"Then you remain here, until another choice presents itself."
I looked at the pulsing blue doorway behind her, feeling Milo's energy straining to maintain the connection. We didn't have much time.
Horrace made a soft trilling sound, drawing my attention. He was looking not at the three objects, but at me, his eyes blinking in a pattern that conveyed trust. Through our connection, I felt his certainty, this was my challenge to face, but I didn't have to face it alone.
I thought about what Frank had said, about what my future self had told me in my vision. The Chalice is a choice. You'll have to break it or become it.
Looking at the three objects again, I suddenly understood. It was a test, yes, but not the one my duplicate thought she was giving.
"I choose none of them," I grinned.
The duplicate's serene expression faltered. "You must choose. The prophecy demands it."
"No," I shook my head. "The prophecy doesn't demand anything. It's a possibility, not a certainty. And I refuse to be defined by it."
I reached out, not for any of the floating objects, but for Horrace. His tentacle wrapped around my wrist, coveringmy prophetic markings, and I felt our energies merge, strengthening each other.
"I am not just a vessel to be filled," I told my duplicate. "I'm me and I make my own choices."
The duplicate's form began to waver, the water losing cohesion. "The Chalice cannot reject its purpose," her voice sounded uncertain now.
"Watch me," I stepped forward, pulling Horrace with me. "Now get out of our way. We're going home."
For a moment, I thought she would attack. The water around her churned violently, and her eyes flared with blue fire. But then, unexpectedly, she smiled, a genuine smile this time, reaching her eyes and transforming her face.
"Well done," she seemed relaxed now. "The true test was never about choosing an object, but about choosing yourself."
Before I could respond, she dissolved back into the strange liquid, leaving the path to the blue doorway clear. The three objects disappeared with her, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.
"That was weird," I muttered to Horrace, who made a sound of emphatic agreement.
The blue doorway was pulsing more urgently now, and I could hear Milo's voice calling from the other side.
"Winter! Hurry! The rift is becoming unstable!"
"Let's go," I squeezed Horrace's tentacle. "No more inter-dimensional detours."
Together, we stepped into the blue light. There was a sensation of being stretched, compressed, and turned inside out.
We tumbled out onto my kitchen floor, knocking over a chair in the process. Milo stood over us, his face lighting up with relief.
"You're back!" he dropped to his knees beside us. "I thought I'd lost you both!"
I groaned, sitting up slowly. My head was pounding, and the blue markings on my arm were glowing so brightly they almost hurt to look at. "How long were we gone?"
"About twenty minutes," Milo helped me to my feet. "But I'm guessing it felt longer for you?"
"Time is weird in pocket dimensions," I confirmed, checking to make sure Horrace was okay. The manticore seemed disoriented but unharmed, his form rippling slightly as he readjusted to our reality.
"What happened?" Milo's eyes were wide with curiosity. "Where did you go?"
"It's a long story," I sighed, leaning against the counter for support. "Involving a talking version of Frank, a library that moved, and an evil twin."
"That sounds amazing!" Milo bounced excitedly. "Did you bring anything back? Sometimes inter-dimensional travelers bring back artifacts or knowledge or something!"
He was interrupted by a strange sound from Horrace. The manticore was glowing, his entire body pulsing with blue light that matched my markings exactly. The glow intensified, becoming almost blinding.
"Milo," I backed away slightly, "what's happening to him?"
