Blake found a secluded area beneath an old, deserted bridge—just the kind of place he needed to set up his secret realm. Hardly anyone would come here, and it seemed ideal for casting protective spells and making sure he wasn't disturbed. Originally, he'd intended to open the realm in a mirror dimension, but after experimenting, he discovered it wouldn't work there. So, this hidden spot had to do.
The downside was that when he completed the realm, he'd reappear here, which could be awkward if anyone happened to see him. Fortunately, that could be avoided with some simple Muggle-repelling charms and protective enchantments. Blake drew his wand and, after a quick glance around to ensure he was alone, he began casting.
"Muggle banishment!" he muttered, followed by, "Safety spell!"
Magic rippled from his wand, spreading across the bridge hole. To any Muggle passing by, the bridge and its surroundings now seemed like nothing special.
They'd feel an odd urge to leave, while any wizard nearby would only see a solid bridge pier. Satisfied, Blake double-checked his protective spells, then turned back under the bridge, ready to begin.
Taking a deep breath, he focused on a cloud icon in his system's interface—the symbol for the secret realm. "System, use the secret realm," he said quietly.
A series of dings sounded in response.
[Ding! Secret realm activation is in progress!]
[Ding! Host, Please concentrate on injecting magic power into the token!]
[Ding! The countdown to the opening of the secret realm begins!]
As instructed, he gripped his wand tightly and cast a protective spell on himself, anticipating any potential threats once inside. The countdown to the realm's activation began, and he funnelled magic into the token, keeping his focus. Meanwhile, he didn't notice someone approaching from above.
Fleur, guided by a bracelet enchanted to track Blake, had followed his trail to the bridge. She stared around, bewildered.
"Where is he?" she muttered, watching the bracelet's indicator stubbornly blink as if Blake were right in front of her.
Frowning, she found a ladder and cautiously climbed down to the bridge's underside. Moments later, Cassandra arrived, having trailed Fleur all the way here.
She watched as Fleur descended and then followed, landing softly on the rocky ground below. She caught up to Fleur, who was peering at the stone pier.
"Hey! Do you know Blake?" Cassandra called, her voice impatient.
Fleur turned and assessed the younger girl—a striking little blonde, but with a haughty air Fleur didn't appreciate.
Still, she responded coolly, "Are you talking to me?"
"Obviously. Are there other people around?" Cassandra retorted, planting her hands on her hips.
"I want to know if you've seen Blake."
Hearing Blake's name only frustrated Fleur further. She'd tracked him this far, and yet he was nowhere to be found.
To make matters worse, her bracelet still indicated he was close by—inside the stone pier, apparently, which was impossible. She stared at it, confused and annoyed.
Seeing Fleur's silence, Cassandra became exasperated. "Hey! I'm talking to you. What's so fascinating about that old pier?" she demanded, waving her hand in front of Fleur's face.
Fleur finally turned back, gesturing to the bracelet. "It says Blake is in there. Right inside the pier." She looked at Cassandra with faint exasperation.
"You wouldn't understand; you're too busy finding fault with everything."
Cassandra blinked, staring at the solid stone pier with growing horror. "You…you what relationship do you have with the Rockwood Family?" she stammered, her imagination running wild.
Fleur shot her a sharp glare. "What on earth are you talking about? No one's in there! But for some reason, the bracelet says he's inside." She shook her head, glancing suspiciously at the pier. Could Blake really be hidden within some kind of spell?
For a moment, Cassandra realized she might have misunderstood, but she didn't want to admit it. "Then why should I believe you? For all I know, you're in on some scheme. Let me see for myself!"
She whipped out her wand. "Stand back. I'm going to blast it open. Thunderbolt Explosion!"
Fleur frowned at Cassandra. "You are a student of Hogwarts, why do you want to use magic during vacation?"
Inside the bridge hole, Blake was focusing intently when he heard a faint argument outside, quickly followed by Cassandra's shout. "Thunderbolt Explosion!"
Blake froze, his mind racing. "What the…?" He glanced toward the bridge entrance just as the curse hit his flimsy protective barrier, which was meant to obscure, not defend.
"Oh, f**k!" He couldn't help but curse.
A rush of heat passed his face as the spell slipped through, his protective cloak barely absorbing the impact. Outside, both Cassandra and Fleur blinked in surprise as the spell didn't result in an explosion of rock. Instead, it passed through as if the pier were hollow.
"Did you see that?" Fleur whispered, her eyes wide. "There's some kind of hidden magic here!"
"Of course!" Cassandra said, her mind flashing back to her own encounters with hidden portals and charms. Without a second thought, she darted forward and stepped through the illusionary wall.
"Cassandra! Wait for me!" Fleur called, quickly following her.
Inside the hidden space, Blake adjusted his cloak, which still had a corner smoking from Cassandra's spell. He looked up, his eyes widening as the two girls rushed in.
"Cassandra? Fleur? What the hell are you doing here?"
Cassandra, seeing the faint scorch marks on his cloak, began to stammer. "I—I didn't mean to hit you, Blake! I thought… I mean, I didn't know you'd be—"
Fleur didn't even let him respond, rushing forward. "Blake! You've been hiding all this time, haven't you? You have a lot of explaining to do!" Her voice was a mix of relief and frustration as she crossed her arms.
But before Blake could reply, his system interrupted.
[Ding! The secret realm is now fully activated. Final countdown in progress—ten, nine…]
Blake's eyes widened in alarm. "Both of you—get out! Now!"
Neither girl understood the urgency, and instead, they moved closer. Cassandra, still feeling guilty, stammered, "But I didn't mean to attack—"
"Listen, it's dangerous!" Blake insisted, attempting to push them away, but they held their ground.
[Three, two, one!]
The system chimed, and a blue light began to engulf them. Both Cassandra and Fleur gasped as they felt themselves drawn toward Blake, unable to resist.
"Blake!" Fleur exclaimed. "What's going on?"
As they were enveloped in the light, Blake could only sigh, realizing there was no stopping it now. "Great. Just perfect," he muttered, as the three of them were pulled into the activated realm together.
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