The only thing that existed in the void was darkness. A boundless, empty world, a cage of nothingness, where time and space seemed to collapse into a singularity. A boy lay motionless within it, trapped in an endless blackness. His body was still, unyielding—no breath, no movement, not even a twitch of his muscles. All he could feel was the oppressive chill, the unbroken silence of the void.
Suddenly, a small ball of brilliant light appeared above his lifeless form. It hovered and pulsed gently, slowly orbiting his body in a soft glow. The light whispered, a warm, feminine voice rising from the depths of the emptiness.
"Wake up, Timothy. We're running out of time. The storm's getting closer, and if you don't wake up now, everything will be lost. You'll be trapped here with no way to fight back. Not just you—everyone."
Timothy's eyes flickered, heavy with the weight of sleep. He could feel a strange, tense energy filling the air, but the voice was the one thing grounding him.
"You've been unconscious for too long. The storm's closing in on us. Everything we've worked for is at risk if we don't act now. You can't afford to stay asleep. We need you to fight. Wake up and lead us out of this."
Timothy's mind stirred. The world around him was still dark, but the sensation of an impending threat gnawed at him, relentless. The air felt thick, charged with a sense of urgency.
The voice, clearer now, urged him again, "Wake up, Timothy. The storm is here. It's not just a storm—it's a force that could tear everything apart. And if we're not careful, we might not make it out. Your friends are counting on you."
Timothy's eyes fluttered open, their white, spiky strands of hair seeming to sway as if caught in an invisible breeze. His clothes rippled, and with a swift motion, he rose to his feet, arms stretching wide. The scene before him was nothing—pure blackness.
He scanned his surroundings but quickly realized the truth: he wasn't in some foreign place. He was inside his own mind, trapped within the vast, limitless expanse of his consciousness. The light flickered, and from it, a figure began to take shape—a silhouette, delicate and ethereal.
The figure solidified into a girl with short, pale mauve hair that brushed her shoulders. Her eyes, a soft shade of pink, locked onto Timothy's as she smiled. She wore a white jacket over a gray shirt, a pink backpack slung across her back, and a black skirt paired with long leggings.
"Tomomi…" Timothy's voice trembled in disbelief. "What's going on? All I remember is a flash of light, and then… this. Am I dead?"
Tomomi's gaze softened as she took a step toward him. "No, you're not dead. Don't you remember? You've been caught in the Black Storm, the rift in time that's been connecting different universes. Now we're trapped in a World we don't understand. Your friends are stuck too, but they need your help to wake up."
Timothy's brow furrowed. "A storm… that connects universes? But where are we? I can smell something… like saltwater. An ocean is nearby, isn't it?"
Tomomi nodded. "That's right. We're trapped in the middle of an ocean, caught between. Our mission was to intercept the core event that's driving the Black Storm—the event that's tearing apart. If it isn't stopped, the storm will keep erasing worlds, erasing everything. We're not just trying to survive; we need to figure out how to halt the chain reaction before it spreads beyond our reach. The storm's spread is accelerating, and your friends are part of the equation. We can't let them fall into it."
"Great," Timothy muttered, rubbing his temples. "We're stuck in some unknown world, and I'm supposed to save the day. Typical. Do you think you could wake me up? I can't do anything while I'm in here, and I have no idea how to fix this."
"Of course. Just hold on," Tomomi said.
The light around Timothy flickered once more, and Tomomi's presence began to fade. As her form dissolved, Timothy found himself alone in the black void, waiting. Slowly, a warmth began to grow in the emptiness—a sensation of life returning to his limbs. He felt the subtle vibrations of his body stirring, the once stagnant nerves now buzzing to life.
Then, with a jolt, Timothy's eyes snapped open.
He was no longer in the void. He was on a beach, the sands stretching out around him. The world was bright, yet desolate. His companions lay unconscious nearby, soaked from the water that had carried them here. Timothy stood, surveying the scene as his thoughts raced.
Tomomi hovered beside him, her presence a calming, reassuring force. "They're all here," she said, glancing at the others. "But they're still trapped in their dreams. You need to wake them."
Timothy nodded, stepping over to the first figure—an unconscious girl with long, white hair that cascaded down her back. She wore a black top, but her jacket had slipped off, leaving her exposed to the cold winds. Timothy gently shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her.
The girl's eyes snapped open, and she quickly sat up, scanning her surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked, adjusting her jacket as she stood, confused.
"I don't know," Timothy admitted. "But I think we've all ended up in some strange place. Just look around—you, me, Elliott, Codey, Tomomi… We must've accidentally slipped into another universe."
The girl looked at the horizon, eyes narrowing. "This place feels... isolated. It's all water, and there's no land for miles. We might be stuck on a tiny island."
Timothy nodded, glancing around. "We need to wake the others, then figure out how to get out of here."
One by one, Timothy and the girl woke their friends: Elliott, Codey, and Nina. As they stirred, confusion clouded their faces, but the gravity of the situation quickly set in.
"So, what's the plan?" Codey asked, wiping his eyes. "How do we get out of here?"
"We find a ship," Timothy replied. "That's our best shot."
As if on cue, Ayuka—the girl Timothy had woken—pointed towards the horizon. "Look! A ship! It's coming this way!"
The group squinted into the distance, barely able to make out the shape of a vessel cutting through the water. Their spirits lifted as they waved desperately at the ship, hoping for rescue.
"Hey!" Ayuka shouted. "Over here! We're stranded! Please help us!"
The ship sailed toward them, and as it drew closer, a figure appeared at the edge of the deck. A man with gray hair and black eyes, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, surveyed them with a smirk.
"I see some lost souls out here. Need a hand?"
His voice was rough but friendly, and the crew behind him seemed to share his easy-going demeanor. Timothy, still wary but desperate, stepped forward. "Yes, please. We've been stuck here. We need to get off this island."
The man raised an eyebrow but gestured for them to board. "I'm Slade 'Master' Zeddicus, captain of this ship. We're headed to Evergreed Island. From there, you can figure out what to do next."
"We just want to get back to Yashikami City," Timothy said, hoping for an answer.
Slade chuckled. "Yashikami? It's not that easy. To get there, you'll have to cross the Outer-Sea Barrier. That's not just any ocean—it's a vast expanse, and it separates Earth from other dimensions."
Timothy frowned, his mind racing. "Another dimension…"
"You got it," Slade said. "But don't worry. For now, we'll take you to Evergreed Island. From there, who knows what you'll find."
As the ship set sail, Timothy couldn't shake the feeling that they were only at the beginning of something much larger than they had imagined. As he looked out over the endless ocean, he knew one thing for sure—they were far from home, and their journey had only just begun.
To be continued...