The Original Realm

The early morning sun cast long, thin shadows over the school courtyard, illuminating the snow-draped paths that led to the bus waiting to take them to Mount Vongami. Lucena stood in front of her locker, eyes sparkling with the anticipation of the three-day school trip. Her breath came out in excited puffs, matching the brisk winter air.

"Are you ready, Luke?" she called out, glancing toward the other end of the hallway where Luke stood by the window, a book clutched to his chest. He was deep in thought, staring out at the snow-laden world beyond as if it held answers to questions he hadn't asked.

Luke's bright green eyes flicked toward her, and a small, distracted smile curled on his lips. "Ready as I'll ever be," he murmured, but his voice lacked the enthusiasm it usually carried. His hand tightened around the worn spine of the book, the corners frayed from years of use.

Lucena raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "You've been staring at that mountain picture for a while now. Are you sure everything's okay?

"He hesitated, the light of the morning sun catching on his features, making them look almost ghostly. "It's nothing," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Just didn't sleep well last night."

Lucena knew better, but she chose not to press the issue. Luke was always a bit of an enigma, a quiet, studious boy who spent more time with his nose in a book than socializing. But today, something felt off. The way he held himself, so stiff, so... guarded. It worried her more than she wanted to admit.

"Alright, class, gather your belongings!" Miss Stanwood's voice cut through the chatter, snapping them both out of their private worlds. The classroom filled with the sound of scraping chairs and excited voices as students prepared for the bus ride.

Lucena grabbed her backpack and glanced at Luke, who was already heading toward the front of the class. He moved with a purpose that seemed out of place. She caught up with him just as he stepped out into the frosty morning.

The bus ride was long, filled with the rumble of wheels on snow-dusted roads and the idle chatter of classmates. Lucena, sitting next to Luke, kept stealing glances at him. He sat by the window, staring out at the passing pine trees and hills, a faraway look in his eyes. The silence between them grew until it was palpable.

"Luke," she said, a little louder than she meant to, her voice cutting through the dull roar of the bus. He blinked and looked at her, eyes searching, as if he'd just noticed she was there.

"Did I wake you?" she asked, trying to mask her worry with a smile.

"No," he replied, rubbing at his temple with one hand. "Just tired, that's all."

Lucena frowned, sensing there was more to it. "You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?" she pressed, her voice soft.

A fleeting moment of vulnerability crossed his face, then vanished like the snowflakes that melted on the windowpane. "I know, Lucena. I'll be fine," he said, though the words sounded hollow even to his ears.

The bus wound its way up the narrow mountain roads, the snow becoming thicker, clinging to the sides of the trees like a ghostly shroud. The peaks of Mount Vongami loomed above them, white and proud, a symbol of majesty and danger wrapped in the stillness of winter.

As the bus pulled to a stop at the base of the mountain, the students began to file out, chattering excitedly. The air was colder here, biting at their cheeks and noses. Lucena glanced back at Luke, who had stepped off the bus and now stood at the edge of the snow-drenched clearing, staring up at the mountain with an intensity that made her heart quicken.

"Luke, are you coming?" she called, her voice a little louder to pierce the cold wind.

He turned to look at her, and for a second, she thought she saw something else in his eyes—something dark, almost... fearful. "Yeah," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm coming."

The group made their way through the winding paths, each step more tiring than the last. When they reached a clearing where the snow was deeper and the air seemed thinner, Luke felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that something lay just out of sight, hidden in the white void of the mountainside.

A sudden, sharp jolt of fear seized him, and before he could think, Luke bolted. His legs carried him away from the group, crashing through the dense, snow-laden branches of the forest, the cold biting at his skin. Behind him, Lucena's voice called out, distant and fading.

"Luke! Wait!"

But he didn't stop. Not now, not when he felt the pull of something he couldn't name. The forest around him grew darker, as if the shadows themselves were stretching and shifting, following him. Then he saw it—tiny, flickering blue lights like fragments of a shattered star, coalescing in the air and forming a swirling, ethereal shape. It was a portal, its edges shimmering and vibrating with energy.

A low, guttural growl sounded behind him, and Luke's breath caught in his throat. He spun around just in time to catch a glimpse of the creature—massive, with glistening black scales and eyes that burned like embers in the dark. Its form was a twisted nightmare, both magnificent and terrifying, like something ancient and cruel.

For a split second, time seemed to freeze as Luke's eyes met the creature's. The world around him dimmed, and the portal roared to life, sending tendrils of light streaking through the clearing. The energy crackled, spreading through the air with a deafening hum that shook the ground beneath him.

Lucena caught up to him, her face flushed from exertion and worry. "Luke, what's happening? Please, tell me!" Her eyes searched his, trying to read the storm behind them.

Luke turned to her, eyes wide and haunted. "Lucena, you shouldn't be here," he said, voice breaking.

Before she could respond, the air crackled around them, filled with a hum that seemed to resonate through their bones. The fragments of light spun faster, a whirlpool of blue energy that pulled at the world, at the very fabric of reality. It was too late to turn back now.

Lucena felt her hands clench, her voice trembling as she tried to reach for him. "Luke, don't—"

But it was already happening. The vortex expanded, pulling them toward it with an irresistible force. The forest around them blurred, the world shattering into light and shadow as the wind screamed and howled.

Luke's last glance was filled with something unspoken, something that Lucena couldn't name. A flash of regret, a spark of recognition, before he was swallowed by the light. Just before the blackness took him, his eyes flickered to the creature one last time, its form shifting into the vortex as it followed.

"Luke!" Lucena screamed, reaching out, but her voice was lost in the roar of the storm.

And then, with a shuddering breath, everything went dark.