Sunhallow?

  The word gives off a sense of familiarity, as if I should already know its meaning. My throat feels dry.

  The Ruvh’nael’s gaze is still locked onto me, sharp and piercing.

  I hesitate momentarily before speaking, “What did you just call me? What is Sunhallow?”

  Orin steps up. “Heliar, for the Ruvh’nael to speak to you… It really does acknowledge you! The Sunhallow is the title given to the one who has been marked by the Sun.

  The corners of my mouth curl up. “So I guess that’s a good thing then.”

  “And as for you being watched, it has been subtly observing and guiding you.”

  “Then, my dreams…”

  “Yes. That was one of Ruvh’nael’s way to communicate with you. But it was always there to simply guide you; it never meant any harm.”

  I nod.

  “So…,” I turn my gaze towards mom and dad. “Will you both be accompanying us?”

  I ask, even though I know that they probably won’t. But still, I ask. Because I don’t want to leave them behind.

  My heart palpitates.

  “No Heliar, we won’t be able to.” Mom speaks, her eyes full of emotion. “We need to stay behind to keep watch, in case anything happens. Also, there’s the aftermath of you guys leaving. Convincing everyone’s parents, that certainly will be quite a task,” she smiles.

  That’s something which completely skipped my mind.

  I say half-jokingly, “Oh yeah, how are you going to do that? I mean, you certainly can’t tell them that their child is off to a magical realm.”

  Dad laughs, “Haha, you don’t need to worry about that. We have our ways.”

  His grin is reassuring, but it doesn’t ease the tightness in my chest.

  I swallow, shifting my weight. “Right… I guess you do.”

  Mom steps forward, embracing me. “Heliar, I know this isn’t easy. But you need to go. This is your path.”

  I nod, but the unease lingers. I want to believe it is that simple—that I can just step into this new world without looking back. But a part of me resists. A part of me wants to stay.

  Still, I force a small smile. “Alright. Just promise that you be safe, okay?”

  She smiles. “We will. And you?”

  I glance at Orin, then at my friends, then at the Ruvh’nael, still perched, still watching.

  “Yeah,” I murmur. “I’ll try.”

  Dad steps forward, pulling me into a hug, “Goodbye Heliar. Regardless of how tough it is out there, I believe that you will be able to get through it. After all, you’re my boy!”

  “You can leave it to me, dad,” I smile as I pull back.

  “Oh also, do not worry about being gone for too long. Time there passes differently than it does in the real world.”

  “Really!?” I ask, shocked. “Now that is surprising.”

  “30 days spent there is equal to a single day here, so take your time alright?”

  I nod, “Definitely, I will make you both proud.”

  I glance around the room one last time. The warmth of home lingers in the air—the familiar scent of mom’s cooking, the soft hum of the clock on the wall, the quiet presence of everything I’ve ever known. It feels strange, knowing I might not see any of this again for a long time.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  A part of me whispers to stay. To hold onto this moment, to let the world beyond these walls remain just a distant possibility. But I know better.

  This is real. And it’s happening now.

  I take a slow breath, then turn back to Orin. “Alright,” I say. “Let’s go.”

  He smiles at me. “Are you sure you aren’t forgetting something?” There’s a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

  Forgetting something?

  What could it be?

  Thoughts race in my mind as I try to figure out what it is that he’s trying to say.

  Then, the realization hits.

  The hat. The Voidscion’s hat.

  “The hat…” I murmur.

  Orin nods, smiling. “Yes, the hat. You got it from the Voidscion, didn’t you? It will be crucial moving forward.”

  “Just give me a minute,” I say as I leave and run up the stairs.

  Grabbing the hat from my room, I put it on and quickly return.

  Stella gives an approving look. “The hat really does suit you!”

  “Thanks,” I say smiling.

  Orin nods in satisfaction. “Now you’re ready.”

  I exhale, steadying myself. “Alright. No more delays.”

  He waves a hand, and the Ruvh’nael flies over and perches on his shoulder. It lets out a shrill, and the air hums with a strange energy. A portal opens, swirling with a light as bright as the sun itself.

  Quite fitting imagery… I lampoon inwardly.

