It's getting cooler. I must say, I really like this autumn weather. I just hope it stays cool from now on.

CHAPTER 4: THE TEMPLE OF THE THIRTEEN REALMS

The Temple of the Thirteen Realms was only open to the public on Sundays. Nevertheless, Maire knew that it was her only hope to get help. She rushed to the temple, and pulled at the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked.

She burst into the room. A man, who appeared to be some sort of receptionist, looked up as she came in. "We don't do worship on Thursdays," he said.

"I need to see the high priestess," she said in a rush. "It's urgent."

The man shook his head. "She doesn't do appointments. The High Priestess is most likely at a sibyl or a meeting with her fellow priests and priestesses right now. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"Listen, I just got kicked out of home this morning," Maire snapped, "and I'm on a tight schedule. If you'll get out of my way, I need to see her now" –

Her phone suddenly rang. Momentarily distracted, she opened it and stared at the caller ID. It was from home.

Annoyance coursed through her. What do they want? Sighing, she clicked the 'Accept' button and opened the call.

"Whaddya wan'?' she snapped, switching from the Common Tongue to rough Summian.

"Good to hear ya, as always, sis," her brother, Rowan, responded. "Glad to hear yer okay."

Maire hated it when he called her 'sis'. "Where's Mom?" she snapped.

"Funny you should ask," he responded. "She's on da spacecraft back home. Very upset when she called home today. Seemed that you refused ta come home with her this mornin'."

"Explain this ta me." Maire rolled her eyes. "We barely make da money ta pay taxes for our farm. She says she spends all 'er extra money on me. So, how she have the dough ta buy a spacecraft ticket and a motel room, albeit cheap, ta come see me?"

"What does 'albeit' mean?" he asked in confusion.

"Answer da question," Maire rolled her eyes. Her brothers were so uneducated. They'd only gone to the village school until eighth grade, whereas she'd put the time and energy into studying so she'd get into a good school one day. And now her mother was shaming her for actually having a goal in her life. "How does she have the money ta come here?"

"Well, she took money outta yer account," he answered. "Ya know the money ya made years ago, babysittin' a kid on da mainlan'? She used some ah that."

"What?" Maire asked, outraged. Why can't she just stay out of my life? And not only that, but her brothers had conspired along with her!

"Yeah," he responded. "I can't say ya haven't been uppity lately, Maire. Ya been acting like dos rich girls from da mainland. Remembah 'em?"

"I do not act like 'em," said Maire, stung. Her family lived on a Summian island, the island of Bláthnaid. In the summers, families from other parts of Summa, the "mainlanders", as they referred to them, would come on vacation. They would gawk at their farming villages, and their girls would be wearing ridiculously expensive clothes and heels. They were the most annoying creatures Maire had ever seen, and she often longed to throttle them. How did they, who had never worked the land or lived amongst nature, have the right to visit their land?

But at the same time, she scorned her fellow townspeople. Those simple-minded villagers thought of nothing except how the harvest was getting along or how to judge other people. Old women sat together, gossiping about the other women in the community. The amount of judging made the hairs on Maire's forearms stand on edge.

Which was why she'd wanted to leave Bláthnaid so badly.

"Miss Griffin," a voice called out. High Priestess Saraswati Iyer stepped out from inside the temple. She wore a plain brown robe, and her thick white hair was in a braid down to her waist. Her arms, palms, hands, feet, and forehead were swirled with scarlet tattoos, tattoos that were a brand of her wisdom and connection to the gods. She stopped as she saw Maire on the phone.

"I see you are occupied," she said.

Maire grumbled. "I have ta go," she snapped into the phone. Not waiting for an answer, she shut off the phone and looked to the priestess. "Not anymore," she said.

"All right, then." The priestess opened the door and gestured for her to come in. "I had a feeling you would be coming."

Maire didn't stop to feel grateful for the priestess's clairvoyance. She was about to ask her question, but all words escaped from her mouth as she entered the room.

