Gates of Light

Sweat forms on my brow as my friends and I walk the streets of Wimborne. Due to the usually warm weather, Thalia decided it would be a good day to visit all the local shops.

“I need coffee,” Grove says while dragging Malix with her.

We all laugh as we follow her into the coffee shop. I pause at the door and turn to look around. It's strange. I could have sworn I felt someone watching us.

“You coming, Kyra?” Finch says from inside, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yeah!” I call back, walking through the door.

After coffee, we decided to head over to check out a hat shop just down the street. My thoughts are pulled from the conversation as the sensation of somebody watching me washes over my body. I shiver at the feeling, turning to look around us. People walk the busy streets. Some laugh with their friends, a child grabs her mum's hand and pulls her towards a doll shop, and an elderly couple sits on a bench admiring the young kids chasing a flock of birds. Nobody stands out.

We make it to the hat shop without an issue, but just as I’m about to head inside, somebody slaps their hand over my mouth before pulling me back. I try to scream, but the sound is muffled by my assailant. I kick my feet out at nothing, my body flailing from the movement. It’s of no use though; my attacker is stronger as they throw me into an alleyway.

“Ouch!” I yell out as my butt makes contact with the brick walkway.

“It didn’t hurt that bad,” a voice says from above me.

I finally look up to see who did this and am met with soft, honey-brown eyes. I quickly stand up, backing away, and raise my hands in defense.

“What do you want? Money?” I ask, panic rushing through my veins.

The man sighs, rubbing a finger against his temple as if trying to ward off a headache. Now, looking at him, he seems to be in his mid to late twenties with a finely maintained beard. His hair is short on the sides, and the top hanging slightly over his eyes as if he didn’t care to style it this morning.

He laughs, the sound hollow. “No.”

“Then why did you basically try to kidnap me?” I retort, feeling more annoyed than worried now. It honestly looks like this man couldn’t even kill a spider if someone asked him to.

He gives me a questioning look. “Then why aren’t you screaming for help? Trying to gouge my eyes out?” He asks in return, surprising me.

“Fine. You have a point,” I tell him.

He laughs, and this time, it has the tiniest drop of humor. “I’m looking for a doorway,” he says, looking around as if someone might overhear us.

“You just pulled me from one,” I say pointedly.

“Are you always this annoying?” he asks as his face twists into a look of disgust.

I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. “Only when someone tries to kidnap me.”

“I didn’t try to kidnap you!” he yells.

This causes some people to look into the alleyway with concern. I smirk, knowing that I’m getting under his skin.

He rolls his eyes before his voice drops to a whisper. “My name is Humiel. I’m searching for a magic door called YingMing.”

It takes everything in me not to burst out laughing. A magic door with a name? What kind of things is this man on? “I can’t help you,” I tell him before stepping to maneuver around him.

He steps in front of me, blocking my path. “I’ve asked around, and I think you can,” he says nonchalantly.

“How?” I ask. I don’t even know what he’s talking about. What does this magical door even do?

“You’re able to sense when things are off. I’ve heard countless stories of how you’ve saved people from unfortunate fates,” he tells me, his eyes pleading. “You should be able to sense this door when nobody else can.”

I look around, wondering if running might be my best bet at this point. “You are seriously crazy,” I tell him as I slowly start backing away.

“Please,” he begs. “I have been searching for this door for over five years. You are my final hope.”

“What do I get out of it?” I ask, checking my nails as if he’s starting to bore me.

His eyes light up with a sliver of hope. “I don’t have much money, but it’s said that this door can grant one wish to those who find it.”

One wish? I mull over the information. Would I be stupid to go with this stranger who decided abducting me was the best way to get my attention? Oh absolutely. But I do have to admit that I’m now growing curious about this door.

“Fine,” I say finally. “But I need to let my friends know I’ll be going MIA for a bit. And, if anything happens,” I tell him pointedly, “I won’t be afraid to hurt you, and neither will my friends.”

He shakes his head fervently. “I promise that nothing bad will happen.”

We decide to head out the following day right before sunrise. I pull on a plain T-shirt before putting on my jogging leggings paired with my black sneakers. If I’m going to be doing a ton of walking, I will be comfortable. There are no ifs, and’s, or buts about it.

By the time I arrive, Humiel is already standing outside the coffee shop we agreed to meet at. He hands me a to-go cup before turning and walking away.

“Hey!” I call out as I try to catch up. “Wait up!”

