March 19, Year of the Dragon's Wake
A small village by the Lumina River
I opened my eyes and the first thing I felt was cold grass against the back of my head. I couldn't make sense of why I wasn't in my bed back in Manila—instead, all I could see were trees unlike any I'd ever known, glowing with colors that seemed to have a life of their own.
"Hey! She's awake!"
I turned to find a young girl with silver hair and eyes that looked like tiny stars. She was sitting on a heart-shaped stone, holding a small wand with a green crystal at its tip.
"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked as I tried to sit up. I noticed my clothes weren't the plain office uniform I'd been wearing—instead, I was dressed in what looked like linen fabric, with simple patterns that resembled tree roots.
"My name is Lyra! And you're in the world of Aetheria!" She grinned widely. "We found you falling from the sky last night—there was a light like a shooting star that burst open, and there you were!"
My eyes widened. Fell from the sky? That couldn't be right. Just yesterday I was at work, organizing reports and wondering when I'd ever get to take a vacation. Then lightning struck the power pole outside our building—and everything went black.
"Come on out, before the Forest Sentinels spot you!" Lyra pulled me toward a small hut made of wood and leaves that looked surprisingly sturdy. "Not everyone here is kind, especially if they find out you're not from around here."
As we walked through the thick forest, I noticed impossible things. There were pink-feathered birds singing melodies that sounded like music, insects that glowed like tiny lights along the path, and even the air smelled of flowers I couldn't begin to name.
"Have you ever seen the 'Star Portal'?" Lyra asked as she led me inside the hut. "They say people from other worlds come through there. But it hardly ever happens—maybe you're the one the elders have been waiting for."
I put a hand to my head. A world called Aetheria? Wands and Sentinels? It all sounded like something out of a TV show or the books I used to read. But everything I was feeling was real—the chill in the air, the scent of the woods, Lyra's face filled with worry and curiosity.
"Lyra..." I started. "How do I get home?"
She paused and sat beside me. "I don't know. But there must be a way. Tomorrow we'll go to the City of Elders—maybe they'll know what to do."
My shoulders sank. I had no idea how I'd make it back to the world where I was born. But as I looked at Lyra, at the hope in her eyes, I suddenly felt like this might not be an accident. Maybe there was a reason I'd ended up here in Aetheria.
Outside the hut, I could hear the sounds of the forest—calls from strange animals, the rush of the river, and a melody that seemed to sing from far away. A new world. A new adventure.
And it was only just beginning.