Terrasolis: The Doorway of Dawn

“Ivy, table #10 needs more napkins!” the manager shouted in a hurry.

It was another busy day at the local café, where Ivy worked. She darted between tables serving food and drinks like a bumblebee.

“Coming!” answered Ivy, not sure if the manager was there. He was like a ghost — one moment he’s here, the next he is gone. After years of working here, she had grown used to the chaos and constant motion, but today was especially crowded and worse than usual — it felt like the day was never going to end.

Sweat trickled down her forehead slowly as she was serving another set of customers when a vibration in her pocket interrupted her. She was about to decline the call immediately but the words, “NURSE ANNA” on the screen stopped her in her tracks. Her heart dropped at the sight of the incoming call from the hospital.

Ivy was seventeen when her dad left her and her mom alone. It happened after her parents had argued over something that she did not remember anymore – at least she tried to convince herself in that. Her mom’s health declined gradually as the consequence of drinking alcohol and ignoring the deep depression she had. Two years later she was hospitalized and diagnosed with cirrhosis and acid reflux – liver and gastrointestinal illnesses. Ivy had to apply for a part-time job to pay the bills and medicine that would keep her mom’s health stable.

It had been almost three years since her mom was discharged from the hospital. Why was someone from the hospital calling? Was her mom okay? A bunch of paranoid questions occupied Ivy’s head. She tightened the grip on her phone and took a deep breath before picking up the phone.

“Hello? Is it Martha’s relative?” a voice on the other side of the phone asked.

Ivy tried to sound natural, but her voice betrayed her slightly trembling. “Yes, I’m her daughter. Is everything alright?”

“I’m afraid your mom’s condition is unstable at the moment. We need you to come to the hospital right away.”

The clutter of dishes and the hum of voices changed into the sounds of car horns and pounding of her own heart. Ivy rushed to the hospital despite the busy shift she was working, praying that her mom would be okay.

***

She sprinted down the long corridor overcoming it in a few seconds, she almost knocked over the nurse. With brief apology, she gets to her mom’s chamber and sees a doctor exiting the room.

“How’s my mom, Doctor?” asks Ivy, not even bothering to greet him. The only thing that was in her mind was her mom’s health. Not waiting for his answer she fired him with another one. “Is she going to be fine?”

“Ah, you must be…?” asks Doctor looking down to the papers.

Ivy’s fist clenched with frustration. It was his calmness that irritated her already stressed state. “Ivy, sir. Martha’s daughter.”

“I see. I’m sorry to inform that her remission has relapsed. It happened due to the weakening of the immune system and substance use. Your mom needs liver transplantation or a new course of treatment. The transplantation costs more but is more effective.”

Ivy felt like the flow of information was difficult to absorb. She did not believe her ears and hoped that this day would be just a scary nightmare. But when she took a shaky inhale, she found herself still standing in front of the chamber. “I’ll get the money. How much time do we have before the surgery?” asked Ivy despite the lump in her throat.

“Around two weeks.” answered the doctor. After giving her a sympathetic look he disappeared in the corridor.

Martha was lying down on the hospital bed with her arms resting by her side. She looked calm - weak but calm. Her gaze directed towards the chamber entry when Ivy came in.

“Mom…” said Ivy quietly. She hugged Martha carefully yet with care and affection.

They talked until the late evening sharing memories and plans for the future when nurse walked in to inform Ivy that visiting hours are over. “Miss, let the patient rest. You can come back tomorrow.”

The moon lighted the street with no lamps. Cold air and thoughts were Ivy’s only company in the empty street. She was thinking about getting money for the surgery. Her plan was precise: work on several jobs in both day and night shifts. A puff of steam escaped girl’s mouth when she sighed. “This day can’t get any worse,” she thought.

Her phone’s buzzing interrupted her flow of thoughts. She inhaled before answering the call. “Yes, boss?” said Ivy trying to sound not so exhausted.

“Hey, Ivy. Sorry for calling this late but I wanted to say that you may not come to work tomorrow.”

“What? Why?” Ivy panicked.

“You didn’t cause troubles only to yourself but also the whole staff by leaving your shift not informing anyone. It’s unacceptable.” said the man and hung up.

It seemed like nothing could break her spirit but this call proved her wrong. A wave of emotions captured Ivy - sadness, anger, confusion and hopelessness gave her a sharp pain in her chest and tire in her legs. She sat down on the bench and cried. Memories of the long day and the sight of her mom did not make the situation better. She lost track of time, crying bitterly.

The sounds of footsteps made Ivy pull herself together. When she raised her head up, she saw a tall man standing in front of her. Something was odd about this man. He was not just looking at her silently; he was wearing clothes that seemed to reflect the moonlight with ethereal glow. His vest had a long veil that was shining with unusual sparks. When she looked higher, she saw that his white hair was tied in a long ponytail. For a moment, Ivy felt as if her mind was playing tricks on her - there was no way he was from this world.

Before she could say a word, he handed her a card. The card Ivy was holding was black with golden letters on it. The only thing that was written on it was an address and words: JOB APPLICATION.

“How did you know that I need a jo-“ Ivy started asking but stopped since there was no point – the man disappeared like he was never been there.

***

Ivy was standing in the middle of the usually crowded street, one of the main shopping areas in town. Anyone could find anything here, from clothes to repair tools. The hustle and bustle of hundreds of people made Ivy want to come in any boutique. She followed the address and found herself in front of a store called 'DAWN MAGIC'.

