"Enough with the introductions; we have to leave. We're wasting time," the god said.
"That's true, we should go now," Lucio mentioned. "How about I open the portal, Eliam?"
"Eliam? Who's that?" Kayl asked, looking surprised.
"That's me. Just because I'm a divine being doesn't mean I don't have a name," the god of life and death replied, almost tired of waiting. "Do as you wish, Lucio; I don't think any of you could handle my way of traveling."
Kayl stared blankly into space, a knot forming in his stomach. The horizon of his life had completely shifted, and with it, all the questions that once seemed trivial multiplied. "What about school?" he kept asking himself, as if that were his only concern now, even though he knew deep down that his life would never be the same.
Lucio, standing in front of him, looked as serene as ever. His expression, so unruffled, contrasted with Kayl's inner turmoil. There was something about this man that made Kayl feel small and insignificant, not just because of his powerful presence but because he seemed to have everything under control.
"What about school? I can't just leave it like this…" Kayl ventured to ask, looking at Lucio with a mixture of frustration and doubt. He couldn't fathom that his entire life was being swept away by something as surreal as a spiritual world.
Lucio gave him a calm look, in no rush to respond, as if the answer were the simplest thing in the world.
"You don't need to worry about that," he said, his tone so firm it almost seemed like his voice could stop time. "I informed the school that you are very sick; you have a medical note excusing you for a week."
"Kayl, please don't forget to bring me," said the little kitten.
"Of course not. I can't go to an unknown world without my little guide."
"How sappy," Isaac commented, watching the dramatic scene unfold with Eliam.
Kayl frowned, trying to process the information. The idea of losing his life for something as ambiguous as time was difficult for him to accept. However, there was something he couldn't let go.
"Wait, before I leave…" he murmured, looking around as if searching for something unseen. "I need something."
He quickly walked to his room. He wasn't sure why, but a strange feeling told him he couldn't go to the spiritual world without that small accessory—so insignificant, yet so necessary. He opened his desk drawer quickly, and among several papers, he pulled out a pair of glasses. Putting them on, he felt a slight sense of relief. He'd always had vision problems, but that small action gave him the reassurance of seeing clearly.
"I can't see well without them," he said softly, as if justifying a habit that somehow gave him a sense of stability.
When he returned, he found the others watching him in silence. Isaac, with a calm smile, seemed more relaxed than the rest. Ellie, on the other hand, had an impatient expression, but as soon as she saw him, her face shifted to one of surprise.
"I think it's a good idea for you to wear them," she said, admiring his face. "Wow…"
Kayl blushed completely; he was very shy with compliments and tried to hide a faint smile that escaped without him noticing.
The rift that had opened in the air had already grown considerably. It was a floating opening with glowing edges, almost like a window into the void. The light it emitted illuminated the room with an ethereal glow, making it feel as if time had stopped there. The space beyond the rift was a chaos of lights and shadows, as if the entire universe were in constant motion.
"Is that… the portal?" Kayl asked, his voice a bit shaky as his eyes followed the rift that began swallowing everything around it.
Lucio nodded, not giving much importance to his question.
"Yes, it's the portal to the spiritual world. But you don't have to worry. I've crossed it many times; it's completely safe, I promise," he replied, his tone as casual as if traveling between dimensions were an everyday task.
But before he could take the next step, Kayl felt something was wrong. A sudden dizziness hit him, his stomach twisted, and the floor beneath him seemed to vanish for a moment.
He tried to stay upright, but Eliam's words reached him before he could react.
"Are you dizzy? How weak you are, human! All humans are weak, unable to handle something as simple as a slight distortion in reality. Not even a simple journey like this…" Eliam began, his tone haughty and condescending, but he suddenly paused.
His words stopped instantly, and a faint shiver ran through his body. Eliam stopped in mid-sentence, his face showing a slight discomfort. He briefly covered his mouth with his hand, as if fighting an urge to vomit.
