The four of them—Alliah, Brie, William, and Leo—stood frozen, staring at the small figure in front of them. Small… but definitely their age. Leo's brain was still short-circuiting.
She's tiny… but she's not a kid…
Alliah, meanwhile, stared at her yellow hair bouncing under the moonlight and quietly thought to herself
She is damn gorgeous… should I shift from goth to bright bubbly now or—ugh, too late now…
The girl stepped closer, stopping in front of William—who was still holding Brie, unconscious and limp from panic and exhaustion.
"I think your friend is broken," the yellow-haired girl said casually, pointing at Brie like she was talking about a malfunctioning toy.
William stared weakly. "She… she just fainted…"
"I'm Mina, by the way!" she chirped, raising her hand eagerly for a handshake. "Short for Wihelmina!"
But William didn't even lift a finger. His eyes drooped, his head falling forward.
The world dimmed.
"HEY—WILLIAM—HEY—HEY—WILLIAM?!" Leo panicked.
Alliah shook him hard. "WAKE! UP!"
But before any of them could do anything— The world went black. It was evening when William finally blinked awake.
The first thing he saw was Brie sitting beside him, her eyes were puffy. She'd clearly been waiting. The second his eyes twitched open— Brie GASPED so loudly a bird flew out of a tree. She slammed both palms beside his face. "WILLIAM!? OH MY GOD YOU'RE AWAKE!?" Realizing how close she was to his face, she went red then immediately yanked herself away from him.
"Alliah! Leo! He's up!" she yelled.
They sprinted over instantly.
"Hey man! You're finally awake," Leo said, doing the Oblivion intro voice so hard he nearly choked.
William blinked. "…Hey."
They all immediately pushed him back down.
"Man STOP. You're not okay." "Don't sit up!" "You lost consciousness for HOURS!" "You scared me to death!" Brie added, voice cracking.
William rubbed his head. "Where… where are we?"
Silence.
None of them answered.
Until—
"You're safe!" A cheerful voice chimed from behind them.
They turned.
The yellow-haired girl skipped a little as she placed two small logs into the fire. She smiled, humming like she was decorating a Christmas tree—completely ignoring that she'd murdered a nightmare creature an hour ago.
"Safe?" William echoed, confused.
For a single second he had forgotten everything. Then the memory snapped back like a whip.
"The monster…" he murmured.
"She's the one who killed that... that thing," Alliah pointed.
"And she helped us build the fire," Leo added. "And by 'helped,' I mean she did EVERYTHING."
Mina finally plopped down onto a log. It felt like the first time any of them had seen her actually rest.
William squinted at her. "Who… are you again?" Mina stiffened dramatically.
"Ouch. That's rude." Then she brightened with a giggle.
"I'm Wihelmina Astra-Sophie Stelarius! Mina for short!" She raised her chin proudly while sipping water from a perfectly crafted wooden cup.
Leo pointed. "Where'd you get the cup?"
"What?" Mina blinked.
"Your cup," Brie added, softer but equally confused.
"Oh THIS?" she said innocently, lifting it up. "I just magic!"
She giggled but no one else laughed.
Her smile slowly deflated like a balloon.
"…Wait. You guys?"
They all nodded slowly.
Mina stared, processing.
Then—
She pulled out her wand.
It shimmered like starlight. It looked like a sword hilt with a pommel than a wand.
And instead of a normal tip…A huge, gleaming yellowdiamond sat at its end.
She flicked her wrist.
Fwoosh—
Stardust spiraled from the wand. Light shimmered. And poof! A second cup appeared out of thin air.
The four froze—jaws open—souls leaving their bodies.
Mina burst into laughter.
"You guys are clearly not from here, are you?" She tilted her head, curious, eyes sparkling like twin golden stars. Not from HERE? They swallowed hard.
The forest was quiet now, except for the crackle of the fire and their uneven breathing.
But inside the small clearing, questions were exploding like fireworks.
Leo leaned forward, pointing at Mina. "Okay… first of all… WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! Did you just—kill… the monster… by, like… waving a magic stick?!" He gestured wildly, nearly knocking over a log. "Are you serious right now?" Brie, still pale but recovering, chimed in. "Y-yeah… that creature… it looked like something straight out of a nightmare! What… what was it?" she added.
Mina giggled softly, eyes sparkling. "Oh that? Just a little practice target I've been meaning to finish." She tilted her head innocently. "Was it… scary?"
Alliah folded her arms, skeptical, analytical. "Practice target? That thing nearly killed us. Are you saying that's normal for you?"
Mina hummed, spinning her wand in her hands. "Well… I guess it is, but mostly I do it for fun. It's… boring otherwise."
Leo blinked, then smirked. "…You do this for fun?! Like… what? You fight monsters for fun before breakfast?"
