It began with the total loss of the electrical grid. Cities fell into darkness, and all communication went silent. Then came the beasts–creatures ranging from the size of a dog to larger than a tank. They were endless in number, and as they spread, the militaries of the world struggled to respond. Many cities quickly collapsed beneath the onslaught.
-Varyn Ignivar, A General History of Rifts
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Cas awoke to the soft warmth of sunlight on his face.
He opened his eyes and let out a groan of frustration as reality set in that he was still in the middle of an unknown forest.
Despite this, he had slept surprisingly well, considering his unpleasant sleeping arrangement.
He stretched his arms and glanced to his side to check on Max. His friend was still fast asleep, snoring rather loudly.
Today would likely be another long day of walking to try to get out of the forest–or at least find food or water. It wasn't exactly an immediate concern, but Cas had a suspicion that they weren't very likely to find anything.
The good news, at least, was that they hadn't woken to a roar or been ripped to shreds by whatever predator they had heard in the distance yesterday.
I cannot believe this is happening to me, he thought gloomily. It's like I'm in one of those "reincarnated in another world" stories.
Although Cas was still not sure what had happened to him and his friend, he was beginning to suspect that Max and he had, in fact, died in that alley and likely somehow ended up in some other world.
The thought brought an immense amount of sadness to him. All the people he knew–gone, and most importantly, he never got to say goodbye to his little sister, Izzy.
He had been living with his sister at their aunt's house ever since their parents had tragically passed when a drunk driver crashed into them a few years back. The thought of Izzy now having to cope with the loss of her brother as well shattered his heart to pieces.
A small tear escaped his eye and slid down his cheek.
Composing himself, he wiped the tear with his sleeve. There was nothing he could do about the current situation other than to persevere.
Hopefully, one day, he would be able to reunite with his sister.
Max was still snoring at Cas's side, and, wanting to let his friend get as much rest as possible, Cas chose to examine his surroundings more closely to pass the time.
While there were many strange things here that contradicted anything he'd seen back at home–the vegetation and clouds most notably–there were also many parallels between the two worlds.
The day's length wasn't noticeably different from that on Earth; the trees, while abnormally large, did seem familiar, and the rising sun was just how he remembered it, casting hues of orange, yellow, and purple across the sky before settling in its spot above, illuminating the soft blue sky.
There were also the clothes he and Max had been wearing since they appeared here: plain white long-sleeve cotton shirts and baggy grey cargo pants with tons of pockets. Not something Cas had in his wardrobe–but not all that different from what some people back at home would wear. He had to admit, though, it was extremely practical given their surroundings.
A light breeze drifted through the trees, stirring Max from his sleep. His eyes opened blearily as he lifted his head from where it had been resting against the rough bark on the trunk of the tree.
He mumbled something incoherent and yawned loudly.
"How'd you sleep, princess?" Cas teased.
"Like a rock," Max muttered, rubbing the back of his sore head.
Cas, who wanted to cover as much ground as possible today, immediately voiced to Max what he thought was the best course of action. "I wanted to let you rest as long as possible, but now that you're awake, I think we should get moving. I don't think it will do us any good by staying here."
Max groaned loudly, but nodded in agreement.
The two friends climbed down the tree and immediately started their expedition for the day.
Their surroundings looked almost identical to when they started exploring yesterday, which didn't give much hope to either boy.
"You know, it would be kind of fucked up if some deity reincarnated us here, only for us to die in a week," Max said glumly, but Cas could see a slight smile on his face.
Cas was extremely thankful that Max was here. He likely would have been depressed if he wasn't, and might have given up already. His friend always managed to brighten the mood, even in the worst circumstances, and if he could have chosen anyone to be in this situation with, it would still be Max.
Cas laughed. "Yeah, maybe we're just some elaborate prank to entertain some god."
"I just hope these bodies didn't belong to anyone. Imagine we forcefully evicted two kids from their bodies?" Max said, grimacing slightly.
