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The HUT is a PORTAL

As Mr. Smith's words came to a close, the clock struck twelve, and a sense of finality descended over the room. Crystal watched in awe as the two icons before her started to vanish, their bodies turning first translucent, then into a fine dust that scattered and disappeared.

She took a few tentative steps forward, her eyes fixed on the spot where the icons had been seated. Finally, she sank to the ground, her fingers digging into the soft bedsheet as she picked up a handful of dust. It was as if she held the remnants of a dream, a fleeting moment of magic that had slipped through her fingers.

A wave of emotion overtook her, and tears sprang to her eyes. She cried and cried, the sound of her sobs filling the silent room. It was a release, a letting go of all the frustration and uncertainty that had been building inside her.

As she wiped away her tears, Crystal knew that a new journey lay ahead of her, one that would be difficult and uncertain. But she was determined to move forward, to leave behind the things that were not meant for her and embrace the possibilities that lay ahead. With a deep breath, she stood up and faced the future, ready to take the first step towards a new and beautiful beginning.

...

Crystal scoffed as she saw how everything related to the icons had vanished along with the two. The wedding photo that had hung by their bedside, the only family portrait they had placed in the lounge for the sake of courtesy, and everything else had disappeared into thin air. The emptiness had engulfed her home, leaving no trace of the icons that once adorned it.

With her suitcase by her side, she stood outside her home, reminiscing on the memories that filled the house she once called home. A sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks, "Will I ever be able to call someplace home again?" She shook her head, getting out of her thoughts as she did not have much time remaining. The clock was ticking and so were the ten minutes given to her by Custos.

"Custos, the guardian feegestas of Archaios Hellas Academy," called Crystal at the top of her lungs, and Custos appeared with a satisfied smile, as if he had achieved something by dragging one more run-amok child back to the right path.

"Ms. Smith, we shall be on our way now," he announced, his formal tone catching her off guard. She wondered if it was because she had finally made the decision to enroll in the academy.

Custos clapped his tiny paws twice, and pink flares of smoke emerged from the ground, engulfing the two of them. The next second, when Crystal had managed to blink only once, she was standing in front of a hut. The hut looked like it had been abandoned maybe a hundred years ago. The roof was almost obliterated, and there were holes in every part of the walls big enough to facilitate looking inside the hut, which apparently was nothing but empty.

The sight left Crystal with a sinking feeling, doubting if this was indeed the academy where she was to be trained in the mystical arts and whether she has taken a wrong step by following Custos.

However, the surrounding greenery, the dim night sky, and the complete silence, except for the passing cold breeze that caressed her skin, provided a calming atmosphere, soothing her soul.

Custos seemed to sense her apprehension and sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "This hut is a portal," he said, hoping to ease her worries but Crystal just turned to him with a further confused expression.

Custos closed his eyes tightly in pure annoyance. For the last hundred and forty years, there had been no cases of runaways or hidden students assigned to him to handle, so he had forgotten how basic their questions could be.

"A portal is the ethereal gateway between two dimensions or even between two disparate places of the same realm. Through this mystical entrance, we can access the great lands of Plutus, where the esteemed Archaios Hellas Academy is situated. Each dimension or realm possesses its own portal that serves as a conduit to the academy, and for Earthly Realm, the portal was erected in the midst of the vast, desolate west-north wilderness." Cutsos explained.

"But why trouble ourselves with such a journey? You teleported us here with ease. Why not do the same for Pluto?" Custos looked Crystal dead in the eyes, and Crystal perceived the raging aura coming from him. She averted her gaze in the opposite direction to him, understanding that she might have been irking him with her questions.

"First and foremost, it is Plutus, not Pluto. Secondly, teleportation magic cannot surpass dimensions, regardless of one's immense power. Therefore, we must rely on the portals. Nevertheless, individuals of prodigious strength can create their own portals, making teleportation unnecessary for them. Alas, I am but a mere mortal," Custos expounded.

Crystal was embarrassed for mispronouncing Plutus, but she smiled when Custos went through the trouble to explain everything to her. His aura had also changed. Just as she had assumed at first, feegestas were indeed smart and sensible creatures of nature, although more like the creatures of ice with water hearts.

"You are powerful as well," Crystal exclaimed, catching Custos off-guard. He looked at her with his big ogling eyes, and once again, Crystal realized how adorable those beads were.

"What do you know, young lady? You are not even aware of what awaits you in the future. There is much for you to witness before you can comprehend the concept of absolute power," Custos was being serious, but Crystal just took in a deep breath, smiling to herself. Only now had she started to feel a little light in her chest after all that heavy crying.

"You might most certainly be right, but to me, to my eyes, you are a very powerful being that is very capable at their work. I don’t know if the two of us will keep meeting at the academy or not, but I will be thankful to you for the remaining time that you offered me space and time to think about what I wanted."

As Custos turned his head away, Crystal observed him growing flustered by her sudden compliment. "Do not evade the matter at hand. We are already behind schedule," she chuckled, while Custos muttered, "The Archaios Hellas Academy is far from an ordinary school on Earth. The curriculum is rigorous, and your peers have likely already settled into their respective abodes. We must hasten our departure."

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