ELDARYA

Portal to the unknown.

— I WON! — Karenn exclaims, throwing her last card on the table. She jumps off the couch and does a few little hops of joy, followed by some claps. It was her second consecutive win. She learned quickly and was extremely good at strategy games. She knew how to organize her cards, which ones to play, and which ones to hold onto. She left no room for cheating, always paying close attention to her opponents' moves, memorizing which colors they lacked.

Nevra picks up the cards on the table, organizing them to put them away. On the table were some bowls, some almost empty and others completely empty, where there had once been orange puffed snacks. There was an empty pitcher of pineapple juice and some other board games.

Huang Chu, already drowsy, stretched. Her youthful appearance remained intact, as if she hadn’t aged a bit. Not a single expression line marked her face. It must have been due to her excessive self-care and personal perfectionism.

— Well, how about another round? — Chrome asked, already shuffling the cards he had taken from Nevra. Chrome was almost a professional at shuffling cards after so many rounds. He seemed like a magician as he shuffled them.

— I think it’s better not to. It’s late. I think we should continue tomorrow — Lance said while picking up some cushions from the floor. It was probably around eleven o’clock at night.

— I agree with Lance, we should get some sleep — Nevra, who had been silent until then, commented. Huang Chu yawned before speaking.

— Let’s continue tomorrow, then. It’s past my bedtime — She said as she looked at her wristwatch. It was rare for Huang Chu to do anything off-schedule, like staying up late. Chrome nodded in agreement, also getting up. Nevra picked up the cards again and placed them in the box. His body acted on autopilot, but deep down, he was focused on Erika, who, unlike him, was lost in thought. He thought about talking to her before they went to bed.

She had been acting strange for some time. Maybe days? Nevra couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started. He only noticed it recently. He felt slightly guilty for not noticing her odd behavior earlier, now that he recalled the past few days. Usually, he was quite observant, but he had also been distant, preoccupied. He had personal issues to deal with.

Maybe that was it. Was Erika unhappy with him? With his recent distance?

One by one, they said their goodbyes and left while Erika and Nevra cleaned up the mess. Silence filled the room as they tidied up, fluffing the cushions and placing them back on the couch.

Nevra took a deep breath and turned to Erika, ready to start a conversation.

— Erika? Are you okay? — She seemed to snap out of a trance at the sound of his voice, as if waking from a mental journey to some place in her mind.

— Oh, yes. Of course. Why do you ask? — She said, picking up the now-empty glass pitcher. Nevra frowned.

— It’s just that you seem a bit distant. Are you sure nothing’s wrong? — He insisted. She gave a forced smile and planted a quick kiss on Nevra’s cheek.

— I’m fine. Don’t worry — She said. Before Nevra could say anything more, she walked off with the pitcher toward the kitchen, murmuring a soft "I love you." Nevra stood still for a moment before sighing and collapsing onto the couch, putting his hands on his face. He planned to try talking to her again when they went to bed. It didn’t make sense to him to go after her right away, especially since when they went to bed, she wouldn’t have an escape.

Erika entered the kitchen and set the pitcher on the counter. She leaned against the marble surface, staring out at the night sky. The moon was full. Its color was a bit bluish, reminding Erika of the Eldarya crystal. Ah, Eldarya… The dimension that had vanished two years ago.

Erika had failed. She had failed to save Eldarya. She would never forgive herself for it, though she managed to carry the burden.

Maybe, just maybe, she could have saved that world. Maybe there was some alternative she had overlooked. Maybe Eldarya would still exist if it weren’t for her.

Maybe—

The ground shook, and a loud crash echoed through the air. The glass pitcher fell to the floor, shattering into countless pieces. The power went out, plunging everything into darkness.

Dazed, Erika looked outside, searching for the source of the noise. A few seconds later, Nevra appeared.

Before he could ask anything, Erika spoke:

— Did you feel that? — She asked. Nevra nodded.

— Did you cut yourself? — That was his first concern. Erika looked down at the shards on the floor, illuminated by the light from outside.

— No, I’m fine — She replied. — We need to see what happened.

Erika took the initiative and headed out through the kitchen’s glass door. The door's track made almost no noise. Nevra followed her, asking her to wait, but she didn’t listen.

She skirted the covered pool, scanning the area. Suddenly, she spotted the silhouette of a little girl in the forest. Without hesitation, she moved toward her.

— Hey! Little girl! Are you okay? — She called out, chasing after her. No response.

The little girl was barely visible. Just faint glimpses of her, darting between the trees. Erika followed as quickly as possible to keep her in sight, disappearing into the woods. They weren’t exactly running. The pace felt more like a hurried walk.

She was in a trance. She couldn’t respond. Her focus and gaze were locked on the little girl. A light ahead, illuminating the forest from a distance. Illuminating the trees.

As she got closer, Erika froze. She didn’t notice, but her wings appeared on her back, as if linked to her emotions. Two large wings spread out behind her.

A portal.