Chapter 3 - Enter: The World Beyond

"You close your eyes and reach out your hand. Transfer all of your thoughts and feelings into it. The emotions you feel at that time will determine the world you will open your eyes to."

I met Alex at the port. The abandoned building looked more rundown than it did before, but it was still standing proudly. We looked at the view. The sun was setting and the wind was slowly picking up. Alex was playing with the zipper on his jacket, looking down at the greenery that's been growing on the roof. The green heavily contrasted with the red of Alex's powers. From what I've seen, red can mean love, anger, danger. My Dad would always say that the color of our powers influences how we behave, what emotions we feel the most. Maybe he was on to something. He knew a lot of things and he wanted to share the knowledge that he found with the world, so that's why he started up the USNA with my Mom. Another bedtime story that my Dad would read to me was about these three SNCs that became deities a long time ago. The three were protectors, warriors, each possessing powers with great potential. One had red, the other green, and the last blue. They kept the balance, traveled across realities, and helped those in need. They were praised by many for all of their efforts. Along the way, they managed to awaken an omnipotent power within themselves. They passed down their powers to people who they deemed worthy and they also kept the balance. The deities started to fade into the background, however. Now they work in the shadows, or maybe another reality. My Dad thinks that this story is true, but I don't know what to believe. To be fair, it wouldn't be too far-fetched.

"You ready?". Caufree was smiling, but I knew that he was just trying to make me feel better. I'm pretty sure he was scared as I was. We weren't a part of the same bloodline, so we were going to have to explore these worlds on our own. What if one of us comes back and the other person doesn't? What if we can't even break through this reality to get to another? Will I be alone forever? Many more questions kept on swirling and swirling around my head until Caufree brought me back to my senses. I've read books about people who attempted to figure out what these worlds were telling them. The mind is a complex thing, so it does make sense that these worlds are incomprehensible to reflect that. I've heard stories of people not coming back and even if they did, they came back traumatized or sad. What did they see?

The endless amount of reassurance that I was trying to give Alex was just reminding me of Ren. He has to be out there. These worlds have to have the answers I'm looking for. I hope that Alex can find his as well.

We both put our hands out and closed our eyes.

"A figment of the imagination. A cry for help. A message long forgotten. You can not predict what will be seen on the other side. It is up to you to find your calling."

I opened my eyes. All I saw was red. There was a constant hum in the background. I reluctantly trudged forward. The hums started turning into words of comfort. Like a Mother taking care of their kin. The red kept on following me. My heart was racing.

I don't want anyone to hurt anymore. We can fix this. Will you please help me fix this.

That's what I heard in the distance. It echoed everywhere. I felt tears. Like I was sympathizing with her. There was this unusual warmth that would console me with every word that would come out of her mouth. I was losing myself in her words. Do I really know who I am? What was my life like before the massacre? I can't think back that far. That road, that long road started forming before my eyes. I still saw red. I sat down and once again became that clueless boy. All I've ever known was the unknown. I saw a figure in the distance.

I started seeing these visions again. Yet, they were different. They weren't intrusive, they were subdued. The sharp pain in my head that I would get from these visions remained, however. I saw a boy. A young man. They were constantly phasing between the two. The pain was overwhelming to the point where I couldn't even make sense of anything. He started fading into the red. I reached out my hands. It was pointless.

I stood up and went towards the figure. I tried reaching out to her, but the pain in my head got increasingly intense. Why is she leaving me? I was alone. The red got darker, then the figure disappeared. I can't forget the people that I've met. They are a part of me, but I still don't know who I am. I'm usually the first one to make light of a situation, the one who will smile and laugh till their lungs give in, but I still don't know who I am. I want to go home. I focused on that desire. My tears turned into jagged streams and my exhaustion brought me to my knees. I felt the wind from the port.

I wish he knew the real reason why I left. What would he have said? I didn't want him to worry, but, to be honest, I may have done something much worse. I'm lost. I just wanted to protect my family, see them smile. I hugged him with everything that I had because I knew that I was never going to see him again. At that time, I started seeing visions. These visions are what my Dad told me about. That's when I knew my time in that reality was almost up.

Hills of gray sand. Gray skies. The calming sound of the sea, but there was no sea. My Mom, Dad, Ren; that's who I am looking for. Right? So why can't I move? I saw two people, one smaller than the other, sitting on the sand. Looked like they were speaking to each other. I couldn't hear them, but it was like I knew what they were going to say. My head started aching. I have to keep on moving, otherwise, I will lose them forever. If I lose them, then I will be alone again. I don't want to be alone.

I wonder what kind of person he's grown into. I know it's hard seeing your child grow up and become more independent. My Mom and Dad are great parents, but they can be a little bit overprotective at times, that's normal though. They just don't want their child to feel alone, feel like the world is out to get them. I will see them again. No matter how many more miles I have to walk.

They disappeared and I was finally able to move. Was this a mistake? Did Alex make it out? What have I done? I have to keep moving. This is not the end, but I feel like I'm at the edge of the world, of reality. The sky turned into sea and the hills became flat. I started running, crying. Why do I keep moving?

"Almost there!"

The line between the end and the beginning was blurred. The ground and sky were closing in. I wanted to cry out for help, but who would hear me? I could only scream. I kept screaming and screaming until I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Alex. I saw dried-up tears on his face. He was clearly distraught, but he was asking if I was alright. I asked the same, even though that wasn't needed. We were still on the roof of the abandoned building. We helped each other down and we made our way back home. Not many words were said, all I knew was that we didn't find what we were looking for.

I couldn't think of anything to say to Caufree during our walk home, we both saw things that will keep us up at night and live in the back of our minds. As we got closer to home, I suggested that we could utilize this experience as fuel to keep us going. We shouldn't fear the unknown but embrace it. We have to finish what we started and find out what our lives truly mean. Caufree let out a slight smile.

Alex had this spark in his eyes as if he was looking towards a new beginning. We both have a long way to go before we can find our loved ones. A long, illuminated path was laid out before us, holding many twists and turns along the way. I can see our family waiting on the other side. This is my calling. Our calling. I know they are out there.

I know they are out there.