A tall, dark-haired man, a smaller brunette woman, and a toddler with shoulder-length black hair and an infant in her lap are in their living room. The two adults are having a serious whispered discussion, while the little girl watches nervously.

"Are you sure about this?" the woman asks.

The man nods dismally. "Yes. I had hoped I could stay longer for the children's sake, but… Perhaps it's better this way. They won't know to miss me, at least."

"But I will," the woman says with a joyless smile. The man holds her close and speaks gently into her hair.

"I know," he says. "I'm sorry. I was foolish. Terribly foolish."

The man sighs, kisses her forehead, and pulls on his coat. The child knows what it means.

"No, Daddy!" She reaches out her short little arms and cries. "Please stay, please Daddy…"

The man looks down at his feet so his daughter won't see the threat of tears in his eyes. This is the most difficult thing he's ever had to do- which was quite a statement. But he has to.

"Jasmine, sweetheart, I love you." He kisses the top of her head and hugs her one last time. "Be good." What else can he say to a five-year-old watching her father desert her?

The toddler- Jasmine- wraps herself tightly around his neck, hoping against hope that if she holds on tight enough, he won't go. The father manages to extricate himself from her grasp with some difficulty, not because she's too strong for him, but because of the pain of knowing what he's doing to his little girl, a very piece of his soul.

And what about the other pieces, his wife and son? To think that he'd never see the tiny boy in his sister's arms take his first steps, never see them grow up, that they'd have to be raised without a father, that their mother would have to do the job all by herself...

He takes a deep breath. No, now is not the time for self-doubt. He has no time to grieve. This is important. Immensely important.

Is it? Enough to abandon your family?

The man ruffles the girl's hair, smiles shakily at his wife, and walks through the door. His daughter wails and pushes her brother off, tripping over herself to chase after him...

But when she scrambles out the door, no one is there. He is gone.

I pressed my face into my pillow to muffle my sobs. I hadn't had that dream in years... and I'd never had one from my father's perspective. The absolute, utter anguish... It was like feeling my own through a magnifying glass.

The pillow wasn't my own. It was the one in the stupid, dingy dorm room in the stupid wizard in world I was in, extinguishing the weak spark of hope I'd had that maybe, I'd wake up in my own room to the sounds of Noah and Darryl breaking something. Even that would have been welcome now. This was real. Too real.

I cried even harder.

The dream I'd just had amplified my homesickness several times over, which must have been pretty severe if I was longing to be jolted awake by two frenzied not-quite-fourth-graders. I missed my dad. I missed my mother. I even missed Noah, the little twerp.

Wait... Homesickness... Noah...

Mom! How did I not think of this earlier!? And I was supposed to be wise, clever, and thoughtful!? She must have been worried out of her mind! What was wrong with me!?

That was it; I couldn't stay here, no matter what the crazy old man said. I needed to get back to earth.

I sprang out of the bed and yanked hard on the door. It wouldn't budge. Someone must have locked it from the outside with magic to keep me from running away.

Indignation and desperation fueled my resolve. "Come on, you stupid thing," I shouted. "Open!"

The lock clicked. I gazed down at the knob, scarcely able to believe it had actually worked. Cautiously, in case there was someone guarding the place, I pushed the door open and softly closed if behind me.

A disturbing notion struck me. What if there was something a little more unpleasant than a guard out here? Like another one of those draconians?

Great. Now I was feeling paranoid. Just to be safe, I drew my wand and my spell deck, though I wasn't sure they would work outside of a duel. Maybe the hypothetical monsters wouldn't be as civilized as the other ones. They could just bite my head off or spear me through the heart for an easy kill.

I smacked the side of my head as if it would stop the bad thoughts. Focus.

I had made it to the tunnel out of Ravenwood before remembering that I didn't know where the headmaster's office was. Another idea came up: the compass. It hadn't had markings like normal compasses. What if it could help?

I reached into my pack and pulled it out. Without me even having to type or say something, the needle spun away from me. The words Merle Ambrose appeared on the face, along with the number 202. I took an experimental step, and it went down to a 201. A mind-reading compass which let you know how many steps you had to take to get to your destination? Weirdly enough, that was the least strange thing I'd seen here so far.

