Chapter 1

The full moon was high above the sky, yet the rain continued to pour.

Water streamed down the roads, making it harder to move, let alone run from one place to another.

This was the reason the forty-year-old Clifford Ortis stayed standing in front of the thirty-two story building he was working at.

It had been hours since he left the office, but he remained stuck there. He heaves a deep sigh, looking once more at his beat up watch his father gave him.

Its small hands pointed at the eight, while the long one was on the six.

“Thirty minutes before nine,” he mumbles, once again letting out a huff of disappointment. It had a been a tiring day, and he really wanted to take a good rest, especially since it was a Friday. Yet he still could not go home because of the weather. Eyes wandering around, he takes one more look at the large glass window of the nearby electronics store.

He can see a woman on the screen of several televisions, all reporting about the recent disappearance of another student from a prestigious university. A kidnapping? Suicide, or perhaps just a case of a runaway, he thought.

The video then changes, this time showing ice cold cans of those famous energy drinks, held by handsome, well-built young men, confidently displaying their half-naked bodies along with the product. As if telling the viewers its amazing effect and benefits. A grin almost appeared on his face, titillated by those squared chests, together with those beautifully shaped jawlines, going so nicely with their perfectly aligned white teeth. Thankfully, he remained stoic, keeping his admiration to himself. It was not befitting for a professional such as him, especially since he had a reputation to keep.

So, same as before, he buried all those desires within him, making sure none of them with seep through.

He couldn’t risk being found out, not when his family’s name was on the line. He’d rather not cause any kind of disgrace for them. These thought ran so deep inside his mind, he ended up staring into nothingness for some time. Only snapping back into reality when he sensed the abrupt silence that took over from the end of the immense rain.

He looks up into the sky, sighing as he could barely see any stars from the powerful lights coming from the buildings.

Though the heavens remained clear, there was no telling when the next shower will come, with the thing being so unpredictable and all.

So without further a due, he starts walking with long strides, but still taking careful steps in order not to slip from the watery pavement. Yet his speed was not enough to reach the bus stop, knowing another strong downpour was about to go down.

He could feel the wetness of the air, together with the sudden touch of cold droplets now and then, a sign of what was about to come.

He stops for a moment, looking from his left and right. On one side was a straight street, packed with cars from the traffic and commuters rushing to and fro. It was that part where there was not much place for him to seek shelter if he mixes with them, also there was no assurance he’d immediately get a ride with the number of people lining up there.

On the other was a dimly lit park, whereas there were plenty of places to hide from the next shower. Of course, he can’t help but be wary, seeing there was barely anybody there.

Memories of his experiences with such a place flashed before his eyes, causing his skin to crawl. Aware that such an area is a nest for hooligans.

But then again, he wasn’t carrying anything of value at the moment, so he had nothing to lose. All except his life, that is. In the end, he rushes to one of the shabby sheds, his sights continuing to scour the place to make sure nobody is around. He hadn’t even taken refuge under the thing when he’s forced to take a pause, having caught a faint noise from afar.“Somebody! Anybody!”The sound seemed muffled, weak, but enough for him to hear.

Is it real or a ploy? He didn’t have any chance to contemplate, considering the circumstances.

So without a second thought, he moves in search of the owner of the voice, hands already inside his backpack, holding on to the baton he had been keeping there for defense.

Again he hears it. This time it got stronger, closer, and definitely a cry for help. It didn’t take long before he finally pinpointed where the noise was coming from, making all his senses go into overdrive.

Weapon out, Clifford hastens his movement, yet making sure each step remained silent to avoid being noticed. He thought it best to remain hidden, since he still did not know the entire situation.

It didn’t take long before he reached a hedge, frowning upon seeing an immense shade of light looming from the other side. Curious but remaining cautious, he pauses, pushing a part of the large shrub for him to get a glimpse of what was beyond.

It was only when he saw what was going on that his instincts suddenly kicked in, though his mind had a hard time processing it, causing about a minute of pondering.

In the end, he sprang into action, jumping right out into the open.

The male teenager, whom he’d say was about the age of around seventeen or eighteen, was quick to look at him, face lighting up upon seeing him there.

“Help, please! I’m not sure I can still hold on.”

The lad pleads, teary-eyed as he grabbed for dear life.

The youth was floating in midair, grabbing onto a branch to keep himself from flying all the way up into the sky.

An odd light came from a large sigil on the ground, moving in a slow, clockwise motion. This was the first object he notice, as it was the only thing that seemed out of place within that park.

Clifford’s eyes were quick to wander all over the area, checking if there was anything else that may cause this, but the only culprit he could think of was that oddity.

