Onward to the Sun

Chapter 4: The Start of Luna’s Adventure

Chapter 4: The Start of Luna’s Adventure

Helios and I went out of the woods after I declared that I would be joining him and accepting his kind gesture of returning the favor since he said that he was indebted because I saved his life—something I am unsure of myself. Still, I cannot deny the fact that this marvel happened when my skin made contact with his. As we walked, I was staring at my own hand that abruptly glowed and emitted this ‘miraculous’ light a few minutes ago which restored him. I do not know if it was really me who conjured that because that would be insane, I think. Still, it made me curious how the light managed to rectify all of his injuries and make it appear like none of it ever existed in the first place.

“Before we travel to Astaria Academia, do you mind if we take a few detours around the road?” Helios asked me as he waited for my piece of mind. I think that none of it mattered anyway, since I was just a freeloader. “Anyway, I assure you that by the end of the day, we will already be back at the Academia. I just have things I need to do first.”

“I don’t really mind.” I smiled at him, “anyway, before anything else, that’s where I teleported.” I pointed out the centuries-old Acacia tree that was half a kilometer away from us. The tree was very colossal and symmetrical, somehow reminding me of an actual ‘Tree of Life’. From our vantage point, we have a 360-degree view of positions—turn north and you’ll see the forest where I found Helios, turn south and you’ll see the red-bricked pathway that leads to this fortified kingdom a few kilometers away from us, and the clear stream as well that was a few meters away from the Acacia tree. I can hear the flow of the water and the rustling of leaves and grasses. The field almost like hills due to the disheveled and uneven landmass, it was covered with a pasture of wildflowers as well and there were animals around, like cottontails and doves. “Is it alright too if we go and check that area first, I mean, there is a possibility that a portal that connects this world to my world might still open there, and if ever, that means I can go home immediately and you will no longer need to take me to the Academia.”

Helios nodded at my idea and we both went straight to the tree. As we walked, Helios started talking.

“It is very rare, actually, to meet someone from another world. Well, in fact, it almost seems impossible... It is only told in fairy tales in here, that parallel worlds exist and such. The idea is quite complex, but still—to have you prove that these stories are not just fictional tales, but real. This may also prove the fact that there is also a world where the gods, goddesses, deities, and spirits have gone into.”

I only listened to whatever it is that he was saying. I cannot really comment on anything since I have no idea about everything. I was still dazed deep within and my mind was still trying to process my current situation.

When we were finally at the tree, my eyes stared at the exact same spot where I stood when I was teleported to this world, I tried standing again on that position but nothing out of the ordinary occurred—I remained rooted on my spot, like a statue waiting to be moved by another force. Helios seems to be examining the area as well in order to search for a possible passage or portal that can finally take me back home. But to no avail, he came back at me while shaking his head, as if telling me he found nothing. “If ever there is a portal here, I will be able to sense it since I have this.” He showed me a golden ring with runic writings engraved and carved around it.

“What is that?” I asked.

“A rare artifact called ‘Ocellus’, it is also a family heirloom granted to the one who will be the next King or such, but of course—I no longer have a kingdom to rule, this ring allows the bearer to be able to see acnologia.” He explained and I simply nodded while mentally noting that this is a ring that allows the user to see magic. “This also basically means that I will know whether someone is an acnologian or a norman too if I activate this ring because acnologians have an aura around them while normans, the normal people who cannot use acnologia, don’t.” Helios looked at me after, as if he was also probing me with his eyes that prompt me of fire.

“What is it?” I asked, bothered by the way he was looking at me as if I was a spectacle.

“Pardon me for looking without your permission, I just wanted to check if you have an aura and confirm it myself, whether you are an acnologian or not.”

“Do I?” I asked.

“You have an aura around you, Luna, and that means you are an acnologian, or at least that is what I presume as you are not from this world and it seems like you were clueless with what you did to me a few minutes ago that saved my life... Also, your aura is something novel and foreign to me, I never encountered anything like it before.” He added.

“What kind of aura do I emit?” I asked.

“An aura that seems to be more powerful than Divine Tier which is impossible because Divine Tier is the most powerful tier of acnologians... However, your acnologia is still weak, like a baby and a seed that has just sprout, as if you have just awakened. Still, I can sense its force if it is nurtured further—you have the talent and gift. With proper training and control, you have the potential to be one of the strongest acnologian in Magus Mundo’s history, or so that is what I think.”

