The Scarlett Quest

John Scarlett never fit in. A disillusioned English tutor without tenure, he builds a crystal gate to escape into a parallel universe of adventure, only to lose his return ticket within hours. His own tomcat, now a powerful sorcerer, holds the resonator and forces him into an indenture: serve as apprentice for seven years, then venture into the demon-haunted Seventh Parallel to retrieve a mysterious entity called the Sapphire, or remain trapped forever.
But the Sapphire is not a gemstone. It is a person, and one with her own dangerous agenda. Armed with a sword, dwindling appetite-suppressing berries, and the company of a sharp-tongued shape-shifting girl named Tabitha, John must navigate carnivorous rabbits, elemental guardians, and sorcerers who view humans as expendable resources. In a world where eating too much turns men into mindless giants and cats walk their own ruthless paths, John discovers that the greatest adventure may be choosing whether to return home at all.