Jiang chuckled as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. "Yeah, well, we'll see how much comfort survives after a few hours in an airport." He glanced at her. "You ready to head out?"
Aylin gave a small nod, still absorbing the oddities of this world. "Lead the way."
They stepped outside into the cool evening air, the city lights flickering around them as they made their way down the street. Jiang kept glancing at his phone, checking the time and flight details as they walked toward the subway that would take them to the airport.
"We've got time," Jiang muttered to himself, trying to reassure both of them. "Should be able to get there with a little time to spare."
Aylin stayed quiet, her steps light and calm, but Jiang could feel the rising anxiety creeping in. They reached the station, swiped through, and caught the train without much trouble, though Jiang's mind was racing. He'd completely forgotten about the fact that Aylin didn't have an ID or a passport. How could he have missed that?
As they sat down in the subway car, the realization hit him like a brick wall.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.
Aylin turned to him, her expression sharp. "What's wrong?"
Jiang leaned his head back against the seat, trying to keep his voice calm. "You don't have an ID or a passport. They're going to check that before we even get on the plane."
Aylin's eyes narrowed, not fully understanding. "ID? Passport? What do those mean?"
Jiang sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. "It's proof that you're allowed to travel. Without it, they won't let you through. And... well, bad people have done bad things in the past with airplanes, so now it's really strict. They're not just going to let anyone fly."
Aylin frowned, clearly confused by the concept. "So I can't travel because I don't have... this proof?"
Jiang's heart pounded as they neared the airport. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, I bought two tickets, and I marked you as a dependent, but I didn't think it through. You need documents. Otherwise, they'll think we're up to something."
Aylin stared at him for a moment, then blinked. "And there's no way around this?"
Jiang rubbed the back of his neck, his mind racing. "Not really. I mean, you need an ID and a passport to get through security and board the plane. Without those, it's gonna look suspicious. And... well, bad people have done some seriously bad stuff on planes before, so they don't just let anyone through anymore."
She frowned, clearly confused by the concept. "And if we don't have these things, we can't leave?"
Jiang sighed heavily, thinking hard. "I didn't exactly plan for this. I bought two tickets, put you down as a dependent, but they're gonna want proof, and I didn't... I mean, there's no way to get you an ID at this point."
They walked in silence for a few moments, both deep in thought. Jiang's frustration grew with every step as they neared the airport. "Maybe we can try talking our way through? But that won't work. They'd ask way too many questions. Maybe if we—"
Aylin cut him off with a slight wave of her hand. "What if... they didn't see me at this ID thing?"
Jiang stopped, blinking in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Aylin glanced around, lowering her voice. "I could... make myself invisible. Just for the check. If they don't see me, we could walk through. I can stay hidden long enough to get past."
Jiang stared at her for a moment, realization dawning. "Wait, seriously? You can do that?"
She nodded, a confident glint in her eye. "Yes. It's a simple spell. I can make myself invisible, just for a little while. Once we're through, I can reappear, and you can use the tickets to board the plane."
Jiang's mind raced as he considered it. "That... might actually work. You go invisible, we get past security without them checking your ID, and then we just stick close and scan both tickets when we board."
Aylin nodded. "It's a risk, but it could work."
Jiang felt the tension in his chest ease slightly, though the nerves were still there. "Okay, okay. Let's do it. But we've gotta be careful. Once we're through security, you'll have to reappear. After that, I'll handle the tickets."
Aylin tilted her head. "You really think this will work?"
Jiang nodded, though the nerves were still creeping in. "It's the best option we've got right now. But there's a problem... your suitcase."
Aylin looked down at the bag she was carrying. "What about it?"
"Well, a suitcase walking through the airport by itself is going to draw attention," Jiang explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "You'll be invisible, but your suitcase won't be."
Aylin gave a thoughtful look, then shrugged, stepping toward a nearby trash bin. She dropped the suitcase beside it without hesitation. "There. Problem solved."
Jiang breathed a sigh of relief but quickly realized the situation wasn't completely handled yet. "Wait, what about your clothes?"
Aylin gave him a slow, teasing smile. "My clothes won't go poof with me, Jiang. The spell only works on my skin."
Jiang blinked, trying to process what she was saying. "So..."
"So," Aylin continued, stepping closer, her voice dropping to a playful tone, "I'll have to take them off. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to see a floating sweater walking through security."
Jiang's face turned bright red, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find words. "W-wait, are you saying—"
Aylin smirked, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Don't worry, you won't even see anything. I'll be invisible before the clothes hit the ground."
Jiang turned his back quickly, trying to keep his mind from racing. "Yeah, okay, sure. Makes sense. Totally normal."
Behind him, he could hear the faint rustling of fabric as Aylin undressed. He couldn't help the heat rising in his face, knowing what was happening just a few feet away.
"You can turn around now," Aylin said, her voice filled with amusement.
Jiang turned, only to see... nothing. She had vanished completely, her clothes now neatly folded on the ground.
"You're really invisible," he muttered, still trying to wrap his head around it.
Aylin's voice came from right beside him, making him jump slightly. "Told you. Now hurry up before I get too comfortable like this."
Jiang quickly grabbed her discarded clothes, tossing them into the trash as well. "I'll get you some new ones once we're inside."