Fragile Phantasy

Part 1

In the midst of the bustling city stood a dilapidated house, so cluttered with technology and machinery that it seemed as though no one had ever bothered to clean it. But beneath the mess lay a secret: an underground passage leading to a laboratory belonging to a man rumored to be crazy. Blueprints and diagrams were scattered as the old man studied them intently. Wires connected to a small hole in the wall, shaped and size like a ring, hummed with electricity as the old man pressed a switch. A strange image appeared on the small hole, and the man exclaimed with excitement, "Please let this be it!"

Peering through the hole, he saw a world filled with people holding fireballs in their hands and huge flying birds used as transportation. Overcome with awe, he shouted, "I was right! There is an another world!" Suddenly, a citywide blackout occurred as the small portal drained all the electricity, burning out and destroying the cables and wires connected to the ring. Breathless, the old man stood in the darkness, still in disbelief of what he had seen. "I need more energy and money to make a bigger portal," he said with determination.

Meanwhile, in the vast forests of the country, surrounded by endless fields, groups of young boys, barely eleven years old, were seen daring to climb steep falls during their vacant period. They crawled up the jagged and rocky mountains, holding onto the sharp edges of the stone. The boys were KC, Ed, Jun, and Ej. KC was the brave and adventurous one, leading the pack with his unshakable spirit. Ed was the mischievous one, always finding ways to tease his friends. Jun, on the other hand, was the timid-looking boy, often scared of heights and the dangers that came with climbing. Ej was the one keeping an eye on everyone and making sure they were safe.

"We should stop this. It's dangerous, and we might get scolded," said Jun, his nose already running with fear.

"Don't worry, Jun. I'm right behind you. I won't let anything happen to you," replied KC, who continued to crawl on.

"Haha, you're such a coward, Jun," teased Ed, behind KC.

"Let's just leave him alone, Ed. We should hurry up, or we might be late. Just be careful in front, Jun," said Ej, at the bottom of the group.

Jun was visibly trembling with fear when he grabbed hold of a slippery rock and suddenly lost his grip. "Help, I'm falling!" shouted Jun. Quickly, KC snatched a vine-like branch around the surrounding roots and threw it near where Jun was about to fall. He caught it just in time and stopped himself from falling. "I told you not to worry," KC smiled.

"Phew, luckily there was a branch. If not, you would have ended up in the hospital, Jun," Ed said.

"I told you it was a bad idea, KC!" said a worried Ej, his voice laced with concern.

KC, however, remained undeterred. "Let's just forget about it. We're almost at the peak. From there, we'll see the falls," he explained, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

With renewed enthusiasm, the four boys helped each other reach the top, where they found a vast array of fruits to eat. The stunning and enormous falls left them speechless by the beauty of their surroundings.

"You know, When my dream of becoming president comes true, I plan on turning this beautiful and serene place into a tourist spot to help boost the local businesses and improve the livelihood of our fellow citizens in this village," KC said with a smile.

EJ interjected, "There he goes again with his unrealistic dreams." But KC remained optimistic and exclaimed, "Okay, let's have some fun!" He leaped into the water and surfed the current using a wooden surf board towards the falls while holding onto a rope tied to a nearby tree to avoid being swept away.

"Let's grab some food," Ed suggested with a hearty chuckle, interrupting the tense silence that had settled among the group.

KC eagerly replied, "Alright, let's eat!" as he passed around the food to his friends. However, the jovial mood was short-lived when EJ checked the time and realized that they only had ten minutes before school started. The gate would close, leaving them late if they didn't make it in time.