Chapter 1
It was midnight
The night was unusually quiet.
No birds were chirping. No cars passed by. Even the wind seemed to have disappeared.
Inside his house, Sak was sleeping peacefully.
Then—
BOOM!
A powerful crash shook the house.
Sak’s eyes flew open.
He quickly sat up in bed.
“What was that?”
He stayed quiet for a moment, listening.
Nothing.
Sak got out of bed, changed his clothes, and headed toward the front door.
He slowly opened it.
Cold night air rushed inside.
Sak stepped outside and looked around.
At first, everything seemed normal.
Then he noticed the ground.
A giant crater had appeared directly in front of his house.
Sak stared at it.
“What the…”
A strange purple light glowed from inside.
He carefully approached the edge.
The closer he got, the brighter the light became.
Sak leaned forward and slowly looked down.
At the bottom of the crater was a glowing book.
“A book?”
He climbed down and carefully picked it up.
The book looked ancient.
Its cover was purple, covered in strange markings that looked like different dimensions twisting around one another.
Each page was made of gold, while the title looked as though some of it had been melted and carved into the cover.
Sak ran his fingers across the markings.
“What is this thing?”
Then he noticed something resting on top.
A small pink card.
It looked a little like a birthday card, but strange symbols covered its edges.
Sak picked it up and tried to read it.
Only the top part was still clear.
It said:
“Hello. My name is Althorius, and I entrust this book to you because you are the only person who can fulfill my expectations.”
Sak stared at the message.
“Whoa…”
He tried to continue reading.
But the bottom part was impossible to understand.
The rain had washed the ink away.
Sak looked back at the mysterious book.
“Who is Althorius?”
There was no answer.
He had no idea what the message meant, but he wasn’t going to leave the book inside the crater.
Sak carried it into his house and placed it on the floor.
Then he grabbed the cover.
He pulled.
Nothing happened.
“Come on…”
He tried harder.
The book refused to open.
Sak let go.
“Okay. I need help.”
He grabbed his phone.
If he couldn’t figure this out alone, he would contact his friends.
Icecreamer was first.
After a few seconds, he answered.
“What?”
“Hey, bestie. I have a problem.”
“What happened?”
“A mysterious book fell from the sky in front of my house.”
There was a short silence.
“Sak, are you drunk?”
“What? No! Why would I be drunk?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because you think a book fell from the sky.”
“Dude, I saw it with my own eyes!”
Icecreamer sighed.
“Okay. If you say so, I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Sak hung up and moved on to Vanessa.
She answered with a tired voice.
“What do you want?”
“I need you right now.”
“Sak, I’m sleeping.”
“A book fell from the sky.”
Vanessa went silent.
Then—
“You woke me up at midnight because you’re seeing things?”
“I swear I’m not seeing things!”
Vanessa groaned.
“Ugh… whatever. I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks.”
Next, Sak reached Master SHD.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Master SHD. There’s a mysterious book in my house.”
“Say no more. I’ll be there soon.”
Sak smiled.
“Wow. Someone finally believes me.”
After that, he rang his sister.
Bella answered after a few moments.
“What do you want?”
“Hey, sis. I need a favor.”
“What?”
“A book fell from the sky and landed in my front yard.”
“You can’t fool me this time, Sak.”
“What? Come on! This is serious!”
Bella sighed.
“The last time you said it was serious, you told me your refrigerator was haunted. It just didn’t have enough ice to cool the food.”
Sak paused.
He thought about it.
“Yeah… but this time it’s real.”
Bella took a deep breath.
“Fine. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay.”
There was only one person left.
Jack.
Sak tried him next.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Jack. I need your help. A book fell from the sky.”
“I’m out.”
Jack hung up immediately.
Sak stared at his phone.
“Okay…”
He contacted Master SHD one more time.
“Master SHD?”
“Yes?”
“Can you drag Jack here?”
There was a short pause.
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Sak put his phone away.
Now all he could do was wait.
A little while later, someone knocked on the door.
Then another knock followed.
Soon, everyone had arrived.
Icecreamer entered first.
Vanessa came in behind him, still looking tired.
Bella followed.
Then Master SHD appeared while dragging Jack through the doorway.
Jack grabbed onto the frame.
“No! I changed my mind!”
Master SHD pulled him inside.
Sak pointed toward the book.
“There it is.”
Everyone gathered around.
Icecreamer stared at it.
“Wow…”
He looked at Sak.
“You were actually telling the truth.”
“Yeah.”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“Why do you bring everything you find outside into your house?”
