Modern Magic

Hirsha sat on her small, gray couch, legs curled beneath her. She stared at the TV and flicked through the channels, not landing on one until her phone buzzed and she turned away from the screen. She glanced at her phone then, after seeing the name, snatched it up and quickly typed in her password. [[Next|Message]]

''Rhi'' I might be a bit late getting home ''Hirsha'' No worries, I’ll make dinner then we can cuddle and watch some sappy romcom and ignore doing anything productive until tomorrow. ''Rhi'' Sounds great! Makes me look forward to something beyond this terrible traffic See you soon, my love ''Hirsha'' ❤ [[Next|Cooking]]

Grinning like an idiot, Hirsha switched off her phone and looked back at the TV to see the daily news playing. She unwound herself from her surprisingly comfortable seating position and pushed herself up to go get started on dinner. Despite having lived with her girlfriend for 3 months, the realization that Rhisari’s home was the same as her own never failed to put a smile on Hirsha’s face. Hirsha opened the refrigerator and took stock of the meager insides. She would need to go shopping soon, but there was enough variety left for a meal or two. Hirshi pulled out ingredients from the fridge and pantry then set about making a meal fit for a god for her goddess. Hirsha hummed softly to herself, a melody she is certain she has heard somewhere before, while mixing together butter, lemon juice, and white wine for the sauce. The chicken was already cooking and, having just finished the sauce, Hirsha happened to look over to the TV. [[Next|TV]]

The news was now covering yet another fight between Incognito, an evil mage who has a tendency towards large acts of destruction of city property, and Aura, the city’s protector who always seemed to let the fights spew across many streets and hurt a lot of people. Hirsha didn’t much like how those with magic always got elevated as celebrities. All the battles between “good and evil” really hurt the common folk who didn’t have the means to keep themselves from getting caught in between mages. The timer for the chicken beeped and Hirsha spun about to go check on it. She stuck a thermometer into one of the three chickens, she always made enough food for leftovers, and decided to leave them in for a few more minutes. After setting the timer, Hirsha picked up the remote and turned off the TV. She didn’t need any more reminders that her commute tomorrow was going to be horrific. Hirsha then went and set the table for two, a faint smile on her lips. The timer beeped a second time, and when she checked the chicken again, they had passed their prior temperature and Hirsha deemed the chicken done. She put the chicken on three plates, two for eating and one for cooling, before spooning the sauce onto two of the three pieces of meat. Hirsha added some garnish atop the chicken then placed them at their spots on the table. [[Next|Phone]]

Dinner ready for Rhisari’s near arrival, Hirsha picked up her phone and saw an unread message from one of her friends. ''Oljanos'' I think you should turn to channel 7 Hirsha frowned at her phone. Channel 7 was the news and she just had it on. All they were covering was another battle between two people that thought they were better than everyone else and therefore allowed to trash the city. ''Hirsha'' I just had it on, another fight between Aura and Incognito. Nothing really important. ''Oljanos'' Please just trust me on this one ''Hirsha'' Okay… but if it is something stupid… [[Next|News]]

She clicked the power button and the TV flashed on. <Reporter> //First responders are now helping Aura clear the rubble from the collapsed highway. We will soon get information on those who were trapped underneath.// [[Next|Recognition]]

Hirsha recognized that intersection. It contained one of her and Rhisari’s favorite restaurants and was about a two minute drive from their apartment. <Reporter> //They have removed the first layer of rubble and have found three bodies as of now.// [[Next|Realization]]

Hirsha’s heart crashed to a halt. The intersection was two minutes away and Rhisari wasn’t home yet. <Reporter> //Thanks to Aura’s help, the rubble is almost completely moved to the side and all bodies have been recovered. It appears that no one trapped beneath the rubble has survived.// [[Next|Hope]]