The inner building was made of stone. Except for a few statues of gods and goddesses, there were no adornments to the temple. Smoke wafted in through the corridors, but oddly, it didn't make Maire cough or choke; it had a sweet scent to it that only made her breathe more easily. The design was very simple, but at the same time, it was more grandiose than anything she had seen before.

"This is the temple of the United Realms," Priestess Saraswati said, "a symbol of our union. The statues personify gods of different realms, one important god for each realm. For example, there is Linphèana, the Linphean creator goddess; Natura, the god of Summa that created the elements; and Marinus, the Androsian god of waves. Each realm has its own gods and goddesses, but all share one goddess in common, with different name variants: Moria, the goddess of death."

Maire shivered. I guess that goes to show there's one thing we all share. The priestess turned towards her, her eyes darkening.

"You wish to ask me why Aria did what she did, and how to bring her back home. Is that correct?"

Maire jumped back in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Certain abilities come with studying the philosophy of magic," she answered with a smile. "As we learn more and more, certain degrees of intuitiveness begin to form."

"That's cool," Maire said. If only I could know what other people were thinking. Then I wouldn't have to guess all the time…

"You wish to ask something?" Saraswati interrupted her thoughts.

"I want to know why she did what she did," Maire said. "I mean – I don't think she would have killed someone. But that's what happened. I was wondering – I mean, this year, when Tritannus was trying to take control of the Magical Dimension, he possessed thousands of merpeople and turned them into mutants. Do you think someone could have… possibly possessed Aria?"

Saraswati looked directly at her. "And what makes you think such a thing?"

"It's just"… She swallowed hard. "I mean, there were times when she could be a total jerk, but I just can't bring myself to believe that she would murder someone. It's almost as if she morphed from being a fairy into some evil being."

Saraswati shook his head. "That is another common misconception amongst fairies. Magical beings are neither negative nor positive. It is the intent behind the spell that makes it positive or negative. Fairies are not always the heroes, and witches are not always the villains – the textbooks only portray it like that because you go to a school for fairies. Everyone has the potential to become good or evil."

"Oh." Maire didn't know that. She supposed it made sense; after all, Saraswati herself was a witch, and yet, she was one of the most sought-out people in all of the realms. "The point is: do you think she killed Galatea on her own accord, or not?"

"Not necessarily," Saraswati answered. "Yes, it may be that Aria, of her own will, killed the crown princess of Melody, in which case we would rightfully brand her as a killer. But it does not undermine the possibility that she was being possessed.

"There are two different types of possession. In order to understand what happened, both must be considered. The first level, which is by far more common, is elemental possession. The person who is being affected, in this case, usually is aware of what he or she is doing, but cannot break free of the spell. It is the level of ability that the witch Darcy and merman Tritannus possess, as did the wizard Valtor. It can be detected through certain types of magical screening, and can be broken by Enchantix fairy-dust, which is considered to be one of the purest, most incorruptible substances in the magical universe. It is used in the vast majority of possession-related crimes.

"The second level of possession, though, is much less commonly used. Known as transfigural possession, it can only be manifested through the powers of a strong magical being, one that has a deep understanding of magical energy. First of all, the person being corrupted must already have some emotional weakness – that person must have some sort of personality disorder or deep insecurities about him or herself. When transfigural possession is used, the person's own negativity is used to completely corrupt him or her. It completely changes that person's perception of right and wrong and can even turn the person into a psychopath. Do you understand the difference? Transfigural possession doesn't just change a person's actions, it also changes the mind. And that is what makes it very deadly – and very fascinating."

"So it completely transforms the person's mind?" Maire wanted to know. "Has this ever happened before?"

