Chapter Four

Amberly could feel her heart pounding rapidly and her stomach knot up after hearing those words. The fact that time worked differently in this mirror world wasn't too difficult to believe but it still was not something that she expected. A week!? She thought to herself. I've been in here for a full week?

"Amberly!"

She awoke from her daze with a confused look still frozen on her face. She blinked several times and looked back into her headmaster's eyes sadly. "I know what you're thinking. You can't pull me out yet, it's too soon!"

"I told you I'd give you a week," Ambrose stated.

"Yes and it's only been a day for me! I haven't had enough time to assess the problem. There's so much more for me to do!" She tried not to sound too desperate but she wanted to make sure that it was clear how badly she wished to continue her mission.

Ambrose sighed dramatically. "What have you learned so far?"

Amberly cleared her throat before she began, trying to gather all the information that she's collected in her mind so she wouldn't miss anything out. "The Wizards here do have magic, even without the schools being here. They call it Surge but I don't know much about it yet." She paused, realizing that she didn't learn as much as she had thought she did. "I've only visited one of the streets so far, Unicorn Way. The Life Wizards here are different, they call themselves Light Wizards instead, I think they all might be differently named. I met a girl who assumed I was one of her based on what I was wearing, so I played along. She invited me to a party tomorrow, I'll be able to better evaluate the people there."

Ambrose nodded his head. "Good, learn as much as you can from them tomorrow. I don't want you to stay in there for much longer."

"Please, I need a few more days," Amberly pleaded. "I know that, that means longer for you but there's too much to do. I can try to visit multiple streets at a time so it'll take less time but I need to see them all. The people here are different than I expected, they're distant and there's information missing in their minds."

"What do you mean?"

"When I talked to Robyn, she was confused by much of what I said. It was like common knowledge of our world didn't exist, nothing made sense to her."

"The Mirror of the Mind is a powerful artifact that controls the mind in ways that us Wizards have yet to understand, it is possible that it can change the way you think while trapped inside. If you stay in there for too long, you may forget who you are Amberly, just like everyone else there." Ambrose rubbed his eyes nervously, regretting his decision to mess with an object as powerful as this mirror. "It was a mistake to send you in there, this has become far more dangerous than I had anticipated."

Amberly shook her head. "No, it wasn't a mistake! We have to save these people, we can't just leave them in here like this!"

"My main priority is you, Amberly. The phone you are holding is made from magic and was designed to pull you from the mirror once your mission was complete but it is only powerful enough to bring you. No one else was intended to come with you."

"My mission was to enter the mirror to uncover its secrets, to see if the people inside were real or fake. Now that we know they are real, you want to abandon them!?" Amberly knew that Ambrose had not planned for this, that his only concern was for her safety but there is no way he could be so heartless. "I'm a Savior! I travel to worlds and rescue those in need. I never turn my back on people who need me and I'm not about to start now!"

Ambrose smirked, realizing that he wasn't going to win this argument. "So what is your plan Savior?"

"A portal." She said quickly. "You planned on getting me home that way by using the phone, is there a way to make it bigger and strong enough to transport everyone here back to Wizard City?"

Ambrose pondered for a moment, stroking his beard as he considered the possibility. "There may be a way but it will take time."

"Good! Time is what I need," Amberly answered with a sense of urgency. "I'll gather more information here and you work on getting that portal ready for our return."

"You need to be quick, Amberly." Ambrose warned. "The power of the mirror is stronger than mine, I can sustain for a few more weeks which will buy you a few days but it will eventually awaken and once that happens, you could be overtaken. You will forget everything and then you'll be trapped there forever."

Amberly nodded. "I understand."

"Good, now get some rest, you look exhausted," Ambrose added with a chuckle. "I'll talk to you in a week."

"Goodnight Headmaster," Amberly said with a smile as she hung up the phone. She didn't have the strength to stay up any longer, she went straight up to her bed and passed out instantly.


The next morning came quickly but Amberly didn't awaken from her sleep until halfway through the tenth hour, stretching wasn't nearly enough to get her limbs to wake up with her. After checking the time, she knew she couldn't let another minute go to waste. She quickly got ready for the day and headed to Ravenwood for a quick breakfast, avoiding the same bar she had been to the night before in hopes of not seeing Reed again. She only spent twenty minutes there eating, now that it was just after 11am, she wanted to get some exploring done before Robyn came over to take her to the party.