Hirsha spun to face the door and willed it to open. It just happened to be a place on Rhisari’s way home that was destroyed. That didn’t mean that she was caught in the rubble. She could be safe. She could walk in right this moment. <Reporter> //Luckily, only 10 people were caught in the collapse. All of us here at Channel 7 News send our love and condolences to those who lost someone in the fight.// [[Next|Denial]]

The TV turned off, seemingly of its own accord. Hirsha snatched her phone up and sent out a series of rapidfire texts. ''Hirsha'' You parked yet? I can’t wait to see your adorable face tonight! Did that Jerk from the apartment next door take your parking spot again?! Are you ok, sweets? Rhi? [[Next|Pain]]

Hirsha’s phone slid out of her hand and onto the floor. She stared blankly at the walls around her, suddenly in a place that did not belong to her. Was this what they meant when they said your world fell apart? That you would find yourself in a place completely unfamiliar to you? One devoid of all hope and happiness, one that is just in an eternal state of gray misery? [[Next|Loss]]

Her phone lit up on the floor and Hirsha jumped on it. ''Oljanos'' I am so, so sorry Oljanos sent a link attached to his message. It took Hirsha to the Channel 7 News website where those identified in the rubble were displayed on the page. Her heart then shattered into a million pieces. [[Part 2|Part 2]]

Hirsha’s first day back to work was 6 days after Rhisari’s death. She entered through the main doors of the school and walked down the hallway before turning off into a smaller one that led straight to her classroom. She had come much earlier than normal, hoping to avoid any who would offer condolences. Hirsha didn’t want pity, the only thing she wanted was her girlfriend back, but that was not going to happen. She had a plan; avoidance. If fellow teachers asked her if she wanted to go out that night, Hirsha would say maybe some other time. If they asked how she was holding up, she would give a noncommittal shrug. Anything to avoid the pain. [[Next|Page 1]]

As she set down her bag in her classroom, Beatrice Sturrow tapped delicately on the door. “Is there anything I can do?” Hirsha wrapped her arms around Beatrice while her plan fell to pieces. The days of mourning alone in her home did nothing to prepare Hirsha for the feeling of anyone mentioning anything to do with Rhi. Tears flooded down her face and her body shuddered silently as Beatrice softly comforted Hirsha. [[Next|Page 2]]

Once the tears began to subside a few minutes later, Beatrice pulled away to brush off the remaining wetness. “You don’t have to be here until you’re ready.” “I am ready, I can’t stay home another day with an apartment of reminders that she…” Hirsha’s voice trailed off into a whisper. She shook her head and wiped away the forming teardrops. “I have to find myself,” Hirsha tilted her head up, “I’m going to teach these 4th graders about the world and then I’m going to grade the worksheets that they’ve been doing while I was…gone.” [[Next|Page 3]]

Beatrice nodded slowly, “Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I am here.” Hirsha gave Beatrice a small, gracious smile before pushing her out of the classroom. “I’ve got a class to prepare for, you know.” [[Next|Page 4]]

The school day went about as well as one might expect. Hirsha was interrogated by her students and answered as honestly as she could manage without breaking down in front of them. She cried while grading the assignments her students had completed while she was out, leaving unfortunate wet spots on a few of the papers. By the time the day was over, Hirsha was a hollow shell of the facade that entered the building that morning. [[Next|Page 5]]

She started packing up to leave as soon as all of her students left the room, sliding a few ungraded essays into a folder. As Hirsha slung her bag onto her shoulder, there was a soft knock on the door of her classroom. She slowly moved over to it and tugged the door open in one smooth motion. [[Next|Page 6]]

Beatrice stood on the other side, purse in hand. “I was thinking that you could come over to my place and we could do some grading together, if you wanted, that is.” Hirsha nodded quickly, before she could talk herself out of it, “That would be nice.” [[Part 3|Part 3]]

The earth beneath Rhisari’s hand felt unnaturally smooth as she pushed herself up into a kneeling position. She warily looked around herself, noting the vast difference from where she was only a second ago. Rhisari frowned at the ground. Where was she a second ago? There was an image on the edges of her memory that she couldn’t quite grasp. Just when she almost reached it, a soft rumble distracted her from her mind. The rumbling grew bigger and louder and Rhisari looked up to the sky for the first time. [[Next|Page 7]]

