(My vision flashed into white, with seemingly thousands of stars racing near me. My presence was then transported to a strange yet oddly familiar environment. I could hardly tell what was in front of me until my vision cleared.)
A faint dark blue mist resonated within the landscape, like steam rising from heat.
The white windswept grass waved back and forth, with bleached trees scattering over the celestial landscape. All the lands were covered in a mixture of white, a light midnight blue, and a starry black. Only the light from its own flora and clouds illuminated this region.
The land wasn't covered in snow but basked and enriched with Cleiraian Soil, the heavenly element that surged through the world and gave life to it. Though it was colorless, it was by far the purest form of vegetation.
This region was a small world created by gods, and by the assistance of The Tempest, the gods' dreams would come true. This world was a glowing white sphere that encircled Gincad, serving as the 'moon' for times to come.
The land was bathed in cosmic glitter, colorless vegetation, luminescent petals, and swirling bluish-purple clouds. Floating islands were all over the heavenly world, with blue glowing
waterfalls flowing down to the lavender rivers and the ocean of light.
This was indeed a different environment humans wouldn't dare to travel to. Only the purest of lifeforms could wander this milky vista.
If they were ever to wander this divine plain, they either were not human, to begin with, or an ambitious, foolish, and weak mortal.
I found myself sitting next to my two siblings, Aiyana and Aletha, on the soft white grass meadow. It was a gorgeous day to travel outside of our usual dwelling place; it was the only peaceful setting that grew our connection to us.
As Aletha was busy touching luminescent white flowers, Aiyana softly muttered.
"Woah! This landscape is so pretty!"
I chuckled while digging my toes through the soft soil.
"Of course. It's a region for gods created by gods. I feel more at home here than the sky kingdom."
A beautiful snow-feathered bird swooped down with gorgeous blue marble eyes glaring at me, Aletha, and Aiyana. It then cawed its beautiful melody out to us as it soared downwards to the lavender river. Aiyan's violet eyes broaden in awe.
"Wow! They sound so wonderful!"
I couldn't possibly disagree; their melody is as if thousands of angels chimed together. As I took a deep refreshing breath bathing in the view of the environment, a god sprinted up the hill, waving and calling out my name.
"Asahi!"
Then, three more gods sprint behind them. One had dark blue hair, another had short dark hair, and the last had a very light pinkish-brownish ponytail-shaped hairstyle. They all waved and yelled our names.
"Asahi, Aletha, Aiyana, what are you two doing there? Are you supposed to go to the academy?"
I replied while chuckling and nodding my head.
"No, not at all. Today is a weekend, remember? Besides, I want to be in The Exordium for now. It's peaceful here, unlike Cleira."
The short, dark-haired girl stomps her feet on the ground and sighs.
"Weekend? Is that what gods are calling it these days? You know what, Asahi; For being in one of the strongest family in Gincad, you surely are a little hard-hitting at moments. Perhaps those human traits of yours have gotten into you?"
"Is that my fault?" I replied, confused.
The tall, dark blue-haired man responded while forming tiny meteorites over his fingers and hands.
"Probably. I don't know; I don't have the blessing to read people's minds. So, are you going to travel to Astrotio soon, or… are you three just gonna sit here and stare at the sky? This is pretty boring."
Aquaio then shatters the tiny meteorites into dust then tilts his head towards my sisters and me.
Aletha pushed herself up and bent her head towards Asahi. She silently tilted her head toward the glimmering blue star in the distance. As the wind blew on her long milky hair, she faintly spoke with a soft tone in her voice.
"I'm willing to return; how about you, Aiyana?"
As Aiyana's left arm sprinkled in the same pattern as my and Aletha's attire, her beautiful lavender flower blossomed, and her bright amethyst eyes broadened in excitement.
"Sure, I love that large mountain! Can I go with Aquaio?"
Aletha replied while crossing her arms.
"No, sister, you're too young. I want to go with him!"
Asahi stomped out and pinched Aletha and Aiyana's ears towards him.
"Behave yourselves, you two. Think before you try."
