My name is Andrean Tanda, but most people call me Tanda. I was born in 1997 on Earth, and in 2012, the event happened. In the midst of global chaos colored by the Mayan prophecy about the end of the world, panic gripped many around the globe. Yet, what seemed to be the end for most was the beginning of an entirely different adventure for me.
At that time, I was only fifteen years old. The outside world felt full of drama and panic. News of a Solar Storm threatening Earth, along with the Mayan prophecy predicting the end of the world, made people react with hysteria. However, in the midst of all that chaos, I was just a young boy fascinated by the sky's beautiful and terrifying phenomena.
That night, the sky was filled with strange glowing colors, stars shimmering in hues I had never seen before. It wasn't a normal night sky; it was as if something had changed the rules we knew about the world. Amidst this brilliance, the sky appeared clear and shiny, yet there was something profoundly different about it. My parents panicked, gathering with neighbors to discuss what to do, while I simply stood in the yard, staring up at the sky with curiosity.
As the night deepened, the sky grew darker, and the world around me seemed increasingly empty. I felt a strange calmness seep into me, like something big was happening beyond my comprehension. Suddenly, everything seemed to stop. There was no wind, no sound of birds or insects. Everything went silent. And that was when everything changed.
I felt like I was being pulled out of the reality I knew. It was as if my body was floating out of control, and the sky around me began swirling, forming strange patterns I couldn't describe. Then, all at once, everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I woke up in a place completely foreign to me. I was in the midst of total darkness, in a place without boundaries. There were no stars, no planets, just an all-encompassing darkness. This place was unlike anything I had ever seen. There was a deep sense of emptiness and insignificance in the air. I felt a coldness that pierced through to my bones, and every breath felt heavy and frozen.
In my confusion, I tried to stand, but it was as if there was no surface beneath me, as if I was floating in the middle of the darkness. My steps felt like walking on a soft surface with no boundaries. Every move I made left a trace in the darkness that quickly vanished without a trace. I felt trapped in an empty space without dimensions.
I had no idea how long I had been in this place. Time seemed meaningless here. I struggled hard to find clues, hoping to discover something that could help me understand this place or a way out. I tried shouting, but my voice was swallowed by the silence. I began to feel desperate, wondering if I would be stuck here forever, without any hope of returning to the world I knew.
Then, one day—or perhaps night, because time had no meaning here—I saw a light in the distance. The light was soft and shimmering, a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness. I felt compelled to approach it. Every step I took towards that light felt heavier, but I kept moving forward with hope.
As I got closer, the light formed a small portal before my eyes. This portal had soft, flowing colors, as if there was vibrating energy within it. I felt a strange sensation as I stepped closer, as if there was a magnet pulling me towards it. I knew this was my only chance to escape this place.
With fear and hope, I stepped into the portal. My entire body felt squeezed and gripped by a force I couldn't describe. The sensation made me nauseous and dizzy. But before I realized what was happening, I felt myself falling into another world.
I fell into a dense forest. The sounds of birds and insects filled the air, and sunlight streamed through the canopy of tall trees. The smell of damp earth and fresh leaves filled my nose, providing a refreshing contrast to the cold and emptiness I had felt. It was as if I had escaped from the torturous darkness and entered a world full of life.
As I began to explore this forest, I felt relieved but also worried. I knew that although this place seemed more alive, I still didn't know what I would face next. I needed to understand this place and find my way back to the world I knew. I continued walking cautiously, observing strange plants and unfamiliar creatures.
Not long after, I encountered an old man who seemed to be the guardian of this forest. He wore clothing made from natural materials, and his gaze was filled with wisdom.
I approached the old man with curiosity and asked, "Hello, sir? Do you know where I am?"
The old man looked at me with a deep gaze as if he was reading something invisible to me.
"Ẏţ çǫnṭīnù ǫğæ áṭ ǫrɔģǫ ǯœā, ʂụșț śɏŝčɔḫ ō ŧǝş ẏǔ ẇḩæ. Ǫḫo ŧɔxăğ ḥē ṭɏ lōèǧ ãrś șū," he replied, his voice resonating like an ancient chant in a language I could not recognize.
I could only stare at him in confusion. "Sorry, sir, I don't understand what you're saying."
He nodded slowly and said, "Apāśśūrū ǫ ḳʂē ǯœa-ȝ ăq ǫʂ ʂɪ. Ǫṭo ɯo ʒċ ʃẏʇ ō ǭʜ ćā."
I frowned, feeling even more confused by his words, which sounded like a code or ancient language. "Is there a way I can understand what you're saying, sir?"
The old man seemed to grasp my confusion and began speaking with a slower pace, as if searching for another way to convey his message. "ꞩѧ ʂ ϻʒ ǯō ʃğ ãʋ. Ǫðʇ ɯ ɕ ʆ ʂ ɐ; ǫɹɵ."