"Sometimes," Mina said cheerfully, "depends on the weather. I like windy days."
Brie's voice shook a little. "How old are you? You look… young. But you're clearly not a child."
Mina tilted her head and smiled, eyes sparkling. "Age? Hmm… I'm… sixteen!"
She beamed proudly. "I'll be 17 next month!"
Leo blinked, then smirked. "…You're sixteen? We're seventeen, she's seventeen, and Alliah's almost eighteen. So, you're… younger than us." He paused, leaning back. "And yet… you just annihilated a nightmare monster while smiling. Okay. Cool."
Alliah folded her arms, skeptical. "Numbers aside, we still don't know who she is."
Mina shrugged, still cheerful. "Well, I might be younger, but I've had a lot of practice!" She twirled her wand with a giggle. "Age is just a number anyway, right?"
Brie whispered to Alliah, "I… I kinda like her though."
Alliah just nodded slowly, unable to argue.
Then the chatter quieted for a beat. William rubbed his forehead, taking a deep breath.
"…Okay… I think we've all been asking a million questions and none of us have answers. But there's one thing I need to know."
He turned to Mina, voice serious for the first time since the forest chaos.
"…WHERE ARE WE EXACTLY?"
Mina paused.
Then smiled.
Her star eyes glittered. "Well… I think it's about time you all saw the real world you're in."
Mina approached them this time, walking with purpose and confidence. No playful skips or twirls—just serious steps.
She stopped in front of William, raised her wand, and flicked it toward him. Everyone's eyes widened. They braced themselves, expecting a direct attack. But nothing harmful happened. Instead, a soft green light enveloped William, shimmering gently over his body.
In an instant, his pain—the aches, bruises, and exhaustion—vanished as if they had never existed.
"Welcome to Magica, that should do the trick." Mina replied to William.
William blinked, stunned. "…What just—?"
Brie leaned forward, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "What did you just do?"
Mina smiled, her cuteness radiating effortlessly. "Ohh, I healed him. Much faster than waiting days for him to recover naturally."
Brie's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't help but smile back at Mina, unable to handle her charm.
"HEAL?!" Alliah's voice cracked, disbelief dripping from every word. Her world of logic and science was shattering in real time. "Magic… right in front of us? And she's… an angel disobeying every law of nature I know… or… is she?"
"So… magic is real?" Alliah finally asked, still trying to process. "I'm not really into fiction," she added dryly, "but I guess I'll entertain it starting today."
Mina's eyes sparkled with delight, her pupils twinkling with a golden shimmer. "Yeah… basically this whole world runs on magic. I thought you guys already knew that by now."
"Knew?" William asked, curiosity mixing with frustration.
"Yeah," Mina replied nonchalantly. "Aren't you the ones who basically ripped space to portal here?" She raised a brow knowingly
William froze. "You… knew about that!? Why didn't you tell us? And why didn't you meet us before the bear attacked?" His voice rose, a mix of anger and disbelief.
Mina shrugged, still smiling. "Well… technically, I did come I was just a bit late. Also you when you opened that portal you technically invited it to come to you guys." she said it so casually while smiling. The four of them just stared. Their questions multiplied faster than they could ask them.
"Invited…?" Leo piped up, his usual mix of sarcasm and humor kicking in.
Mina sighed, tilting her head. "You guys are really; really sure you don't know where you are… or what's going on?" Her tone softened, almost sad. "You're… literally aliens to this world huh. I feel bad for you."
Before anyone could respond, a trumpet sounded from afar, echoing through the forest. It wasn't a fanfare or announcement—it was a call. Someone, or something, was being summoned.
Mina groaned, frowning, and stomped her foot. "Ughhh…" she grunted, clearly annoyed. Then she turned to the gang, her voice regaining that playful charm. "What are you all waiting for?!"
The gang exchanged uncertain glances. Then, almost simultaneously, they stood, brushing themselves off. Following Mina seemed to be the only choice—they had no idea what lay ahead.
And so, the group set off, moving towards the trumpet sound, each step filled with awe, questions, and a creeping sense of anticipation. When the forest finally opened up, before them stood soldiers in shining maroon armor. Real knights, their polished steel reflecting the golden light of the sun.
Leo's jaw dropped. "I guess… we really aren't in America anymore."
Alliah squinted at the soldiers, analyzing them. "I don't think it's Asia either... What did she say earlier, Magica or something?"
Brie just stood frozen, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. She wasn't scared—not really—but the day had been insane, the kind of day no amount of fame or comfort could prepare her for. Instead, her worry was for home. What would her parents do if they knew what she'd gotten herself into?
Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice echoed through the clearing.
"Mina…"
The knight who spoke was unlike the others. His aura demanded respect; his presence made the air tense. His voice carried authority, but also exasperation.
