"Hurry up, Young Master Viren! I can't block the door much longer than this!"
Keldor shouted as he braced himself against the door from inside the room, preventing the soldiers outside from forcing their way in.
The soldiers began thrusting their swords through the door, but every strike was blocked by Keldor's strong black armor.
"ARGH… It's not as easy as you think, Keldor! I'm trying to open the portal—it takes a lot of power!"
I said as I aimed both my hands at the wall, focusing my power to open a portal.
"Block them just a little longer, Keldor!"
Keldor kept blocking the door, sweat pouring down his face.
"GHRH…"
He grunted and stiffened his body, pushing back with even more strength.
I continued focusing, and finally, the red-black flame from earlier appeared.
Now all I had to do was imagine a portal.
A portal… a portal… A PORTAL!
I threw the flame at the wall.
A red portal appeared.
"YES! I did it!"
"Now, Keldor! Count to five, then run as fast as you can into the portal!"
I shouted as I grabbed the two royal books and my sword and rushed into the portal.
"2…"
"…1!"
Keldor let go of the door, drew his sword, and sprinted toward the portal, jumping straight into it.
The soldiers finally burst into the royal room, rushing inside.
"What is that?! A portal?! SOLDIERS, RUN INTO IT—FAST!"
The commander shouted.
As the soldiers charged toward the portal…
It closed.
"YES!! We made it!"
"Good job, Young Master… but that was close…"
Keldor lay on the ground, catching his breath.
"Haha… yeah, that was close, but we made it."
I walked toward a nearby tree and sat beneath its shadow, holding my sword and the two books.
"Anyway… Keldor, do you sense that?"
Keldor nodded.
"Yes, Young Master Viren. I sense it too… some kind of mana, I suppose."
"Yeah, Keldor. And the gravity feels different too. We're officially in a new world!"
"Yes, Young Master… Your power actually worked."
"Yeah… the power of Imaginara. I still can't believe I awakened a power from the legends—one that lets me use any power as long as I can imagine it. But even something simple like summoning a portal drained all my strength and focus."
"Well, Young Master, the book does say this is one of the hardest powers to master. It won't be easy."
"Yeah… anyway."
I stood up.
"Stand up, Keldor. We can't let our guard down."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Keldor stood up, took his sword, and put it back in its sheath at his side.
"Now what should I do with these books… They're too important."
"I have an idea, Young Master. Why don't we hide them underground?"
"HA?! Underground? Keldor, we went through hell to obtain these books, and you want me to bury them?!"
"Just wait—let me think."
I rubbed my hair, trying to come up with a better idea.
"Argh… never mind."
"Keldor, we'll take them with us. If this really is another world, no one here should be able to read this language anyway. And we haven't even fully read the books yet."
"Come, follow me. Let's escape this forest first."
I said as I walked forward, holding the books at my side.
"Yes, Young Master!"
I looked back.
"No. Stop calling me that. Just call me Viren. We don't want the people of this place to suspect anything."
I paused, then added, "Well… I don't even think they'll understand what we're saying—but just to be safe."
"Sure, Youn—I mean, Viren."
After walking for a while, we finally escaped the forest and saw the sight of this unknown world.
Two suns.
Mountains.
And far in the distance… a small village.
I pointed toward it.
"Keldor, look there. That's our first destination. Let's go."
"Yes!"
---
A new adventure had begun for Keldor and me.
I don't know where this world will take us…
BUT I PROMISE—
I WILL RETURN AND KILL EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY.