Everything was spinning.
Jordan plummeted through an endless void—not just dark, but alive. The space writhed with energy, pulsing like a heartbeat, whispering in ancient tongues he couldn't comprehend. Symbols blinked in and out of sight—blue, red, gold—dancing like embers caught in a storm.
Then—impact.
He hit the ground hard. Grass. Dirt. Breath knocked out of him.
He gasped and rolled onto his back, chest heaving. Above him, a sky the color of bruised twilight stretched infinitely, pierced by two glowing suns that bled light through violet haze. The trees surrounding him weren't still—they moved, subtly swaying even without wind, their branches coiling like sleeping serpents. The air was heavy with the scent of burnt metal… and flowers.
Jordan sat up, wincing.
"What the hell is this place…"
He checked himself—bruised but not broken. Phone shattered. Bag missing. His hands were scraped raw, knees muddy. This wasn't a dream. Dreams didn't ache like this.
And then—the howl.
Far off. Guttural. Not wolf. Not dog. Something… wrong.
Jordan scrambled to his feet, adrenaline rising. Trees groaned softly around him, like they were listening. Watching.
His eyes landed on the ground where he'd fallen.
A symbol—circular, ancient-looking, still glowing faintly beneath the grass. The same runes he saw in the void. They pulsed once, then began to fade, like a message written in breath on glass.
His stomach twisted.
Before he could make sense of it, a voice spoke from behind the trees.
"You're not from here."
Jordan spun, fists raised—not that he could do much.
A figure stepped out from the shadows. A girl, cloaked in mossy green, holding a crooked staff topped with bone and crystal. Her eyes glowed faintly in the half-light, and a hovering rune circled lazily above her open palm.
"I didn't mean to come here," Jordan said quickly. "I don't even know where here is. One minute I was… somewhere else, and then—"
"The Rift," she cut in quietly. "It spat you out."
He blinked. "The what?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes moved to the still-fading circle in the grass.
"That mark… it hasn't opened in years."
Jordan rubbed the side of his head. "Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just trying to—figure this out."
The girl studied him for a long moment. Her gaze wasn't hostile—just cautious, calculating. Like someone sizing up a puzzle with missing pieces.
"You fell through a Rift," she repeated, stepping a little closer. "That means something brought you here. Something old. Something forgotten."
Jordan didn't know how to respond. Every inch of him wanted answers, but every word from her only opened more questions.
He hesitated. "So... what happens now?"
She lowered her staff slightly. "That depends. If the Rift chose you… there's a reason."
"A reason?" he scoffed, stepping back. "I'm just some guy who was trying to buy eggs. I didn't ask for any of this."
"Most don't."
The forest behind her rustled. She turned her head, alert, then looked back at him.
"You'll need to move. This place isn't safe after sundown."
Jordan exhaled, finally realizing how cold it had gotten.
"Can I trust you?" he asked.
Her lips twitched—not quite a smile.
"No. But if you don't follow me, you won't live long enough to decide."
She turned and started walking into the trees.
Jordan hesitated, looking back at the fading rune in the grass.
Whatever this is… it's real.
He followed.