Chapter 19: Return to the Outside
The air shimmered briefly around them as the Soul Academy's dimensional gate flickered to life. Joshua stood steady by the portal, his expression unreadable but resolute.
"We need to get you somewhere safe," he said. "My aunt Rose has resources—and influence—that even the Veil doesn't dare cross. But she's outside Soul Island."
Karen's heart skipped a beat. Outside? The outside world—the place she barely remembered, the place her life had once been simple and unfamiliar.
Jim, Marie, Leslie, and Cassandra gathered around her, each silent but sharing the same uneasy anticipation.
Joshua gestured toward the portal. "This will take us to Lagos, Nigeria. Ikemba Corporation headquarters. It's a fortress and a cage—but it's the safest place for now."
Karen swallowed hard, a flood of memories crashing over her: the bustling streets, the heat of the sun, the smell of the city. It all felt like a distant dream—a world so ordinary, yet now so alien.
As they stepped through the portal, the cold, pristine halls of the academy vanished, replaced instantly by the hum of city life. The heavy pulse of energy here was different—raw, chaotic, and powerful in a way Soul Island's refined aura could never replicate.
Karen blinked, overwhelmed. The cacophony of honking cars, distant chatter, and the scent of warm earth filled her senses. The buildings stretched high, the sun striking sharp shadows across the crowded streets.
Leslie nudged her gently. "It's different, isn't it?"
Karen nodded, voice catching. "Like waking up from a dream I never knew I had."
Marie smiled softly. "Welcome home, Karen."
Joshua glanced at them all, then back at Karen. "We'll meet Rose soon. Stay close and stay alert. The Veil doesn't stop just because we left Soul Island."
Together, the group melted into the sea of Lagos life—ready for the next step in their battle, and for Karen, a new chapter that felt both foreign and familiar.
....