Welcome To Mystery by Dana Smith (best color ebook reader txt) 📖

just in case. After helping Adeline up, and sitting down on a box himself Kayne answered.

“He was looking for the key.” He said simply, not bothering to explain it to the still confused Kessie. Adeline must have noticed because she motioned for Kessie to be quiet. “The key to their world, that needs to be in the rightful place of their keeper.”

“Keeper?” Kessie asked, ignoring Adeline’s shaking of her head.

“Later.” He said while getting up, leaving Kessie and Adeline to follow. As Adeline walked past Kessie she offered a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Kayne was about to walk through the door, without saying goodbye to either Kessie or Adeline.

“Wait, so were not safe anywhere?” Kessie asked, just realizing what that meant. They could get through any door, if they were like Kai, and find and kill anyone anywhere.

“I never actually realized that it could be so dangerous.” Adeline muttered, her words matching Kessie’s thoughts.

“That’s why you need to come back.” Kayne said, ignoring the brunette’s former question, though she didn’t mind too much.

“Back where?”

“Home.” Both Adeline and Kayne said at the same time. Both of them ignored Kessie’s further questions as Kayne grabbed Adeline’s hand, leading her over to the door. Without word, Kessie also followed the two through the white door.


The world on the other side was a mixture of vibrant reds and oranges. They had stepped out into a field of rolling hills of red grass, which joined at the horizon to meet a wonderful pale orange sky with a few dappled clouds on it. Kessie turned around to see a lone tree standing on top of one of the tallest hill. The leaves were gold and reflected the beams of sunlight, making them shine.

There was a pleasant warm breeze that flowed through Kessie’s long brunette hair, whisking it around her face. It was now warm enough to take off her school jumper, so that she was just wearing her blouse.

Turning around, Kessie saw that Adeline and Kayne had already began walking up toward a town, which was on the highest hill; in the centre of the town stood a large white castle, with red roofs and turrets.

As she caught up to them, Kessie started to look around, she saw that they were walking on a long, yellow road, which looked like sand. The gate to the village was open, and when they walked through, Kessie was amazed to see that all the houses, which were pretty small, were also made from bright yellow brick.

The wall that separated the castle from the rest of the village was bright white, made from the same material as the houses, and more than five times the size of them.

Standing at the gate which lead to the castle were six armed guards, each holding a spear, it was made of gold and decorated with rubies. Each of the guards nodded at Kayne, who nodded back at them. To Kessie and Adeline they cast a wary eye, but let them pass nonetheless.

“Open the gates!” was the command Kayne shouted which opened the gates. Before they were finished opening, Kayne walked in, rushing to get to his destination. Not even bothering to see if Adeline or Kessie were actually following him.

Kayne walked in front at his own pace, while Kessie and Adeline walked behind, more slowly. As they continued to walk, the blue eyed girl noticed that they were being followed, or rather escorted by two guards, a meter behind them.

The palace walls seemed to glow, reflecting all of the sunlight, it hurt Kessie’s eyes from just looking at it but she couldn't fare her gaze away. On the side of the walls hung large flags, with the symbol of a phoenix on it; the same phoenix that Kessie had seen in the room she came to when she was running away from Necraisia. The correct term for the Necris kingdom, as Kai had told her.

It was a throne room that Kayne was leading them to, Kessie noticed. The door was brick red, and three times the size of a normal door, with twice the width. It was opened inward and as she walked in, Kessie saw it was opened by two guards.

Everything in the room was either red, orange or white, or any shade that fit into that. There were four thrones; two were the same size, and smaller than the other two. One of the other two was larger than the other, and that was when she saw him. He had sky blue eyes, and a messy mop of golden blond hair.

It was then that she realized that the room that she had been to where the pictures and flags were, was a memorial, or something like that; because the boy sitting on the throne, was the youngest boy in the painting, only older. He looked about 15 or 16, defiantly not old enough to be running a kingdom.

“Welcome, Kayne.” He smiled, and Kessie took an instant liking to him, she couldn’t help but smile too. “Adeline.” He nodded at her, and smiled at Kessie. How could he know Adeline? And why did she call this place her home? Kayne bowed, and Adeline curtsied. Kessie resisted the urge to laugh, that probably wouldn’t go down too well with his highness.

“Please join me, food will be served.” He stood from his throne, and walked toward Kayne. The prince, maybe king, was taller than Kessie, but on Kayne he was reasonably smaller, reaching only eye level with him. “We will talk then.”

Kessie knew she shouldn’t have heard that, it was said to quietly for her to possibly hear. She had noticed that since being in this strange world, her senses had picked up, mostly her eyes and her hearing. She chose to ignore it, it was impossible, she told herself.


