"Hurry up! You sure you were not a sloth in your previous life?" questioned a man with messy black-colored hairs, probably in his '20s, iris of the eyes possessing the common color brown and lashes that seemed neither small nor large. His smile perfectly curling below his pointy nose to make his dimples appear on the sides of his face, an addition to his handsomeness. To exaggerate further, his long muscled limbs made his physique fit for an athlete, and his slightly tanned skin probably became everyone's eye candy.
"What's wrong with that, Dayligh? They are cute creatures. And do you know that sloths are not slow because they want to, they are slow because their metabolic rate is not as fast as other animals and this happens due to their diet which is actually poor in nutrients? For example- The leaves they feed on are deficient in.....," the voice of a man same age as the other one became muffled as if being shushed. He was the total opposite of the person named Dayligh. He was of average height and didn't possess any sharp features. His brown hairs that covered most of his brown eyes with glasses laid upon an innocent face as if a boy in his teens. His skin color was fair and he looked fragile but not like the one who would lose in a fight immediately was halted midway by his companion Dayligh.
They both were in their loose night clothing.
"Why did I have to be paired with a nerd like you?", Dayligh sighed while releasing his hand from his brown-haired companion's mouth. He again expressed his anger, "This is frustrating. Your voice is frustrating, it feels like I turned on my Aleza for some information that I didn't even want. So, Asgard, let us both keep quiet and look for the remaining clue, ALRIGHT!"
Altraz nodded in agreement and followed his hunk friend stealthily. They walked through the dark forest without making any sound. The calm and serene atmosphere was perfect for a night walk but the ticking sounds of insects and other creatures gloomed the surroundings. The moon above them too had an indistinct color, a color that the vampires would admire, a color that a doctor is most used to, a color that on 14th Feb has significant importance, a color that flows when an injury happens to an organism, the color of blood.
Altraz stared at the moon for some time but then soon continued following his classmate. The air was nice but it was turning steadily into the wind. As if the pleasant weather was going to change soon and turn into a downpour. After about 10 minutes of walking one of them realized that they were lost as they reached the dead end.
"Hey! Slothy I..um...I think we are headed the wrong way. But the map states that this is the right direction", he pondered for a while, checked his phone, and turned to face Altraz. Dayligh's lips curled up on one side making a half-smile while he shrugged his shoulders and gestured with his hands at his silent companion.
He waited for an answer from his silent companion and at the same time, he checked his phone.
"Say something", his eyebrows raised while he questioned Altraz.
"Umm... I knew we have headed in the wrong direction and after this cliff is a river", after a pause he whispered, "It's a portal to another world."
Dayligh observed his surroundings before giving him a death glare again in order to find the truth in his companion's words. "Hey hey, stop! What are you talking about? But wait!" he looked directly into Altraz's eyes and shouted those words, "you knew we headed in the wrong direction, but you chose to keep quiet and enjoyed your leisurely night walk." Dayligh inquired ferociously.
"But you told me to maintain silence. So, what was I supposed to do?" He peeked through his glasses, unsure which direction his eyes pointed.
Dayligh sighed, took a deep breath, and then glared at Altraz before he started speaking "Look Asgard! or whatever, I don't know if you are seriously this dumb or just pretending to be one but this isn't funny. First of all, I got paired with you instead of some girl and secondly, I don't want you to ruin my college trip. Today's camping night included the random pairing of partners for the game's task but I'm gonna make sure that this mistake is not repeated. I am warning you because I have heard those rumors about you. If you are trying to make any kind of move then back off. I am into girls, so if you enjoyed your time with me, please lead the way so we can head back safely," he sounded both angry and scared while his eyes were busy checking his phone for directions on the map.
Altraz looked at him but the expression on his face was indifferent. He was neither sad nor angry. It was not the first time he heard something like this. It all started in college when some random boy confessed to him as a prank but Altraz being unaware got excited by the attention and said yes. He knew he messed up and then tried to modify the situation by playing along. But the damage had been done and the word spread like wildfire. The life of a nerd was already tough and the rumor worked as icing on the top. After that, he tried to suppress the feelings but soon he realized his true feelings as Dayligh entered college.
He came on a sports scholarship and was an elite basketball player. He was different from others. Kind and gentle, like the perfect types that are rare to find. Everybody loved him and so did Altraz. But his encounter today with Dayligh is making him contemplate again about his love towards him.
He is not the kind and gentle type he imagined him to be and most of all he is already aware of his situation. But all these years in college made Altraz a little strong and so he no longer suppressed his true self and today he decided to speak up against him too.
"You know I am happy that you remember me but also sad that you know me in the wrong way. I thought you were a perfect person, different from the others but I guess no one is perfect not even you. You thought I took you out on a leisure walk in the shade of moonlight? But you were wrong so let me modify it for you.
I didn't come to take a walk with you but your idea seems nice and now I am planning to take one. I hope you don't mind Dayligh because that's what my real intentions are now, the moon is so beautiful today and so are you," Altraz talked in a tone that sounded robotic. It felt as if he was hypnotized after looking at the moon. He kept on blabbering as he complained and grumbled to realize his true feelings and Dayligh kept on staring blankly at him.
"Lol..Asgard, you finally lost your senses huh! I would actually prefer you acting like Aleza and not some sad podcast," the black-haired guy retreated slightly maybe in fear of his companion's weird talking.
Altraz was amazed, actually, he was beyond amazed but his determination was fixed and hence he continued to defend himself. "You all think this is funny, don't you. If you guys play a prank then it was just for fun and if I do something then it all sounds weird to you, but trust me I am serious this time and so I will be taking you on a walk but...but the fun part is...we are not doing it here but instead in another world", as soon as he finished his sentence he came rushing towards Dayligh and bumped into him.
The collision led to both of them rolling on the ground as they headed towards the dead-end and fell from the cliff.
"Dayligh, I am hurt. You know I really thought you were different. You were always nice to others then why did you act like this towards me. But I want you to remember my name. It's not Asgard, It's Altraz", were the last words he said while falling into the river with a splash.
.
.
Above them, the red moon shone brightly and illuminated the night sky. The blood moon is a phenomenon that occurs rarely, once in a decade and nobody knows if the supernatural tales related to them are really true or just a hoax. But one such tale that Altraz mentioned is still believed by the folks that on the night of the red moon those who reach this cliff can travel to another dimension if they jump from there into the river below. Because on the night of the red moon, the river will create a portal that will serve as a medium to another world.
To a world, having a hierarchy entirely different from ours.
.
.tO bE cOnTiNuEd...
Sneak peek at the next chapter..
If this was a dream, then I wanted to live and believe, but if this was somehow a reality, I was afraid of what the next step holds for me.
The lady who was dressed as a maid, similar to our age, reciprocated my gaze with an expressionless face and approached Dayligh. She started hitting him with his foot and it was at that time I realized that I had to take action. As I rushed towards Dayligh I saw him stretching his body as a person does after waking up.
He then yawned and rolled his eyes which laid upon me. He was totally shocked and was about to yell something before going back to sleep again when the maid lady interrupted, "Since you both woke up now, let's get the day started."