Saraswati nodded. "There is actually one instance I can think of in the modern era, one that happened in your lifetime. Lord Darkar, ruler of Shadowhaunt, used his power to corrupt the mind of Alexandre Fauré, a cloud-spirit from the realm of Rêve. This man was an imposter in Alfea and took the false name and role of Avalon Pretorius, who is currently a teacher at the school. He died a few days after the whole incident, due to injuries he sustained in the destruction of Realix. But the consensus is that Darkar used transfigural possession on Fauré."

"So, what are you saying?" she said shakily. "She's been possessed?"

Saraswati nodded. "All evidence points to that. There's another thing about transfigural possession – it works on a time frame. It starts at the new moon and ends at the full moon. And the new moon was just two days ago, the day that Aria committed the murder – there is no way that is just a coincidence. By the full moon, whichever villain cast the spell will have full control over her mind and heart."

"So, does that mean that there's no hope for Aria?" Maire sank heavily into her chair.

Saraswati shook her head. "There is still hope for Aria just yet. It is a difficult path, but you still have a chance."

"But you just said that Enchantix fairy-dust won't work."

"There are other options, Miss Griffin," said Saraswati calmly. "Options more powerful than Enchantix. They are" –

"More powerful than Enchantix?" Maire blurted out. "But fairy-dust is the purest substance in the universe!"

"That does not mean it is infallible," answered Saraswati, still in that infuriatingly patient tone. "It is powerful, yes, but sorcerers know how to work their way around it. There will be another solution." She let out a sigh. "I will have to research into this and find out what to do."

Is she joking right now? A storm was building up in Maire's heart. "You're telling me you don't even know? You're literally the wisest person in all the realms! And yet, you can't even tell me that" –

"First of all, there is no such distinction," Saraswati interrupted. "It is impossible to compare wisdom in a manner such as that. And secondly, I do not know everything. You will find, Maire, that no matter how wise you are, you cannot know everything there is to know. There is so much that I am still learning, still trying to figure out. But I do have resources for my research, due to my position of influence.

"In the meantime, I want you to focus on figuring out Aria. Start thinking about what she did and why she did it. It would also be wise to try and find her location as well." She looked at Maire. "Do you understand?"

"Fine," Maire acquiesced, reluctantly. "When will you have this research done?"

"Likely in a few days," Saraswati shook her head. "I cannot finish it overnight, unfortunately. I have other duties I have to attend to, and the information is often quite difficult to find. It is not information I can just find on the Web; I have to travel and speak to people who know more about this field that I. I can promise you, though, that I will devote as much time as possible to researching ways to save Aria." She frowned. "There is another problem. If you have not healed Aria in two weeks, then the transfigural change will be permanent."

"What?" Maire shrieked. "But I don't have that much time! I don't even know where she is!"

"Then you must find her," Saraswati answered. "It is the only way. That I am absolutely certain of. Are you going to search for her or not?"

This is hopeless, Maire thought. Her friend was going to become a psychopath in two weeks, and the way to save her was close-to-impossible. How am I going to do this?

"It is not impossible, Miss Griffin," the woman said, and she jumped. She glared at Saraswati, but the priestess ignored her. "It is difficult, yes, but not impossible. Have faith in yourself, and you will find your way."

Maire thought for a moment. She was scared, and knew the odds were not in her favor. But she also knew she would not rest until she did something. She couldn't sit back and let it happen, not when there was a chance that Aria could be saved. "O-okay," she said in a shaky voice. "I'll do it."

"That is a brave decision, Miss Griffin," Saraswati said. "And please, I would advise you to be more patient as well. After all, most things worth doing are a process. You cannot rush what cannot be rushed; you must take your time."

"You just said that I only have two weeks to save Aria," Maire snapped, irritation rising in her again. "How can I not be impatient?"

Saraswati smiled. "You can be nervous, and worried, yes, but not impulsive. And you may not trust in yourself, Maire, but you have more strength and ability than you know. Just keep a good sense around you, and all will be well."

"Okay, thanks," Maire muttered, heading for the door. "I'll be on my way now."

Saraswati raised an eyebrow. "Good luck, then. And remember what I said about patience and faith. It might do you well in the future."

