Amar's day had been exceedingly ordinary, filled with the drudgery of his job at the bank. Complaints, frustrations, and the never-ending cycle of financial woes from clients had left him drained. The digital clock on his computer screen flicked to 5:00 PM, signalling a digital release from the day's captivity. Finally, he was free from the job he despised so much. As he powered down his workstation, his thoughts drifted to his grandmother, hospitalised for weeks now, her condition a constant weight on his heart. She was the reason he worked so hard, his last remaining family in this cold, lonely world. Tonight, he would finally see her again; the week had been far too long, and too many things had occurred for him to attend to her.
Eagerly, Amar left his office, dodging incoming colleagues as he made his way to the back door of the building. This had been his routine ever since he first joined, keeping him away from the office gossip and politics everyone else seemed to enjoy. By nature, Amar had always been averse to such activities and antics. Choosing to avoid all social traps, Amar concentrated on his work and the things he considered important outside of work. Perhaps that's why he no longer associated with his friends and why his colleagues had stopped inviting him to social gatherings.
None of that mattered in the end, for the main goal had always been the well-being of his family, and today he was finally going to see his grandmother.
Toronto's streets were slick with the evening drizzle as Amar made his way through the bustling city. The familiar route to the hospital was a path paved with worry and anticipation. Today, however, something unusual pierced the monotony of his routine.
A flicker of light, not quite like the reflection of water on asphalt, caught his eye. It darted at the edge of his vision, playful and elusive—a weird creature, it seemed, made of light and shadows intertwined, leading him away from the path he so routinely tread.
Amar's life had always been rooted in the concrete reality of numbers and logic, but his heart held a corner for the mysteries of the universe, fueled by stories his grandmother shared—tales of distant worlds and ancient magics. It was this part of him that whispered, "Follow," when every other part screamed, "Turn back."
"Damn it, what is that? Is there some sort of carnival or comic expo in the area?" Amar muttered to himself as he followed the mysterious creature.
Hurrying to catch another glimpse of what had caught his curiosity, he crossed to the building next door from where he worked. This space was familiar; his coworkers and he had frequented it. This was the alley where everyone came to smoke, destress, and just talk about life and how horrible work was.
The creature led him to an alley, less cared for and dimly lit, where shadows danced freely. As it reached a seemingly dead end, the creature vanished. The usual alley, where things always remained the same—the garbage bin leaning against the wall, graffiti covering 80% of the space—was different. As Amar walked closer to the end of the alley, he noticed something at the edge of one of the walls. There was a space that seemed to be there yet not be there, a space that seemed to swallow light whole, resembling a picture of the galaxy and stars.
Amar paused, his rational mind battling with his curiosity. The quiet of the alley, a stark contrast to the city's usual cacophony, seemed to beckon him forward. With a deep breath, fueled by a mix of fear and an unquenchable thirst for the unknown, Amar stepped forward, reaching out to the darkness.
The world shifted.
The ground beneath him vanished, replaced by the sensation of falling, or perhaps floating, through an endless night. When solid ground finally met his feet again, the air was different—heavier, charged with an energy he couldn't describe.
Amar stood in the heart of a forest unlike any he had ever seen. Giant trees, their trunks wide as houses and leaves shimmering with a luminescent glow, towered above him. The sky was a tapestry of unfamiliar constellations, each star pulsating with light.
The creature that had led him here was nowhere to be seen, but the sense of being led, of being called to this place, remained. Amar realized then that his world, his life in Toronto, and the worries that came with it, were worlds away.
He was alone, yet the forest felt alive, watching and whispering in a language he felt rather than heard. The air vibrated with the sound of magic—a concept so foreign yet familiar.
As the initial shock waned, replaced by a mixture of awe and a burgeoning sense of adventure, Amar took his first steps into this new world. The ground beneath his feet felt solid and real, the air filled with the scent of unknown flowers, and the distant sound of running water promised life.
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He didn't know it yet, but Amar had crossed the Veil into Astralis, a world where magic flowed as freely as the rivers and where every choice one made could be their last. Unaware of the perils coming his way—perils so dangerous and magical that he would wish he was back in his office dealing with all those issues he found troubling—perils that would forge his will or break everything he ever stood for.
“So where am I.” said Amar out loud even though he was all alone surrounded by woods that seemed to have existed there since the beginning of time.
