The night stretched on endlessly as Raine wandered through the alien landscape, his heart pounding with equal parts fear and wonder. The two moons cast silvery beams over the strange terrain, painting the world in ethereal light. The faint hum of unseen creatures echoed in the distance, a low chorus that sent shivers down his spine.
He tightened his grip on the glowing book, its faint warmth seeping into his palm. It had changed again. The rune on its cover pulsed gently, as though alive, and every so often, he swore he could hear faint whispers emanating from it, just out of reach.
"What are you?" Raine whispered aloud, holding the book at arm's length.
The whispers ceased instantly.
The sudden silence was almost worse, filling him with an inexplicable dread. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. He needed to figure out where he was—and how to survive.
Ahead, the forest loomed, its glowing trees swaying as though in a breeze he couldn't feel. The air grew heavier the closer he got, tinged with an electric charge that made the hair on his arms stand on end.
A faint trail caught his eye, barely visible under the soft glow of the moonlight. The dirt path wound its way into the trees, its edges lined with faintly luminous stones that seemed to pulse in time with the rune on the book.
"Convenient," he muttered. "Or a trap."
He hesitated, glancing back at the open field behind him. The beast from earlier was gone, but the memory of its six glowing eyes and bone-like protrusions made him shudder.
"Better than staying out here," he said, more to himself than anything else.
Taking a deep breath, Raine stepped onto the trail.
The forest was eerily quiet, the only sounds coming from his own footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves above. The glowing stones guided him deeper and deeper, their soft light the only thing keeping the oppressive darkness at bay.
As he walked, his mind wandered back to the events in the library. The voice, the strange portal, the sudden arrival in this… world. None of it made sense. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
A sudden noise snapped him out of his thoughts.
It was faint—a low, rhythmic thumping, like the distant beat of a drum. He froze, straining to pinpoint the sound. It was coming from up ahead, deeper in the forest.
His instincts screamed at him to turn back, but something about the sound was… inviting. Against his better judgment, he pressed on, his grip on the book tightening.
The trail opened into a small clearing, and Raine's breath caught in his throat.
A massive stone structure stood in the center, its surface covered in intricate carvings that glowed faintly with the same pulsing light as the book. The thumping sound was louder now, reverberating through the ground beneath his feet.
At the base of the structure was an archway, its interior filled with swirling blue light.
"A portal?" Raine whispered, taking a cautious step forward.
The book in his hand flared brightly, its rune glowing in sync with the portal. The light from the book grew stronger, enveloping his entire body in a warm, golden glow.
Then the voice returned.
"The path diverges. Choose wisely."
Raine's head snapped up, his heart pounding. "Who's there?" he demanded, spinning in place.
The clearing was empty.
"Show yourself!"
Silence.
He turned back to the portal, his mind racing. Was this his way home? Or was it another trap? The voice hadn't exactly been forthcoming with answers so far.
Before he could decide, the ground beneath him trembled.
A low growl echoed through the clearing, and Raine's blood turned to ice. From the shadows of the forest, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, followed by another… and another.
The beast from earlier wasn't alone.
Raine's legs moved before his brain could catch up, carrying him toward the portal. The creatures roared behind him, their footsteps thundering through the clearing as they gave chase.
The book pulsed in his hand, growing hotter with every step.
He didn't stop to think. He didn't hesitate. As he reached the base of the structure, he threw himself through the swirling blue light.
For a moment, there was nothing but darkness.
Then the world exploded into color.
Raine hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He groaned, rolling onto his back as he tried to catch his breath.
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the clearing anymore.
The new world around him was even stranger than the last. The sky was a deep, swirling purple, dotted with stars that seemed impossibly close. Massive floating islands drifted overhead, connected by shimmering bridges of light. The air buzzed with energy, and the ground beneath him glowed faintly with the same runes that covered the book.
Raine sat up, clutching the book tightly. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a voice broke the silence.
"About time you showed up."
Raine spun around, his eyes widening.
Standing a few feet away was a figure—a young man, about his age, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a strange outfit, a mix of armor and cloth, and a sword hung at his side.
Raine's heart skipped a beat. There was something unnervingly familiar about him.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
The man smirked. "You don't recognize your own brother?"
To Be Continued…