"'A professor of cosmology and ontology at California University'," she answered, jokingly mimicking Arturo's deep tone and accent with a wry smile on her face. "As he was fond of reminding everyone. He wasn't the only one I was travelling with, though. There was also my friend, Quinn, and a guy named Rembrandt."

The answer to the where came next, and she paused slightly, knowing the usual reaction to it was either disbelief or shock. She picked at a leaf of a tree as they ducked under a low branch, turning the blade between her thumb.

"And, uh, we were actually traveling parallel universes..."