Aquaio gave a puzzled face towards the three of them, sighs, then jolted down the hill, gliding toward the massive mountain in the distance. The pink-haired girl, Tylisia, the goddess of caring, swiftly tailgated Aquaio with a worried tone in her voice.
"Hey! D-Don't go too far, please!"
The short, dark-haired girl, Teresa, shook her head and deeply chuckled.
"It's fine; you three can stay here and chill. I and the others will return to the kingdom. Think of traveling in The Exordium as a privilege. Most gods don't bother to go here simply because it grants no value to them."
She swiftly pulled out her large brown luminescent spear and pointed the tip toward the sky. Beautiful divine wings flock into the air, with her yellow halo hovering over her head.
Her dark blue eyes stared at me one more time before darting toward the mountain at the speed of sound.
"Farewell, you three!"
I nodded my head and waved at her with a slight blush on my face.
"Goodbye!"
I couldn't resist her charm. It's just something about her that really riled me up when I was younger. It's pretty frightening how she randomly disappeared months after. I wouldn't be able to see her face again.
* * *
After that, my sisters and I traveled further through The Exordium, examining the beautiful bleached wildlife prancing around through the snowy white forests.
We traveled through a meadow of beautiful luminescent blue flowers, which glowed and purified the lake below.
The flowing white flower petals glide their ways downwards from the tall white stalking trees.
Its blue trunks filled its roots with their own nutrients, absorbed by their dying leaves. I looked down and saw my attire glowing with a small star pattern scattering over the darkness of my particular fabric.
I felt as if the land itself was connected to my tingling soul. I tilted my head to Aletha and then Aiyana. Their attire glowed as well, but they hadn't had a second to react.
I heard voices filling my mind. Horrible, helpless-sounding voices resounded inside continuously.
I felt hopeless before suddenly feeling my arm getting pulled from Aletha.
"Big Brother, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… It's just—
Aiyana shook me continuously. She tried her best to break me out of my trance, but it wasn't enough. I started to question if I was connected to this world; Not only The Exordium but possibly Gincad as a whole.
I then heard the terrified screams of Aiyana, who fell to the ground and held her head. Aletha jolted to her, then I saw her repeatedly trembling, falling to the floor with darkness springing up from the roots.
I couldn't manage to escape the night. I struggled to get out but then felt a massive forceful pull grasping onto my entire body.
I was dragged into the darkness and heard my sister's horrifying scream.
"ASAHI!"
Their screams resounded over the dark void. I felt nothing but emptiness surging through my heart. My hearing deafened, my breath ran cold before suddenly…I heard a voice sounding out from the entire void.
"Brother!"
I felt a warm grasp on my left hand. I saw her glittering amethyst eyes peer straight at me with a stern look before suddenly getting engulfed from what seems to be a massive 'S' shaped arm. Before I knew it, I awakened from the nightmare.
* *
Asahi screams at the top of his lungs.
"AHHH!"
He finds himself and Aletha resting on a rolling wagon, dashing through the forest with dark mechanical boxes with wheels, quickly pulling the wagon.
Drimi tilts her head to Asahi, thinking as if he is insane. She curiously asks while a carriage rolls over a stone.
"Asahi? Why are you screaming? Oh, is it because you slept too long? We apologize; we had to bring you to the carriage since time was running slim for us. I carried you on my back, then placed you in the wagon with Aletha."
The faint morning mist resonates within the forest, with raindrops trickling from the sky and showering down at a slower pace. As he hears the loud sounds of the wooden wagon, Asahi whispers to himself.
"It's still raining?"
Aletha softly replies while rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms.
"Yes…"
Asahi nervously rolls his fingers and whispers in his mind.
"So, was all of that a dream? Was it a memory mixed with a nightmare? I can't tell; it's too late to even recognize. I didn't know they were in a rush. Let alone, never would I think that I would be in slumber for that long. What's with that 'S' mark that engulfed everything? What… could that mean?"
Aletha responds as well while pushing her white silk hair to the side.
"I saw The Exordium, brother did you too?"