“Because it would be irresponsible to leave it outside.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“And bringing a mysterious book that fell from the sky inside is responsible?”
Sak thought for a moment.
“Yes?”
Vanessa sighed.
Master SHD crouched beside the book and studied the strange symbols.
“These markings don’t look like they’re from this world.”
Bella moved around to the other side.
She turned the book over.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at her.
“There’s something written on the back.”
Sak leaned closer.
“What?”
The writing was faded and difficult to understand.
It appeared to be a name.
“No way.”
Master SHD examined it carefully.
“This has to mean something.”
Jack slowly backed away.
“Get that thing away from me.”
Nobody moved.
Jack pointed at the book.
“I’m serious. There aren’t any priests around here.”
Sak rolled his eyes.
“Oh, come on, guys. You’re acting like this book is the devil.”
Vanessa pointed toward the door.
“Sak, put that thing back where you found it before something bad happens.”
Sak looked at them.
“Nothing is gonna happen.”
The moment he finished speaking—
The book suddenly began to glow.
Everyone stepped back.
The golden pages started turning by themselves.
Flip.
Flip.
Flip.
Then tiny blades of grass pushed up directly from the pages.
Small flowers appeared between them.
Miniature trees began to rise from the book, their branches spreading over the tiny landscape.
Sak stared.
“What the…”
Ladybugs crawled through the grass and climbed onto the flowers.
One opened its wings and flew above the book.
Then another.
And another.
Suddenly, a small purple light appeared between the miniature trees.
Bella leaned closer.
“What is that?”
The purple light began to spin.
It expanded above the pages, growing wider and stronger until the air around the book started pulling toward it.
Sak stepped backward.
“Guys…”
The swirling light rapidly expanded into a huge purple portal.
Jack’s eyes widened.
“That does not look safe.”
Vanessa slowly turned toward Sak.
“What did I say?”
Sak looked nervous.
“Umm…”
Vanessa waited.
“Brush your teeth before you go to sleep?”
Vanessa’s eye twitched.
“No, idiot! The book!”
Before Sak could answer, a powerful force erupted from the portal.
Furniture slid across the floor.
Loose objects flew through the air.
Vanessa grabbed onto something nearby.
“Hold on!”
Sak grabbed the edge of a table.
“What’s happening?!”
Jack wrapped both arms around a chair.
“Guys, if I die, tell my mom I was kidnapped by angels!”
Master SHD looked toward the portal.
“We’re being sucked in by the book!”
Sak tightened his grip.
“What do we do?!”
“According to my calculations, there’s no use resisting! It’s going to pull us in anyway!”
“What?!”
“There’s no use!” Vanessa shouted. “Listen to him!”
Sak struggled for another moment.
“Ugh… fine!”
He let go.
“Get ready!”
The portal instantly pulled him forward.
One by one, the others lost their grip.
Sak disappeared first.
Then Icecreamer.
Vanessa.
Bella.
Master SHD.
And finally Jack.
“WHY AM I ALWAYS LAST?!”
They disappeared into the swirling purple tunnel.
Inside, everything around them stretched into long waves of light.
Colors flashed everywhere as they spun through the strange tunnel.
Jack screamed.
“AAAAAAAH!”
Icecreamer looked at him.
“Can you stop screaming?!”
“NO!”
Sak tumbled forward.
“Where are we going?!”
“I DON’T KNOW!” Icecreamer shouted.
As they traveled farther into the portal, something strange began happening.
Their bodies slowly became smaller.
At first, the change was almost impossible to notice.
But the farther they traveled, the more they shrank.
Their hands became smaller.
Their clothes shrank with them.
Their entire bodies reduced in size as the enormous tunnel of purple light rushed past.
None of them noticed.
To them, everything still looked normal.
Jack spun through the air.
“HOW LONG IS THIS PORTAL?!”
Then a bright light appeared ahead.
Master SHD looked toward it.
“Brace yourselves!”
The light grew brighter.
WHOOSH!
The portal threw all six of them out into the sky.
Sak looked down.
“Oh no.”
An enormous forest stretched beneath them.
“AAAAAH!”
They fell toward the ground.
Then—
THUD!
They crashed into the thick grass.
None of them realized that they were now much smaller than when they entered the portal.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then Sak slowly opened his eyes.
“My head…”
He sat up.
“Hey… is everybody okay?”
Icecreamer lifted his head.
“My head hurts.”
Vanessa pushed herself off the ground.
Bella looked around.
Jack was lying face-down in the grass.
Master SHD stood and examined their surroundings.