She was surprised when she found out that there was not plenty of customers as she expected – in fact, there wasn’t a sign of their presence. Her surprise only expanded when she looked around the shop - objects she has never seen before were displayed on the shelves. Either the candles instead of lights or strange tools emitting dust made her feel déjà vu. “Hello?” Ivy decided to find the owner of the boutique.

“Is anybody here?” she called. No answer. “I’m looking for a job.” Ivy tried again.

After waiting for some time and not getting any answer, she decided not to waste more of her precious time.

Ivy was confused that there was nobody, not even the staff. She looked around the place one last time: poorly lit room with bunch of goods with no explanation. She turned around and pulled the door handle.

Ivy’s life was never the same again after opening this door. Her eyes and mouth expanded wide. She had to pinch herself to prove herself that she was not sleeping.

There was no longer a busy street nor boutiques. Instead there were mythical creatures and magical nature. The air was light and smooth, filled with powers unknown to Ivy. As Ivy looked up, she saw a sky painted with bright colors, stretching endlessly above her head. As Ivy’s gaze shifted towards mountains, she saw that they were twice as big as usual and they were covered with trees that gave mountains energy and grandeur.

Something was flying above the grand mountains. These creatures were too large to be birds; those were dragons surrounding the space. They flew freely and gracefully despite their massive size. Every plant in this world held its own feature that seemed too impossible to be true. Ivy did not feel in a rush in this land, as the time here moved differently – it stretched and fastened depending on the powers used by the higher creatures.

Her astonishment was replaced with horror when one of those dragons was speeding through the air towards Ivy’s direction. With a hope to escape Ivy turned around to go back to the store only to find out that the door has vanished. Her heart was bumping in her chest ready to explode. The predator was right behind her, and panic set in as she bolted down the hill. Her lungs burned and her legs ached, begging her to stop, but Ivy valued her life more.

“Ivy, wait!” yelled a voice behind her back.

Who would know her name? Was it a speaking dragon? She quickly looked back and noticed that the dragon has landed nearby. When a threat to her safety no longer existed, she stopped and looked closely at it. Ivy recognized a similar face when a man got off the dragon; it was a man that gave Ivy a card with shop’s address. She stared at him confused and was ready to shower him with multiple questions.

The man introduced himself. “I’m Alaric from the Lyric rivers. I intend no harm to you.”

Ivy was no longer scared for her life, but she remained tensed, unsure of what to expect from him. “Where am I? And how do you know my name?” asked Ivy.

“This land is called Terrasolis, which means a land of the sun. I know your name because I was ordered to help you.” answered Alaric calmly. “Come with me and I will get you out of here.” He insisted ignoring Ivy’s face expression.

Ivy’s heart was still racing as she absorbed Alaric’s words. She took a step back narrowing her eyes at him. She still had lots of questions – about this place, the dragon and the shop that could lead the way home. “I don’t know if I can trust you.” crossed her arms Ivy.

“I will answer all of your questions if you go with me. My goal is to help you, not harm.” said Alaric.

Ivy analyzed his words and her situation – she was trapped in another world and the only hope was him. Getting on a mythical creature with a man she briefly knows is not what Ivy would do in an ordinary life, yet there she was flying on a dragon in the back of Alaric.

The wind flowed through her hair and caressed her face. She explored the sights of rivers, mountains and villages – she did not know who was living there but it looked occupied. When the dragon soared to the right a mesmerizing landscape was viewed. A massive castle was surrounded with the woods in the distance. Its silhouette was a representation of its control and influence. The view of a castle was getting clearer as they got closer to it. They landed softly on the ground and headed to the castle.

The entry door was large and heavy however it opened easily and with no force.

“You will be given a recovery potion by a royal witch. It will be useful for your mother. Then you will get a chance to leave.” said Alaric with a velvet tone.

“Why are you helping me, Alaric?” asked Ivy with curiosity.

Alaric did not answer her question, just showed her the door. “This way.”

She looked at him for the last time before entering the room. Ivy was in the same room as the shop she left: candles and magical objects were still there. An old lady greeted her with a warm smile. “I have been waiting for you.”

“I have been here before.” whispered Ivy. She lingered her gaze on her then asked “Are you a witch?”

An old women laughed at Ivy. “Is that how I look?”

Ivy got embarrassed thinking how rude her question sounded. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I meant to say a wizard.”

“I’m your grandmother, dear. We don’t have much time but I will see you again. Take this potion and treat your mom.” said Ivy’s grandma.

Ivy was shocked – she never knew she had a grandmother and know she was standing next to her.

“I know, sweetheart. Don’t be discouraged, I will explain later.” a woman handed Ivy a potion and hugged her before leading her towards the exit.

Ivy smiled at her. “Thank you.” She opened the door and was back to the crowded street. She could not believe it happened in real life - it was like time did not move a bit while she was in Terrasolis.

***

She watched how a liquid flowed into the cup. She told her mom that it was a medicine she needed to take, hiding the truth because she was not sure if her mom would believe her.

After a week, the doctor invited Ivy to his office.

“It’s an unusual phenomenon. To be honest, I’ve never encountered anything like this in my career before. Your mom has healed from her illnesses. She no longer needs a surgery.” he said. It was Ivy’s first time seeing him smile.

Ivy was sceptic about the potion - she did not believe in magic. But now, when she was informed about her mom’s health, she could not hold her tears back. Those were happy tears for this time. She has never felt more grateful. Her racing heart reminded her about the magic that had saved her.

She couldn’t help but return to the ‘DAWN MAGIC’ store. She needed to see her grandma again, to thank her and hug her. She arrived to the same address but there was no such boutique. Ivy smiled sadly, remembering her grandmom’s words. “We will meet again.” she whispered.

A golden dust formed words before vanishing in the air: I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN.