika and hopefully solve the mystery of the death of the universe. I swallow the lump in my throat. No pressure.