Darius sat alone in the clearing, his back resting on the tree behind him. His head was bowed and his shoulders were low. He was not crying – he had already cried enough that morning – but the wounds were still fresh from the previous night.

He couldn't understand why Aria had killed Galatea. She was a brave fairy, having led the defense of Alfea against Tritannus. What was more, they'd had a decent relationship – until Aria's vocal training had reached a stage where she didn't have any spare time to hang out.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how little he knew about Aria. They had only been together for a year, though he still saw her around sometimes. But when they'd been together, she had always been quiet about her family, about her home and her past. He had never visited her house – he didn't know anything about her parents, except the fact that they were members of the Magix Peace Corps and therefore seldom at home.

But still… murder? None of it made any sense. The whole thing was secret, and the Magix Police had barely released any information about it. But from what Darius had gathered, they didn't exactly understand what was going on, either.

After all, no one knows where she's even gone to. The Magix Police had searched all over the realm, in vain. If they couldn't find her within four days, they would deem her as an interrealm criminal, and the United Realms would have to meet together to decide on sending a force to find her.

As he leaned back, stretching his arm against the tree, his hand caught a sharp rift in the trunk. He turned around in surprise, and stared at the place where his hand had caught. The way it was cut, he had caught a tiny slit in the tree's trunk, almost like a pocket. That's not normal. Trees had hollows, of course, but this seemed like it was deliberately made by magic.

Curious, he reached farther into the hole. It was then that his fingers caught onto a soft object. He reached in, grabbed it, and pulled it out.

It was a felt book, with a pink cover. The book was very well-decorated, and had golden lacework all over the front cover. As he opened the page, he saw beautiful script, written in gold ink. He instantly recognized the handwriting: it belonged to Aria.

Darius's first instinct was to go to the Magix Police. Give them the book – or journal, as it seemed – so that they could see what was going on. But then he thought of how Magix, and every other realm, handled domestic crime. They would just take the journal and he would never hear from them again. Furthermore, he had once been Aria's boyfriend. Didn't this make him one of the best people to read the journal, so that he could solve the mystery?

As he thought that, he suddenly heard a rustle in the bushes. What is that? He stood up, placing the book in his pocket, and stood up. Walking cautiously, he strode up to the bush and looked over it.

A girl with tangled red hair was lying on the grass. She was grimacing, picking leaves out of her hair as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. Her green shorts and yellow T-shirt were muddy and rumpled.

"Worst nap ever," she muttered. It was then that she looked up and caught sight of Darius watching her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, immediately standing up and glaring at him.

Darius took a step back. "Hey, calm down. I was just here, trying to… mull things over, and then I saw you." He looked at the red-headed girl. "The question is, what are you doing here?"

The girl flicked her hair back. "Got kicked out of home. My mom doesn't want me. Didn't get much sleep last night, after what happened. So I came here to take a nap." She let out a derisive yawn. "And they say I'm soft."

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

The girl shrugged. "Don't be. I'm better off without her, anyways." She looked at him. "Hey, aren't you the crown prince of Fulgur? I've seen you on magazine covers."

Darius gave an uncomfortable shrug. "Yes, but titles are supposed to be nullified in the Realm of Magix. So you can just call me Darius, I guess."

"Don't worry," the girl said, standing up. "I'm not calling you any uppity title." She let out a snort. "Might as well tell you my name. I'm Maire, and I'm from Summa."

"Oh," said Darius. Then he remembered something. "Aren't you Aria's friend? You go to Alfea, is that correct? I dated her when we were freshmen. I know we never got the chance to meet." Just another example of how little Aria showed me of her life.

"Yes," the girl said. Her expression looked downcast, and Darius understood completely why. "Or rather, I was."

"Hey, don't blame yourself for what happened," Darius said, moving closer to her. "It's not your fault."

