Bring it the hell on.
The three of us—Simon, Andy and—strode casually down the street towards the hidden door. Hidden from most people, that is. We’d dressed in leather jackets and boots in an imitation of the uniform worn by the guards belonging to the Inter-World Alliance, so if anyone saw us from a distance, they’d mistake us for them.
The perfect crime.
Of course, we’d checked to make sure there weren’t any actual guards nearby first. It had taken a week of careful planning, figuring out the precise details of how they did their patrols, before we’d put our plan into action. Right now, though, nothing could stop us.
We were going into the Passages, the place which held the doors to all the worlds in the Multiverse. It was off-limits to anyone but final-year students and Alliance employees. Two years was too long a time to wait to see the wonders of the Multiverse.
“There are monsters down in the lower corridors,” Simon whispered.
“Yeah, sure there are,” said Andy.
“They’re very dangerous and shouldn’t be crossed under any circumstances,” I said, in a mock-solemn tone.
“That’s why we’re armed,” said Simon. We each carried a short knife, which I’d swiped from the Academy’s stores. It seemed ridiculous carrying a small weapon like that into the home of monsters unknown, but the Passages didn’t function in the same way as the world we knew. The between-world was alive with residual magic from the surrounding worlds, and it often interfered with regular technology, like guns. The Alliance had their own badass magic-based weapons, but the most the Academy had were regular knives. Until final year, when students were finally allowed into the Passages. Before then, it was off-limits. Final-year students got to have all the fun.
But damn, was this going to be worth it. I’d dreamed of the Passages all my life, but in nineteen years, I’d never even caught a glimpse. As we approached the spot in the wall where I’d seen the guards congregating before, anticipation buzzed beneath my skin like static.
“Let me go first,” I said, as we reached the right point on the wall. It looked like ordinary brick… at first glance. But I felt where it was different, where the wall slid back like a panel and a metal door gleamed. Sparks danced off the surface as I pulled that, too, and it slid open.
“Hell yeah,” I said.
The Passages began with a single wide corridor. I hovered on the threshold, exaggerating the first step over the edge.
“This is one small step for man…” I parroted Neil Armstrong’s moon landing speech.
“One face-plant for Kay Walker,” Simon proclaimed, reaching to shove me. But I’d already moved out of the way. Into the Passage.
The walls and floor glowed with the same bluish tone as the entrance, a metal not found on Earth. And speaking of which, there were other doors next to the one we’d come through. All closed. Some led to the other branches of the Alliance. And some led to other worlds. Specifically, those which had joined Earth in forming the original Alliance. They’d united in the face of catastrophe, to stop the Balance from tipping and sending the entire Multiverse into chaos. Going public thirty years ago had had less of an effect on the general population than you might expect, seeing as Earth had the lowest level of magic of any of the allied worlds.
Silence filled the Passage. There were no lights, but the entire corridor was illuminated in faint blue which seemed to come from everywhere around us. Numerous corridors branched off to the sides, and I turned to the other two. “Want to go find a monster?”
“You’re serious,” said Andy. “Oh, shit.”
“What do you think that knife’s for?” said Simon, shaking his head. “Come on, Kay. Let’s leave the coward behind. Did you know, the monsters sometimes come in here, too?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “They tend to eat the guards. That’s why they need so many of them on standby.”
“Oh, piss off, Kay,” said Andy.
“It’s true. Notice there aren’t any guards here now? If anything comes this way, it’s our duty to cut it down.”
“You’ll be doing that full time in a couple of years,” Simon added, spinning the knife in his hand. “Child’s play.”
Andy sighed. “All right. I’m in.”
I took the lead, as I’d already memorised the route thanks to a map that showed every inch of the Passages. An unintended gift from my father before he’d left Earth. Unintended because I’d swiped it from his office. Even now part of me half-expected some kind of backlash. But he’d never come back.
“Does Tara know you’re here?” Simon enquired.
“No…” My girlfriend would not be pleased to know about us violating the Alliance’s rules.
“She’ll be pissed at you,” said Simon.
“Yeah. I thought about inviting her, but after the lecture she gave me when I mentioned our last stunt, it’s probably best she stays out of this.”