The forest was unlike anything they had ever seen.
The grass beneath them was thick like a giant green carpet.
Pink flowers towered high above the group.
The trees stretched so far into the sky that their tops were almost impossible to see.
Ladybugs moved between the plants.
Master SHD looked around at the enormous forest.
“Everyone, stay close.”
Sak looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because we don’t know where we are.”
Master SHD looked toward the giant trees surrounding them.
“We don’t know how big this place is, what lives here, or which direction leads back.”
Jack glanced nervously between the trees.
“That’s comforting.”
Master SHD continued.
“Our first priority is to find a way out.”
Vanessa nodded.
“So we stay together and look for an exit.”
“Exactly.”
Master SHD pointed toward the forest ahead.
“Don’t wander off. Pay attention to where we’re going, and remember anything that could help us find our way back.”
Bella looked around.
“And if we get lost?”
“That’s why nobody leaves the group.”
Icecreamer stared up at the enormous trees.
Sak smiled.
“So… we explore.”
Master SHD looked at him.
“Carefully.”
Sak nodded.
“Right. Carefully.”
Jack sighed.
“I already know he’s gonna forget that part.”
Bella turned toward Sak.
“This is all your fault, big bro!”
“What?”
“If you hadn’t brought that stupid book inside, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
Jack suddenly lifted his head.
“AAAAAH! I’M GONNA DIE!”
Everyone stared at him.
Jack slowly got up.
“What?”
Master SHD looked deeper into the forest.
“We should start moving.”
The group began searching for a way out.
They walked through the thick grass.
Sak looked around in amazement.
“Wow. This place is beautiful.”
Icecreamer stared at the enormous trees.
“Why are the trees so tall?”
Vanessa glanced back at the group.
“Stay close. Nobody wanders off.”
Master SHD looked at Sak and Icecreamer.
“And no goofing off. I’m talking to both of you.”
Sak pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Icecreamer pointed toward Sak.
“It’s mostly him.”
Sak stared at him.
“Traitor.”
Bella sighed.
“And here I thought I was gonna have a normal day at home.”
Jack nervously scanned the trees.
“Be careful.”
Everyone looked at him.
Jack lowered his voice.
“Bigfoot’s angry cousin could live here.”
Sak frowned.
“Why would Bigfoot’s cousin live here?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m scared.”
They continued deeper into the forest.
After a while, a cold wind passed through the trees.
The leaves above them began to shake.
Sak looked up.
Dark clouds were spreading across the sky.
A thunderous sound echoed from above.
BOOOOM!
Jack jumped.
“I KNEW IT!”
Sak stared upward.
“It rains in this place?”
A huge drop of water slammed into the ground nearby.
SPLASH!
Icecreamer stared at it.
“It looks like it.”
Another drop fell.
Then another.
Icecreamer’s eyes widened.
“But the only problem is…”
A massive raindrop crashed behind them.
“…the raindrops are giant.”
Vanessa turned around.
“RUN!”
Everyone sprinted through the forest.
Huge drops crashed around them.
Each impact shook the ground and sent water flying into the air.
Sak barely dodged one.
“WHOA!”
Icecreamer ran beside him.
“This is rain?!”
Jack screamed from behind.
“I DON’T WANT TO DIE FROM WATER!”
Vanessa pointed ahead.
“Keep moving!”
They kept running until Bella spotted something in the distance.
“There!”
A giant pink flower grew from the side of a tree.
Its petals stretched far enough to provide shelter underneath.
Everyone rushed toward it.
A huge raindrop crashed behind them just as they reached safety.
They collapsed onto the ground.
Bella took a deep breath.
“Phew… we almost died.”
Vanessa looked at Sak.
“This is all your fault.”
Sak looked exhausted.
“Again?”
“If you hadn’t brought that stupid book inside, none of this would have happened.”
Sak leaned against the tree.
“Well, technically, it wasn’t me.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes.
“What?”
“It was my arms.”
Vanessa stared at him.
Sak shrugged.
“They carried it.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Whatever.”
She looked out at the rain.
“How are we gonna get out of here?”
Master SHD sat down.
“We need to strategize.”
Everyone looked toward him.
“We need to understand this place and figure out how to escape.”
Bella crossed her arms.
“I didn’t even want to be here.”
Jack leaned against the tree.
“Great.”
He sighed.
“While you plan our escape, I’ll start practicing my last words.”
Sak looked at him.
“You already have last words.”
“I’m working on them,” Jack said.
The storm continued outside.
For a moment, Sak simply watched the massive raindrops crash into the forest.
