Saying this Jason quickly dispatched the troll and entered the cave along with us. Around us was the lush green forest, something I’ve often heard of, but never actually seen. The jungles are usually far more dangerous than anything else, even the Death Bringer probably would shiver in the jungle.

But this here was different. It’s not the aggressive jungle, where any step could take your life. Neither is it the hot desert, one storm after another.

It was simply just calm and relaxing. Even the sun isn’t as hot as before. I swear, even the temperature changed, it’s like we stepped into a completely different world, a dream world.

“Valhalla.” I whispered. No, that name doesn’t fit at all. But if this world’s called that way, who am I to argue against it.

Jason turned to me. “I don’t know what happened. Actually I was kinda transported out of this world here. There are also probably some guys from your world there. Hey, what do you even call your world?”

“Earth” I said, still astonished.

“Earth, doesn’t that mean your world’s called dirt?” Jason started to laugh.

“Beats me too.” I shrugged with my shoulders.

Glenn meanwhile dragged Thomas to the weird looking turrets stationed in front, inspecting them with excitement.

Thomas opened one of the turrets. “This shouldn’t even work…”

“Let’s just say, it’s magic.” Jason said.

“Magic? This is magic?! What else can it do?” Thomas asked in excitement.

“Mostly, it makes life a bit easier. Telekinesis” Jason let a glass of water float towards him.

“Jason, my friend. Can you teach me magic?” Thomas asked, still excited.

“Let’s check everyone’s aptitude for magic first” Jason said as he walked off a bit and grabbed a weird looking device.

“What’s that?” Max who was silent the whole time, asked.

“It’s a device that shows you your aptitude for magic, and which affinities your best, mine’s darkness” Jason said, proudly.

“I’m going first.” Thomas said as he walked up to Jason.

“Okay, let’s see here… an aptitude of 50 out of 100… that’s pretty good and your highest affinity is… earth with 74%. That’s, actually really good Thomas” Jason said with a smile on his face.

“Really?”

“Yeah, the older you get, the more powerful your magic will be. Take this.” Jason threw a small pill to Thomas.

“What does this do?” Thomas asked.

“It’s what allows you to use magic, made from the synthesia plant. Eat it and you’ll be able to use magic” Jason said, and Thomas instantly put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it.

After that, we all went to Jason and learned our affinities and aptitudes of magic.

Ashton: aptitude 76. Highest affinities: Light/Water.

Thomas: aptitude 50. Highest affinity: Earth

Max: aptitude 63. Highest affinity: Illusion.

Glenn: aptitude 69. Highest affinity: Fire.

We learnt out affinities and aptitudes, and Jason was actually pretty impressed. He even said that he was happy that we had such high aptitudes, especially me. And that he was shocked when he learnt that I had a dual affinity, since it was “Extremely rare”, but I think he said that to make everyone jealous.

“So, Jason. I’ve been meaning to ask, but where is everyone?” Thomas asked.

“Either dead, or left. The idea of a whole new world sounded nice to everyone, until they actually entered it” Jason darkly said.

“You okay?” I asked Jason.

“My wife and kids, they went out there… in seek of adventure and fortune, without me, I said that I’d catch up to them, I couldn’t even find their fucking CORPSES!!!” Jason fell to his knees and sobbed.

“It’s okay man, they might have survived!” I tried to comfort him, but he quickly replied.

“I found my daughter's doll… she’d never let go of it, ever! And… when I found it, it was covered in blood” Jason said, still sobbing.

“There’s still hope, you didn’t find any remains… right?” I asked.

“There were… a lot of dead bodies, most were unrecognisable. I know that, they were a part of the bodies! So stop trying to fucking comfort me, okay!” Jason pushed me away from him and started to walk into the cave.

Glenn and Thomas just shared a look, and went after him. Right, they were war veterans, they probably knew what it took to comfort a man.

So, I was left alone with Max. We didn’t talk much, just practiced our magic.

“Magic,” Thomas had told us in a gloomy voice as he handed out his pills, “is something not many are able to grasp instantly. You might cast the wrong spell, you might do something else wrong.

What is magic even?

I am not entirely sure, I never bothered to pay attention in the academy, but it’s something like controlling strings going through the entire world. When you cast magic, you will be able to feel that string.

Just try to focus on one of the strings for now. The spell to feel them is called ‘Nullos’.” That was before Thomas asked him about the situation in his world.

I sat in the front of the cave. The trees were swaying in the winds, the grass, oh my god! Grass!, were tickling my legs.

I tried to concentrate on myself. Jason spoke of something like a pull near our heart, one of the strings would always go through there.

“Nullos.”

And I was infinite.

I could hear the bumping of my heart, the bending of the whole galaxis, past beyond the boundaries of the universe. I could feel the multiverses, the otherverses and the noverses. Each of them had unique characteristics, and each had their own rhythm.

Each second here was like a honey drop on the dessert, each molecule was like the venerating sound of waves clashing against the shore.

I opened my eyes. It was already dead night, and Max was sleeping on the floor. I found myself on the floor too. Perphase over the passage of time the wind knocked us down like the surrounding grass. Only now do I know how precious every second was in this wonderful life.

“Magic.” I hummed. “It’s magic.”

I got up under the starry sky. The sky blew past me, the trees bowed to the clouds. I stretched out my hand to the star. Yes, star. This is what it must be. That what my grandma spoke of so desperately. I wiped a tear. Maybe… Maybe I could grab a star? Take it away and treasure it? But then the sky would be incomplete, like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece.

I sighed and went to the cave. Once inside I was greeted by the smell of something repugnant, and saw Thomas, Glenn and Jason all huddled up together, babbling incoherent sounds.

Ah, right, of course.

I walked outside again, just lying down next to Max.

Phew.

I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten something. Something really really important, a reason why I shouldn’t stay here, but get back to Manhattan.

Oh. Right.

My sister.

---------------------------------

[Yay, chapter 7’s done!] -1

_Hehe, to be honest I also forgot her, in case you all have been stumped. Check Prologue last paragraph lol._ 0

[When I say, My sister… I just said “Who?” and also said: “Back to the doctor then, (Doctor who XD)... Bye] -1

_Have fun o/_ 0