I set my book down and pulled the next one toward me. The pages smelled like old parchment mixed with something spicy—probably a preservation spell.

  “We need to narrow this down.” Isabella had accumulated a stack of seven tomes, each one marked with a ribbon she’d summoned from somewhere. “We can’t visit every realm in a week.”

  Faith closed her book with a soft thud. “How many are we thinking?”

  “Eight or nine main destinations?” I flipped through another volume, this one detailing a realm called Yocasta-2. Crystal-clear waters stretched across the page in shades of turquoise and deep blue. “With maybe a few backup options if we have extra time.”

  “I want this one.” Aria leaned over my shoulder, her finger stabbing at the image of a white sand beach. “Yocasta. Look at those beaches.”

  Isabella’s eyebrow raised slightly. “A bit boring for your tastes, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean boring?” Aria’s tail whipped behind her. “Beaches are amazing.”

  “I think Isabella suspected something more dynamic from you.” I kept my attention on the book to avoid catching either of their eyes. “Volcanoes, maybe. Or a realm where the weather actively tries to kill you.”

  “I am perfectly capable of normal relaxation.” Aria crossed her arms. “Just because I like adventure doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a peaceful beach.”

  Faith pulled another book toward her, this one showing a sprawling forest with impossibly large trees. “Arborea-31c looks interesting…” She traced the illustration of what appeared to be a market square filled with elves and dwarves. “It’s like those fantasy books I used to read.”

  I added Arborea to our mental list and returned to my own stack. The Danjon-69 entry caught my attention—a single massive dungeon spanning multiple floors, each one functioning as its own pocket dimension.

  “This one.” I turned the book so the others could see. “Danjon. It’s completely unique—an entire realm structured as a dungeon with self-contained floors.”

  Aria peered at the text. “What’s a dungeon?”

  “Usually an underground structure, often filled with monsters and traps.” I skimmed the description. “Though this one sounds more organised than most. The main settlement is on the eleventh floor.”

  “Exploration could be interesting.” Isabella pulled the book closer to read the details herself. “Though we’d need to be careful about which floors we attempt.”

  Faith nodded. “The description mentions increasingly dangerous levels. We probably shouldn’t try anything past floor fifteen or so.”

  “I want Shijie-12.” Isabella summoned another tome, this one bound in silk covers. “I’ve been curious about mortal martial arts and how their cultivation techniques relate to actual magic.”

  “That’s a solid choice.” I leaned over to examine the page she’d opened. Illustrations showed figures in meditative poses surrounded by flowing energy. “Their internal energy manipulation might have similarities to how we channel magic.”

  Faith squinted at the diagram. “Is that different from normal magic?”

  “They claim to achieve power through disciplined training and enlightenment, similar to mortal wizards from other realms.” Isabella turned the page to show a mountain monastery. “I’d like to see if there’s actual substance to their methods.”

  Aria had pulled the Sol-32 book toward herself, her expression shifting from curious to confused. “This one says the city wraps around the sun? That’s ridiculous.”

  “It’s a megastructure.” I glanced at the illustration showing the massive scale of the construction. “An artificial sphere built to capture all the star’s energy.”

  “Why would anyone do that?”

  “Aside from basically having unlimited power?” Faith shrugged.

  Aria’s eyes had glazed over. “Right. Well, I want to save that one for last. End our trip with something… whatever this is.”

  We spent another twenty minutes finalising our list. Yocasta-2 for beaches, Arborea-31c for classic fantasy, Earth-101 for their space colonies, Earth-287 for post-apocalyptic ruins, Danjon-69 for dungeon exploration, Shijie-12 for martial arts and cultivation, Terramund-0 for the flat earth, and Sol-32 for the megastructure. Three more realms joined the backup list in case we found ourselves with extra time.

  I closed the last book. The volume vanished from the table, presumably returning itself to wherever it belonged in this impossible space.

  “We should head back.” I stood, my chair scraping against the floor. “Figure out our route and when we want to leave.”

  “You know the way?” Faith looked up at the shelves that twisted into dimensions that shouldn’t exist.

  I started to nod, then remembered my last attempt at navigating the library. Two hours lost in a section where the books had actual teeth, snapping at anyone who tried to read them. I’d only escaped after accidentally stumbling into a librarian who’d taken pity on my predicament.

  “Better to leave navigation to professionals.” I reached for the silver bell on the table.

  The clear tone rang out, cutting through the ambient magical dampening. The sound seemed to travel upward and sideways simultaneously, disappearing into the architecture above.

  Our librarian materialized beside the table within seconds. Her wings spread slightly as she hovered.

  “Finished with your research?”

  “Yes. We need to return to the entrance.”