I felt trapped in a conversation I couldn't decipher or interpret. "Can you explain it in a way that's easier to understand? I'm really lost."
The old man finally looked at me with a patient expression. "Ẏṯ ǫ ǭŧ ẏ ʂ ʃ ɯ ɭ æ. ɹë ʃē ẏ Ǫɭ ʇ ʉ."
Though I couldn't fully comprehend his words, there was a certainty in his gaze and tone that made me feel slightly at ease. I could only hope that there was meaning behind each word he spoke and that he might be able to help me on this journey.
The old man, realizing my confusion, began using sign language to communicate. He pointed towards the forest and then patted his chest, indicating that he lived nearby. Then, with a gentle hand motion, he showed the path I should follow.
I followed him attentively, tracing his steps among the tall, dense trees. This forest had a soothing beauty, with sunlight filtering through the leaves and the refreshing scent of wet soil. However, I couldn't fully enjoy the scenery because my focus was on the old man and trying to understand his gestures.
As we walked, the old man frequently stopped and pointed at various plants and creatures we passed. Although I didn't understand everything he was trying to convey, I could sense that he was attempting to show me something important about the environment around us. I watched closely, hoping that this information might be useful later in the journey or when I tried to find my way back.
Finally, after walking for some time, we arrived at a wide clearing in the middle of the forest. Here, there was a small house made from natural materials, similar to the old man's clothing. The house was surrounded by a small garden with strange and exotic plants. There was the sound of trickling water from a small stream flowing beside the house. As we arrived, the old man waved his hand towards the house, indicating that I could enter.
"Is this your house?" I asked, glancing towards the house. The old man simply smiled and nodded, then stepped inside first.
Inside the house, he began preparing something in the kitchen, occasionally glancing at me with a gentle smile. I sat in a chair provided and watched him work.
"Thank you for your help," I said, trying to smile. The old man nodded and responded softly in a language I didn't understand, "Ẏṯ ǫ ḳ ʂ ʇ ɯ ɭ ẏ. Ẏṯ ŧṡ ǥ ɹ ʃ ɹ ɯ ʇ ǫ. Ǫḫo ǯōčḧ ẏ."
I could only stare at him in confusion. "Sorry, sir, I don't understand what you're saying."
He seemed to understand my confusion and began using sign language. He pointed towards the food and then touched his chest, as if saying there was no need to thank him.
After a while, he lifted a bowl of warm soup and placed it on the table in front of me. He smiled and gestured for me to eat.
"This food looks delicious," I said, taking a spoon and tasting the soup. The old man sat across the table and began speaking softly
again, "Īt çȟǫt ṯǫ å ṭẏń. ǥ ɯǫ ĵūżǫ ćœā."
I still couldn't understand his words, but the warmth of the soup made me feel a little better.
Not long after, a girl around my age arrived, with arrows on her back and a bow in her hand.
When the girl appeared, the atmosphere in the room immediately changed. She looked at me with sharp and anxious eyes, while the old man seemed surprised and quickly stood to face the situation. The girl gripped her bow tightly, and the tip of her arrow was pointed directly at me.
"Ǫṭō ɯʇ ʇ ǯ ʂ ɯ ɭ ɹ ʇ ǯ ɯ ʇ ʇ ȯ!" the girl shouted in a language that was completely foreign to me. Her voice was filled with anger and disbelief.
The old man tried to calm her down with gentle hand gestures and a softer tone. "Ƨŧ ɯ ḱ ɯ ǯ ʂ ʇ ϻ ǯ ɯ ʈ. ɹë ɯ ɭ ɯ ɹ ʇ."
The girl continued to stare at me with deep suspicion. "Ƨӧ ʇ ʉ ǯ ɯ ɲ. ɹğ ɯ ɯ ɯ ϻ ʇ?"
The old man tried his best to explain, "Ȳṯ ǫ ǭŧ ẏ ʂ ʃ ɯ ɭ æ. ɹë ʃē ẏ Ǫɭ ʇ ʉ."
The girl furrowed her brow, seeming to begin to understand that the old man was trying to explain something. "Çú ǥ ǯ ɯ ϻ ȯ ɯ ǭʜ ʇ ɯ ɭ?" she asked, her tone a bit calmer.
The old man nodded and pointed his index finger toward me. "Ƨŧ ɯ ḱ ɯ ǯ ʂ ʇ ϻ ǯ ɯ ʈ. ɹë ʃē ẏ Ǫɭ ʇ ʉ."
The girl finally lowered her bow slightly, though she still looked wary. She approached me and began to speak, this time using the same language I knew from Earth. "Who are you? How did you escape from the Dimensional Nexus?"
The Dimensional Nexus? What is that? Could the Dimensional Nexus be the place where I was trapped? This girl knows something.