“You should get her a souvenir. Like the severed head of a monster.”
“Ugh,” said Andy, shuddering. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.”
“I know,” said Simon. “It’s incredible.”
It really was. I felt alive, really alive, possibly for the first time in my life. Or maybe I was just high on the thrill of delinquency. I was practically buzzing all over.
“Can you feel that?” I asked, as the sensation intensified, like I’d stuck my fingers into a plug socket, but good.
“Feel what?”
“Like… electricity.”
“Huh?” Simon shook his head. “No electricity in here, mate.”
“I know that,” I said. “I said it was like electricity. Is it magic?”
“Probably. You might be sensitive to it. Nice. I’ve always wondered what that felt like.”
We’d learned the theory at the Academy, but seeing as we weren’t allowed into the Passages until fourth year, I’d never had the chance to watch magic in action. Apparently, new magic-wielders always hit themselves in the face with the recoil.
I motioned to the others to follow me, and slowed my pace. I wanted to make the most of every second of this. The anticipation combined with the tingly electric-feeling made me feel like I was on the biggest adrenaline high.
“We want to go this way. This’ll avoid the main patrol routes.”
“How in hell do you know all this?” asked Simon. “Wait, don’t answer that. I swear you’ve a photographic memory, Kay.”
“Close enough,” I said. The Academy was pretty intense with their testing methods, but I had one advantage no one else had—a family who’d founded the Alliance itself. I’d grown up dreaming of this place. Dreaming of the worlds behind the doors. But to leave legally, you had to carry a permit, and you had to be twenty-one to apply. None of us had the forgery skills to imitate the Alliance’s documents, nor were we idiotic enough to try to swipe one from a guard. Like hell would I risk being blacklisted before graduation. It was enough that we got to come into the Passages, because this door was considered low-risk and not under twenty-four-hour guard. No reason to complicate things.
We headed down the deserted corridor. There was a hidden staircase to the lower levels somewhere around here, one even the junior guards probably didn’t know about. As far as I knew, the Alliance didn’t issue maps of every area, because it was confusing enough figuring out the main routes when all the corridors looked more or less identical. No one besides us at the Academy even knew this route, because no one else had a map that showed every inch of the Passages.
Andy stopped as a faint sound came from the stairs’ direction. “I’ve seen enough, man,” he said. “I don’t want us to get killed.”
“We’re not going to die,” said Simon. “Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to put our lives in danger?”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Andy muttered, with a glance at me. Okay, so I’d kind of got a reputation for doing risky things, and by Academy standards, that said a lot. But I’d not broken any laws in the almost-three years I’d been there. I was the youngest in my year, having signed up at only sixteen, after a brief stint as a juvenile delinquent. I’d been lucky to get in after that. One of the few advantages of being a Walker, grandson to the late founder of the Alliance. Not that it generally made a difference. The Academy didn’t play favourites.
“Not to worry,” I said. “If there’s anything around, it’s nothing worse than we’ve faced in training.” Which was true. Coming face to face with a Passage monster wasn’t a big deal. We’d be doing that on a regular basis in a couple of years. And if it turned out we couldn’t handle it, we’d run like hell. If anything wandered this close to the stairs, then like I’d said—it was our duty to deal with it.
“Let’s do this,” I said.
My fingertips found the hidden panel in the wall. Loose. Something had tried to get it open before—recently. Marks on the edge became visible. Okay, something with really big hands had tried to get it open.
Hmm. Maybe this wasn’t my smartest move. But it was too late to turn back. The panel opened at the slightest touch, and sure enough, a steep staircase appeared in the gloom.
The staircase was shorter than I expected, and led into another corridor. I definitely heard movement ahead. Our footsteps made no noise, and gradually, a faint growling became distinct.
“Damn,” I whispered. “That’s way too close to first level.”
Andy froze, swearing under his breath. Simon and I continued, and when we rounded a corner, we found our monster.
It was easily seven feet tall, and looked like a hairless bull, except it walked on two legs. Its pinkish skin was marked with scars, and two cracked tusks protruded from its huge jaw. It prowled the tunnel on legs thick as tree trunks. This was a kruchifal, and they were known for munching on stray travellers walking between the worlds. This one had wandered way out of Cethrax. Damn thing. No guards had come here, but if they went near those stairs—which newer guards might not even know about—then this monster could easily make trouble for them.