Outlined against a backdrop of a shimmering, starry sky, a massive winged creature lowered themself into the clearing Rhisari was situated in. They were covered in scales from snout to tail, a vibrant green. “Welcome to the Underworld, little one.” The gargantuan being tilted their head downwards, amber eyes meeting Rhisari’s brown ones. “I am sure you have many questions and I have all the time to answer them.” [[Next|Page 8]]

Rhisari’s mouth fell open. In all her life, despite knowing that magic was real, she had never once thought that dragons could be as well. “I-- You’re a dragon!?” As hard as she tried, Rhisari found it impossible to entirely keep the awe out of her voice. The dragon chuckled, “Why of course I am a dragon. We are the keepers of the Underworld, after all.” “Wait,” Rhisari’s brow furrowed, “If you’re the keeper of the Underworld, then why are you here?” “That is because this land you are in is the Underworld. You are dead, Rhisari.” [[Next|Page 9]]

If she weren’t already kneeling, Rhisari would’ve collapsed to the ground. Instead, she settled for merely losing all composure and melted into a puddle of tears. The dragon took a small half step away from Rhisari, giving her some space as the memories flooded into her mind. [[Next|Page 10]]

//Rhisari turned off her phone with a soft smile. She started her car and checked the mirrors before backing out of her parking space. Slowly, Rhisari maneuvered the car out of the parking garage that was connected to her office building. As she got closer to the exit and had to wait for others to pull out of their spots, Rhisari turned on her music and started singing along. She finally made it out of the parking garage and was cruising down the highway. In the distance, Rhisari could just barely make out two mages fighting. She sighed. The only thing that was keeping her in this city was Hirsha. Everything else seemed designed to make Rhisari want to leave; the mages fighting, the terrible traffic, her job as an accountant.// [[Next|Page 11]]

//Cautiously, Rhisari got off the highway and turned into a parking lot. She got out of her car and sped into a small shop, quickly locating the item she was looking for and checked out at the counter all within 3 minutes. She hopped back into her car, placing her purchase in the passenger seat, before turning it on and pulling out of the lot and onto the road. Her music crescendoed as Rhisari turned beneath the highway, two minutes away from her and Hirsha’s apartment. The world shattered.// [[Next|Page 12]]

Rhisari looked back up at the dragon, horror in her eyes. “How long has it been since…” She shook her head softly. The dragon looked Rhisari in the eye and responded, “Barely a minute. The moment you died, your spirit traveled here, to the Underworld, and I showed up to greet you not too much later. You are now on my island realm and I, Edaj, am the protector and ruler of its inhabitants. You are subject to my rules and are to remain on this island unless I grant you permission to move or visit another. Is there anything or anyone I can find for you?” “Can I- Um, could I see Hirsha?” Rhisari stared down Edaj, hope bright in her eyes. [[Next|Page 13]]

“I can open a scrying portal and allow you to see her through the nearest reflective surface. She will not be able to see, hear, or even comprehend your presence. The portal will last only 10 minutes of time and once that time is up, another portal to see the same person cannot be opened for 24 hours. Do you understand what you are in for? From what I understand, humans have a tendency to experience much pain both during and after seeing someone through a scrying portal.” [[Next|Page 14]]

Rhisari all but leapt to her feet. “Please, please.” Edaj bowed their head and dug their claws into the ground, creating a small hole. Rhisari watched as they cried a single tear into the hole, filling it to the brim. “See the one you seek in your mind’s eye and they will appear,” Edaj backed away to the edge of the clearing and slowly laid their massive form to the ground. Rhisari knelt beside the pool of water and closed her eyes, filling her mind with thoughts of Hirsha. She looked into the water and the world melted away. [[Next|Page 15]]

