The transition was violent.
Valerius felt his body yanked, twisted, and stretched as if caught in the grip of a cosmic whirlpool. His lungs burned. His mind screamed. Somewhere between reality and madness, he passed through an endless domain — a place where time lost meaning and space folded into itself. The universe pulsed around him like a living thing.
And within that void, someone floated — fists clenched, groaning, resisting the unseen forces that tore at their very essence.
Then, suddenly—
It ended.
Valerius slammed into the ground, jagged rocks tearing into his hands and knees. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs. He lay gasping, eyes fluttering open to an alien sky swirled in purples and reds. Two massive moons loomed overhead, their glow casting eerie halos across the land. Towering mountains clawed the heavens, while jagged cliffs and luminous plants scattered across the rugged terrain shimmered like ghostly embers.
Nothing resembled Earth.
"Where… are we?" Ziraiah's voice broke the silence. It trembled, small and fragile. She lay a few feet away, eyes wide, her breath shallow. Dirt streaked her silky dark hair, and her light brown complexion glistened with sweat. Her beauty remained intact, but the fear on her face stripped years off her—making her look like a frightened child.
Valerius groaned and sat up, brushing dirt from his bleeding palms. "What the hell…"
Eryndor stood a few steps away, already composed. At 8'4", he towered above them like a sentinel, his sculpted features sharp and unreadable. His dark hair, neatly kept even in chaos, framed a face carved from discipline. His piercing green eyes swept across the horizon with silent calculation.
"It appears, dear siblings," he said with calm finality, "we have been transported far beyond the confines of Earth. This realm… is not our own."
"Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious," Valerius muttered, standing with a wince and brushing off his scraped knees.
They weren't alone.
The surreal landscape stretched in every direction — and strewn across it were thousands of other people. Humans. Some sat trembling, others argued or screamed in panic. Confusion churned through the crowd like a storm.
And then—pain.
A searing, piercing bolt of agony stabbed through their skulls. All three siblings clutched their heads, crying out as an alien voice echoed inside their minds.
"Welcome to Yilheim, young ones. I am Yelleen, and I shall be your guide."
Valerius's eyes darted around wildly. "What the hell? Who said that?!"
Ziraiah whimpered, still holding her head. "Am I… am I hearing voices?"
Eryndor's expression remained composed, though his eyes narrowed with thought. "A voice within our minds… intriguing. Continue, unseen herald."
---
Eryndor's expression remained calm, though a slight narrowing of his emerald eyes betrayed his intrigue. "A voice within our minds… curious. Continue, unseen herald."
For the three siblings, the voice was crystal clear—intimate, almost melodic. But around them, the other Earthers reacted differently. They blinked and recoiled from glowing panels that had suddenly materialised in the air before their faces, each screen etched with golden words that hovered in place. Confusion spread like wildfire.
It was then they realised—Yelleen had spoken directly only to them.
"For the one million of you brought here," Yelleen's voice continued, her tone smooth and deliberate, "I am your guide. Your survival depends on listening to what I tell you."
Panic erupted.
"What is this place?!"
"Why are we here?!"
"Send us back!"
The chaos surged like a tide crashing onto brittle land. People screamed, shoved, cried, and argued, each trying to make sense of the impossible.
But for the siblings, Yelleen's voice grew softer—more intimate. A different message. Just for them.
"You three… I have waited for you. You are unlike the others."
Eryndor raised an eyebrow. His voice was calm, yet sharpened by curiosity. "Pray tell, what sets us apart from the masses?"
A chuckle—a trace of warmth. "In time, you will understand. For now... survive."
The voice vanished like a breath on glass, and the siblings were left in a swelling sea of unrest.
Shouts rose from the crowd.
Then—
"Hey, you!"
A burly teenager stormed toward them, his voice rough, his eyes wild. He jabbed a thick finger at Valerius. "You look like you know what's going on. Tell me how to get out of here!"
Valerius blinked, unimpressed. "Do I look like I've got a map?"
The boy didn't back off. Two others fell in beside him—angry, nervous, and trying too hard to appear in control.
"Don't play dumb! You three look calm, too calm. You know something! Spill it!"
Before Valerius could answer, Eryndor stepped forward. Towering, elegant, and dangerous, he moved like a shadow drawn into form.
"I would strongly advise against such folly," he said smoothly, almost gently. "My brother may lack refinement, but his fists are… notably persuasive."
The burly teen wavered, unsettled by Eryndor's poise—and his overwhelming presence. But one of his friends, reckless and trembling with adrenaline, suddenly lunged.
It was a mistake.
Valerius shifted, quick and fluid, sidestepping the clumsy attack. His fist shot forward, burying itself in the teen's gut with a thud.
The boy crumpled, gasping like a dying engine.
Valerius cracked his knuckles. "Still wanna try me?"
The remaining two backed off, dragging their friend away without another word. One glared over his shoulder; the other didn't dare.