"I need… Just wait…" he said, leaning against a wall, unable to finish his sentence.
Kayl, stunned, looked at the god in disbelief. The same being who had just called him "weak," the one who had been looking down on him the whole time, was… dizzy.
It was then that Isaac, unable to hold back, broke the silence with an explosive laugh. His laughter echoed throughout the place, sounding almost like a mischievous child enjoying the irony of the situation. Ellie, equally surprised, began laughing too, their laughter blending, amplifying the awkwardness in the air.
"Really? The great Eliam, dizzy from a little portal?" Isaac laughed, his mocking tone making it clear he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Ellie, with a mischievous smile, joined in the laughter.
"I thought gods didn't get dizzy or have 'human' symptoms," she said, looking at how Eliam had his mouth covered with his hand.
Eliam, however, quickly regained his composure, letting out a huff of annoyance.
"Don't get confused," he replied, trying to sound firm. "This has nothing to do with my power. Humans are too sensitive to withstand these fluctuations. As we said before, you'll be the most affected."
Lucio observed the scene with an almost detached calmness. He didn't seem surprised that Eliam was struggling to control his dizziness, but his expression showed disapproval.
"I don't think I can do it; every time I get close, I feel a pressure that makes me dizzy," Kayl said, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"In that case, we can try traveling my way," Eliam mentioned, attempting to hide his expression of relief, "although, of course, I doubt you could handle that either."
Isaac, who had been watching the interaction, let out a soft, mocking laugh as if Eliam's attitude was something he'd expected.
"Don't worry, Eliam," Isaac said playfully. "It's just that… Kayl isn't used to the 'spiritual strength' some of us have. You got dizzy again, didn't you?" he added with unfiltered laughter, pointing at Eliam.
Ellie, who had remained mostly quiet and serious until now, couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh as well.
"Eliam, dizzy?" she exclaimed, a mischievous grin on her face. "That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!"
Eliam, who had been motionless for a moment, put a hand to his head, trying to hide his discomfort. For an instant, the air around him felt charged with tension. However, his pride was so great that he quickly recovered, returning to his haughty stance.
"This isn't weakness," he replied, his voice trying to sound firm, though a slight pause betrayed his discomfort. "My journey is… different. I am a god, and I don't get dizzy from… these… trivialities."
Despite his attempt to maintain composure, Kayl noticed Eliam was paler than usual. The look he gave the boy was even more arrogant, as if his little slip had been nothing significant.
"I told you," Isaac said, turning to Kayl with a smile that clearly showed his amusement. "This guy travels differently, but even he isn't immune to the rift's tides."
Ellie, meanwhile, approached Kayl with a playful look.
"Don't worry about Eliam," she said, her tone mixing tenderness with sarcasm. "He has a bigger ego than patience, but nothing a good 'dizzy spell' can't put in its place."
Lucio, who had been watching, finally took a step forward, interrupting the joke that was unfolding.
"The spiritual world isn't easy to understand," he said, his voice graver and more serious. "The dizziness and effects of this place aren't something to be laughed at, Eliam."
Eliam shot Lucio a furious look, but before he could reply, the air around him began to change. The light in the room intensified for a moment, as if the world itself reacted to the tension in the air.
"Stop wasting time," Eliam said, with a forced smile. "We've been here long enough. Let's go."
"You're right, enough jokes. Kayl, follow Isaac and Ellie, and prepare to cross the portal," he said firmly.
The chaos of laughter and jokes between Isaac and Ellie stopped as quickly as it had started, and the group prepared to cross the portal. Kayl wasn't sure what to expect on the other side, but somehow, Lucio's words reassured him. If anyone knew that place, it was him.
"You can hold my hand if you want," Ellie said to Kayl, noticing his worried expression. "It's really quick; you'll barely notice it."
With a sigh, Kayl took a step toward the portal alongside Ellie and his new cat, without looking back, followed by the others. At that very moment, the rift that had opened before his eyes swallowed them completely.