"How many times do we have to tell you?" he barked, pacing slightly. "You still went wandering into a forest full of monsters, after everything we've warned you! Do you even think before acting? Do you understand the risk you put yourself—and everyone else—into?!"
The gang was witnessing a scolding, as Mina stiffened her playful demeanor faded.
"You… you can't tell me what to do!" she shouted back, the anger and frustration in her voice surprising them all.
The knight's face hardened. "Yes, We can. You are the last remaining Stelarius, heir to the throne! And you risk your life for fun—or whatever it is you call your actions!"
He slowly removed his helmet, revealing a face lined with age and wisdom, but eyes sharp and his beard framed his stern expression perfectly.
Mina glared at him, lips pressed tightly. She looked away stubbornly, her little "hmmpff" like a child caught in the act.
Finally, her voice softened regaining that bubbly undertone as she gestured toward the group. "I… I wasn't having fun."
The knight raised an eyebrow.
"I was trying to save them," she said firmly, pointing at William, Leo, Alliah, and Brie.
The knight's stern expression softened slightly as he looked at the gang. "You… risked yourself to save people. Even I cannot fault your heart. But your recklessness could have cost all of you dearly."
Leo whispered to William, "This is… like a Disney movie… with a royal twist and insane magic…"
William smirked nervously. "Yeah… I guess our luck just got royal."
Brie tugged at William's sleeve, whispering, "I just… I just want to get home after all this…"
Alliah stayed quiet, arms crossed, studying the knight and Mina, trying to make sense of this entire hierarchy.
Mina, on the other hand, let out a small sigh and bounced slightly on her heels, her playful, chaotic energy creeping back in. "I… I'll be more careful next time. Promise!"
The knight gave her a long, exasperated look, then shook his head. "Next time… there had better not be a next time."
The tension hung in the air as the gang tried to process not only where they were, but the fact that Mina—this seemingly carefree, bubbly girl—was actually the heir to a throne and a formidable figure in her own right. The elder knight gave a sharp command, and the other knights immediately sprang into action. The gang watched in awe as the armored figures approached them, faces mostly hidden behind gleaming helmets, their movements precise and efficient.
Before they knew it, the knights had offered food, water, and blankets. Each gesture was careful, almost ceremonial, yet surprisingly considerate. Once the group was tended to, they were escorted to a lavish carriage parked at the edge of the clearing. It gleamed in the sunlight, ornate carvings decorating its sides, its windows framed in gold.
Suddenly, the carriage window burst open.
"HELLO!!!!" Mina's voice rang out, bubbly and bright. She leaned halfway out, beaming at the group. "I told them you could sit with me here!"
William blinked, incredulous. "Then…?"
Mina pouted playfully. "Then they said no. But don't worry—I'm princess Wihelmina, after all." She straightened proudly and gestured toward the carriage. "Come on, there's room for everyone!"
One by one, they climbed inside, and each felt their jaw drop at the interior. Plush velvet seats, intricate golden trims, and sparkling chandeliers that seemed impossibly delicate… it screamed VIP. The air smelled faintly of flowers, and the soft glow inside made the carriage feel warm and welcoming.
Mina leaned forward, eyes sparkling like twin stars. "So… where are you guys from?!" Her curiosity radiated in waves, and the gang couldn't help but smile at her energy.
"Earth," Alliah said flatly, trying to maintain composure.
"We're from Earth," William added, a mix of caution and amazement in his voice.
"Earth?" Mina asked curiously the name Earth brought back some memories from her studying days. It was in an ancient text.
"You mean the magicless realm?" she added.
Brie's worry bubbled over. "Yes. That Earth, how… how do we get back home?!"
Mina tilted her head, thinking. "Home? Hmm… let's see. You guys teleported here without knowing how or why. Then, you're from EARTH…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers and made a small two-finger motion in the air. "Then, you guys accidentally transported yourselves here."
The gang exchanged worried glances.
Mina's voice grew serious, though she kept that subtle sparkle in her eyes. "I'm sorry to say but the only possible ways of getting to Earth… were destroyed… thousands of years ago."
Silence filled the carriage. The weight of her words hung in the air. William, Alliah, Leo, and Brie stared at her, the reality of the situation beginning to sink in.
Mina leaned back, her voice softening just slightly. "But don't worry too much… I might have forgotten some details but there could be a way!"
Brie exhaled slowly, relief washing over her. William's fists clenched slightly, more out of determination than fear. Leo leaned back, smirking, though his eyes darted around nervously. And Alliah she was already running through calculations in her head, silently planning their next steps.
Mina's gaze swept over them, her grin returning. "Alright, enough gloom! Let's enjoy the ride for now. I know people who are very wise and I'll take you to them."
The carriage rolled forward, the forest disappearing behind them as a new, unfamiliar world spread out ahead—a world that none of them could have imagined…