Chapter 2 – The Gate Between Worlds
Kazan lay silently on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. The white lights buzzed softly above, but his mind was far away.
Was it real? Did I actually see a monster...?
He kept replaying the moment in his head—the street, the eyes, the roar, the way his body froze. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, the fear had been real. He had never felt anything like that before.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Kazan quickly turned his head.
"Ohh, you're awake!" said a voice he knew well.
It was Erica.
She stepped into the room, slightly out of breath. Her expression was filled with relief, but also worry. She came over to him quickly.
"I came as soon as I heard," she said. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Kazan sat up slowly. "I… I don't really know. I passed out, I think."
"They said someone found you unconscious near that empty street. Alone. You didn't see anything?"
He hesitated. "I… don't remember it clearly."
Erica narrowed her eyes. She didn't press him, but she knew something was off.
They talked for a few minutes—small things. School. Homework. Nothing too deep. But the silence between them carried more than the words did.
Soon, a nurse entered, and Erica had to leave. Kazan gave her a small smile and a nod, but his thoughts were already drifting back.
Later That Evening
Kazan was back home, lying on his bed. The room was quiet. The lights were off except for the soft glow of the night lamp.
He stared at the ceiling again.
What did I see...? What happened to me...?
He thought about the red eyes, the strange voice he heard in the hospital, the cold feeling in his chest.
He didn't know when, but his thoughts faded, and he slowly drifted into sleep.
The Next Morning
Sunlight came through the window.
Kazan opened his eyes slowly. For a second, he didn't remember where he was. Then it all rushed back.
He got up, washed his face, and got ready for school. His mother was already at the table, placing breakfast down.
"You sure you're okay to go today?" she asked softly.
His father looked over from the newspaper. "Don't push yourself, son."
"I'm fine," Kazan said, forcing a smile. "Really."
He picked up his schoolbag and left the house, still feeling the weight of confusion inside him.
At Elemental School
The school looked the same as always—students walking around, teachers calling out names, the loud bell ringing across the hallways.
But Kazan's mind was somewhere else.
He sat in class, staring out of the window while the teacher spoke about elemental theory. He wasn't listening. He couldn't focus.
His thoughts were trapped in the same loop.
Then—something strange caught his eye.
Outside the main gate of the school, far down the road, stood a man.
He wore long dark clothes, unlike anything Kazan had ever seen. A hood covered his head. He wasn't moving—just standing, watching the school.
Kazan blinked. The man was gone.
Did I imagine that too...?
The Attack
It happened so fast.
A loud crash echoed through the building. Screams followed. Glass shattered.
A massive shadow burst into the hallway—a monster.
Its body was huge and twisted, with claws that tore through walls and eyes burning with rage.
Students ran. Some froze. Some didn't make it.
Kazan stood up from his seat, heart pounding. The monster was coming closer.
Then—just as suddenly—someone appeared.
A man holding a glowing weapon stepped into the hallway. He moved faster than Kazan could follow.
One strike.
The monster dropped, its body turning to ash.
Before anyone could even react, the man vanished into thin air.
Darkness
Kazan didn't remember what happened after that.
Everything went black.
He felt like he was falling—his body sinking deeper and deeper into nothingness.
No sound. No light. No pain.
Only cold.
Where... am I...?
Then—suddenly—the darkness faded.
Kazan opened his eyes.
He wasn't in his world anymore.
He looked around, confused and breathless. The sky above was red. The ground beneath his feet was burning. Lava flowed between cracks in the rocky terrain.
Tall mountains rose in the distance, glowing like fire. The air was hot and heavy.
He wasn't dreaming.
This place was real.
Then he heard it—
A deep, strange voice echoing from the fire itself:
"Welcome to the Realm of Fire… "Solkaris."