Across The Realms

Chapter 3

"I've been expecting you, son of Lucius Castroff. I am-" the woman said, before Kairo interjected

Yvette Eversteel, formerly known to otherworlders as, THE WITCH." Kairo continued with full knowledge of this woman just from looking at her

One of Kairo's father's earliest stories was of a woman who never ages, but she was not a supernatural being. A tall slender figure with pearl white skin, enough to almost be mistaken as an albino and always dressed in a black floral dress. She runs a pawn shop in the middle of an unknown town. He met her by chance during the earlier days of his travels, because there was something special about her shop and it was the fact that none of the items sold there were ordinary.

"Wonderful deductions indeed. I am Yvette Eversteel and you have come to me. Which means, you need something." She resumed as she complimented Kairo

"I don't actually need your help. I'm just going to head home now." Kairo rebuked Yvette's statement as he looked at his pocket watch

"All who I come across are in need of something beyond their means." Yvette rebutted

Then, a realization dawned upon him.

"Fuck. Didn't dad use a winding key for the watch? Dad, you imbecile. You didn't give me the key." Kairo complained to himself

With a clear sign that she won the argument before it began, Yvette proceeded "What do you wish for?"

"A means back home." Kairo shamefully requested

"I have what will take you where you wish to go, eventually. At a cost, this is... after all, a pawn shop."

"Eventually?" Kairo questioned as he raised an eyebrow

"It will bring you between worlds, much like your father's watch. However, unlike your father's watch, the destination for each jump is uncertain. I'm sure you already knew that from what your father told you, yes?" Yvette reassured Kairo

"Yeah.." Kairo said with little faith

"You may end up in different worlds, dimensions or sometimes in a different time of a previously visited world. Is this your wish?" Yvette continued as she crossed her left arm across her chest whilst the right was rested on top pointing a finger at Kairo, much the shape of a serpent

"Are you also implying that I'm currently in another world? Different from my own?"

"Naturally, yes."

With lack of any more brain capacity to further question his current situation, Kairo queried "I'll take it. What's the price?"

"Lucky for you. Your father has prepared that as well. He certainly prepared you for this meeting with me. I'll take the envelope from your bag." Yvette insisted as she gracefully raised her palm towards Kairo

Upon the witch's request, a white envelope with a red seal fazed through Kairo's backpack and into the palm of her hand. Next, the witch snapped her fingers and a younger male came out from the back of the counter, collected the envelope and passed her a neatly folded black coloured scarf.

"Here. As per your request. It's Lucifer's right wing." The witch declared, handing Kairo the scarf

Kairo glanced at his new scarf with a frown.

"Is this a joke? It's a fucking scarf!" Kairo snapped at Yvette

"Wrap it around your neck as you would a scarf. Then tug at it from the center. Also, do that outside and you can only jump once every 3 days. There is more to it, but where's the fun in knowing everything." The witch instructed with a unnoticeable scheming grin across her pearl white face

At this point, Kairo chose to suppress his doubts. The disbelief he had shown his father only came back to bite him in the ass after all these years, sending himself off to an unknown land without consent. With full grasp of his current state, Kairo thought that he might as well heed the witch's instructions and see what happens thereafter, at the very least he would not still be stuck here.

Draping the scarf around his neck evenly, he tossed the left end over his right shoulder. After thanking the witch, he departed from the store. As he stood outside, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as he tugged on the scarf with his right hand and...