Eryndor smirked faintly, folding his arms. "Crude, yet effective. Though, brother, I might suggest a touch more elegance in future. Precision elevates the warrior."
Valerius shrugged, grinning. "Yeah, well. Elegance doesn't drop people that fast."
---
Then, without warning—
Boom.
The earth shattered.
A colossal creature exploded from the ground—a towering, reptilian horror with jagged scales and burning eyes. It let out a guttural roar that shook the skies.
Valerius blinked.
"Hooooly shit—!"
Screams erupted all around. People scattered in every direction.
"Run!" he yelled, sweeping Ziraiah into his arms and bolting.
But it was already too late.
From the shattered terrain, more beasts erupted—massive, dinosaur-like titans with claws the size of tree trunks and tails like battering rams. Chaos ruled. The air was fire and blood and noise.
One of the beasts swung its tail with brutal force—crack—and cleaved through several people in a single motion, right in front of Valerius.
He stopped.
Frozen.
The creature roared directly at him, its breath hot and foul, spittle flinging into his face.
He couldn't move.
His legs were stone.
His heart pounded.
He couldn't breathe.
Ziraiah trembled in his arms, equally paralysed.
The monster lunged forward, maw wide, teeth glinting with blood.
Then—
A blur.
A gust of wind.
Eryndor slammed into them from the side, knocking both siblings out of the beast's path. The monster roared again, turning its hunger toward the fleeing masses.
"Compose yourself, Valerius!" Eryndor barked, snatching Ziraiah from his arms. "Run!"
But Valerius didn't move.
His hands shook.
He was drowning in fear.
The monster turned again. Charging.
"Move, damn you!" Eryndor shouted, then with a burst of frustration, grabbed Valerius's wrist and hurled him through the air like a spear.
Eryndor leapt away just in time as the beast's jaws clamped down on where they had been.
Valerius fell through the sky, tumbling—
Then another explosion of rock.
A second beast burst upward, its mouth open like a crater. Valerius saw the ridges of its throat, the gaping void, the hunger.
No… am I going to die here?
CHOMP.
The beast swallowed him whole.
Eryndor's eyes widened.
His mouth opened in silent horror.
Then—
"Nooooooo!"
He dropped Ziraiah and launched himself forward like a missile—blurring through the battlefield at over a hundred meters per second.
"You will not take him!"
He collided with the beast mid-charge, the sheer impact sending it skidding backward, crashing through rocks and people. Eryndor roared, madness in his eyes.
Ziraiah lay behind him, curled up, paralysed with terror.
The beast whipped its enormous tail at him—
Eryndor caught it.
Slammed it into the earth.
BOOM.
"Spit him out!" he snarled.
The beast groaned.
BOOM!
Another slam.
"I said spit him oooouuut!"
BOOM!
Fury radiated off Eryndor like a storm. The ground cracked beneath the beast
With one mighty punch, he drove his arm into the creature's belly—tearing through flesh.
The beast let out a thunderous scream. Eryndor's hand dug deeper, fingers curling—until he ripped Valerius free, his brother soaked in saliva, barely breathing.
But there was no time.
He turned—and saw Ziraiah.
A third beast loomed over her.
Its jaws opened wide.
She was frozen.
And Eryndor knew—
He wouldn't reach her in time.
---
But then—something snapped.
Adrenaline surged through Eryndor's veins like lightning. The ground cratered beneath his feet as he launched forward with terrifying force—twice as fast as he'd ever moved before.
He slammed into the beast's face—a direct hit to its massive snout. Bone crunched. The creature reeled back, howling in pain, its titanic body crashing to the side.
Eryndor didn't pause.
He dropped to his knees beside Ziraiah and scooped her up into his arms, cradling her trembling form. Her eyes were wide, unblinking. She clung to his tunic, frozen.
With her secured, he turned to Valerius—still on the ground, still paralysed.
Rage boiled in Eryndor's chest.
He stormed over and punched Valerius in the chest—hard.
Valerius gasped and coughed blood, eyes snapping open.
Eryndor didn't let him speak.
He grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him up with one hand, Ziraiah still held in the other.
"Compose yourself at once," Eryndor thundered. "Do you harbour a death wish, losing control in terrain such as this?"
He pulled Valerius in close, their faces inches apart.
"Look at me."
Valerius obeyed.
"You are Valerius — heir to the name that means conqueror. Have you so soon relinquished what you are?"
His voice quivered — barely — like a storm restrained behind glass.
"Do not allow this world to erode your spirit. Do not unravel at the seams. Mother entrusted us with one imperative: survive. Will you so carelessly betray her final decree?"
Valerius blinked, breath shallow, heart pounding like war drums.
"You possess strength beyond what you know. I've always known it. And even now — even trembling — I know it endures. This is not the moment for cowardice. It is the crucible of will. Rise."