She threw her backpack over her left shoulder and headed back to The Commons, looking around to see that many people passed through and only a few stopped to have conversations with their own Territory. She spotted a variety of colors which indicated which type of Wizard each person was but the one she saw the least of was black. She thought back on what Robyn had said about 'Light Wizards not being night people'. I guess Death Wizards aren't morning people, she thought with a smirk.

On the other side near the pond which still remained the center of The Commons, Amberly noticed a Storm Wizard standing at the edge with his arm wrapped around a dark-haired girl. He was whispering something in her ear and from what it looked like, she didn't like what he had said. The girl tried to push away from the boy but his hold on her only got stronger, soon he was holding onto her arms, forcing her to stay close to him when all she wanted to do was to get away.

As Amberly watched in horror, she knew she couldn't just stand by and allow him to hurt this girl. She knew nothing good will come from her interfering, especially since they were both Storm Wizards but she couldn't stand on the side lines any longer. She hurried along the right side of pond and met up with the couple in a haste, both seemed alarmed when she began to speak to them. "Hey! Stop that! Let her go!"

"Excuse me!?" The boy spat out, as if to say 'how dare you talk to me'. "Who the hell are you?"

Amberly gripped the strap of her bag tightly, hoping that this wouldn't turn into a fight since she hadn't had the chance to test her magic in this world yet. After thinking about it, she knew there was no chance that this boy would just let her walk away after she intruded on him like this.

"Are you deaf!? Answer me!" The boy shouted angrily, still gripping one of the girl's arms who still tried to pull free.

Amberly grit her teeth, trying to steady her breath as she saw her skin begin to redden. "My name is Amberly and I believe I told you to let her go!"

The boy laughed loudly, showing how unafraid he was against her threats. "Are you going to make me?"

Amberly was preparing herself to fight, she knew that she'd have to somehow reach into her bag for her wand but she worried that it would trigger him into attacking before she was ready. As her mind raced, trying to figure out the best time for her to make her move, the boy decided to make one first. It happened so fast that it brought a spark of fear into her heart that she could not control. The boy outstretched his arm towards her, his fingers igniting as a forceful strike of lightning shot straight at her. Amberly gasped loudly, arching backwards, and losing her balance as she tumbled to the floor.

The laughter that followed seemed to echo loudly around her, looking around she could see others watching from a distance and laughing along with the Storm Wizard who tormented her. Most of The Commons was empty but some still lingered to see what would happen next yet no one decided to intervene, this did not surprise Amberly. She looked up at the boy who towered over her, now pumped with adrenaline, and wishing for the fight to continue. He shoved the dark-haired girl to the side as she toppled to the ground weakly, it would seem that he no longer had use for her and instead wished to give Amberly all of his attention.

"Get up and fight me bitch!" He screamed, kicking her in the stomach and smirking as she curled her body inward. He flexed his fingers as sparks of electricity danced between them. "It's time for round two!"

Amberly quickly reached for her bag and pulled herself to her feet, standing in front of the boy with confidence in her eyes. She reached inside and pulled out a very long sword with a green hilt and a glow that shined brightly. Dropping her bag at her feet, she gripped the blade with both hands and held it up against her enemy, trying to show no fear in her eyes even though she knew that it was there.

Once again, the boy laughed out loud. "You think a sword is going to help you against my Surge!?"

She couldn't find her words, she was afraid of sounding afraid in front of him when she only wished to be brave. She knew that magic was real in this world so hers should be as well, but how can she access it? Without a dueling circle, her magic cannot be activated. In Wizard City, magic isn't even possible and it could very well be the same in this mirrored world. Amberly's heart began to race as she took in a deep breath, all she knew was that she had to try. Just pretend this is a duel, she thought. He's about to attack again, I need to shield it.

The boy thrust both of his hands forward this time and released his next attack which was a larger strike of lightning than before. Although it was directed straight, some of the Surge had escaped and clashed against the buildings around them.

