A Different World
The next day, it rained again. Not heavily. Not a storm. Just enough to make the air feel different.
Arka already knew.
He stood in front of the school gate longer than usual. His eyes searched for a figure who might not even appear.
"You're standing there all quiet, looking like you're waiting for your girlfriend," Dimas teased from behind.
Arka flinched. "Shut up!"
"Oh yeah? Since when do you come this early two days in a row? You're usually the type who shows up right before the bell."
Arka didn't answer. He only glanced at the gray sky, and just like yesterday, he felt it before he saw her.
Then a girl's voice came from behind him. "Arka."
Soft. Close.
He turned.
Sena stood a few steps away. Her hair fell neatly over her shoulders, her eyes calm as always. Rain fell around them, but it did not truly touch her.
Meanwhile, Dimas was still standing beside Arka.
"Who are you staring at?" Dimas asked.
Sena smiled faintly. "He can't see me."
Arka's heart beat faster. "You… did that on purpose?"
"Did what?"
"Come again."
Sena stepped closer. "Were you hoping I wouldn't?"
Arka swallowed. "That's not what I meant."
"Good."
Dimas frowned. "Ka, are you talking to yourself?"
Arka quickly shook his head. "No. I was just… thinking."
Dimas shrugged and headed into the school building first.
Now it was just the two of them.
"Are you ready?" Sena asked softly.
"Ready for what?"
She looked toward the garden behind the school. "You're curious, aren't you?"
Arka fell silent.
Curious wasn't enough to describe it. Since yesterday, his mind had not truly been at peace. That blue light kept replaying in his thoughts.
"I'm scared this is just a hallucination," he admitted honestly.
Sena gave a small smile. "Then touch me."
Arka blinked. "What?"
"You're afraid I'm not real, right?"
Hesitantly, Arka reached out and touched the tip of Sena's finger.
Warm.
Real.
Not a shadow. Not an illusion.
His breath caught for a moment.
"I'm real," Sena whispered. "And so is the gate."
They walked toward the back garden. The morning was still quiet. The rain had made most students go straight to their classrooms.
The small pond looked completely ordinary.
"There's nothing here," Arka murmured.
Sena stood at its edge. "Because you haven't called it."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Believe."
Arka sighed softly. "Your answers are always that simple, aren't they?"
Sena let out a quiet laugh, a sound that somehow made Arka's chest feel lighter.
"Close your eyes," she said.
"I don't like this part."
"Just close them."
Reluctantly, Arka shut his eyes.
He heard the rain. Then that voice, the one that had been calling him.
"Come."
When he opened his eyes again, the world around him had changed. The small pond now glowed with bright blue light. Its surface looked like water, yet also like a sparkling night sky.
---
"There it is," Sena whispered.
Arka stared at it. "That gate… If I go in… can I come back?"
Sena did not answer immediately. She was silent for a few seconds.
"You can, as long as you haven't chosen to stay," she finally said.
"Chosen?"
"You'll understand later."
She held out her hand.
"Trust me, Arka."
Arka looked at her hand for a few seconds. Then he took it.
Warm.
Calm.
Before he could think twice, Sena stepped forward.
They fell.
Not like falling freely, but more like sinking into light. Arka shut his eyes, his heart pounding. Then everything stopped. He slowly opened his eyes.
Silence.
Not the school garden. Not the small pond.
Before him stretched a vast forest with towering trees. Their leaves shimmered as if touched by golden light. The air felt fresher than anything he had ever breathed.
"Wait… what is this?" Arka stood speechless.
Sena stood beside him, her hair moving gently in the wind.
"Welcome."
Birds with brightly colored feathers flew between the trees. A small river flowed not far from where they stood, its water so clear that the stones at the bottom were visible.
"Is this real?" Arka asked.
"Of course it's real. You can touch it yourself. If you don't believe me, try."
Arka crouched and grabbed the soil beneath his feet. Damp. Cool. Real.
"This isn't Earth, is it?" he asked, looking at Sena more seriously now.
"No. This isn't the world you know."
They walked along a narrow path between the trees. In the distance stood a stone structure with tall towers, like a castle from a history book.
"What's that?"
"A city."
"A city?"
"We live there."
Arka turned quickly. "We?"
Sena nodded.
"This world is called Elarion. A world of magic. A world of swords and spells. A world where the sky is not always blue and the night is not always dark."
Arka let out a small laugh, caught between disbelief and awe. "It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel."
"Maybe to you."
Sena stopped near the river. The water reflected both their faces.
"Here, magic is part of life," she continued. "Children learn to control elements from a young age. There are mages, forest guardians, knights, and creatures you may have never imagined."
"Like dragons?"
Sena gave a faint smile. "Maybe."
Arka looked around at the forest. "Why was I brought here?"
"Because the gate chose you."
"Why not someone else?"
"Because you can hear it."
Arka fell silent.
Sena stepped closer.
"These two worlds are connected. But that connection is weakening. The gates are beginning to close. And only certain people can open them."
"You need my help?"
"I need you," Sena answered softly.
The words made the air feel heavier.
Arka swallowed.
"We've only known each other for two days."
Sena smiled gently. "Sometimes time doesn't matter."
The wind blew softly, carrying the scent of leaves and damp earth.
"What if I refuse?" Arka asked.
"You'll return to your school. To your math class. To a normal life."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"But you'll never stop thinking about this place."
Arka let out a long breath.
He looked at the distant castle, the shimmering river, the light dancing between the trees.
"This is too beautiful to just be a dream."
"It isn't a dream."
Arka looked at Sena. "And you?"
"I was born here. My duty is to guard the gate. To find those who can hear it."
"And now you've found me."
"Yes."
For a few seconds, they only looked at each other.
"What happens if someone from my world finds out about this place?" Arka asked.
"They won't remember. The world protects itself."
Arka chuckled softly. "Sounds complicated."
"It is."
She stepped back slightly. "We don't have much time. The gate cannot stay open for long."
"So this is just a short tour?"
"For today."
Arka looked around again, trying to memorize every detail.
"I'll come back?" he asked.
Sena nodded. "If you want to."
She held out her hand again.
This time, Arka did not hesitate.
As the blue light surrounded them once more, Arka whispered, "Sena."
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Sena smiled.
"Our journey has just begun."
The light swallowed everything, and when Arka opened his eyes, he was standing once more in the school garden.
The rain had stopped.
The bell rang in the distance. Everything looked ordinary, but inside him, something had changed. And this time, he was not afraid.