Apollo and Kyra were both late, on their second day no less. The two had stayed up all night ranting about their classes and trying out spells in their new book that when they finally hit the sack they ended up sleeping through Kyra's alarm. The two had woken up to the loud screeching of her bat alarm that was screaming at the top of its lungs "YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE! YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE!" and scrambled on their uniforms and went zipping through the sky on Kyra's broom, nearly hitting a tree or two in the process.
Once they barreled through the front doors of the school Apollo didn't even have time to ask Kyra to speed him to class before she was gone, dust in the wind style. Groaning loudly Apollo sprinted down the halls and accidentally body-slammed another student, making his bag full of papers and books hit the floor. Both boys bounced off one another, hitting the floor with a loud thud.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm late and I was running without watching where I was going and-"
The boy who he had just knocked the wind out of raised a hand up to cut him off. The boy let out a low sigh, grabbing his things. Apollo rushed to do the same, noticing he was the guy from his first period. Now that he could actually see his face when it wasn't too busy being shoved into a book he noticed the boy was quite handsome, but in a cool and mysterious kind of way. Whereas Max was bright and big like the sun this guy was cooler, more of the meaner kind of handsome, more like the moon. He had his ink black hair cut short and gelled back to the side with a kind of retro 60's kind of style and startling steel blue eyes. He had light grey skin and pointed pierced ears, thick arched eyebrows and a stone cold kind of look that made Apollo shiver.
Both boys, very obviously tardy and risking possible punishment, heads snapped up quickly once they heard footsteps echoing down the halls. They both rushed behind a corner, peeking their heads out to see who it was. The elf boy spoke first.
"It's the principal, Mrs. Alby. She'll give us detention for wandering the halls during class time. Quick, we gotta hide."
With that Apollo was pulled along by the elf boy into an empty closet filled with cleaning supplies. The two poked their heads out from the crack in the door and watched Mrs. Alby stroll down the halls. Apollo looked up at the elf boy as he spoke.
"She's normally in her office, why is she wandering around?"
The two watched closely as she stopped looked around for anyone else and then pressed her hands against one of the school walls and pushed. The wall opened up to a secret door. The boys' gasped and looked to one another, Apollo looked uncertain and tried to dissuade what he knew the other boy was thinking.
"We should really get to class."
"Don't you want to know what's in there?"
Apollo would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little curious but he was becoming more and more tardy by the minute and getting caught in a restricted area by the principal was probably not going to help him.
"We-We shouldn't."
"No, but we want to."
Apollo caved in once the boy tugged him along. He silently cursed himself about being too much of a sheep as the elf boy followed Mrs. Alby's lead and pressed the wall in the same exact spots she did. The wall opened up and the two snuck through, they were lead into a pitch black room. Apollo stayed close to the boy, hanging onto his arm as he asked quietly.
"What's your name anyways? I'm Apollo."
"Cydney."
The boy muttered back, too preoccupied with following after Mrs. Alby, grasping around the room until he found a wall to follow.
"Well, Cydney do you really think this is a good idea?"
Apollo couldn't really tell what reaction Cydney had but he could tell from the tone in his voice that Cydney was not too keen on explaining things to the clueless new kid.
"Look new kid, I get that you don't want to get in trouble but something is very off about Mrs. Alby. She hardly ever leaves her office; she's only been seen around the school occasionally. Most of the students only know what she looks like because of the portrait she has hanging up in the office."
"And? She's probably just doing regular principal business. We really shouldn't butt our noses in."
"Regular? She just went through a secret door into a pitch black room, how is that regular?"
"How is anything in this school 'regular'?"
"Fair point... Look all I'm saying is, is that there are rumors going all around the school talking about this person trying to ascend."
"To Godship? Like what Mr. Melody was talking about yesterday?"
"Yes and some people are also saying that one of the trails is hidden here and that's why they relocated the school. To protect it."
"I still don't understand why they need to protect it, why not Nelle or Sol?"
"The Gods aren't really supposed to meddle in mortal affairs last time they did, when they made the trials forbidden it pissed off a lot of mortals. They're only supposed to intervene as an absolute last choice."
"Why don't they just get rid of the requirements for the trial? Like you said one of them was a dragon, if people are really that worried why don't they just... you know."
"First things first killing a dragon is a very bad thing to do and has pretty terrible consequences, Nelle and Sol never killed a dragon to ascend they asked for its eye. Second, depending on the kind of God you're trying to be the trials vary."
"Ok... So then what kind of God is this new person trying to be?"
"They say this person wants to be a God of Death."
Apollo fell silent for a moment and then added.
"Wait, what does any of this have to do with the principal? You think she's the one trying to ascend?"
"I think it's very possible, she's new to the school. She started around the same time the school relocated, she's barely ever been seen by anyone outside of her office and now for the first time in the few months she's been principal here she comes out of her hermit hole? I think this is all quite coincidental."
"Why now? Why would she suddenly be lurking around now?"
