In Another realm
That night Adrian had gone to his room after a rich meal of plain braise and bread. This was one of the best meals Adrian had on rear occasions. His aunt had taken some from the chateau where she worked claiming that those were leftovers. But he knew quite well that she was fibbing. She stole it from the grand kitchen. It was Adrian's sixteenth birthday making it a birthday celebration meal.
She couldn't just expect him to believe that the duke would have such a meal of plain braise and dry bread. To such royalty, that type of food is considered poor and disgusting but to commoners like them getting to taste, it is a massive privilege.
After he had his birthday meal he instantly went to his room and lay on the cold floor. The wind coming from the broken windows of his room sent his bodily hairs to rise indicating the presence of a cold ambiance lurking nearby making it very hard for him to fall asleep.
So he got up from the floor and decided to stare at the full moon. Maybe then he'll finally be able to sleep once he bored himself enough.
The night was cold and dark only the bright glare of the moon illuminated the entire town. It was unusually quiet that night. the howling sounds of wolves were ostensibly heard and the chirping sounds of crickets were claimant in Sparta's province.
He heard the main entrance door creek open and then close.
Yes! The moment he had finally been waiting for. His aunt had left the house giving him the freedom to explore the basement. Not wasting any time leaves his room and went straight to his aunt's room where he found her cat sleeping peacefully on a white fluffy rug. this makes him scoff at his aunt. He sleeps on cold floors every night and sometimes gets unwell due to the cold but her cat sleeps on a very comfy-looking rug...
He ignored the sleeping cat and proceeds toward a tiny drawer that was under his aunt's bed before pulling it out and examining it for the basement key. He had seen her use it before so he was sure he could open it without hesitance but to his dismay, he found the drawer empty.
He silently returned the drawer to where it belonged and uttered profanity a little before heading back to his room and lying back on the hard ground but still couldn't fall asleep. there was something that creeps behind the closed door of the basement that uttered his name profusely telling him to come and free it.
He blocked his ears trying to obstruct the noises he heard. But it didn't work
He then got back up on his feet and made his way towards the basement this time not even trying to find the key to unlock it.
He stood in front of the basement and touched the dusty-looking handle not sure if it would work. Just then he felt a sting on his thumb and watched as blood seeped out from it, he tried to retract his hands from the handle but it proved futile. He felt an unknown energy that soon surrounds his wrist and then the blood on the handle vanished as if the door had sucked it.
Click!
The door clicked open leaving the young latter in shock he just managed to open the basement without using a key !...
He stared down at his hand to find his thumb healed and his hands a little bit dusty. He wondered how it got so dusty when he was sure his aunt visits the basement frequently. And how he got the cut on his thumb when there were no sharp objects on the handle that could have hurt him.
He looked around and discovered that he wasn't in the basement anymore. To be precise he wasn't anywhere near the town he had grown up in. It was like the door to the basement was a portal to another world...Then it hits him at the door! It brought him here now it's gone!
He looked around in confusion, excitement, and shock.
There were tall green trees and soft green grasses beneath his feet and flowers which he had never seen before carefully arranged and trimmed into different shapes of all sizes. And a small pond that was near a gazebo that was decorated with flowers.
Beautiful butterflies could be seen all around the environs with cute-looking bunnies with wings. And many other animals he had never seen or heard of " where...where am I? " he found himself asking.
" asnah " he heard a female's angelic voice right behind him and immediately turned back only to find out a huge-looking man with a broad chest and short white hair and tiny but cute eyes staring down at him with an arched brow...
He was dressed in white female clothing that swept the floors with its long thin fabric while on his hands was where one of the weird bunnies lay while he caressed its fur with his long but beautiful looking nails...
"asnah?... What does that mean?... What are you?" he bombarded the latter with questions while he stared at him with a glimpse of hope of finally getting a chance to discover something about himself or at least escaping his aunt once and for all...
Before the man could reply another woman came forward and covered her mouth with widened eyes upon staring at him...
" It's him!" she simply stated and kneeled before the latter with her head lowered... Making the white-haired man gasp he immediately copied the female and so did the other animals.
" what are you doing? " he looked around to see if they were referring to someone else. But instead, he found several other creatures and human-like beings bowing to him.
" We have long awaited your return oh great one, we just wanted to pay our respects, we're sorry if it offends you " the woman sounded apologetic.
" my return? " things were starting to get a little weird, what did they mean by ' they've long awaited his return' and they referred to him great one? He couldn't help but think they were mistaking him for someone else
" yes your highness " she replied and didn't seem like she would get up any time soon
" um, are you just gonna stay there? "
" your Highness hasn't given us the order to rise ultimately " she replied
" Okay rise? " and they all obliged making him feel superior to them all
" My name is lilou, the second child of the king and queen of asnah and next in line to the throne and that is my brother ash, he's the first child of the king" she smiled proudly and gestured towards the white-haired chap...