"Yeah...I'd rather not think about that," Cas winced. The last thing he needed was a guilty conscience.
"Or maybe," Max exclaimed, "we swapped bodies with these kids, and now they're in our bodies!"
Cas pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, they'd probably be dead in an alley then," he deadpanned.
"Huh," Max muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I guess you're right. I was just thinking about what I would do if I ran into someone in my own body."
"Probably scream and bolt in the other direction," Cas heckled.
"Hey," Max glared. "I would not scream."
They both laughed.
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Unfortunately, much like the day prior, they weren't able to find any food or water. A trend that continued into the following day, with no sign of changing.
The boys were beginning to lose hope. They had been walking for the better part of 3 days, and fatigue was beginning to take its toll on them.
The brisk pace that they had set initially slowed dramatically as their legs grew heavier with each step; their energy depleted.
By now, both boys' throats were completely dry, and a deep hunger chewed at their stomachs.
Cas had been eyeing the bright purple plants scattered across the forest floor. They didn't look appetizing, but he could eat anything right now. He was about to suggest that they should take their chances with eating one, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Max abruptly stopped walking right in front of him, causing Cas to stumble as he nearly ran into him.
"Whoa," Cas exclaimed. "You good?"
Max pointed in the direction they were walking and started laughing like a maniac, a wide smile stretched across his face.
Cas blinked, confused. Had his friend gone insane? "Max...?"
"Look!" he exclaimed, his finger still raised and his voice filled with delight.
Cas turned in the direction Max was gesturing. At first, he didn't see anything. He narrowed his eyes, focusing through the dense trees until he finally saw what Max was referencing–a break in the trees.
The edge of the forest.
His mouth broke into a wide grin. "Max!" he exclaimed excitedly.
Without another word, the two broke into a run.
Words could not describe the happiness Cas was feeling. For the second time in less than a week, he had genuinely believed he was going to die.
Now hope surged through him once more, adrenaline fueling his legs forward.
Cas could see light pouring through the gaps in the trees ahead, brighter than anything they had seen in days.
"Finally!" Max yelled excitedly as they broke through the tree line. "We're finally–"
He stopped, the words dying in his throat.
Cas slowed beside him, his grin faltering as he took in the scene in front of them.
In front of them lay a city.
Or rather, what was left of one.
For miles, what looked to be once towering buildings lay partially buried beneath the soil; only their upper halves untouched.
Rusted steel beams jutted out at awkward angles, overgrown vines wrapping around them and weaving through what remained of the city.
Concrete lay scattered across the landscape, and trees sprouted through the cracks of collapsed structures.
Cas took a deep breath and steadied himself. He wanted to stay calm.
"Well," Max muttered. "Look at the bright side."
Cas raised an eyebrow skeptically. "There's a bright side?"
"I mean, a city means people, right?" Max reasoned.
Cas's eyes slowly drifted over the ruins. While the partial standing structures would be beneficial for fending off the elements, Cas seriously doubted their structural integrity. Most of the remaining buildings looked like they would fall over with a touch of a finger.
He sighed and shook his head. "There's no way anyone still lives here, Max," he answered earnestly. It was one thing to be optimistic, but the thought that anyone still lived here was unrealistic.
Max nodded. "Right, but even if there's no one here, there's a chance that there might be some supplies we can use, or maybe even food and water."
Cas hesitated, but ultimately agreed. That part made some sense at least. He doubted that there would be anything still edible, as the city looked long abandoned, but there was a chance that there was some water, and having supplies would be nice. Maybe they would find a couple of knives to defend themselves?
"Alright," he said. "You've convinced me, let's go."
Honestly, anything was better than going back into the forest.
Max gave a small nod, and Cas could see the hint of a grin on his face.
Together, they walked forward, fully stepping out of the forest that had plagued them since they had arrived, and entered the ruined city.