The night sky shimmered with a light that seemed unlike anything normal: stars whispering secrets to Earth, while Aiden alone stood, upon the cracked rooftop of his little apartment building in New Haven. The city had already gone quiet; only a distant hum of traffic, and an occasional bark from some stray dog broke the night. But tonight felt… different.
Aiden held on tightly to his battered telescope, a constant companion since he was a child. Nights had passed, stars counted, constellations charted, and life beyond Earth had been dreamed about. But tonight was different. Tonight it was stargazing and something odd caught in the sky.
A streak of emerald-green light sliced across the sky. Aiden's heart was racing as he adjusted his telescope. The light was not a meteor; it moved too deliberately, zigzagging like a sentient being navigating the cosmos. It disappeared into a swirling vortex of purple and black, leaving ripples in the atmosphere like a stone dropped in water.
What the hell." Aiden muttered, whipping out his phone to film. He tried to center the lens when the air began to distort before him.
The ripple moved fast, spreading a sensation that built up along with it-a low hum resonating within his bones. Aiden reeled backward, almost dropping his telescope, as a blinding light filled his eyes, then he opened them, no longer on the roof.
Aiden stood in a glowing, bioluminescent field of grass, with blues and greens shimmering before the sky filled with two moons. A faint dancing aurora danced overhead; an ethereal glow, that cast upon the land an otherworldly aspect, filled the air with a pungent scent: ozone and something sweet-smelling, like honey.
He turned himself around, trying to decipher what was happening. Before him lay jagged mountains that glowed like they were capped with molten gold at the top. To his left, an endless forest spread out before him, as if it was alive; its trees pulsed and throbbed like a living being's veins.
"This must be some dream," Aiden whispered, trying to pinch himself. Sharp pain shot through his body.
He jolted awake at a rustling from the forest. Aiden stood, his heart beating rapidly. From the darkness came an entity he'd never seen before. He was tall and lean with a translucent body that reflected an auroral glow. The eyes were large and almond-shaped with a soft blue glow.
It cocked its head to the side, scrutinizing him intently.
Uh, hello?" Aiden said, holding up a hand in a weird gesture.
The creature's mouth opened, but nothing came out. Instead, a string of musical notes filled the air, like an entire symphony condensed into one instant. Aiden felt the tones in his head, not just in his ears, as if they were taking shape and forming thoughts.
You're not from around here. That was what the thought materialized in his head, despite the creature never uttering a word.
"No, I… I'm from Earth. I don't even know how I got here," Aiden stuttered.
The creature drew nearer, fluid movements as it raised a long, slender hand, and then, there before him appeared a small orb of light that hovered over the back of its hand. The orb showed flickering images-worlds colliding, stars dying, and a black hole consuming everything in its path.
Your world is in danger, the voice in his mind continued. The rift has opened, and the Others will come.
The Others?" Aiden asked, his voice growing tight with panic.
Before the creature could say anything, a deafening roar boomed across the field. Aiden turned toward the sound and saw a massive shadowy figure emerging from the forest. It was a hulking beast with six legs, glowing red eyes, and tendrils of darkness writhing around its body like living smoke.
The creature that had been speaking to Aiden backed away, its glowing eyes narrowing.
Run, it said in his mind.
"What? Run where?!" Aiden shouted, but the creature had already vanished, melting into the forest like a ghost.
The beast let out another roar and charged.
Aiden's instincts took over. He ran toward the mountains, his legs burning as he pushed through the glowing grass. The ground shook with each step of the monstrous creature behind him. He didn't dare look back.
As he ran, he noticed a faint light ahead—a structure perched on a rocky outcrop. It was a tower, ancient and crumbling, yet emanating a steady golden glow.
The tower… The voice of the translucent being echoed faintly in his mind, as if it were guiding him.
Aiden reached the base of the tower just as the beast closed in. He dove through the arched doorway, narrowly avoiding the swipe of a massive claw. Inside, the air was thick with an unexplainable energy, buzzing against his skin.
The beast crashed into the tower, causing the whole tower to shake. Aiden grabbed his feet and spotted a staircase spiraling up into the air. He quickly started climbing, the roars of the creature reverberating through the stone walls.
A circular chamber shone with golden light, at the top of the tower. There was a pedestal in the center of it, and on the top of the pedestal, there was something strange. It was a metallic sphere with intricate carvings around it. These carvings seemed to change, as if shifting when viewed.
Aiden reached for the sphere instinctively. At the moment his fingers made contact with it, the carvings began glowing, filling the chamber with blinding light.
When the light faded, Aiden was no longer alone. A figure stood before him—a woman clad in armor that shimmered like liquid silver, her eyes blazing with determination.
"You're the Traveler," she said, her voice both commanding and filled with relief. "You've been chosen."
"Chosen for what?" Aiden asked, still trying to catch his breath.
"To save your world—and mine."
The tower trembled once more with a beast that roared from down. The woman held out her hand. "Come with me if you want to live."