"Because now people are on to her, she has to hurry and find out where the trial is hidden in the school before the council gets on her ass."
Apollo pursed his lips, still unsure as to whether or not this theory held any water. Cydney followed the wall to a door and opened it up to a torch lit room. The boys poked their heads out to make sure the coast was clear and then walked in. Inside the room was stair cases after stair cases stacked all over leading to various different doors, it was a labyrinth. They heard Mrs. Alby muttering as she came back to the entrance, the two panicked and scrambled into a random room. This rushed shuffle caused Apollo to trip over his own feet, his natural instinct being to grab the nearest thing to stop himself was falling.
The nearest thing being Cydney.
Cydney, who happened to be at the very least slightly more graceful than Apollo went to grab his clumsy ass before he hit stone but he faltered and the two stumbled their way through a dusty old mirror. Both boy's hit the ground hard, Apollo groaned as he removed his elbow from behind his back. Cydney on the other hand was muttering curses, or what Apollo assumed to be curses because Cydney was now speaking in what he guessed to be elvish.
Apollo went beet red as he realized the situation he had landed both of them in. Cydney was currently sprawled on top of Apollo, propping himself up on his arms the two boy's locked eyes for a split second. Just a split second long enough for Apollo's ears to burn. Cydney on the other hand barely reacted as he rose to his feet, holding a hand out for Apollo. Pulling him up the duo looked around and Cydney let out a sigh that Apollo was beginning to familiarize himself with. As Cydney pinched the bridge of his nose he spoke.
"We're in the Upside Down World now, good job."
"The what?"
"The pocket dimension that mirrors take you to when you fall into them."
"Oh, that's kind of cool."
"No it isn't."
"Why not?"
Cydney looked to the boy with a irritated face and dramatically flung his arms around like 'look around you, idiot'. Apollo looked around to see they were in a black and white world. It was like they stepped into an old retro 50's TV. They were in a residential area on a desolate street, cars were parked all along the street in the middle of the road but none had any passengers. All the buildings around them had no lights on, no sign of life at all. It was quite creepy and Apollo immediately moved closer to the only other thing that had color, Cydney.
"So how do we leave?"
"That's what's irritating. It's very easy to get in here but it's a lot harder to get back out. With the Upside Down World any mirror can send you here but you have to find a very specific door to leave."
"What door?"
"A big red one."
"Well that shouldn't be too difficult, I mean look around us everything's in black and white. How hard can it be to spot the only colorful thing in this entire place?"
"Because it's not the only colorful thing in this world. It's a pocket dimension meaning it's alive, it won't let us just leave. Not without messing with us first. Plus there are tons of other things, dangerous things that live here."
"Like what?"
Apollo knew that the moment he spoke he shouldn't have. As if on cue they both heard a loud roar and the sound of large wings flapping. Without turning around, afraid of what he might see Apollo looked at Cydney instead and asked.
"Run?"
"Run."
The two bolted, jumping over a picket fence and going straight for one of the deserted houses. Cydney, without hesitation rammed his shoulder through the front door making it burst open as he pulled Apollo inside. Apollo lost his footing and landed against Cydney's chest as he finally turned to see the thing that was screeching after them.
It was about fifteen feet tall with long sharp looking wings at least half that length. With inky black feathers that glistened in the white sun like oil in water and white pupil-less eyes, long black talons and rows and rows of shark like teeth. It looked like what Apollo imagined a fury to look like but more demonic with two pairs of sharp black horns. It clawed and bit savagely at the door frame, trying everything in it's power to break it apart to get his lunch. One of its wings moved backwards like a baseball player getting ready to hit and then snapped it forward, feathers shooting at the two like daggers. Cydney hauled Apollo out of the way just in time as the feathers stabbed into the staircase the two were previously on top of.
Yanking Apollo by his collar Cydney led the way through the basement door where he found a red door. Looking skeptically at it the boy looked back to the basement door that was currently being beaten down by whatever the hell that thing was. He turned the knob and went through, Apollo in tow.
Apollo felt his stomach lurch as the ground disappeared from beneath his feet, gravity was doing it's job and Apollo couldn't fight the instinct to look down. Screaming loudly as he clung onto Cydney, they both free-falled toward the ground.
"HOW IS THIS BETTER?!"
Cydney shook his head, not freaking out which was making Apollo even more scared that maybe he was with a crazy psycho. With an incantation and a snap of his fingers both boys plopped on the ground softly. Apollo felt sick, fighting the urge to vomit he turned to Cydney and hit him on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you do that sooner?! And why didn't you use your magic against whatever the hell that thing was back there?"
"Because I have to speak an incantation first, it takes longer than a second or two and by then that thing, a Shadow Dweller, would have got you."
Taking in a few deep breaths Apollo nodded, clutching his chest as Cydney rose to his feet once more, holding a hand out yet again. Apollo took it and looked around. Now the two were on a beach, the dark grey ocean crashed against the shore softly as palm trees danced in the wind. Cydney started walking angrily through the sand, Apollo on his heels.