The girl stepped away and glared at him. "I know it wasn't my fault. I just wish I knew why it happened. I mean, she was my best friend. She would've told me if she was planning to go psycho, don't you think?" She kicked a pebble.

"Um… probably not," Darius said. "Look – actually, I think you might be able to help me." He pulled out the pink book.

The girl's eyes rose as she looked at the book's glossy cover. "What is that?" she asked.

"It's Aria's journal," he said. "I found it in the tree over there. That's where she hid it all this time."

Maire reached over to grab the book. "Give me that," she said.

Darius snatched it away just in time. "Hang on," he said. "I was wondering if we could both read it – together. I'm just as curious to find out what happened to her as you are."

"Why should I share it with you?" Maire challenged.

"Because I found it," Darius answered calmly. "And because… I could give you a place to stay."

That deterred Maire. She looked at him. "Stay where?"

"As a guest in the royal palace of Fulgur," he answered. "You'd get a place to stay for an indefinite amount of time. We're the royal family; we can invite whoever we want."

"Wow," said Maire in amazement. "That's not how it works in my realm."

That's because you live in a democracy, Darius thought. Most realms had a constitutional monarchy, in which they had a monarch along with a parliamentary body elected by the people, but Summa had taken a step closer towards equality. The king had voluntarily abdicated in the year 408, and ever since then, a president was elected to a term of twelve years. So far, it was working pretty smoothly.

"Sure," Maire said, "You can keep the book." She gave him a hard look. "But you're wrong about me helping you. I actually think you'll be the one helping me."

"Is that so?" Darius asked, chuckling. Her attitude is kind of cute.

"Yes," she snapped. "Because actually, I've got some very interesting information from the high priestess."

He stopped laughing. "What information did you get?"

"She told me that Aria has likely been possessed," she answered. "By some evil villain that's turning her into a psychopath. That's why she's done all this – not because she wanted to, but because someone forced her to."

"What?" asked Darius, flabbergasted.

"Not so clever now, are you?" she taunted. "Well, that's what happened. And we need to figure out where she is, so we can cure her and do something about this."

"How about this?" asked Darius, quickly thinking of a solution. "You come to the Fulgur Palace with me, and we work on this together. With you there, I'm sure we'll be able to figure it out." And find Aria again. For the first time in hours, a rush of hope ran through him.

"Oh, we'd better find her," Maire growled. "She was a jerk, but that doesn't mean she deserves to sit in the clutches of some creepy guy."

"Darius!" another female voice called, and Darius turned around to see his sister run up to him. The auburn-haired girl stopped, and then she said, "Daddy's waiting for you. We're heading home now."

"Okay," Darius said. He nodded to Maire. "Let's go."

Maire sauntered off in front of them, her head held high. She was trying to disguise her apprehension, but Darius knew better. Though I won't burst her bubble, he thought in amusement. His sister, Sharzad, walked next to him.

"Are you bringing her home?" she asked.

"Yes," said Darius, trying to keep pace with Maire, who was walking at an unnecessarily fast gait. "She's coming to stay with us."

"What were you two talking about?" she asked.

Darius shrugged. "Just vacation plans." If you can call solving a murder mystery a vacation plan.

"What are you guys planning?"

Darius stopped and turned to face his sister. "We're not planning anything, Sharzie," he said. "Just stay out of it, okay?"

"I know you're doing something important," she protested, "and it has something to do with Aria. Whatever it is, I want to help."

"You can't," Darius said gently, "you're too young, and you've only completed one year of school. Just let me and the others handle it, okay?"

"But I could help," she protested. "You don't have to protect me all the time."

"I don't want anything to happen to you," Darius said with finality. "You're my little sister. Of course I have to protect you. Look, just enjoy your break, okay?"

"Fine," she muttered, striding off without him.

Darius watched the two girls ahead of him, and sighed. Women. He began to walk faster, keeping an eye on both of them at the same time. He could only hope that the mystery would be cleared up soon, and that Aria would be back home.