The World Beyond

Chapter 6 Crossover

It felt exactly how it looked when Arthur stepped through, like walking into a dense medium that both sucked you in and repel you at the same time. Wyatt closed his eyes in concentration, trying hard to keep his sense of balance and clear his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, he was somehow in a dark place. Everything was black, but still, he could see it through the light from either side of the portal.

Wyatt didn't know how far he was from the way he came through, but he didn't dear look back in case it was also taboo to do so. He didn't want to risk becoming trapped in this place forever. It felt lonely and dark.

He looked about him a little, although he saw nothing, really. There was only the path in front of him. He drew another breath and stepped forward.

At that moment precisely, something flew past him and he tightened his grip on his belongings. Ignoring the thoughts that were shouting him to go back, he took another step.

Then all of a sudden everything around him started to dis-form and re-form again. This time, there was no more darkness. Around him was his home. His long-lost home.

His parents were sitting where they usually sat in the evening, huddled up at the sofa watching television.

"How are you, son. Come and sit down," said his father. Wyatt rubs his eyes to make sure he didn't imagine it. How long has it been since the last time his parents said that to him?

He stands there, completely baffled. A nagging feeling kept him from running over. Something was not right, this isn't right.

"Are you coming to sit with us or not? Don't just stand there looking like an idiot," his mother said angrily, frowning at him from his father's side. Wyatt was taken aback by his mother's sudden anger, and naturally, he stepped forward towards the sofa, away from the path and then he realizes something.

He immediately stepped backwards, his feet connecting with the path that was about to disappear.

His parents stared at him with disbelieve.

"My mother would never get angry with me, she always says that I can do whatever I want," he shouted, and his parents became what they truly were: the dark creatures.

They looked at Wyatt with hatred and envy. Wyatt guessed they must have been those that who are tricked into here and was glad that he didn't buy it. He almost did. After all, that was what he dreamed of.

He then finished the rest of the journey quickly and carefully. When he reached the end of it, he stepped through the jelly-like barrier again and what awaited him at the other side amazed him more than anything have.

They were on top of a high mountain looking down at to the spectacular view of land stretching out for thousands of miles. It was both like and unlike the scene that they saw from the portal. They weren't on the brick road, but above it to the side. But they could see all the villages spreading through the countryside towards the main city. Despite being far and high up, everything was crystal clear at the early sunlit. Early sunlit?

"Welcome to Kulacecius," Arthur said. Wyatt looked around him and took a deep breath. The air smelled different, like herbs, earth, and something he couldn't explain. There was an energy in the atmosphere, unlike anything he had ever felt. He took another inhale and his head started swimming, so he let his legs go weak and dropped to the ground.

"Kulacecius is a beautiful place, isn't it?" asked Arthur.

"It is, like no place on Earth," Wyatt replied, staring up at the beautiful blue sky.