The Secret Land of Otrâlmondé [1 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter Ten

Helene shoved them out of the room with a single sweeping arm motion. She slammed the door shut and sprinted down the corridor. She pressed the elevator button and glanced upwards at the display. The elevator was still on the seventh floor. She swung open the entrance to the emergency stairs.

"Elevator's too slow. We'll use stairs."

"What's going on?" Celestine asked her.

"I'll explain later."

They descended the staircase and reached the ground floor less than a minute later. As they passed by the front desks, access cards flew out of their pockets and landed on one of the counters.

"When we get out, don't walk. Run," Helene ordered them.

They passed through the revolving doors. Immediately after stepping outside, the six of them dashed down the cul-de-sac. Stella was amazed at Helene's speed—despite being much older than all of them, she ran so quickly that even Jon and Edmond were struggling to catch up. Helene glanced behind herself. She raised her right hand, pointed her fingers downwards, and moved them as if she were manipulating a marionette. Stella felt invisible strings tugging at her legs, and the next thing she knew she was running faster than ever. Suddenly, all six of them were running at the same pace.

The ladder street was up ahead. Helene lifted her right hand higher. Stella's heart pounded as she felt her feet losing contact with the ground beneath her, her body being raised into the air. They were floating! Helene leaped over the ladder street, making the five levitate close to her. They simultaneously landed at the base of the stairs. Helene continued to control them as she ran through the streets of Otrâlmondé. She sighted the portal thirty seconds later. She halted abruptly in front of it, her shoes leaving marks on the ground, and rapidly knocked three times at its corner.

Light flashed. They had returned to Earth. Helene reached for the white sheet and made sure that it completely concealed the door.

"Phew," she sighed, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"What happened?" José asked.

"We can't train there anymore; it's unsafe. I'll tell you more when we reach Celestine's house."

"We're going to my house?"

"Yes, we have to. Let's go now."

Helene removed her cloak and began carrying it, exposing her skeletal figure: the short sleeves of her plain blouse revealed her skinny arms, and her close-fitting trousers accentuated her long and thin legs. No wonder she was able to run so quickly, Stella thought. The group of six walked upstairs and exited Old Port Warehouse. From there, Celestine led the way.

"By the way, why are we going to my house?" she asked Helene.

"I'm changing the venue. We have to train at your house from now on," she replied.

"But my house is small! There's no space."

"It's fine. I'll make the space."

After half an hour of strolling, they arrived at Celestine's home. She unlocked the door and welcomed them inside. Celestine walked over to the dining area to drag some chairs, but Helene told her that it would not be necessary. The retired Gatekeeper scanned the interior of the house, her sharp eyes darting from corner to corner.

"How often do people visit the basement?" she asked. Celestine was taken aback.

"How did you know..."

"I have telekinetic sight, remember? Anyway, how often do people go downstairs?"

"I go down there once a year, to clean it."