When they were all seated at the table, which was smaller than Kessie expected, and the doors were shut, the prince began.

“Let me introduce myself, I am Prince Alexander Incendia the third,” he smiled reassuringly at Kessie, who was glad to hear that he was still a prince, it wouldn’t be fair on someone to rule at such a young age. She wondered if he ever had a normal childhood, or if he was taught at a young age.

“My name is Kessie.” She smiled.

He turned to Adeline, who was sitting with a different posture than she usually did back at school, Kessie knew that she had been taught how to behave around royalty. The thought made her smile even more, if this was a dream or reality, she couldn’t quite be sure.

“Are you ready to commit to your duties, Adeline?” he asked, a serious look on his face. Kessie could tell that this was serious, although he kept his smile on his face.

“No.” Adeline said simply, and his smile faltered.

“What’s going on?” Kessie whispered to Kayne, who was sat next to her, not really paying attention to the conversation. Not to Kessie’s surprise, he ignored her.

Seeing as though he was getting nowhere with Adeline, the prince turned to Kayne.

“Why have you brought this earthling here?” his voice was flat, showing no emotion. Kessie found it strange that someone could change their emotions so quickly, and wondered if he had been taught that too.

“She followed us.” Kayne began, and in a quieter voice added “she already knows too much.”

“Very well.” The prince dismissed “but don’t let her get in the way.” Without another word of either Adeline or Kessie, the two men talked about what had happened back on earth.

“Earth has been breached. The Metrix sent a soldier after the key.” Kayne informed him, and then proceeded to tell him all the details, including that of the key now being missing. The prince had a look of shock on his face, but quickly composed himself.

“Kessie, I want everyone, including yourself, to call you Kestrel, to make you seem less earthly, and Kayne I want you to always be on your guard, keeping both Adeline and Kestrel safe.” Kayne nodded, obviously showing understanding. Kessie however wasn’t convinced.

“Yeah?” she asked, not really wanting a reply. “I’ll call you Alex.” That made things more normal. At least to her.

“Really?”

“Sure… if I’m Kestrel your Alex.” She continued. Making it seem obvious. The prince sighed, not wanting a fight. After a short pause, Alex’s face fell serious again.

“I have reason to believe that the institute is involved with the Metrix.” Shocked at his sudden outburst, Kessie couldn’t help but stare at him. He thought that the school was involved with the Metrix, the kingdom that was trying to do god knows what? Kessie couldn’t, wouldn’t believe it.


"Keepers are protectors, they protect each kingdom against the darkness that falls. Adeline is supposed to be ours, but she's rejecting the change." he explained, although not really explaining it properly.

"Okay," Kessie began, "but what would they want with a key? i mean, they’re all the same, aren’t they; why not take one that was already there?" she didn’t get it, when she had looked and taken a key, they all looked the same, apart from the handles, which were all different.

"They’re not the same!" Addie protested "each has its own unique power and protects its kingdom." she explained, making it seem like she was sticking up for the keepers.

"So, change? Sounds scary." Kessie commented, not liking the sound of it.

"Not scary, just painful." Kayne said, confirming what Kessie already thought.

"So hold on a second." Kessie began to no one in particular "so who's protecting my world?"

"No one." Alex replied simply, trying to avoid the topic

"Why not?" Kessie asked, if all the other kingdoms were being protected, then why not her world. He didn’t reply, obviously not wanting to talk about this further.

"Do you know who the keepers are?" the brunette asked, hoping to get somewhere with this question.

"Angel from Necris is the keeper to Oceanna-"

"I met her!" Kessie suddenly interrupted, remembering the blonde haired blue eyed girl, Alex ignored her.

"Adeline Protects-"

"Might protect." Addie corrected.

"Incendia." Alex finished.

"What about the other four?" Kessie hoped that is they had found them, and then maybe she could get one of them to help protect her world too.

"I have my suspicions." he answered, closing his eyes in thought.

"And what are your suspicions?"

"I think...I have my suspicions...that you may be a keeper."

Kessie was too shocked to reply, the news being terrifying and exiting at the same time.

"You shouldn’t have told her." Addie stated, not surprised that Alex would have been so blunt about something that was so important and life changing.

“Me?” the girl whispered, it wasn’t possible, she thought, she didn’t have any special powers, she wasn’t special.

“You have the key, you unlocked the Regnum door, you’re one of the only earthlings to travel through a maze and not fall into oblivion.” He explained to Kessie, then turning to Addie he said “well if you refuse the change, she’s the only person who can save the five kingdoms.”

Addie looked down, she didn’t want to put one of her new found friend in danger, “I shall think of it…” she said, her voice merely a whisper.

“That’s… great.” Kessie had always dreamed of doing something amazing, she only hoped that