Eryndor's eyes shimmered, tears threatening to breach the fortress of his composure.
"I will not tolerate your collapse. I will not carry your corpse. Not here. Not now. Compose yourself, or perish. Do you understand me?!"
Valerius stared into his brother's face… and saw it.
The grief. The fury. The love.
And something in him shifted.
He swallowed hard, forced himself to breathe, then whispered:
"...Yeah. I hear you."
Eryndor exhaled sharply and nodded.
He gently lowered Valerius to the ground.
Valerius turned slowly, surveying the battlefield. The screams. The blood. The bodies.
"How's Ziraiah?" he asked.
"Still in shock," Eryndor replied, glancing at her. "But breathing."
Valerius clenched his fists.
"...We should help them," he said, motioning to the panicking survivors.
Eryndor turned to him, expression flat. "No."
"What?"
"The first law of the jungle," Eryndor said coldly.
"Self-preservation."
Valerius hesitated—then nodded.
Together, without another word, they turned and ran—leaving the chaos behind.
---
They ran—past teeth, claws, roars, and death.
Dodging beasts that lunged from the shadows, the three siblings weaved through the chaos. Valerius leapt, planting both feet into the face of a towering reptilian creature.
The impact landed—but the beast didn't even flinch.
Valerius's eyes widened. The strength he was proud of… meant nothing.
"Do not falter! Keep running — do not engage!" Eryndor's voice rang out, resolute and commanding amidst the bedlam.
Valerius nodded and took off—but not fast enough.
A massive tail lashed through the air like a whip.
Eryndor ducked—but Valerius wasn't so lucky.
CRACK.
The blow smashed into his back, lifting him off his feet. He screamed as he was hurled through the air and crashed against jagged stone, bouncing hard.
"Valerius!" Eryndor didn't stop running. He sprinted to his brother, grabbed him by the collar without slowing down, and pulled him upright.
"Rise. Until these creatures have vanished from view, our safety remains a delusion."
He shoved Valerius forward.
Valerius winced, clutching his back. "Damn it… it hurts so much…"
"Endure it."
They kept running.
Beast after beast swarmed around them. They zigzagged through stampedes, narrowly dodging fangs, claws, and bone-spiked limbs. The ground shook beneath them. Trees snapped like twigs. People screamed—then fell silent.
Eryndor shielded Ziraiah with his own body, taking every blow meant for her. Claws raked his shoulders. Tails slammed into his ribs. The pain burned—but he didn't falter.
They didn't look back. They didn't speak. They didn't know where they were going.
They only ran.
For hours, they ran—until the roars faded behind them. Until no more monsters appeared.
Finally, they stopped.
The world had gone still. The twin moons cast a soft, eerie glow over the shattered terrain. Their chests heaved with exhaustion.
Valerius slumped against a rock, breath ragged. "I never thought I'd be out of breath…"
Eryndor gently lowered Ziraiah onto the softest patch of ground he could find. He knelt beside her, sweat and blood streaking his face, and gave a faint smile.
"...You are alright."
Ziraiah looked up at him, eyes glossy. Her voice trembled.
"Eryndor… your face…"
Blood trickled from his brow, down past his cheek. It was the first time she'd seen him bleed.
"Worry not," Eryndor said with a faint smile. "I remain intact."
He wasn't.
His ribs were cracked—maybe broken—but he said nothing. He couldn't afford to.
Valerius helped gather dry leaves and broken branches, and together they managed to start a fire. The small flame flickered against the night, casting soft shadows across their weary faces.
---
Later that night, the three siblings sat around the fire. The adrenaline had long faded. Silence hung over them like a blanket.
Eryndor leaned back against a boulder, the flames dancing in his sharp green eyes. After a long pause, a teasing smirk crept onto his lips.
"So, Ziraiah," he said, voice quiet but amused, "how long do you intend to wear that… facial decoration?"
Ziraiah blinked in confusion—then groaned.
"Damn you, Val!" she shrieked, lunging at her brother.
She tackled Valerius to the ground and began beating his chest with her fists—though it was more of a tantrum than an actual attack. No human could withstand such attacks.
Eryndor watched, smiling faintly. "This," he remarked dryly, "is most unbecoming of a lady."
Ziraiah finally collapsed on top of Valerius, her breaths shallow. Her fists stopped moving.
Her voice cracked. "Are we never gonna see Mum again? Are we stuck here, Val?"
Valerius's grin faded.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Everything will work out," he said quietly. "I promise."
Eryndor watched the two of them.
His hands clenched into fists. His wounds ached. But he made no sound.
I shall safeguard you. Come what may.
Ziraiah fell asleep in her brother's arms, her breathing softening. Valerius kept his eyes open, staring at the sky.
Eryndor remained awake long after.
Standing guard in the dark, under alien moons, his resolve burning brighter than the fire.
This is Yilheim. I thought I was strong, but here, I'm nothing.
---
To Be Continued…