And us. The kruchifal turned around with a bellow loud enough to alert half the Passages this side of Cethrax.
Oh, shit.
“Be quiet,” I muttered.
The kruchifal swiped with a giant hand, forcing us to back away. Towards the stairs. Damn. Just what I’d wanted to avoid.
“You don’t wanna be here, trust me,” I said.
The kruchifal roared angrily again.
Great. I hadn’t reckoned on actually playing the part of a guard without their fancy weaponry to back it up. We didn’t have a way to alert the Alliance without giving away that we were here illegally. Besides, the monster was only metres away from the stairs.
We had to scare it off.
Simon’s eyes widened as he realised what I was going to do, and got out of the way just in time. I ran, launching myself into the air, and grabbed onto the beast’s back, pulling myself up to balance on its shoulders. The kruchifal roared as it realised it had an unwanted passenger, and rocked back and forward, trying to throw me off. Laughing, I clung on with one hand, while Simon charged it. He dodged the snarling tusks and kicked at the beast’s thick leg. The monster roared again, and this time, it dislodged me. I flipped over backwards and landed on my feet. Andy was still here, to my surprise, but wasn’t inclined to join in the fight.
All the more fun for me and Simon.
Coordinating our movements, we stepped around the beast, landing blow after blow to its legs—which, for all their size, were actually quite delicate. It roared in frustration and lunged with its tusks bared, but I dodged, adrenaline singing in my veins. I punched it on the side of the jaw, which gave way—the kruchifal’s bones were as brittle as dry wood. Its roar turned to a wail of pain as Simon kicked its leg from behind. The monster was beginning to tire.
Andy appeared beside me, aiming a hit of his own. He laughed, getting caught up in the addictive thrill. Between the three of us, we brought the monster to its knees with well-placed strikes to the backs of its legs.
Andy took out his knife.
“Wait.” I held up a hand. “Get out of here,” I told the monster. “Don’t go eating any more people. You hear me?”
The monster moaned. I didn’t know if it understood. But Andy sighed and moved out the way as it struggled to its feet and lumbered down the tunnel. Andy collapsed to the ground, while I leaned on the wall to catch my breath. Simon did the same, laughing breathlessly.
“Holy shit,” he said. “We really did it.”
“Why didn’t we kill it?” Andy said. “It would have taken a second.”
“There was no need,” I said. “We beat it.”
Andy shook his head, pushing to his feet with shaking hands. “It’s a goddamned monster. It doesn’t have a conscience.”
“Well, we’re setting an example, aren’t we?” I turned to Simon, who shook his head, laughing again.
“You’re a lunatic, Kay. I can’t believe you jumped on it like that.”
“Come on, it was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” I led the way back to the stairs. Once we were back on first level, I made sure the panel was securely fastened before heading back the way we came.
“You’re unbelievable,” said Andy. “If you’d missed, or it bit you with those teeth…”
“I didn’t miss,” I pointed out.
“Looks like it nicked you with its tooth,” said Simon. I moved my hand to my face and it came away red with blood. I hadn’t even felt it.
“Battle scar,” I said, unable to keep the smile off my face. Hell, yes, I knew everything we’d done was a million kinds of reckless and stupid. But right then, it didn’t matter. Not even that we’d never be able to tell anyone about it, for obvious reasons. Tonight was ours.
“Celebratory drink?” asked Simon, as we emerged from the side-street into the ordinary road neighbouring it. The crowds outside pubs and the traffic in the streets seemed part of a different world. Well, they literally were. I was practically skipping, and so was Simon.
“One,” I said. “We’ve that test tomorrow, remember?”
“Oh, shit, yeah.” Simon groaned dramatically.
“Ugh,” said Andy. “Okay, I’m going home. I need to look over my notes.”
“Same, really,” said Simon. “But come on. We took on a Passage monster and lived. We freaking owned it.”
“Damn right.” I punched the air. “One drink. Then I have to go back. Tara will be wondering where I am.”
“You didn’t tell her… right, you said.” Simon smiled. “She missed out.”
“She sure did,” I said.
