Ethan's world snapped back into focus, but nothing made sense. He stood in the middle of a desolate landscape, surrounded by twisted, crimson rock formations that stretched toward the sky like gnarled fingers. The air reeked of ozone and smoke, and the sky burned with an intensity rather otherworldly, casting an eerie glow over the barren terrain.
He stumbled forward, his mind reeling from the events at the party. His family… gone. The memories of their laughter, their smiles, and their warmth now seemed like distant dream, shattered by the brutal reality or their murder.
Ethan's eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any life or civilisation. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft crunch of gravel beneath his feet. He felt tiny, insignificant, and lost in the vast, alien expanse.
Where was he?
How did he get there?
Panic set in, threatening to overwhelm him. Ethan's breath came in ragged gasps, and his heart pounded in his chest. He forced himself to breathe, to think.
He remembered the figure in black.
The murders.
His anger and grief.
And then… Nothing.
Until this.
This strange, alien world.
Ethan's gaze fell upon his hands, flexing his hands as if expecting to find something changed. They looked the same, but something was different. A strange buzzing energy coursed through his veins, like electricity humming through a live wire.
Ethan's thoughts swirled, trying to gasp what had happened. Was this some kind of dream? A nightmare? Or something more?
He walked, driven by a desperate need to find answers. The landscape shifted, rocks giving way to jagged crystal formations that refracted the eerie light into a kaleidoscope of colours.
As he walked, Ethan noticed that his footsteps echoed through the stillness, creating a strange resonance that seemed to harmonise with the buzzing energy within him.
The silence began to unnerve him. Ethan longed for the comforting sounds of civilisation: cars honking, people chattering, birds singing. But here, there was only the haunting quiet.
Suddenly, he stumbled upon a massive, ancient~looking door. The door's surface was weathered and worn, with intricate carvings that seemed the bell a story. Carved into the door's surfaces a single phrase:
"welcome, Traveler."
Ethan's heart skipped a bear. Who or what was on the other side? Was this a refuge or a trap?
With a deep breath, Ethan pushed the door open. The creaking of the door's hinges seemed to shake the very foundations of the world.
Beyond lay a realm unlike anything he could have imagined. A realm of swirling colours, pulsing energy, and infinite possibility. Ethan stepped forward, into the unknown.
As he entered the realm, Ethan felt the buzzing energy surge within him. The colours and lights seemed to respond to his presence, shifting and flowing like a liquid.
A figure emerged from the swirling colours, its features indistinct.
"Welcome, Ethan," the figure said, its voice like music."We have been waiting for you."
Ethan's mind reeled/ trying to comprehend what was happening.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Im a Guardian of the realm," the figure replied."And you, Ethan, are a Traveler."
"What does that mean?" Ethan asked, his curiosity piqued.
The Guardian's response sent shivers down Ethan's spine:
"It means you have the power to traverse the multiverse."
Ethan's thoughts swirled with questions. What was the multiverse? How did he travel here? What lay ahead?
Before he could ask, the Guardian vanished, leaving Ethan alone in the swirling colours.
The realm seemed to pulse with energy, drawing Ethan deeper.
He took a step forward into the unknown.
End of Chapter 2