I followed the compass needle, remembering to glance up every so often to search for anything that looked dangerous. Luckily, I made it without getting pulled into another fight. Unluckily, Ambrose's door was locked, too.

I was losing the little patience I had to begin with. Abandoning all thought of caution or self-preservation, I started banging on the door like it owed me money.

Come on, Ambrose.

The door swung open, and he stepped out, looking rather taken aback by my tear-streaked face. I realized then that I could use it to my advantage.

"Headmaster, I need to go home," I said, trying to communicate a sense of urgency. Given the circumstances, it wasn't difficult.

"Jasmine, what are you doing up at this hour?"

I shook my head vigorously, impatience creeping into my voice. "This is important. I can't stay. My family has no idea where I am."

From the expression on his face, it looked like this was news to the headmaster.

"You never even thought of that, did you?" I said accusingly.

He sighed. "You're not going to go back to your dorm until you get some answers, are you?"

I glowered wordlessly in response.

Ambrose sighed again. "Very well. It's understandable. Come in, please." He pushed the door open further to allow me entry.

The headmaster's office was even messier than the tower I'd shown up in, and even more shockingly, (gasp!) my room. Piles of books that were almost as tall as I was surrounded his desk, the surface of which was almost entirely hidden by more books and forms.

"Please excuse the mess," he said apologetically. "I've had a lot of work to do lately. Have a seat."

I obediently sat down on the nearest chair. "Okay, now explain. What does Malistaire want? What's he doing?"

"Malistaire... He was the professor of death magic at Ravenwood. But he left after..." Ambrose paused, looking like he was considering how much he should tell me. "Well, it's a long story. But he became bitter and angry, not at all the Malistaire we at Ravenwood knew and loved. He's planning something that could tear the Spiral apart. All the monsters are either byproducts of his work or distractions to keep up stuck here fending them off."

"So there are more monsters," I said. My heart sank. Did this mean more dueling?

Ambrose nodded. "You won't find them on campus or in the city proper, but the major streets are crawling with them. Only a select few students are allowed to be out there."

I let this sink in. "Okay... What does he want with me?"

"Malistaire knew somehow that we were looking for someone to help us. Though it appears he was there for reconnaissance, not for blood. He realizes now just how capable you are of foiling his plans."

"Then why did you let me duel?" I asked. "Now he has information!"

Ambrose smiled reassuringly at me. "I know it seems like a silly mistake on my part, but it was better for you to duel them properly. Less opportunity for Malistaire to try anything sneaky. We could only interfere in the battle so much." His smile disappeared. "And besides, I told you that he wouldn't leave until he got what he wanted. He would have found a way."

I shuddered. "Do you think he'll come back?"

"It's very unlikely," said Ambrose. "In fact, I'm surprised he came at all. He usually prefers to watch from a distance."

"That's a relief," I muttered. I didn't need to see those eyes again anytime soon. "You said… I had incredible power?"

He nodded. "Yes, I saw your magic aura through my crystal ball. Even without training and not knowing of magic all your life, you were able to subconsciously tap into your mana."

I frowned. "What did I do? Noah and Darryl and I were just playing."

"That's what you think." He was distinctly giving off the impression that he knew something I didn't, which I positively loathed. "Remember when... Darryl, was it? When Darryl fell after you pointed the stick at him? That was a small stunning spell you cast."

Now it was my turn to be stunned- and a little bit horrified. "I used magic on him!? For real?"

"Don't worry, it didn't do him any harm," said Ambrose reassuringly. "You weren't even using a real wand. You managed to help Noah as well, when he was climbing the tree and nearly fell."

That did seem like a more plausible explanation for him making it up and down in one piece.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?" Ambrose inquired.

Of course there was. I had had a million before, and I'd gotten, what, four out of the way? Only nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-six to go.

I knew, though, that we didn't have time for 999,996 questions. I'd get the rest of the details later. For now, there was just one more important thing I needed.

"What about my family?"

"Ah, yes," he said. "I wouldn't worry about them."

Excuse me?

"I mean, I'm sure they're fine," Ambrose said hastily. There it was again- he knew something, and this time, he was deliberately keeping it from me. "I'll use the crystal ball to keep an eye on them, and if I see any trouble, I can send them a message telling them where you are. Hopefully, it won't come to that. I wouldn't want to scare them."

"Yeah, I think it's too late for that," I said sarcastically.

"I am sorry, Jasmine," Ambrose said empathetically. "I know it must be disorienting, to say the least. I wish I could have given you a better idea of what you were getting into-"

"What I was getting into?"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "What we were getting you into. But it's been a long time since we've had to summon someone from earth. And back then, more people still believed in magic, so we could simply send them a message and explain the situation. This was not so simple."

I nodded, my face stony and blank. I wasn't going to get away easily. Perhaps it would help if I acted cooperative for now.

"Thank you for understanding. You've been remarkably patient." Yep, I was right- he was trying to get past my defenses by flattering me. I was never very patient, and the past day had been no exception. "You probably have some more questions, and I'll answer them in due time. But for now, you need to rest so you'll have the energy you need tomorrow for orientation, and I need to finish up this paperwork. I trust you can find your way back to your dorm?"

I nodded and held up my compass. "I used this."

"Ah, you've already figured out how to use it. Very nice." He gave me a warm, friendly smile. "I thought you were a smart one. Good night, Jasmine."

"'Night." I stood up and made an effort to walk casually out the door. Ambrose was mumbling something behind me about books and papers to tidy up. But I wasn't going back to my dorm just yet, for fear of having the same dream again.

I got a good distance away and found a nice, tall tree to climb (which I was much better at than my brother) and made myself comfortable. It was something I'd done often back home when I needed some time to myself, where my brother couldn't reach me, where I could be alone, undisturbed, and just-

"Hey, you're in my spot."

I yelped and grabbed on to my branch to keep from plummeting down fifteen feet.

The boy who had spoken held out a hand to steady me. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

I was still breathing heavily, not fully recovered. "Oh, no, why would I be scared? People always try to kick me out of their trees in the middle of the night."

"I didn't kick you out," he corrected me. "All I said was 'You're in my spot.' You don't mind sharing, do you?" It was hard to get a good look at him in the dark, but in the dim glow of the moon, I could make out chocolate skin, wide grass-green eyes, and spiky dark purple hair- though that could have been a trick of the light. He looked about my age and was wearing clothes identical to mine except in color, black with red trim.

I exhaled slowly one more time and warily scooted over. My breathing was returning to normal now. "I almost thought you were another monster for a second."

"Hey!" the boy said, pretending to be offended.

I cracked a smile despite myself. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," he said. "There aren't any monsters in this part of Wizard City, anyway."

"Yeah, I knew that." I remembered Ambrose mentioning it not ten minutes ago. "I'm just jumpy. I had to fight a couple of draconians earlier."

The boy's eyes grew even wider. "Draconians!? I was wondering what you meant by another monster."

I inclined my head wordlessly.

"And you beat them all by yourself? Two on one?" He looked impressed. "That's awesome."

I shrugged. "I had help from Ambrose. He gave me extra pips and everything. It wasn't that big a deal."

"Draconians are pretty nasty things," said the boy. "Even if you had help, it is a big deal. Nice work."

The corner of my mouth twitched. This boy, at least, seemed okay. "Thanks." I realized then that there was something odd about this picture. "Hey, why are you here?"

He pointed at his robes, grinning. "I'm a necromancer. I'm a night person. The real question is, why are you here?"

"How do you know I'm not a necromancer?" I challenged.

"Your uniform," he said simply. "You're wearing orange and tan, classic balance colors. So I'm guessing you're a balance wizard."

Huh. I didn't even mean to pick the colors of my school. I didn't know the schools had colors.

The boy was still waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I'm a balance wizard," I told him. The words felt unnatural and wrong, yet to a degree, liberating, coming out of my mouth, like a confession of an alcoholic caught red-handed. It would have seemed bizarre that I felt that way to many of my old classmates, many of whom would have given their right arm for a chance at an adventure like this. Me? I had never known just what I wanted- except maybe to have my family back together.