The darkness of the alley had been now replaced with the bright light of a sun that should not have been there. That was if he was still in Toronto on a cold winter evening.
As Amar ventured deeper into the verdant expanse, each step revealed more of the forest's wonders and its peculiarities. The trees, towering giants with bark as smooth as polished stone and leaves that seemed to emit a soft, ethereal glow, bathed the forest floor in a surreal light. Amar reached out, his fingers grazing the cool, luminous foliage, feeling a gentle thrum of energy pulsing beneath his touch—a vivid testament to the magic that saturated this land.
Curiosity propelled him forward, his eyes scanning the rich tapestry of flora and fauna that defied his understanding of nature. Flowers with petals that shimmered in the dim light like stars scattered across the night sky, and vines that twisted and curled around the trees, sparkling with what appeared to be dewdrops of pure light. The air was alive with the sounds of the forest; a symphony of mysterious calls and responses that spoke of a world teeming with life unseen. Every so often, a burst of colourful plumage would flash between the branches, hinting at birds—or perhaps creatures far removed from any bird Amar had known—observing his intrusion into their domain.
Despite the beauty that surrounded him, Amar couldn't shake off a creeping sense of unease. The forest, for all its enchantment, held an air of solemnity, as if it were a sacred place, and he was an unwelcome intruder. He noticed, too, the absence of paths or any signs of habitation, which added a bit of wildness to the place that was both exhilarating and intimidating. Amar realised he was not merely a visitor but a voyager adrift in a world untouched by the conventions of his own.
The further Amar walked, the more the forest seemed to awaken around him. The ground beneath his feet became less cluttered with fallen leaves and more like a living carpet, guiding him onwards. Occasionally, he would spot a flicker of movement at the corner of his eye, too quick to identify, leaving him to wonder whether the forest was merely full of shy creatures or if the magic of the place played tricks on his senses.
In his absorption with the forest's enigmatic beauty, Amar failed to notice the ground subtly giving way beneath him until it was too late. With a startled cry, he stumbled forward, tumbling into a hidden pit masked by the underbrush. The fall was abrupt, and he landed with a jarring thud among what he first perceived as heaps of discarded metal. Groaning, Amar pushed himself up, his hands brushing against cold, hard surfaces. To his horror, he realised he was surrounded by bodies clad in armor, dozens of them, all seemingly dumped in this concealed grave. The realisation sent a shiver down his spine, the air thick with the silence of the fallen.
As he scrambled to his feet, trying to comprehend the grim scene, a faint, labored breath caught his attention. Beneath a pile of fallen warriors, partially obscured by their lifeless forms, was a survivor. Carefully, Amar moved aside the heavy armor and limbs, revealing a body that was still breathing, with long hair covered in blood. It was a woman, her features fine and ethereal even in her evident pain. Her armor was intricately designed but battered, and her skin bore the marks of recent battle. Despite her weakened state, her eyes shimmered with a fierce determination to survive.
Amar, still reeling from the shock of his discovery, instinctively he knew that this encounter was no accident. This woman's presence among the fallen, the only survivor in this pit of despair, hinted at a story of valour and tragedy intertwined, something that excited Amar yet he was not aware of that still.
In the dim light filtering through the forest canopy above, Amar could see the depth of this woman's wounds. It was clear she had fought valiantly, surviving against overwhelming odds. Amar knew he couldn't leave her in this forsaken place. Given all the TV Amar had seen in his time while not working Amar knew he had to provide emergency treatment.
“Thank you Blues Biology for the years of medical knowledge.” whispered Amar with relief.
“First let's get rid of this heavy Armor and helmet and give you some breathing room.” says Amar remembering his favourite show.
As Amar carefully removed the helmet and armor, he was struck by a sight that took his breath away. The woman, whom he had initially thought to be a casualty of some earthly conflict, was revealed in the dim light to be far from ordinary. Her delicate features, framed by long hair that seemed to shimmer even in the shadow of the forest, were not human. Pointed ears peeked through her tresses, a hallmark of a being from legend. It was at this moment, with the weight of the elf's gaze upon him, that Amar's world shifted irrevocably. The reality of his situation dawned on him with startling clarity—he was definitely not in Toronto anymore, and certainly not in Canada.
"She's an Elf."
This realisation hung in the air, a profound testament to the journey Amar had unwittingly embarked upon. The Veil between his world and this unknown land had been crossed, ushering him into a realm where tales of magic and myth breathed and walked.