"Thank you... By the way."
"...No problem."
The beach quickly turned into a large jungle, thick tall trees covered in vines now surrounded the duo as Cydney walked through it haphazardly, his anger dissipating instead being replaced with what looked like boredom.
"Aren't you scared?"
Apollo asked, clutching on to Cydney's golden blazer.
"What would I be scared for?"
"We're in a nightmarish pocket dimension with scary ass creatures that just tried to attack us, why wouldn't you be scared?"
Cydney shrugged.
"I don't get scared."
"Ah... so you are a psychopath."
Cydney chuckled lightly at this.
"No. I just don't get scared."
"Everyone gets scared by something."
"Oh really? What are you afraid of?"
Apollo let out an exasperated laugh.
"What am I not afraid of? Spiders, heights, the ocean, the dark, being alone, being stabbed, peanut butter sandwiches, the list goes on."
"So basically you're scared of everything?"
"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."
The two shared a laugh and this put Apollo at ease, just a bit. Then Cydney stopped for a minute and looked Apollo dead in the eyes.
"Did you just... Did you just say that you're afraid of peanut butter sandwiches?"
Apollo nodded, already feeling his ears go hot as he looked to his feet.
"I choked on one and died, that's how I got here."
Cydney tried to hold back a laugh which made Apollo's face burn even more.
"Sh-Shut up! Look God was after me that day, I'm not even joking."
Cydney full on laughed in his face, shaking his head.
"You're strange."
"I'm strange? Wow, if I'm strange in this world then maybe I really am a lost cause."
"I said you were strange..."
The two locked eyes once more.
"...I never said it was a bad strange."
Their conversation was cut short as they heard a low growl. Their heads whipped around towards the noise to see they were now surrounded by a pack of panthers. Their black fur blended into the dark trees, moving around them like shadows. The only part of them completely visible was their dangerous yellow eyes. Squeaking a bit Apollo hid behind Cydney who raised his hand up. One went for a pounce but Cydney spoke his incantation quickly and clearly, levitating the panther and swiping his hand sending the panther barreling into it's comrades. With this new opening Cydney made the two went sprinting through the jungle, getting whipped by branches and vines as they ran for their lives. They could hear the sound of a dozen or so paws hit the ground harshly as they roared, snapping at their heels.
Cydney stopped too abruptly and without warning which made Apollo slam into him, knocking both of them off a cliff. Cydney grabbed Apollo by the wrist with one hand and held onto the side of the cliff with another. A couple of panther's went sprinting over the side, yelping as they fell into the jungle below. Upon seeing their comrades fall off the cliff the rest snarled and turned, walking off. One managed to claw onto the side of the cliff, right next to Apollo and Cydney. Cydney tried to speak an incantation but he was too slow as the panther went to bite down on the elf.
Apollo took this time to yank the panther's tail, making it yelp and loosen it's grip on the cliff and tumble down below. Cydney started a new incantation that made both of them float up until they were safely back at the top of the cliff.
"Thank you for that."
Said Cydney, they shared a smile until Apollo saw red. Tapping Cydney's shoulder he pointed at the red door that was now standing in the middle of the dense jungle, along the tree line. They both went through the door and ended up on a halfway built bridge. Scaffolding and crane machines were everywhere and yet, just like every other setting there was no sign of life. At least not any peaceful signs of life.
"When is the red door going to be the one we need?"
Cydney sighed.
"Hopefully the next one will be. Some people have ended up trapped in here for months, years even."
Apollo gulped. Years?
"You can't be serious?"
"Of course I am, time works differently here. We could have only been in here five minutes but back in our world it could be five days."
"Great."
The two began walking down the bridge deciding being this high up in the air was probably not a good idea. They followed the grey road down into a city filled with mountainous skyscrapers.
"Look carefully, the door could be anywhere."
Nodding Apollo strained his neck to look inside buildings and down alleyways.
"Move!"
Apollo was shoved harshly to the pavement, dazed and confused the boy looked around to see Cydney was being dragged down a sewer by a very large snake. It's fangs sunk deep into Cydney's leg. Apollo rushed to the sewer, lunging for Cydney's arm but missed it just barely as the snake slithered off with Cydney in tow.
"Shit!"
Apollo slammed his hand against the pavement and then pouted a bit at the pain. In that moment he saw red in his vision, looking up he saw the red door and then he looked back down at the sewer. Apollo felt slightly guilty at the cowardly thought that crossed his mind. Leave him. You're not a hero anyways, what would you be able to do to help him? You should leave and tell a teacher so they can come and help him. Rising to his feet Apollo tried to convince himself he was making the right decision. You can't help him, Apollo thought. You're just a weak, scared crybaby. Just as he was about to open the door he turned back to the sewer one last time, a large lump forming in his throat.
Lowering his head, he made up his mind. He had no choice in the matter, or at the very least that was what he said to convince himself that he was making the right decision as he turned back to the door and stepped through.