I laughed at Helios because I found his declaration as something funny, but he looked at me with those serious eyes that told me that he was not joking at all and that he was deadly serious. I sighed. “Look, I am just an ordinary girl... That is something I can assure you. So, whatever it is that you think you see in me, I think you are mistaken.”

Helios shrugged, “I am not mistaken. The Ocellus ring is never faulty.” He said in his defense.

“Alright, believe whatever you want, Helios... But truth be told, I am not an acnologian and I think whatever happened at the forest, when I touched you and you suddenly recovered, I think that is a coincidence... I think it was not me, but something else, or whatever.”

“We will see about that when we get to the Academia where you can get tested, to see whether you are a norman or an acnologian who is a descendant of a deity, a god, goddess, or a divine creature, and we will also see if ever you are an acnologian, the tier where you belong and what terrestrial or celestial alignment you possess.”

“If you insist,” I pursed my lips after. I am not even from this world, so how can I be an acnologian? It does not make sense at all if I consider that I am one, because I am not and I have to break it into him already so that he will not expect and be disappointed later on.

“Anyway, going back, a portal is also a manifestation of acnologia, so, if ever there is a portal here, I should know... But there is none.” He declared, and that was enough for me to lose all hopes that I can leave this strange world immediately.

In my world, back on Earth, it was probably still midnight, and I can imagine my Dad, who is surely sleeping soundly. I sighed at the idea that my Dad is all alone now. I am all that he has too, and I was spirited away to a fantasy world that I never thought would ever be possible. What will be his reaction if he wakes up and he realizes that his daughter disappeared too, like his wife, eighteen years ago? He will be very heartbroken and miserable. I do not know how he managed to be sane after losing Mom, I guess because I was there, but now that I am not—who will keep him sane?

My heartbeat became fast at the sudden realization because of the idea of my mother’s disappearance—what if the same thing happened to my mother before when she suddenly vanished without a trace? What if she was teleported to this enchanted world too? What if she is also around here, somewhere? Now that I am thinking of it and considering it too, this is a possibility that no one can ever deny, and it finally connects the dots as to why my mother suddenly disappeared as if she never existed eighteen years ago. Somehow, it felt like staying here is not half as bad as I thought too. If ever my mother is really here, I will find her and find a way back home to go back together and finally be with Dad so we can be a complete family. I do not really know my mother, but that also gives me more reason why I want to meet her so that I can know her—what kind of woman she is, her favorite food, and anything under the Sun.

“Now that we have confirmed that there is no portal here which leads you back home, shall we start our journey so that we can be at the Academia by nightfall?”

I nodded to Helios, agreeing to his proposition. He started walking, and I followed him. We were already exposed to the heat of the Sun since there were no longer trees or shade to cover us, but since the place was a little cold, it did not matter. My feet were bare since I didn’t put on any shoes or slippers before, which is why I felt the tingling sensation of the grass—but I am starting to get used to it and when I did, that’s the time we walked the bricked pathway and my feet had to adjust once more with the hard and rough surface of it.

“Where are we going first, by the way?” I asked Helios as we followed the path that leads to the fortified kingdom or city, or whatever that is, which is a few kilometers away from us. It looked rather small from a distance, but I know it is a massive place that is heavily guarded by these high walls that were at least fifteen meters high. As we moved closer, I can see towers on a few parts and intersections of the wall, and there seem to be knights around there who were stationed, patrolling, and guarding the place. Their metal armor reflected the sunlight too.

“This city.” Helios pointed out the city in front of us, which was protected by this impenetrable wall, “it is Tempus City—the city of clocks, it is one of the cities inside Celeste Kingdom, the kingdom where we currently are at. I have left my horse inside the city, at one of the stables of a close acquaintance, we will retrieve the horse first to make traveling faster, then let us purchase you some pair of dresses and slippers too since you have an item of peculiar clothing and that will surely attract attention among the people—we want you to blend in to avoid suspicion and such, then we proceed to the Sunfioree Kingdom so I can pray for the soul of my family, friends, and people.” He stated, I mentally noted everything that he has spoken about, but what caught my attention most was the last part.

“I overheard your conversation with that devil back at the forest before...”

“Ah, you mean the horned man?”

I nodded.

