Book 1 - The Lycan's Curse

Astral realm

As class started, Anthony couldn’t focus on what the teacher was discussing. He was already bored, his mind wandering to thoughts of a double-sized burger, practically drooling at the idea. Suddenly, he accidentally inhaled a small insect up his nose. He sneezed, and in that moment, it felt as though he were momentarily out of his body. For three seconds, he floated outside himself before snapping back.

The class turned to look at him. He sneezed again, and this time, he felt himself completely leave his body, watching in disbelief as he fell unconscious from his chair. Panic erupted in the classroom, while Aliyah exchanged glances with Alastair. Anthony could hardly believe what was happening. He tried to pinch his teacher to get her attention but couldn't touch her. Fear gripped him for a moment as he thought he might be dead.

His body was quickly taken to the clinic, and he felt a rising panic as he followed it. Suddenly, Aliyah appeared before him, and he was shocked.

“You died too?!” he exclaimed.

“No. You’re in the astral plane, and I’m inside your mind,” Aliyah replied.

Alastair materialized next to her. “Astral? Like I’m in another realm?” he asked in disbelief. Aliyah nodded.

“You can go to the places you want to be, you can do whatever you want in here,” she said, her voice echoing.

“How did you all get in here too?” he asked anxiously.

“Don’t be silly, we’re linked together, remember?” Kai appeared as well.

“How do I get back?” Anthony asked, panic rising in his chest.

“Just try to wake up,” Kai urged.

With a final push of will, Anthony found himself back in the physical plane.

“Wow!” he exclaimed, startling the nurse nearby. Alastair and the others shared a playful looks.

“Can I do it again?” Anthony asked, excitement lighting up his face. Aliyah shook her head.

“Not in here,” she muttered.

Alastair and the gang went to Meteora again, this time spending their day playing arcade games. They wandered around the mall, buying things they didn’t really need, and ended up giving some of the stuff to homeless people they met along the way. Jean, new to the group, felt awkward hanging out with them. She wasn’t used to having many friends.

“So, Jean, right?” Aliyah prompted, breaking the silence. Jean glanced at her and smiled nervously, nodding. “Don’t be shy with us.”

“I’m not really a people person,” Jean responded sheepishly.

“How old are you?” Aliyah asked again.

“I’m 18. It’s supposed to be my last school year, but I dropped out,” Jean replied. The group suddenly stopped and looked at her, making Jean lower her head.

“Why’d you stop your senior year?” Rio blurted out.

“Yeah, why?” Alastair added, curiosity piqued. Jean, not liking too much attention, bit her lip awkwardly.

“Because I’m not the same person I used to be,” Jean confessed. “I was the girl who preferred to study at home instead of hanging out with friends. I wore glasses, had a nerdy look, and I was always bullied for being clumsy. I was the last choice for anything—especially cheerleading. I didn’t have many friends, except for one, Brianna, who I called Bree. But now, I feel like I am a total different person.” She said awkwardly.

“Oh, come on. You shouldn’t have stopped. It’s your last year!” Aliyah said, and the others nodded in agreement. Jean smiled widely.

“I’ve never had cool friends like you guys,” Jean blurted out, feeling heartfelt. “But I need to head home now.”

“You can visit us anytime. You’re always welcome!” Aliyah said, pulling Jean into a hug. “Plus, I’ve never had a girl best friend. We can be best friends too!”

“Really?” Jean’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Aliyah nodded. “But you said you’re not a people person.”

“That’s all changed now!” Jean exclaimed, hugging Aliyah again. She waved goodbye to the group and disappeared quickly.

“I can’t believe she stopped her senior year,” Kai said, still in disbelief.

“Me neither,” Giuseppe muttered.

“Did you stop, too?” Anthony asked Giuseppe suddenly.

Giuseppe glanced up at the ceiling, avoiding the question.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Kai blurted out, and they all shared playful, disappointed looks with Giuseppe, shaking their heads.

“Because, I was kidnapped for almost two years in Italy!” Giuseppe replied sternly, causing the group to look away, their smiles fading.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Kai said apologetically.

"Yeah, we forgot that part.” Anthony said as well.

“Me too,” Alastair muttered.

Aliyah abruptly hugged Giuseppe, and Rio’s eyes widened before he rolled them playfully.

Astral Projection

"Astral projection refers to the ability of a being to separate their consciousness or soul from their physical form, allowing them to traverse different planes of existence. In this disembodied state, the spirit—also called the astral body—can interact with ethereal environments, communicate with spiritual entities, or even influence the physical world to a limited degree.

When projecting, the individual remains tethered to their physical form through a delicate 'silver cord,' which prevents the soul from drifting too far or becoming lost in the astral realms. However, if this cord is severed or damaged, the person risks permanent separation from their body, leading to death or entrapment in the astral plane.

The astral plane itself is a mysterious and often dangerous domain filled with otherworldly beings, forgotten memories, and hidden knowledge. Time and space operate differently there, and those skilled in astral projection can access distant locations, uncover ancient truths, or observe events happening in real time across vast distances."

Anthony narrowed his eyes as he absorbed every word he had just read aloud from his cellphone.

"Wow. I can really do all of this?" Anthony asked, curious.

"Not exactly," Eddie began to explain. "Your soul doesn't leave your body—it's your consciousness. You can travel through the astral realm, but there are limits. You can't just go anywhere you want. A lot of supernatural being have this kind of ability, and some of them could trap you there. This falls under mental abilities, and you could encounter creatures much stronger than you—some of them quite evil. You can travel to the past or future, but there are other travelers like you, some who've been stuck in the astral plane for a long time. They could take over your mind if you're not careful."

"Can I really travel to the future?" Anthony asked again. Eddie shook his head.

"There's always a consequence. Messing with time means you're violating the natural order. You could get lost and never find your way back. The past is even more dangerous—you don’t want to meet those powerful ancient beings. And the future? That’s a major violation of the universe's balance. You could get trapped there forever, and by the time you want to return, it might be too late."

"But all I need to do is wake up, right?"

"Not quite," Eddie muttered, seeing the worry in Anthony's eyes. "If you stay outside your body for too long, your connection will be weaken and weaken. Eventually, you might lose the link between your physical form and the astral plane."

"Having this power comes with great responsibility—and consequences," Anthony mumbled.

"Exactly. So use it wisely, just like everyone does," Eddie said smugly glancing at Alastair meaningfully as the others listened attentively.

"Wow," Anthony whispered, still processing the gravity of it all.