  She gestured. Space folded around us with that same stomach-dropping sensation. The impossible shelves blurred past, reorganising themselves into normal geometry as we travelled.

  We emerged in the entrance hall. The massive doors stood before us, conventional and comprehensible.

  “Thank you.” I inclined my head slightly.

  The librarian vanished without acknowledging the gratitude. Her form simply ceased to exist in this location, presumably appearing somewhere else in the library’s depths.

  I pushed the doors open. Normal palace corridors stretched before us, their architecture following sensible rules about how walls and ceilings should relate to each other.

  “Time for one last proper relaxation before we start hopping between dimensions.” Aria stretched, her spine popping audibly.

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  “Not too much relaxation.” I started walking toward the residential wing. “We’ll have Yocasta for that soon enough.”

  Faith fell into step beside me. “How soon are we thinking of leaving?”

  “Tomorrow morning?” I glanced at the others. “Gives us tonight to prepare properly.”

  Isabella nodded. “That should work. I need to retrieve a few items from my apartment anyway.”

  The corridors carried us deeper into the palace, away from the library and toward more familiar territory. One week of freedom stretched before us, filled with beaches and dungeons and impossible cities.

  Soon, the adventure would begin.

  * * *

  The transport gate pulsed with familiar crimson energy as we gathered before it. Anastasia hovered nearby, her yellow eyes scanning our group with obvious concern.

  “You have everything?” Her wings twitched. “Blood reserves for Faith? Talismans? Spare clothing?”

  I patted my spatial ring. “All accounted for. Faith has enough blood to last two weeks if needed.”

  “And Isabella brought backup supplies in her ring as well.” Faith shifted her weight, her new horns catching the light. “We’re not heading to war.”

  Anastasia’s tail coiled around itself. “Still. You’ll be gone an entire week across multiple realms. The mistress would have my head if something happened because you forgot a crucial item.”

  Vex approached from the entrance hall, his perfectly tailored uniform showing not a single crease despite the early hour. “Your parents wished me to convey their hopes for safe travels. They trust you will avoid unnecessary complications.”

  “We’ll try.” I met his crimson gaze. “Though complications seem to find us regardless.”

  His expression shifted into something that might have been amusement on a less controlled face. “Indeed. Hence their concern.”

  Aria bounced on her heels, clearly impatient to leave. “Can we go now? The beaches are waiting.”

  I stepped toward the gate. The crimson runes flared brighter as I approached. My tail swished once before I walked through.

  The world inverted. My stomach lurched as reality reorganised itself around me. Then solid ground appeared beneath my feet.

  Torches lined the cave walls, their flames casting dancing shadows across rough stone. The air tasted different here, salt and something floral I didn’t recognize.

  The others emerged behind me one by one. Faith stumbled slightly on the uneven floor before catching her balance. Isabella stepped through with barely a pause. Aria tumbled out and immediately looked around, her purple eyes wide.

  “Should we glamour?” Aria’s tail swished behind her. “The locals might—”

  “This world has mortals that resembles our kind.” Isabella gestured down the tunnel toward distant daylight. “We should blend in adequately.”

  “It’s still weird.” Aria crossed her arms. “Walking around mortal realm without disguises feels wrong.”

  The gate flared behind us. I turned as figures materialised through the portal.

  Six beings emerged, their bodies covered in chitinous plates that gleamed green-black in the torchlight. The insectoid features matched perfectly with what I’d read about the Kar’thara—the race native to this world. Compound eyes reflected the flames as they oriented themselves. Mandibles clicked softly in what might have been communication.

  One stepped forward, antennae twitching. “Greetings, travellers. Are you also visiting this realm?”

  “Books mentioned it’s a popular destination.” Faith leaned close, her whisper barely audible. Her eyes tracked the insectoid forms with obvious fascination.

  “We are.” I inclined my head slightly.

  The speaker’s mandibles clicked in what might have been their equivalent of a smile. “I am Tzi’tzz. Your Malani disguises are well-crafted, though perhaps a touch too perfect.”

  Isabella’s eyebrow rose. “What do you mean?”

  “The proportions. The structure.” More clicking. “No variations, no natural imperfections. Not unusual for dimensional visitors, but noticeable to experienced travellers.”

  I glanced down at myself, then at the others. Our bodies did follow very specific succubus beauty standards—curves in precise ratios, skin without blemish, features carefully balanced. What demons considered normal, others might find mathematically ideal.

  “I’m certain the locals won’t object.” Isabella’s voice carried dry amusement.

  Tzi’tzz’s antennae dipped. “Indeed. Shall we proceed to the surface together?”