“Those were actually former acnologians who resorted to Dark Acnologia. It is forbidden to be practiced among acnologians because the cost of it is one’s humanity, of course, in exchange for greater acnologia. You will turn into a Nightwalker, like the one you saw a while ago—the hooded man with horns—the Layman term though is a devil, as you have previously mentioned. These Nightwalkers are bound to the Obscurum Army that is led by the Dark Lord, who only wants nothing but to wreak havoc and bring despair unto the lands of this world. As the days pass, the Dark Lord grows stronger as he recovers his lost strength and acnologia, and his Army gradually becomes bigger too as more joins him in hunger of power and glory too. It is only a matter of time, I suppose, until a war between Acnologians and the Nightwalkers occur which is why kingdoms are already forming alliances against this Obscurum Army.” As Helios explained to me, I can feel the fury in his tone, he was trying his best to hide it from me, but it still did not go unnoticed.

“Did this Obscurum Army destroy your kingdom? I apologize if this is quite intrusive, I happened to overhear your conversation with that Nightwalker, as I have previously mentioned...” I awkwardly explained.

“It is alright...” Helios slightly tilted his head back in order to face me and then he smiled. After that, he looked back at where he was going again. “You are right. The Obscurum Army wiped my kingdom in order to steal the Phoenix and resurrect the Dark Lord who has been gone for one hundred and fifty years already. They attacked my kingdom at the time where we had our guard down because of the Sun Festival that we were celebrating... I was the only survivor and a lot of people died, protecting me, in order to let me escape. It was a massacre... All because they wanted to steal the Phoenix.”

I remember drawing this beautiful mythical creature that has fire for its feathers. This legendary bird, according to my research before, is immortal and powerful. When it dies, it rises from its own ashes once more and comes back to life. This is a constant cycle for the Phoenix as if its time is stuck in a loop. It is also said that the tears of the Phoenix can bring the dead back to life too.

“So, they stole the Phoenix to revive the Dark Lord,” I concluded.

“Indeed. The Phoenix is a guardian that is sent by Sol, the Sun Goddess, before she disappeared from this world along with the other gods, goddesses, deities, and divinities. The Phoenix serves my family, the Firestorms, as we are the direct descendants of Sol. Aside from being able to resurrect the dead which we disallow from doing because we want to follow the order and keep the balance of nature, the Phoenix has the power also to amplify our acnologia a hundredfold.  But of course, in the blink of an eye, everything fell apart—we were too careless,” he paused for a few seconds and then he continued talking again.

“The Obscurum Army used the Phoenix and corrupted its soul to force this mythical creature to cry. This is in order to use its tears to resurrect the Dark Lord. It happened ten years ago, and the Obscurum Army has succeeded. The Dark Lord was resurrected a month after my kingdom was reduced to ashes. I no longer have any accounts of the Phoenix, about its whereabouts and such, but if ever I find out where it is, I shall go and save it. Anyway, this is a tale that is known among all people in Magus Mundo, which is why people are very cautious now, knowing that the Dark Lord is already back again after one hundred and fifty years of peace and order. I only have one goal, though, and it is to make sure that the death of my people is not in vain. It is my responsibility as the sole survivor of the Sunfioree Kingdom. I will reduce the Obscurum Army into ashes, too, the same way they did to my life. They will have to pay the price of their sins. I have to bring Judgment Day to them.”

I was silent as I listened to Helios. He was opening up to a stranger he just met, and I let him. It is a very heavy story, and I guess the very least thing I can do is to listen. I hope it helps, though, to lighten up the baggage that he has been carrying all his life.

“I must have said too much. Pardon me, Luna. I got carried away. I do not usually talk a lot too, but something about you made me and I do not know what it is, so do not ask.”

“It is alright, Helios.” I smiled. “My father used to tell me before that it is better to release things, especially the pain and negativity, rather than keeping it all in—especially to a stranger, since there will be no judgments. Otherwise, if you just keep it in, it will weigh you down and hold you back. That is also the reason why, ever since, my Dad and I have been very honest and transparent with each other.” I smiled as I remembered my Dad and felt homesick suddenly. How many hours has it been since I came into this world? I was not even able to say a proper farewell to my Dad. I am sure he will be very worried-sick when he wakes up and realizes that his only daughter is gone too, like Mom.

This is more reason for me to search for a way back home as soon as possible. I hope I can go home already. Despite the many wonders of this magical land, I do not want anything of it. I do not want an adventure or any part of it. I just want to be back home—with my Dad and myself, who is confined in my room, just doing the same routines over and over again. Then the idea of my mother came into the picture once more, and I added her to the list of the things I need to find out while I still am here; is she here too?

I sighed, knowing I cannot have all of that now.

I guess I have no choice, then, because I have a premonition already that this is the start of my teleported-to-another-world escapade.