Everything was silent. Not a sound. Not even the faintest whisper of wind. I didn't know what that light was—or where it had taken me—but it felt like I was floating in nothingness. My body felt weightless, numb… then suddenly, my knees hit something soft. Sand?
I gasped. It was warm beneath my palms. I blinked a few times before my eyes finally adjusted—and what I saw made absolutely no sense.
I expected darkness. A creepy basement. A forest. Maybe I'd been kidnapped. But no. Instead, there were colors—too bright, too alive, too unreal. The trees around me shimmered like they were breathing. The air glowed faintly, every speck of dust looked like light.
I tilted my head back. The sky was pink. Not sunset pink—pink. Like cotton candy, painted across the heavens. My mouth dropped open. "What… what is this?" I whispered.
My voice didn't just fade—it echoed. Softly. Like the world itself repeated it back.
"What is this… this…"
I froze. Did the air just talk back to me?
"Where am I?" I tried again, but my words only came back quieter, emptier.
A strange chill ran down my spine. My heartbeat quickened. Everything was too quiet—no birds, no wind, no sign of life. Just this haunting beauty that made my skin crawl.
What was that light earlier? What was this place—so pretty it hurt to look at, but so silent it scared me?
I turned in a slow circle. No one. Nothing. I wanted to go home… but even the thought of home made my stomach twist. Mom's face flashed in my head—angry, disappointed. We'd fought before I stormed out. And then Jake—ugh, Jake. His stupid rejection replayed in my mind, and I cringed so hard it hurt.
I'm so stupid. I whispered to myself. I never want to go back there.
Then, something glowed faintly. My wrist.
The same golden light from before. It pulsed weakly now, small but alive, like it was breathing under my skin. I rubbed it hard, hoping it would fade—but it didn't.
"Hello?" My voice cracked. "Is… anyone here?"
At first, silence. Then—
"Finally," a faint voice whispeperd . "You're here."
I froze. My heart jumped. "Who said that?"
I looked around wildly. "Who's there? Where is here? Do you know me? Did you bring me here? Show yourself!"
No answer. Just silence again.
Then suddenly, the air in front of me shimmered—like heat rising from the ground—and he appeared.
A figure. Tall. Still. Calm. Watching me. His eyes… were gold. Not brown, not hazel—gold, glowing softly like the same light that brought me here.
He didn't look human.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound brave. My voice betrayed me, trembling.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was something fragile. "You don't remember me?"
"What?" I blinked. "Should I?"
A faint, almost sad smile touched his lips. "No. Not yet."
His gaze dropped to my wrist, where the golden mark was still faintly glowing. "The light chose you," he said quietly. "That's why you're here."
"The light?" I repeated, stepping back. "What are you talking about? What light?"
He walked closer, slow and sure, like he didn't want to scare me—but he already had. "It's a portal," he said. "It doesn't appear for everyone. Only when something is lost… or when life is taken."
"Lost? Taken?" My mind spun. "What does that even mean?"
He glanced past me, eyes flickering with something unreadable. "Sometimes it opens when the Fiths attack."
"The what?" I snapped. "The Fith? What even is that? Are there people here? Because I don't see anyone! Where is everyone?"
He was quiet for a long moment. Then his eyes shifted to my wrist again, as if he could hear something from it that I couldn't.
Finally, he said, "You'll survive only if you find the Four. Before the light fades, you must be ready."
"The Four?" My stomach dropped. "Who are they?"
"They're not here yet," he said. "But they will be. And you'll need them."
My throat felt tight. "I don't even understand what's going on! Am I trapped here? What about my mom—she's going to lose it if I disappear! She's all I have!" My voice cracked. "Mom, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell at you. Please—" I swallowed hard. "I just want to go home."
He didn't answer right away. Then he turned slightly, motioning toward a glowing path that had appeared beside us.
"Walk," he said softly. "There are things you need to see before the light fades. About your mother."
My breath hitched. "My mom?"
"She's safe," he said simply. "In her world."
Tears stung my eyes. "But I can't live without her."
"You can, Gwen," he said quietly. "You're seventeen—almost eighteen. You're not a child anymore."
I froze. My blood ran cold. "How do you know my name? My age? Have you been watching me? Who are you? An angel ?"
He turned his gaze back to me, calm but distant. "I'm not an angel," he said. "And not… what you'd call human."
That didn't help at all.
Part of me wanted to run. Every instinct screamed at me to get away. But there was something in his voice—steady, familiar somehow—that made me stay.
Slowly, I stepped toward the glowing path. The ground pulsed under my feet like a heartbeat.
"It knows you," he said, almost like he was talking to himself. "Everything here reacts to you. The mark binds you to this world more than you realize."
I stared at my wrist, the golden mark shimmering faintly. It felt warm, almost like it was breathing."But why me?" I whispered. "Why this world?"
He looked up, his golden eyes catching the light. "The Four are coming. One of them will find you soon. Until then—survive. Watch. Learn. And never forget—" His voice grew faint, echoing. "The light chose you for a reason."
Before I could even breathe, he vanished—like smoke dissolving into air.
"Wait! No—come back! We're not done!" I shouted, spinning around. "What am I supposed to do before the Four comes?"
Nothing. He was gone.
The silence pressed down on me again—thick, heavy, and endless. Then, the path began to glow brighter, stretching ahead into the forest like it was waiting for me.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest. I didn't know if I was walking toward safety… or something worse.
The trees whispered softly as I stepped forward. Or maybe it was my imagination. The air shimmered with faint lights, and the shadows around me shifted when I wasn't looking.
The ground glowed with every step I took, like the forest itself was alive—and watching me.
I swallowed hard and whispered to myself, "How could a place like this exist?"
The light on my wrist pulsed again, brighter this time—almost leading me somewhere. Maybe toward the Four. Maybe toward answers. Or maybe… toward something I wasn't ready for.
I kept walking, one step at a time, through the glowing forest. The silence made everything louder—my breath, my steps, even my heartbeat."
"And somehow, I knew it wasn't ending here. This was only the beginning."