The Hidden World of Nitea [2 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter One

Eddie checked his wristwatch as he continued pacing around the arrival terminal, waiting for the people he was supposed to pick up. They said that their flights would arrive by roughly 2:40 p.m., and assuming there were no delays, they must have landed an hour ago. Eddie reached into his pocket and checked his phone. He did not receive any missed calls or messages from any of them. What's taking them so long? He typed a quick message and sent it. After a while, he turned his head, narrowed his eyes, and scanned the sea of faces once more.

Eddie spotted a familiar figure—walking about ten meters away from him was a teenaged boy with short and messy brown hair. It took him a while to see his face, for other people were blocking his view, but he eventually caught sight of it. The boy's pimpled face was not that distinct, but his pair of youthful, coffee brown eyes distinguished him from the others. "About time," Eddie muttered. He held up his hand and waved.

"Jon!" he called out. Jon cocked his head and slightly widened his eyes upon noticing his friend. He soon began half-jogging, half-running towards him, halting abruptly before his baggage cart could bump into him. They greeted each other with a high-five-turned-handshake.

"Eddie! Nice to see you... did you dye your hair?"

"Oh, this?" He ran his fingers through his golden blond locks. "This is actually my natural hair color. When I first met you last year, I had my hair dyed. Where's your dad?"

"He's behind me, I think," Jon answered, glancing over his shoulder. José was casually strolling toward them, towing a cabin bag.

"Edmond!"

"José!" Eddie greeted him with a friendly handshake. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too. Sorry for keeping you waiting, something happened with our luggage."

"Oh, that's fine. Stella's flight landed an hour ago, by the way, so perhaps they will be out any minute now. Do you mind waiting here or would you prefer to wait in the car?"

"We can wait here," Jon said.

"I don't mind," José agreed.

And so they waited. The first thing Eddie asked them was if they enjoyed their flight and how Jon's training was going. Jon revealed that his skills had greatly advanced since the last time they met, but before he could spill more details, José bumped his shoulder and reminded him that they were still in public. Instead, they talked about other things, like if there was any turbulence during the flight and the itinerary for their trip.

Buzz. Eddie dove his hand into his pocket and retrieved his cellphone. He glanced at the screen—it was Stella. He swiped the screen with his thumb and held the phone to his right ear.

"Hello?"

"Oh hi! Eddie, we just got out of the—ehm, I mean—we just got our bags. Where are you?"

"We're waiting just outside Gate Eight. And you?"

"We're outside Gate Five," she replied.

"Okay. Stay put, we'll meet you there. Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up. Eddie reinserted his phone into his pocket and turned his head towards Jon and José. "They're at Gate Five," he informed them. "Let's go."

The three of them began walking towards Gate Five. Eddie scrutinized each face his eyes came across. Finding her was not an easy task, for she was rather short and easily hidden behind other people. Nevertheless, he eventually caught sight of a hazel-eyed girl in her early teens, her mocha brown hair tied in a distinctive ponytail.