//Hirsha’s face was the first thing Rhisari saw. It was just as beautiful and perfect as it always had been. However, her face was twisted into the most pained expression Rhisari had ever seen upon her stunning face. Rhisari tried to reach out to cup Hirsha’s face with her hand, but all she could do was watch. She watched as tears streamed down Hirsha’s face. She watched as the tears slowed to a trickle. She watched as the only person she ever truly loved became a hollow shell of her former self.// [[Next|Page 16]]

The world snapped back into view. Rhisari stared at the empty hole. Her tears tumbled down her face and into the dent in the ground as Edaj stood back up. “You said I would have 10 minutes,” she snarled. “Time moves differently in the Underworld. Every second up there is 30 down here.” “Why didn’t you tell me that I only got,” Rhisari’s brow furrowed, “20 seconds?” “You never asked.” [[Next|Page 17]]

“Is there any possible way that I could get back to her?” She stared up at Edaj, begging. Edaj considered the question for a moment before responding, “There is a way for the dead to return to the world of the living. However, it has never worked before and most attempts have ended with disastrous consequences for those who attempted to return to life. If you wish to go on this path, you must realize how slim the chance is for you to make it back.” “I would do anything, give anything, for the chance to be with Hirsha again for even a second.” [[Next|Page 18]]

“Then let us begin your journey to the world of the living.” [[Part 4|Part 4]]

As the days since Rhisari’s death turned into weeks and then months, Hirsha found herself opening up more to her friends about her feelings and being able to express herself better without being reduced to a sobbing mess. She started to spend time with them and even, every once in a while, attend outings with groups. 5 months after losing Rhisari, Hirsha put out an ad for a roommate. Her salary could not comfortably cover the rent, and she did not want to be alone in her apartment. Hirsha turned down the first few responses, but number 4, Zak, stood out enough for Hirsha to let them move in. After she moved Rhisari’s belongings from the second bedroom into her own, as she could not part with them, Hirsha called Zak and told them that they could move their stuff over to the apartment. [[Next|Page 19]]

Hirsha parked her small sedan in front of her apartment building and gathered her bags of essays and assignments she had to grade over the weekend. She had to attend a meeting directly after the school day was over and it lasted much longer than she anticipated, leaving her grumpy and more than ready for the lovely weekend. Hirsha all but ran up the stairs, slowing down as she progressed upwards. By the time Hirsha made it to her apartment, she was out of breath and stopped outside the door to regain some composure. Her brow furrowed as she stood there, hearing a confrontation from inside of her home. Hirsha’s mind raced to reach a solution as to why Zak was arguing with some random person. Did someone follow them home? Could it be an angry ex? There was no use waiting in the hallway if she wanted to know more. Slowly, Hirsha slid her key into the lock and moved into her apartment. [[Next|Page 23]]

Hirsha and Zak grew close friends very quickly, but Hirsha kept the reason she put the ad up from them. All her other friends walked on eggshells around her and she wanted someone to just look at her without pity or sympathy in their gaze. She avoided mentioning Rhisari at all, and anytime Aura or Incognito showed up on the news or in conversation, Hirsha made sure to steer Zak away from talking about them. They quickly fell into a rhythm of living together, Hirsha waking up earlier than Zak and making breakfast, Zak getting home earlier than Hirsha and making dinner. Zak was just the friend Hirsha needed to really help her start to move on. It was on one of the rare occasions when Hirsha made dinner that Zak walked in to see her curled up in a ball on the couch, ingredients for the meal laid out in the kitchen, but not prepared. Zak frowned at the chicken and white wine on the counter before moving over to the couch. “Is there something wrong?” They placed their bag on the coffee table before sliding onto the couch beside Hirsha. [[Next|Page 20]]

“Everything is wrong.” Hirsha looked up at Zak, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I try to make some chicken and then I’m over here in a puddle of my own making.” She sighed, shaking her head softly, “Never should’ve thought to make that recipe again.” “How about I order us some takeout and put away those ingredients, if they haven’t been out for too long?” Zak nodded towards the chicken. “Yeah.” Hirsha stared forlornly at the bookshelf in the corner of the main room of their apartment. [[Next|Page 21]]