Amberly took a few steps back out of fear and still had no idea how to get her magic to work, all she could think of was one spell card, one shield that could collect up to 400 damage. She needed to cast it somehow, she needed to call upon it to protect her from this attack that could possibly kill her. She needed it now before it was too late! "Spirit Armor."

Those two words that were muttered under her breath was all that was needed to awaken the magic from within her. Her sword began to glow and just before the strike had reached her, a large green shield with a yellow symbol of a helmet and wings had appeared in front of her. The lightning smashed right into it, creating a green orb around Amberly which protected her from the sparks that flew all around her. Once it subsided, the look on the boy's face was priceless.

"What the hell!?" He said in confusion as he glanced upon the shield that still hovered in front of Amberly. He glared at her with more anger in his stare than before, he got his Surge ready for another attack. "That shield can't protect you forever!"

Amberly's worry returned when she realized that he was right. She had no idea how much durability her spell had left and after another attack, it could be destroyed. Now that she's figured out how to call upon her magic, she knew she'd have to think of an attack spell that she could use to get herself out of this situation. She didn't want to draw more attention to herself but didn't know of any other way to win this fight. When the third strike came, she braced herself as the same effect repeated only this time it shattered the shield and pushed Amberly back a couple steps, bringing her to one knee.

"You're just a Light Wizard," the boy said with a smirk as he took a few steps forward. "And you're just as weak as all the others."

Amberly tightened her grip on the sword as she stood and glared at him, she was growing tired of his insults. She knew exactly which spell to cast to send some fear down his spine.

"I am a Life Wizard!" She shouted, holding her sword up in only her right hand. "Spinysaur!"

The glow of her blade brightened between them, the shine had reached farther than that of lightning's glow in the sky during a storm. Once it had cleared, the boy noticed that Amberly had taken several steps back and wondered why but then he spotted the cement ground was covered in dirt and buried within it were bones. Human bones.

"What the hell is this?" He asked in a panic but he was not answered.

Suddenly, something flew out of the dirt in a flash, speeding backwards and landing on its two large feet. A green dinosaur with big back legs and little arms, huge spines on its back that trailed down to its tail and sharp claws and teeth. Its yellow eyes glowered at the boy with intensity. It arched its back and shot the spines on its back straight out and into the sky, they landed perfectly around the boy who could only stand there in frozen fear. With one step and a very loud roar, the Spinysaur activated a powerful blast which the spines surrounding the Wizard had created.

After the blast was completed and the white light had dimmed, the spell had ended and the dinosaur vanished on its own. Amberly stood there proudly as the boy lay on the ground whimpering from the pain. He coughed and began pulling himself away with his arms but only got a few inches before spotting a set of feet standing beside him. He looked up, still releasing small cries of fear as Amberly watched him.

She almost felt bad for him but tried not to show it, she knew that he'd be fine for her magic doesn't have the power to end a life. In a duel, magic can only be made in turns and spells can be used to protect or strengthen certain attacks. Once the health of a duelist goes out then the duel is over but death isn't what happens at the end of such duels. There is always a winner but there is also a loser. If dueling could cause death to whoever lost then Wizards would never be allowed to duel each other and in Wizard City, that's the greatest sport. The only death she's ever seen was that of Malistaire who lost in their duel but his own magic destroyed both his body and his soul. There was no way to save him.

She bent down so she'd be close enough for him to hear what she was going to say. "You should learn control your temper, this all could have been prevented." She sighed and spoke once more before standing. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before lashing out so recklessly. You could have really hurt someone with your Surge."

Amberly walked over to her bag and slipped her sword back in, as she swung it over her right shoulder, she looked around and noticed that everyone had fled from The Commons. She and the boy were the only ones there, even the dark-haired girl had run away. She checked her phone and read the time, it was 11:45am. She began to walk back towards Unicorn Way so she'd be ready for Robyn's arrival.

Just before she reached the Rainbow Bridge her left arm was pulled and her bag had slipped from her shoulder and onto the ground near her feet. She was pushed up against the side of a building, out of view of anyone who may walk into The Commons now that the magical battle was over. Standing before her was a hooded figure, the same one who she had seen the night before at the bar. She was shocked that even in the light, it was difficult to see his face, the blackness of his cloak was dark enough to cover nearly all of it. She did; however, see his dark and mysterious eyes.