  We started down the tunnel as a combined group. The torch-lit passage stretched ahead, sloping upward toward natural light.

  Behind us, the gate activated again. The distinctive hum of dimensional transit echoed through the cave, followed by voices speaking in a language I didn’t recognize.

  The tunnel widened. Ahead, sunlight streamed through an opening. Another group approached from the opposite direction.

  They nodded as we passed, their expressions placid. One raised a hand in greeting before continuing toward the gate.

  Then we emerged into daylight.

  The sun hung bright in a sky that showed subtle purple tints near the horizon. The cave mouth opened onto a wooden walkway that extended through dense vegetation. Plants grew in shades of green I’d seen before, but their shapes defied familiar categories—broad leaves spiralling in strange patterns, vines that seemed to pulse with slow rhythm, flowers that opened and closed independent of the sunlight.

  Beyond the jungle’s edge, white sand beaches stretched toward turquoise water. The ocean reflected the strange sky, creating colours that shifted between blue and violet depending on the angle.

  Aria stepped onto the wooden planks, her weight making them creak softly. “This is going to be interesting.”

  I followed her out, leaving the cave and its dimensional travellers behind. Our week of exploration had officially begun.

  * * *

  The wooden walkway stretched ahead through the jungle, its planks worn smooth by countless feet. Distance swallowed the beach from view behind layers of vegetation that seemed to shimmer in the strange light.

  I studied the path we’d taken. The cave entrance sat maybe two hundred meters behind us now, completely invisible despite the constant traffic flowing in and out. Trees and vines obscured it perfectly.

  “How does nobody notice?” I gestured back toward where the dimensional gate operated. “This much activity should attract attention.”

  “Probably similar to London.” Faith walked beside me, her eyes tracking a pale blue Malani walking past with what looked like fishing equipment. “The alleyway with the transport gate. People walked right by without seeing it.”

  “Illusions or perception filters.” Isabella’s voice came from my left. “Common enough for concealing dimensional crossings.”

  Faith’s head turned again as a Verdani approached from the opposite direction. The plant-person’s skin showed deep green tones characteristic of their species—one of the native sapient races of this world. Their hair consisted of actual leaves that rustled softly as they moved, shifting with each step like a living canopy responding to an unseen breeze.

  “Faith.” I caught her wrist. “Stop staring.”

  She jerked her attention back to me. “Sorry. I can’t help it. Every person I see is completely different from anything I’ve encountered before.”

  “I understand, but it’s only going to get worse from here.” I released her arm. “We have eight more realms on the list.”

  Tzi’tzz’s antennae swivelled toward us, her compound eyes reflecting fractured versions of our group. “Is this your first visit to Yocasta-2?”

  I laughed, the sound coming out more rueful than I intended. “That obvious?”

  Something in the way she held herself registered as distinctly feminine despite the alien form.

  “You carry yourselves like those new to interdimensional travel.” Her mandibles clicked softly. “But you should relax. As long as you avoid being too overt about your otherworldly origins, you’ll be fine.”

  One of the other ‘Kar’thara’ moved closer. The way he positioned himself near Tzi’tzz marked him as her husband even before he spoke. “Most people here don’t know about different realms explicitly. It’s more of an open secret.”

  “An open secret?” Faith’s brow furrowed.

  “They know something unusual happens at the old caves,” Tzi’tzz explained. “But they choose not to look too closely. It brings tourism and trade without disrupting their lives.”

  Aria leaned toward Isabella, her voice dropping to a whisper that I could still hear. “I wonder if they have the same anatomy as—”

  “Control yourself.” Isabella’s tail twitched once, sharp. “We’re here to relax.”

  I turned back to Tzi’tzz. “Do you have any recommendations? Places we should visit?”

  “My family came to relax.” Her antennae gestured toward the rest of her group. "We’re heading to the spa resort in the north of the island. The amenities were designed for Kar’thara, but they should work for our physiology too.

  She tilted her head, compound eyes scanning us. “Your biology resembles the Malani, yes? Then Blue Lagoon would suit you. Their kind frequent it.”

  “Blue Lagoon.” I filed the name away. “Thank you.”

  The walkway continued ahead, winding through the jungle toward distant beaches. Our combined group followed it in comfortable silence, the sounds of this world washing over us—bird calls that didn’t match Earth patterns, wind through alien vegetation, waves against distant shore.

  Faith’s tail swished nervously behind her. Aria bounced with each step, her enthusiasm radiating outward. Isabella walked with measured steps, her expression neutral.

  I breathed in salt air mixed with floral scents I couldn’t name. The week stretched ahead, full of possibilities.

  Adventure awaited. And for once, maybe we could actually enjoy it without everything going sideways.