Once Zak had placed the order and put away the ingredients, they made sure to turn the TV on to a channel that only ever played movies before settling in beside Hirsha on the couch. They cast quick glances at her whenever she was not looking in their direction in a hope to gain some insight into what had caused her breakdown. Zak stood up to get the food when someone knocked on the door, mildly disappointed that they couldn’t figure out why Hirsha was feeling so down and therefore couldn’t easily boost her morale. [[Next|Page 22]]

A few days later, it was as if the incident had never happened- Zak decided that if Hirsha wasn’t going to say anything, neither would they. Zak returned home after shopping for groceries to make dinner with. They placed some bags on the ground as they dug around in their pockets for the key to the apartment. It took a few seconds, but Zak found the key and twisted it into the lock. They scooped up the bags and stepped into the apartment, placing the bags on the counter before jumping back in surprise. “Who the hell are you!?” [[Part 5|Part 5]]

Her heart stuttered to a stop as Zak twisted about to reveal the figure they were arguing with. Beside Zak stood Rhisari, not a hair out of place, as whole and well as she had been when Hirsha kissed her on her way out to work that fateful day 6 months ago. She pushed past Zak, who seemed shocked that Hirsha was not being more aggressive to the random stranger who broke into their apartment, and wrapped her arms around Rhisari. She leaned back to stare into Rhisari’s eyes and whispered a soft question that only Rhisari could hear, “How?” [[Next|Page 24]]

Rhisari’s eyes glowed as she took in her girlfriend before murmuring back, “By never giving up on the thought of seeing you again.” Hirsha shook her head, not able to believe her senses, “You were dead.” She spat the words like an accusation, “You left me here alone. I mourned you. I grieved. I buried you and you were gone forever.” “I got better,” Rhisari’s voice shook. [[Next|Page 25]]

“That’s what you want to say?!” Hirsha let out a soft chuckle. “You were dead for 6 months and all you want to say about that is you got better!?” “I could say that I watched you as I traversed the Underworld for years, working to earn a favor large enough to get the Keeper to return me here, but that’s a story for another day when I’ve gotten in some sweet, sweet kisses.” [[Next|Page 26]]

“I didn’t realize time was different when you died. I suppose it makes sense, in a way.” Hirsha tilted her head to the side, bringing her eyes up to meet Rhisari’s before darting down to her lips. Hirsha brought her mouth to Rhisari’s kissing her for the first time in months. The world almost vanished to the duo until a throat cleared from nearby. “Does this mean that I’ve been arguing with a dead person who is likely to take my room and kick me out of the apartment this whole time?” Zak’s arms were crossed and their voice was annoyed, but they were grinning by the time the girls looked over at them. “Cause I got to tell you, I am slightly attached to this place.” [[Next|Page 27]]

Hirsha looked at Rhisari, hugging her to her chest, “I think you’ll be able to keep using that room, we never used it very much before someone went and died.” “And I have said multiple times, I came back, I got better, and you are still incredibly stunning.” Rhisari grinned at her love. “I’ll cook dinner, haven’t made food in 15 years, but I think I might still be ok at that.” [[Next|Page 28]]

Zak blinked at her, “15 years? I thought you died 6 months ago.” Rhisari shrugged, “Time is weird in the Underworld” Zak nodded slowly, “And I guess that we’re just gonna ignore that there.” “Yes.” Rhisari carefully extracted herself from Hirsha’s close embrace and picked up the forgotten bags of groceries that had been sitting on the floor for an unknown amount of time. “So yeah, hope you like,” she glanced down into the bags, “baked potatoes and chicken.” [[Next|Page 29]]

Zak and Hirsha moved to help her prepare the meal. The trio worked together smoothly, all differences forgotten as they settled into their new life, electing to ignore the complications they would face trying to get Rhisari back into the civilized world for the time being.