"Who are you!?" The boy asked in a low tone that was a little louder than a whisper but quiet enough for no one to be able to hear him.

"It's you," Amberly said, staring into his eyes without a blink. "You're the guy from the bar. Are you following me?"

"No one here can do magic like that, where did you come from?" He continued, refusing to answer Amberly's question.

She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," he insisted, keeping his contact with her.

"Your mind has been corrupted, nothing I say will make sense to you," Amberly said almost sadly. She tried to settle her beating heart then glanced down at his arms which held her shoulders back against the stone wall behind her. She looked back up at him softly. "Please let me go."

The boy took in a deep breath and did as she asked, even if he did not want to. He stood there stiffly as she took her bag and slowly walked past him. He couldn't bring himself to force her into admitting her secrets but he also didn't want her to leave. He thought quickly of something to say to make her stop. "I saw you."

Amberly turned just as she reached the bridge but did not yet cross it. She waited for him to speak again so she could find out what he had seen her do.

He turned only his head but kept his body still. "When you first came here yesterday, I saw you. You appeared out of thin air." He paused, waiting to see if she'd deny it but continued when she didn't say a word. "No one here can do that."

Amberly chuckled. "Where I come from, everyone can."

"Where you come from?" The boy asked curiously. "Like a different world?"

Amberly smiled as she looked around the familiar scenery. "You'd be surprised how similar this place is to my home."

The boy lowered his eyebrows but anger was not the emotion on his face, it was merely an intense expression as if he was deep in thought. He wasn't getting the answers that he was hoping for and no longer wished to be disappointed, so he turned and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Amberly called out to make him stop. When he did, she took a few steps closer to him. "What's your name?"

The boy stared at her silently for a moment, almost thinking that he didn't want to reveal his name to her. But after seeing her beautiful smile, he knew he could not resist her. "Killian.

Amberly's smile got bigger as she reached out her hand to him. "I'm Amberly."

Killian observed her hand before taking it in his, holding firmly but didn't shake it like Amberly had expected. He just held onto it as if to remember what it felt like just before releasing and walking away quickly.

Amberly didn't realize that her heart was racing, she looked at her empty hand and then back in the direction that Killian had gone in. Even if she wanted to follow him, she didn't now what path he had taken and in a crowded world like this, she doubted she'd be able to find him. She turned and walked back towards her room, thinking of only him. He wore all black, could that mean that he was a Death Wizard? Thinking back on her life in Wizard City, she's never fought with one before. Her dueling team consisted of a Balance Wizard, an Ice Wizard, and a Storm Wizard. Along with herself, they made the perfect team when it came to fighting Malistaire and other dangerous threats across the Spiral. Her closest friend back home, Mira is currently dating a Death Wizard and when she is in their presence, she feels almost drawn to him. She's unsure if it's his attractiveness or the fact that they are opposites. She recognized her feelings in this moment, it felt just like that.

She sat on her couch, placing her bag beside her, and wondered if she'd ever see Killian again. So far, all of the boys she's met in this world have anger problems, she wondered if he was the same or if he could possibly have some kindness in him like Robyn does. She remembered telling him to let her go and he had, he didn't force her to be there like someone else would have if they were demanding answers. Somehow, he seems different than the others that she's met here but she doesn't know why. She hoped to see him again, she may be able to learn more from him.

She wished to continue to sit there in the silence of her room and think of this mysterious boy who has capture her attention but the knock at her door snapped her out of her delusions. She knew it was Robyn, coming to take her to the party, she worried if she'd be ready to meet a bunch of new people, worried that they wouldn't accept her, worried that she'd create more enemies.

"Amberly! You in there?" Robyn shouted from the other side of the door.

Amberly rose from her couch and opened her door, trying to hide her worries with a smile.

"There you are! Come on, we're going to be late!"

Amberly nodded, as she hurried back inside to grab her bag. "Sorry about that."

"Do you have to bring that thing with you everywhere?" Robyn asked with a confused look on her face.

Amberly chuckled, after seeing how her interactions have gone so far, she didn't want to take any chances of needing her wand and not having it. And carrying around a sword would be stranger than carrying around a backpack. "Yes, I do."