Earth, 2030.
Aris walked lazily through the bustling city streets, his gaze fixed on his phone screen. The sounds of car horns, people chatting, and distant construction blended into a dull hum in the background. It was just another ordinary day, or at least it seemed that way.
He had always craved solitude, a rare commodity in his life. Being the son of the first astronaut to set foot on Mars was a burden he never asked for. His father's fame lingered like a shadow, even after his retirement. Every time someone mentioned Mars, it felt like another chain linking Aris to a life he never chose.
The phone in his hand buzzed suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was his father calling. Aris hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice tinged with reluctance.
"Yeah, Dad?" he mumbled, not bothering to hide his lack of enthusiasm.
"Hey, Aris. I need you to do something for me," his father's voice crackled through the receiver. "We're planning to sell the house and move out soon. There's a lot of stuff in the basement from the expedition. Toss what you think is garbage and tidy up down there."
Aris sighed, rolling his eyes. "Sure, because I have nothing better to do," he muttered under his breath. The call ended, and Aris shoved the phone into his pocket with a scowl.
"Why can't I just have some peace for once? Having a dad who's more interested in his fame than his own son is exhausting."
As he crossed the street, he walked past familiar landmarks, his feet leading him almost automatically to the house he grew up in. It was a large, old building, its walls lined with memories that felt more like ghosts now. The air inside was stale, filled with the scent of dust and forgotten moments.
He headed straight to his room, dropping onto his bed with a heavy sigh. The ceiling above him was cracked, just like his relationship with his father. He couldn't remember the last time they had a real conversation, one where his father actually listened to him.
"Ever since that tragedy on Mars, he's never been the same. It's like he's a stranger now, someone who only sees me as a responsibility he has to manage." Aris whispered to himself, his voice heavy with frustration. The thought of selling the house made his chest tighten. This was the place where his mother's presence lingered the most. The idea of letting it go felt like erasing her from his life.
But if that's what Dad wants, who am I to stop him? He thought bitterly, sitting up and forcing himself to pack his belongings. As he folded clothes and stuffed them into a suitcase, his mind wandered to the basement, the one place in the house that still held an air of mystery.
After hours of cleaning, Aris finally made his way to the basement. He hesitated at the door, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. The wooden steps creaked under his weight as he descended into the dimly lit space. His hand fumbled for the light switch, and when he finally found it, the room was bathed in a weak, flickering glow.
"What a mess," he muttered, surveying the piles of boxes and random objects scattered across the floor. "Is this really all from Mars? It just looks like a bunch of junk."
As he wandered through the clutter, something caught his eye—a dusty old notebook lying on top of a stack of crates. The cover was worn, and the pages yellowed with age. He picked it up, his fingers brushing away the dust. The text on the cover was strange, written in a language he couldn't quite place.
"Is this Arabic? No, maybe it's Mandarin…" He trailed off as the words seemed to shift before his eyes, becoming clear and legible. "The world's fate is inevitable. Only a true soul is allowed to change it."
Aris frowned, puzzled by the cryptic message. He flipped through the pages, but they were blank, save for a few more strange symbols here and there. With a shrug, he tossed the notebook aside and continued his task.
He picked up an old box, grunting as he moved it to the side. As he did, something rolled off the top and landed in his hand—a small, broken prism. The glass was cracked and looked like it had been through a lot. Aris held it up to the light, examining it with curiosity.
"Seriously, Dad? This is what you brought back from Mars?" he scoffed. But as he turned the prism over in his hand, he noticed something unusual. A sharp edge caught his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Ouch!" He winced, shaking his hand. A single drop of blood fell onto the prism, and in that moment, everything changed.
The prism began to glow, a brilliant light emanating from within. Aris stared in shock as the cracks in the glass began to mend themselves, the broken fragments fusing together until the prism was whole once more. A strange energy pulsed through the air, and Aris felt a powerful force tugging at him, pulling him towards the prism.
"What…what's happening?" he gasped, his voice trembling with fear. The light grew brighter, enveloping him completely. His body felt like it was being torn apart, every fiber of his being unraveling and then knitting itself back together in an instant.
And then, everything went black.
When Aris opened his eyes, he was no longer in the basement. The air was cool, and the ground beneath him was soft, covered in a thick carpet of moss. He struggled to his feet, his head spinning as he took in his surroundings.
This place… was unlike anything he had ever seen. The sky above was a strange shade of green, with swirling clouds that seemed almost alive. The trees around him were tall and twisted, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The air was filled with unfamiliar sounds, the rustling of leaves, and the distant calls of creatures he couldn't even begin to imagine.
"Where… where am I?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. His heart pounded in his chest as the reality of his situation began to sink in. This wasn't Earth. It wasn't anywhere he recognized.
As he wandered through the forest, his mind raced with questions. How had he gotten here? What had that prism done to him? Was this some kind of hallucination, or had he really been transported to another world?
He stumbled upon a clearing, where a group of strange, humanoid creatures stood gathered around a glowing stone. Their skin was iridescent, shimmering with every color of the rainbow. Their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and their hair flowed like liquid metal.
Relief washed over him as he realized he wasn't alone. "Hey! Over here!" he called out, waving his arms. "Can you help me? I'm lost!"
The creatures turned to look at him, their expressions unreadable. Aris hesitated as he got closer, a sense of unease creeping up his spine. Something was off.
Before he could react, one of the creatures raised a hand, chanting in a language he couldn't understand. A massive thorn, sharp and deadly, shot out from the ground, aimed directly at him. Aris barely had time to gasp before the thorn pierced his side, the pain radiating through his entire body.
He cried out, blood pouring from the wound. The creatures watched him, their faces devoid of emotion as he fell to his knees. One of them approached, its eyes cold and unfeeling. The thorn twisted, driving deeper into his flesh, and Aris screamed in agony.
"I was just asking for help…" he choked out, tears streaming down his face. "Why… why are you doing this?"
He struggled to pull himself free, but his strength was fading fast. The world around him began to blur, the colors bleeding together as his vision dimmed. He could feel his life slipping away, and with it, any hope of finding a way back home.
The last thing he saw before everything went dark was the cold, indifferent gaze of the creature standing over him.