He even went as far as looking up, trying to check if there was a large disc or at least a silhouette of it floating around, but there wasn’t any.

Then an idea came to mind. “Can it possibly be invisible, hidden in some kind of cloaking?”

“What did you do?”

He ends up screaming in panic, as the boy’s grasp slip, causing the youngster to screeching in utter fear for his life.

“I don’t know?”

The teen sobbed, as his feet upright, as if he was being sucked up into nothingness.

Out of time, he swings his baton on the glowing markings to see if he can break it. Nothing. He then waves a hand to check if it had any effect on him. There is none, all except for the thing to change its color from golden to a dim bluish hue.

After throwing a rock into the sky and not seeing any reaction, he takes off his belt, his shirt, and his bag’s strap, tying them all together to make a secure line which he then attaches to a nearby tree before himself.

“Please, mister! Hurry!”

The lad cried out, noticing how the piece of branch he held on snapped, unable to support the tension being given to it.

On Clifford’s first step, he notices a sudden vacuum coming from above. But there is nothing there in which he can see. And it seems he is heavy enough, since there wasn’t any kind of force pulling him up.

It was only when he had completely stepped into the sigil that he saw what was the probable cause of all of it.

Above them was a dark vortex, only visible upon entering the circular glow. He steps out to confirm this, and as he expected, the phenomena can only appear if you were inside of the rotating circle of light.

“I’m slipping!”

The teen screams aloud, prompting Clifford to move into action, all the while disregarding his own safety and the curiosity plaguing him.

He immediately grabs the youth by his arms, grunting as he now experienced the force of the pull. It was so powerful that his feet started sliding, almost causing him to take off with the teen.

It was only thanks to his makeshift line; he remained steady on the ground.

“Hold on, you hear me?”

He states.

The youngster nods, whimpering as he clutched unto him when he hauls him down. He secures the kid into an embrace before taking a step back to get them out of there.

He was certain the marked area was some kind of portal, thanks to all the books he’d been reading. And the only way for them to return to safety was if they can escape the site. Though it sounded simple, the act was by far easy.

He could barely keep his foot on the ground, and each step he took became heavier by the minute. But the brunt of the force and work ended in his hands, as it was the only means he had to move, using the line to pull them out of there.

All the while, he cursed inside his mind, regretting the times he’d skip those upper body exercises at the gym.

He can feel the veins in his arms and forehead popping, calling forth every ounce of strength he had. It became harder to walk the closer they got to the end, causing his hands to become numb from all the tussling.

Sweat continued to streak down his face, this trudging inside his chest continue to increase each inch he’d get nearer to safety. As things were looking good, a sudden surge within the atmosphere cause every hair on his skin to tingle.

His heart nearly stops, sensing the familiar sensation crawling through his spine, being all too aware of that feeling.

“Come forth!”

A loud, female voice echoed out of nowhere. The noise caused a sudden burst of pressure to scatter all around them.

They flinched, knees weakening from the rush. What startled them was the fact the sound didn’t seem to originate from outside, but inside their heads.

Before Clifford can even react, the color of the sigil changes once again, this time turning into a mesmerizing black glimmer. His feet then levitates, as his entire body became weightless. The line he’d secured then gets cut off clean by the ray, completely separating them from anything outside.

“Mister, the rope!”

The lad pointed at the flapping object right in front of them.

They both braced gasp, seeing how the thing which was keeping them anchored was now floating upwards, straight for the dark hole above them.

“Oh, shit! Hold on, kid!”

He hollers, fidgeting to grab anything within the area, but as he was already mid-air, there was nothing else he could do but get sucked up into the large void.

The two of them end up screaming as they enter the vortex. Though swirling, they embrace each other, as it is the only thing they can think of that can make them safe.

Clifford couldn’t close his eyes, his gaze remained watching in sheer horror as they ascended into the sky. He’d say they were about two stories high before they completely got swallowed by it. A mix of blue, black, and bits of gold spiraled all around them, enclosing them inside a whirlpool of light.

Questions rush through his mind. What was happening? Why did this happen to him? Were they going to die now? These things plague him like some broken record. All the while looking at the opening, which was slowly becoming smaller with each minute.

Tears fell from his eyes as his thoughts shifted to his family. What will everyone think? Are they be okay? Worry creeps inside of him as they continuously move farther. Until there are no longer any signs of that gap.

The portal then closes, the sigil disappearing, leaving no trace it ever was there. Pieces of leaves and twigs fall from the sky as the gateway closed up. There was not a sign of what had occurred, all but a bag from the student resting on the ground and the broken makeshift line Clifford made, remaining attach to the tree.