"You didn't tell me why you're here," the boy reminded me. I shrugged again.

"I just like having some time on my own to think," I said at last.

"Ah, now that's more balance-wizard-like. But why at night?"

"Didn't want to sleep. I'm wide awake. Too much stuff on my mind." That had always been a common problem for me, even after (I thought) I had stopped having that dream.

"I see." He tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Yeah, I'm like that too. I used to sneak out a lot. My family doesn't like me being out here alone, though, so I stopped a while ago. I didn't want to worry them."

"Why are you here now, then?" I wondered.

"My first day at Ravenwood is tomorrow- and yours too?" I nodded. "I thought this would calm my nerves."

"And did it?"

"I guess so," he said. "Though you did kind of hijack my favorite tree."

"Okay, okay, sorry," I said, smiling again. "I didn't know it was yours."

"Yeah, well." He pursed his lips, looking like he wasn't sure whether to go on. "My family… they're all theurgists. That means life wizard," he said to my confused face. "It's really weird how that happened, and it's pretty rare. Normally, someone of pure life magic descent will be born a life wizard. But I'm the black sheep of the family. I mean, we all love each other and everything, but… I think some of them are embarrassed of me. Especially the more distant relatives I don't know well. Living on Unicorn Way- which is filled with theurgists- I never felt at home. Not even with my own blood."

I gawked at this obviously very open stranger. He was basically me with a different set of chromosomes. He noticed my stare and gave me a wry look. "So much for life wizards being kind and accepting, huh?"

"Wow," I managed. "I… know how you feel." He glanced at me doubtfully, like he had heard that line all too often. "No, I mean really. I look and act nothing like the rest of my family. And I'm really awkward around them. Like, they can clearly tell I'd rather be anywhere else. Most people don't even believe that we're related at first. It's really annoying." I rested my chin in my hands. "I spend most of my time alone in my room, or up in places like these. It's more peaceful."

He was quiet for a few seconds. When he did speak, there was genuine compassion in his voice. "I'm sorry."

We sat for a moment in silence. Finally, I broke the lull in our conversation.

"Hey." He studied me for a moment before prompting me to continue. "Let's be weirdos together."

The boy beamed at me and held out his hand. "I'm Alan."

"I'm Jasmine," I said, and shook it.

"Should we get back home?" he asked me. "If anyone catches us sneaking around, we could get in trouble.

"Sure." I watched as he descended the tree even faster than I could have, then scurried down myself.

"You've got some skills," I complimented him.

"Thanks," Alan replied. "To be fair, I've climbed that tree about two hundred times, so…"

I chuckled as we headed home again. Soon, we had reached the gate entrance to Unicorn Way.

"Oh, hold on," Alan said. He pulled a key with a green leaf symbol engraved on it from his bag. "All the Unicorn Way residents get one of these," he explained. "Most people aren't allowed there, ever since they started showing up. But we couldn't just up and leave, so Ambrose came up with this." I didn't have to ask what he meant by they.

"But if it's so dangerous, why are you all still living there?" I asked. "Couldn't you get ambushed any second?"

"There are protective charms on the sidewalks, so all I have to do is stay off the road. I'll be fine," Alan assured me. He pushed the key into a hole in a brick wall next to the gate, and it rose by itself. "Um, you don't live here, do you?"

I was about to explain that I had a dorm already, but then thought better of it. He might be suspicious about it, given he didn't yet, which made me think I wasn't supposed to have one until school started. Instead, I just shook my head.

"Okay. I'll see you at orientation, then."

"Bye," I said, waving as I followed my compass to the Ravenwood tunnel. This time, I wasn't on high alert, watching for monsters. Yes, part of it was because I knew they weren't around there. But mostly, it was because I actually felt happy for the first time since I'd arrived here. I had just made my first ever real friend.

Guess what, everyone? The Spiral's Savior has a wikia site now! Here it is: wiki/Spiral%27s_Savior_Wiki It's really new at this point, so it's pretty empty, but I'll have more on it later. For now, I hope you keep reading this and enjoy it! And thanks for the nice reviews so far!