World Between: Chapter 11 part 1

“Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.” Lydria twirled, bow with her arm open wide behind her. “The most infamous and beloved room of several universes.” She stood straight as she spoke. “The Portal Tower.”

“Often referred to as our Research and Development section, as well.” Meisa added. “A lot of the paperwork is about all the new species walking and how souls from different places seem to be adjusting.”

“The parts Meisa reads anyways.” One boy replied.

“Not like she is the only one, Charlie.” a girl said walking passed Charlie.
“I’m aware! Renee.” Charlie replied. 

“Anyway” Lydria said, prompting both to continue down their respective hallways. “That one is yours.” She pointed to the left most open portal. “We were still charting the two the right, and then… well you showed up.”

“You’re charting two new worlds?” Aaron asked. “I thought we were the only world shuffled in.”

“You were.” Meisa replied. “I had to do an emergency shut down for my group, single-handedly, because there were too many people really and willing to leave hours before there was supposed to be a second Far Seeker.”

“It was actually rather impressive.” Talmo replied. “Never been in and out of a portal so fast.”

“Then we had to pull our location team just as they found another new world.” Lydria recalled. “Of course too dangerous to be diving in when people like yourselves are roaming around causing who knows what, but we understand enough about this sort of travel to have the magi-tech to keep a few doors open.”

“Was our door open before you came?” Aaron asked. “Won’t people notice?”

“Well right now it’s more a window than a door, I suppose. We can vaguely see it, but lack the ability to affect anything. Some doors are a lot more one way than others, as well.” Lydria replied.

“One way?” Jared asked. “Was passing through our door more difficult?”

“Quite the opposite, oddly.” Meisa admitted. “I was surprised we needed to hold anything until I saw just how many there were.”

“Aye. I remember a door holding for well past a few hundred people at one point.” Talmo replied. “We’ve never seen one of that capacity before.”

“Probably why that one I found was still there.” Jared replied. “You easily forgot if no one was careful”

“We’re all quite sure how you got yours.” Meisa replied. “Making those things isn’t easy, ya know?! And neither is—”

“Things that I doubt you care about.” Lydria finished. “Given you turned it on. Almost exactly to protocol as well.”

“It was simple enough.” Jared replied. “Even if I wasn’t expecting it to take us to a place like this. Now if we are done with the games. We are here to break that, correct?” 

The Soul Gem floated in the center of the room surrounded by archways. Each had a stack of more archways above it. The Portal Tower made a fitting name for the room. Even empty it looked as though it held the secrets of places long forgotten, and yet discovered alike.
“Isn’t that running this place?” Cain asked.

“It does always look like it.” Lydria admitted. “But no, this place runs on a lot of different types of magic. Though the most important is Soul magic.”

“Light plays a part too.” Talmo replied. “Earth doesn’t handle this sort of thing alone.”
“Just… who are we fighting?” Aaron asked. 

“Well, we have an answer to that.” Meisa explained. “See so many of us passby and observe this gem everyday. And no one ever makes it this far, so we just never bother picking.”

“Now of course, We’re making our own changes, but we were all a little curious. So.” Lydria gestured to Talmo.

“You can fight me or Meisa.” Talmo replied. “The choice is yours.”