He sighs as he slows down his pace. This dude is a piece of work.

“We start in the lower district today, and we will make our way up,” he says before sipping his coffee.

I eye my wearily, unsure if I can fully trust him. At his request, I told my friends that I had to take a trip to the countryside to visit my father but would reach out if I needed anything. They seemed skeptical but agreed to let me go in the end.

“I saw the other day that you liked yours sweeter, so I just had them put a little extra cream and sugar,” he says dryly.

I take a sip and almost cry at how good it is. He got my order perfect somehow. “How do we find this door?” I ask as I come up beside him.

“Well,” he starts. “I’ve looked in obvious places, but they’re all just normal doors.”

“So maybe this mythical door doesn’t exist,” I propose.

He glares at me, and I wish I could just shovel the words back into my mouth.

“This door has to exist. If it doesn’t, I wasted so much of my life for nothing.”

We spend most of the day searching the first and second lower districts with no luck. By the time I get home, my feet are screaming at me to never do that much walking again. Groaning, I head to bed, knowing I’ll have to do it all again tomorrow.

*Day 2 of Searching*

We walk along the streets of the third district. Kids are running the streets, and merchants yell to get people to come to their stands. The weather has cooled back down a bit, so I opted to wear a warmer coat and my jeans, which are normally reserved for my barn chores.

Humiel is wearing a thicker long-sleeved shirt, with jeans and boots. He doesn’t seem bothered by the cold, though, unlike most people from the kingdom. From what he’s told me, he’s from a kingdom about ten days times from here. And though it might not seem far, he says the weather there is always pretty cold. According to him, the people have adapted to the cold and embraced it over recent years.

Sadly, though, a strong blizzard blew through the kingdom a couple of years ago, causing a shortage of food and supplies. People could not work and could not support one another. He said he had lost someone important to him and wanted to use his wish to bring them back.

“Well, you can’t notice if anything is off if you’re just staring at me,” Humiels voice echoes through my thoughts, causing me to jump.

I look away as I feel a blush begin to creep up my cheeks. That’s when I notice it—a spot in an alleyway placed between a bar and a church. The wall ripples slightly as if it’s a reflection upon the waves lapping at a shoreline.

“There,” I point.

Humiel follows me as I lead the way. We dodge merchants and children to get over to the alley. We do a quick sweep of the area to make sure nobody is around. Carefully, I try to place my hand against the wall.

I gasp when my hand goes through it. Just as I’m about to pull it out, another hand grabs mine, pulling me into the structure. I scream out in surprise as everything goes dark. Something bumps into me, pushing me forward as panic floods my system.

Turning around, Humiel is on the ground, blood soaking his shirt.

“Oh my God!” I yell, crouching on the ground to see where he’s wounded. “What happened?”

He coughs, his eyes starting to glass over. “Guards.”

Damnit. Why didn’t I think that the kingdom would be after a magical doorway too?

“Tell me what to do. How do I use my wish?” I rush out.

“There is no wish,” a feminine voice soothes from behind me.

I jump up, ready to attack. A woman who appears to be around twenty-three stands behind me. She is wearing a flowing white gown and has braided violet-colored hair.

“I told you not to come searching for this place, my Humiel,” she says gently, crouching down to smooth his damp hair.

“But I’ve come for you,” he says, a tear slipping down his face.

I watch in awe as the specter places a gentle hand on his abdomen where the blood had been pooling. He hisses at the pressure, but the blood seems to stop flowing.

“This is not of the natural world, Humiel. And did you lie to this poor girl so she could assist you?” the specter asks.

“I need you, my love,” he says, taking her hand and sitting up. “I have searched for many years to bring you home.”

My heart breaks as I watch the scene unfold. Humiel looks at the specter, his eyes full of love and so much hope.

“I can’t, Humiel,” she says gently before turning to me. “Thank you for helping him get here, but you both must go.”

I look between the two of them, my confusion continuing to grow. “Where even are we?” I ask.

“We are in the in-between. It’s a place created by the pull between the living and the dead,” she says. “If a living and a deceased long hard enough to see another, they shall do so here.”

“So come back with me,” Humiel pleads, wrapping his hand around hers. And for the first time, I notice the matching wedding band around their fingers.

“You know that I cannot,” she says, sadness thick in her voice. You will find love again. And just know that I will forever watch over you.”

And with that, she was gone. Humiel looks at the empty space where the lady once stood, all hope gone from his face.