going? Isn’t it cold in this damp dungeon? Why hasn’t it escaped from here? I would have escaped… If I still had the strength. But the door is locked, there’s a dragon outside, and there are no secret passages in the cell. I’ve checked several times, all to no avail.
The most I could do now was maintain a small fire in the center of my tiny cell to avoid freezing to death. At the same time, I was developing the girl’s inner energy channels to make her a little stronger. All my hope was now on my friends. Or more precisely, on Altair. Zheka and Asya are good kids, but they lack experience.
Suddenly, the spider disappeared from sight, and the fire noticeably dimmed. The underground prison slowly filled with billowing darkness, and soon I couldn’t even make out my own hands. I’ve seen something like this before…
– It worked! – a voice exclaimed as the darkness began to recede.
– There she is! The beauty! – the enchanter practically shouted in my ear. – And you didn’t believe it!
The darkness finally dispersed, and I could finally see my surroundings. I was sitting in the middle of Altair’s office, with Zheka standing next to me, looking at me admiringly. I got it. The enchanter figured out how to use our experimental – from the real to the real – spell. Last time we used it to bring a huge oak tree into the academy, and now they pulled me out of the dungeon. Brilliant! Zheka, in my body, had tried to merge with my spirit, trapped in Asya’s body. Well done! But they could have figured it out sooner.
– Thank you, – I sincerely thanked my rescuers. – How are things going here?
– It’s complicated, – the enchanter didn’t hide it. – The castle is still in a time loop. We still haven’t found the organizer of the forced evolution ritual. And we still don’t know how to switch bodies back. We only figured out how to get you out.
– Well done. Confinement always does me good. I have a new plan, – I said cunningly and clapped my hands.
Yes, this gesture would have looked cooler in my own body, but I didn’t have a choice.
***
You devise a plan, set everything up, and then you end up being the bait. Why do they treat me like this? Monsters. Just got out of the dungeon, didn’t even have time to warm up, and now I have to go back already. The gloomy stone corridor stretched far down into the darkness. As I recalled, there should be a large hall at the end. Oh, it’s so far from the sorcerer’s office! Why didn’t I think of setting up an ambush somewhere closer? I just hope Asya’s physical form is up to the task, otherwise… I don’t even want to think about what might happen.
Here, I need to turn and… yes, there it is. A huge black dragon lay in the middle of the large hall, peacefully reading a book by the light of the sparse torches. Quite a sight, I must admit. But there was no time to admire, it was time to act. And boy, was I scared!
– Hey, you! Overgrown lizard! I’m talking to you! You’re a fake, not a dragon! Can’t even keep hold of a girl!
Seems like he finally noticed me. And got very angry! Very angry indeed! Okay, now to run! Run and don’t look back, shedding adrenaline by the handful!
I tried to encourage myself as best I could. But in a situation where a gigantic fire-breathing lizard is chasing you, it’s hard to focus on anything. I think I just ran past the right turn… No, here it is!
Bursting into the sorcerer’s office, I stopped opposite the colorful tapestry, honestly stolen from the director’s bedroom. To hang this artwork, Altair even had to get rid of several bookshelves. Why did we need the tapestry? Its purpose was quite obvious – it covered a huge hole in the wall.
As soon as I stopped, my friends took positions around me. Unfortunately, the dragon was not far behind, and I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.
– Tsk-tsk-tsk, – hissed Zheka. – Come here, my little bird!
Yes, this guy could get on anyone’s nerves. Roaring, the dragon lunged at us, forgetting all about magic. Well, his loss.
The portal to the spirit world, hidden under the tapestry, received us very gently, as if we had landed in the arms of a loving aunt. This kind of transition worked with completely different substances of our universe, so the veil of despair was no barrier to it. This step was a Last Chance, we took it out of desperation. The chances of returning from the spirit world were very slim. Especially for a dragon.
However, there were certain pluses to such a transition.
– Hooray! – someone shouted to my right as the portal fog cleared. – I’m back in my own body!
And there’s the first plus. Crossing the threshold of reality removed all spells cast on a person. And I must admit, being back in my own body felt great. I could feel the strength again, sense the energy flows, catch the whispers of magic. And judging by the happy exclamations around, my friends were also happy with the astral return.
– And who are you? – Zheka suddenly yelled, staring at me suspiciously.
Ah yes, crossing the threshold removes absolutely all spells. Including illusion magic. How did I not think of that!
– Vsevolod. A high-category mage, master of the Order of the Guardians of Secret Knowledge, and your classmate, – I introduced myself modestly. – I came to the academy to prevent an impending disaster. Just having some trouble with illusion magic right now.
– Seva? – Asya asked in surprise. – You’re quite handsome!
So I was ugly before? Thanks!
– And by the way, – the girl continued, her eyes twinkling mischievously, – after what you’ve seen and done, – she meaningfully ran her hand over her body, pausing briefly over her chest, – you simply have to marry me!
Indeed. How else? Especially since she’s offering herself, so I should take the opportunity before she changes her mind.
– Agreed, – I nodded seriously. – As soon as we get out of the spirit world and deal with the end of the world, we’ll get married. I promise.
– Relax, I was just joking, – the student smiled.
– Too late, young lady, – the sorcerer laughed, having also successfully restored his body. – You just made a magical contract. You should think before saying something to a Guardian. Asya snorted and turned away, not believing the teacher. No matter, she’ll have time to come to terms with being my bride. For now, we should look around. Where have we ended up? And where, by the way, is Kazimir?
The place we found ourselves in resembled someone’s living house from our world. High ceilings, expensive carpets on wooden floors, crystal chandeliers, paintings on the walls, and luxurious leather furniture. You wouldn’t immediately say it’s a completely different world.
– Be careful, – I warned. – The world of spirits lives by different rules. Our magic doesn’t work here, and even physics is different. I hope they understood me. We walked through the spacious hall but found nothing interesting. The sorcerer suggested splitting up, checking the whole house, and then regrouping. Well, said and done.
I took Asya by the arm and pulled her towards the staircase leading to the second floor. Now that she’s my bride, we need to spend time together. But seriously, I was just worried about her. After all, her body had become almost as familiar as my own over the past week.
– It’s beautiful here, – she whispered in awe. Before us was a spacious, bright room with a huge panoramic window and a white grand piano near it. Along the walls were sturdy leather sofas and beautiful live flowers. There was even a neatly arranged fireplace! And the windows offered a view of a well-kept garden with emerald-green