Part I
The Portal
Chapter One
The Valdier royal gardens stretched beneath the treehouse, a lush paradise of towering golden-leafed trees, fragrant purple blossoms, and crystalline fountains that shimmered like liquid starlight. The air hummed with energy, the very essence of the planet pulsing beneath the soil. Thick branches wove together like nature’s own architecture, forming winding pathways and hidden alcoves where the mischievous group of teenagers had played since they were young. Fireflies with glowing blue tails flitted lazily through the air, and a warm breeze carried the scent of honeyed fruit and rich, damp earth.
Nestled high in the strongest tree—a massive, ancient behemoth with twisting, gnarled branches as thick as hover bikes—stood their treehouse. Well, tree-mansion might have been a better word. It had started as a simple retreat, but over the years, it had been reinforced, expanded, and upgraded with every kind of tech and enhancement the Dragonlings could get their hands on—which was plentiful.
Inside, the walls were smooth, polished wood infused with a faint, golden glow, reacting to the shifting energy Alice and Adaline wove into the structure. Soft cushions were scattered across the floor, a mix of handwoven Valdier silk and Curizan energy-infused fabric that adjusted for ultimate comfort. Holographic screens flickered along the far wall, displaying maps, schematics, and random blueprints of whatever Jade and Amber were tinkering with along with the game Bálint was playing.
A massive curved window opened out over the gardens, a perfect place to sit and dream—or, in Zohar’s case, stare moodily into the distance. He sat there now, his arms draped over the windowsill, his gold and brown eyes brooding, the faintest wisps of a sigh slipping from him as he watched a bug flying from plant to plant.
Roam lay sprawled across a pile of cushions, absently tossing a small energy ball into the air and catching it, his feline reflexes making the motion effortless. His blue eyes flicked toward the ceiling with each throw, his lips pressing into a pout. His white-blonde hair was sticking out as if he had forgotten to brush it that morning.
He wiggled his nose and flicked an irritated glare at Adaline when the ball hovered in the air instead of falling back into his hands. She giggled and released her hold on it. He caught it and stuck his tongue out at her before he turned and gave Spring a wink when she huffed.
“I’m so bored,” Zohar groaned, drawing out the last word in dramatic suffering.
Bálint, who was playing a video game, didn’t even bother glancing over at Zohar when he turned to look at the group. “We just had an adventure, remember?”
“Yeah,” Jabir snorted as he rotated a potato chip between his fingers, his face scrunched in concentration. “One that almost got us killed.”
Amber and Jade, huddled together in the corner, exchanged an amused glance as they worked on their latest experiment—a tiny whirring demented symbiot with sleek black metal plating and mischievous glowing green eyes. The thing darted in and out of the shadows, zipping up the walls before flipping midair and buzzing back to them.
“We had an adventure, too, when we visited dad’s warship. It was fun,” Amber said absently, tightening a tiny wire with the precision of a scientist.
Jade smirked. “Yeah, as long as the idiots trying to kill you are idiots, it’s not so bad.”
Jabir let out a triumphant laugh and held up his chip. “Look! It’s a unicorn!”
Everyone turned to stare.
Roam narrowed his eyes and studied the chip with a critical eye. “That’s just a horse with a dent in it.”
Jabir huffed. “Use your imagination. That looks like a horn to me.” He tilted the chip, pretending to gallop it through the air before gobbling it up with a hum of satisfaction.
Phoenix, who was sitting cross-legged on a fluffy cushion, leaned back, grabbed another bag of chips, and absently flicked it to Jabir when he shook his empty bag and frowned with disappointment. Her midnight-black hair fell over one shoulder, and the flames reflected in her eyes, giving her an almost otherworldly glow. She smiled at Jabir’s antics, but then hesitated, something flickering in her gaze.
“That actually reminds me of…” she murmured, her voice trailing off.
The energy in the room shifted.
Spring, who had been quietly reading beside Alice, immediately snapped her gaze up, sensing her sister’s hesitation. “…that time you disappeared?” she guessed.
“When did you disappear?” Alice demanded, glaring at Phoenix with a surprised expression.
Phoenix bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the tablet she was holding. “I…”
Roam leaned forward. “Come on, Phoenix. You’ve got to spill! You went on an adventure without us?”
Anticipation crackled in the air, thick and heady. Even Zohar leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. Phoenix exhaled and lifted her gaze, meeting each of theirs.
“I opened a portal,” she confessed. “And I traveled to another world.”
A beat of stunned silence. Then?—
Roam shot upright. “You what? Was it different from any that we’ve been to before?”
