The Portal

I made my way down the city street with Cici's hand in mine. I'd lived in Wisconsin my whole life, in a small city bordering one of the great lakes. I've been in Michigan a few times, mainly the upper peninsula, and it's very peaceful there. She was currently leading me towards one of the hillsides, where a lush forest of green awaited us.

She looked so cute in my hoodie that I gave her. The hood was currently up to hide her cat ears, and she had wrapped her tail around her waist, and hid it under her clothes. I just wore a simple white t shirt and blue jeans. I didn't much care for crazy fashions. As long as I was covered up, I could wear pretty much anything.

Bayfield was a pretty small place with a small population, which was perfect for someone like me. Although, now, I felt like I belonged somewhere else. I was needed somewhere else, and now, my place was wherever Cici was. I gave her hand a light squeeze, and she did the same for me. It was a strange thing. I was with Rachel for over 10 years, and yet, I never felt this loved by her before as Cici made me feel, and likewise, I felt a level of emotions for her that I never gave to Rachel.

"Wow... there's so many things here that I don't understand... like these metal carriages, or these screens with moving pictures on them that don't contain any mana... the one in your house baffled me, but I liked that story that we viewed together. This world is different, yet not primitive like I expected." Cici said, and I chuckled.

I had done my best to educate her on this world last night before bed, but apparently I hadn't done a very good job. It didn't really matter right now anyways, since we were leaving this world for another one entirely. Or at least, that's the plan as of right now.

"There's more I'd like to show you, and teach you. Perhaps we can come back, and I can do it properly." I said, adding, "If I live that long," to myself.

We soon reached the edge of town, and walked down a path leading into the forest. It smelled wonderful out here, and the sounds of insects buzzing and birds chirping gave me a satisfying sense of peace. I didn't get out a whole lot, and currently, I was reminded why as the pain in my legs intensified as we trekked uphill, and Cici had wrapped an arm around my waist to help steady me.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this." I said, feeling bad and a little ashamed.

She kissed my cheek, making me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Nonsense. You're my mate. I'll help you in any way I can." She said, and there was that word again, but one I was growing us to.

While we were relaxing before coming here, she told me that most cat Beastkin like her would pick a mate, usually a strong male that could provide for them, to lead their pack. They were focused on growing a large family, and in her people's case, making many kittens. She told me she was different though, and she goddamn had to be to pick a guy like me.

She told me my strength was in my heart, and the kindness I showed to her without even knowing her completely. Still, the thought of me making babies with who was once my cat was an odd feeling, yet... I wanted to be with her. I wanted to live up to the person she thought I was. If Cici said I was her mate, then damn it, I would do my best to live up to that.

"Am I a weirdo?" I wondered, because when I thought about her beauty mixed with her cat features, I found it more attractive than any normal woman I'd ever seen.

"We're here." Cici said, and I blinked.

"Already?" I asked, looking around us, but all I saw was green everywhere I looked.

Green grass, green trees, rocks scattered around the forest floor with a particularly large boulder off to the side. Cici lifted her hand, and pointed at the aforementioned boulder.

"There." She said, and I looked at the boulder, and raised an eyebrow as I went over and placed a hand on it.

"Is it under this?" I asked, and she nodded.

"It's an illusion." She said, and I touched the boulder again, feeling very real stone beneath my hand.

"Uhh..." I muttered, and she let out a tiny laugh.

"Illusions look and feel very real until they are dispelled. I made sure I had just enough mana left to do it, otherwise, I'm not exactly sure how we'd get back. I'm honestly surprised this can persist like this in a world with no mana. I think it's because it's connected to my world through the portal." She said, and proceeded to place her hands upon the boulder, and mutter some kind of incantation or something that I couldn't make heads or tails of.

Before my very eyes, the rock seemed to dissolve, becoming transparent, before disappearing completely.

"Oh shit." I said, as I was now staring at a set of stone stairs that led down into the ground, "That's... woah."

"Come." She said, grabbing my hand again, and leading me down the stairs, deep underground to who knows where.

She then turned around, placed her hands upon the wall, and the entrance we used appeared to seal back up, so no one would ever know this was here. She was a smart girl alright. We walked down for only a minute or two until we break to walk down a tight and narrow passage way. I could see a bright blue glow up ahead, and after only a few heartbeats, we arrived in a small circular room.

"Holy fuck..." I said, staring at a blue circular mass of energy in the middle of the room.

It looked exactly like how some of those portals other worlds looked in animes and shit, but it was pretty hard to believe that I was actually seeing this here, in the real fucking world.

"This is insane..." I muttered.

"That's what I said when I first seen it. My mom had told me about it in the past, but it was just a story to me. Now though... I mean, it's right here, and it brought me to this world. And now, it'll bring us back to mine. But... I'm scared of what I'll find. I'm terrified, Eli." She said, and I pulled her close to me, hugging her to my chest.

"I'll be right there with you. I don't know what I can do... but I'll do what I can. I want... I want to protect you." I said, but I was unsure how my weak ass was going to do that.

My hope was that this Framework she mentioned fixed me, and gave me a class that would allow me to do that. She did say it seemed to give people classes based on what best suited them, and right now, what I wanted was the power to protect and care for Cici. Hell, I wanted to protect and care for my mother as well, but I couldn't do that... but if this Framework understood my plight, then it would know my true desire. I wanted to no longer be weak, I wanted to live, and I wanted to keep those I loved safe.

"This is why I chose you, Eli." She said, smiling as she gripped my hand firmly, and led me forward, "Are you ready?"

I looked at her, at our hands interlocked, and at what the future possible held for us, and I nodded firmly. Yes, for any possibility for my life to be different, and for the chance to actually be happy, I was more than ready. A chance to starr a new chapter of my life with this wonderful woman with me... it was more than I could have ever imagined.

"I'm ready. Let's do this." I said resolutely.

We stepped through the portal.