  I squint against the glow, my pulse quickening. The light isn’t just bright—it’s alive, shifting and pulsing like it has a will of its own. The space beyond the portal isn’t fully visible, only glimpses of something vast and unknown, shifting between moments of clarity and distortion.

  This is it.

  I turn back one final time—at my parents, at the house, at everything I’ve known. The weight of this departure sinks in, but I don’t let it hold me back.

  “Goodbye,” I say, and with my friends at my side, I step into the unknown.

  The instant my foot crosses the threshold, the world bends. The light surges, and it momentarily blinds me.

  Then – freefall.

  All of us scream in unison.

  The air whips around us, but there’s no sense of up or down. It’s not falling in the traditional sense—it’s movement, like we are being pulled through space itself. The portal’s energy crackles around us, and through the shifting brightness, I catch glimpses of something vast—a sky that isn’t a sky, a horizon that seems to stretch endlessly.

  A voice—Orin’s?—calls something out, but the words are easily lost in the rush of motion.

  The, stillness. Everything stops suddenly.

  I land with a soft thud, the air heavy and charged with something different. My feet touch solid ground, but it doesn’t feel like the world I left behind.

  I look up at the sky, and there it is. The seven moons are hanging overhead, making their presence known to all.

  Standing up, I see that I’m tightly holding onto the hat. I didn’t even realize that I subconsciously removed it from my head in fear of losing it.

  There are groans coming from the side, and I turn my head and find that everyone else is here too.

  I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Everyone made it.

  Elara pushes herself up, brushing off her clothes. “Well… that was definitely something,” she mutters, glancing around.

  Orin, ever composed, rises to his feet with an amused grin. “I must say, you handled that well for first-timers.”

  “Handled well?” Aric groans, still sprawled on the ground. “I think I left my soul somewhere mid-fall.”

  Jade rubs her temples, dizzy. “And I think I’m gonna be sick.”

  “I cannot feel my legs…” Maya complains.

  The ground beneath us is cool, and I can tell that it’s humming with a quite energy. t’s not like the dirt or grass back home—it feels… denser, like the very land holds power. And it certainly does.

  The air is different too, lighter yet heavy at the same time, filled with a scent I can’t place—something ancient, something alive.

  Then, my gaze drifts back to the sky. The seven moons shine brilliantly, their glow casting an otherworldly light over the land. It’s breathtaking. Unreal. Real.

  I don’t realize how much time has passed as Stella pulls at my side and I’m released from a trance.

  “It’s beautiful, wow.” I say, looking at her.

  “Certainly is. This is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

  “If being here means that we get to see this sight everyday, maybe it’s not a bad deal.” Aric jokes.

  There’s laughter from the group.

  The moment of awe lingers between us, the weight of our journey momentarily forgotten in the sheer wonder of this place.

  Orin watches us with quiet amusement. “Glad to see you’re all adjusting so quickly.”

  Elara stretches, still shaking off the dizziness. “Well, I wouldn’t say quickly…” she mutters.

  “Yeah, give us a minute before we start celebrating,” Jade adds, pressing a hand to her forehead.

  When everyone is ready, Orin points in the distance.

  “You see that city over there? That’s what our destination is.”

  “That far?” Rose complains. “You don’t expect us to walk all the day, do you?”

  “Exactly. This is also one of your first tests.” Orin smirks. “So, shall we proceed?”

  “You cannot be serious…” Stella murmurs. But then looking at me, she smiles and her expression changes. “Well, doesn’t seem like we have another choice.”

  I chuckle, adjusting the hat on my head. “Guess not.”

  The city in the distance shimmers under the glow of the seven moons, its towering spires and winding streets barely visible through the strange haze that lingers over the land. Even from here, it looks ancient.

  Aric groans dramatically. “Great. Our first day in a new world, and we’re already being thrown into a survival challenge.”

  “Think of it as an adventure,” Orin says, his smirk never fading. “A long walk builds character.”

  Maya sighs. “You mean blisters.”

  Jade stretches her arms over her head. “Well, at least it’s not falling through a void. I’ll take walking over that any day.”

  The banter continues as we start moving, the unfamiliar land crunching beneath our feet.

  A sense of wonder overcomes me, as the hand of fate guides us and we head towards the city.