The towering trees.
The giant flowers.
The unfamiliar world surrounding them.
Icecreamer noticed the look on his face.
“You’re smiling.”
Sak looked at him.
“So?”
“We have no idea where we are.”
“I know.”
“And you’re still smiling.”
Sak looked back toward the forest.
“This is the kind of thing I’ve always wanted.”
Bella frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Sak became quiet for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“I want to become the King of Adventurers.”
Everyone looked at him.
Jack blinked.
“The king of what?”
“Adventurers.”
Icecreamer raised an eyebrow.
“That’s an actual thing?”
“It will be when I become it.”
Vanessa smiled slightly.
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
Sak looked toward the endless forest ahead.
“By going places nobody else has gone.”
“Seeing things nobody else has seen.”
“And surviving adventures people think are impossible.”
Master SHD watched him carefully.
“That kind of dream comes with danger.”
Sak nodded.
“I know.”
Then his smile returned.
“But if I turn around every time something looks dangerous, I’ll never become the King of Adventurers.”
Jack stared at him.
“I have a much safer dream.”
Sak looked over.
“What?”
“Going home.”
Icecreamer laughed.
Sak looked toward the forest again.
“First we find the exit.”
He smiled.
“Then I can say this was my first real adventure.”
For a while, everyone stayed quiet and watched the massive drops crash into the forest.
Eventually, the clouds began to clear.
The rain slowed.
Then it stopped.
Sak stood.
“Finally.”
He stretched.
“I was starting to get tired of waiting.”
Vanessa got up.
“Let’s keep moving.”
The group left the shelter and continued exploring.
Large drops of water rested on the leaves around them.
For a while, everything was quiet.
Then—
GRRRRRRRRR…
A thunderous sound echoed through the trees.
Everyone stopped.
Bella looked around.
“What was that?”
Master SHD immediately became alert.
“It could be a creature.”
Jack moved behind Vanessa.
“Nope.”
The sound came again.
GRRRRRRRRR…
Icecreamer lowered his voice.
“It sounds close.”
Vanessa looked between the trees.
“Stay together.”
Everyone waited.
Then Sak rubbed his stomach.
“Sorry, guys.”
They slowly turned toward him.
“I’m really hungry.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“Sak…”
“What?”
“You almost scared all of us to death!”
“Sorry! I’m just super hungry.”
Bella looked ahead.
“We’ll find something to eat along the way.”
Sak frowned.
“Can’t we look for food right now?”
“No,” Vanessa replied. “Finding the exit is more important.”
“But I’m starving.”
“Just keep an eye out while we walk.”
Sak sighed.
“Fine.”
They continued through the forest.
A few minutes later, Sak stopped.
His eyes widened.
A strange fruit was growing from a nearby tree.
It had the shape of an apple, but it was blue.
A single glowing yellow ring wrapped diagonally around it like a band of fire.
Sak stared at it.
“Whoa…”
Icecreamer walked closer.
“That looks good.”
Vanessa immediately looked at them.
“No.”
Sak turned around.
“I didn’t even ask yet!”
“I already know what you’re going to ask.”
Sak pointed toward the fruit.
“Can we eat that, please?”
“No.”
“Please?”
“We don’t know if it’s safe.”
“I’ll do anything!”
Icecreamer raised his hand.
“I want one too.”
Vanessa stared at both of them.
“No!”
Sak looked at the fruit.
Then at Vanessa.
Then back at the fruit.
Vanessa narrowed her eyes.
“Sak…”
Too late.
Sak grabbed it and took a huge bite.
Vanessa gasped.
“Sak!”
He chewed.
His eyes widened.
“Oh my God…”
Icecreamer leaned closer.
“What?”
“This is so—”
Sak suddenly stopped speaking.
His eyes closed.
He collapsed.
THUD!
Bella rushed toward him.
“Sak!”
Icecreamer looked down at his friend.
“Sak, you sleepyhead. It’s not time to sleep.”
Then he noticed the fruit in Sak’s hand.
Vanessa immediately knew what he was thinking.
“No.”
Icecreamer picked it up.
“Don’t.”
He took a bite.
Vanessa shouted.
“ICECREAMER!”
Icecreamer chewed for a moment.
His eyes closed.
He collapsed beside Sak.
Vanessa stared at both of them.
Silence.
Then—
“Oh my God! Why are these two so dumb?!”
Bella knelt beside Sak.
She checked him.
“He’s breathing.”
Vanessa checked Icecreamer.
“So is he.”
Bella looked around the forest.
“We can’t leave them here.”
Vanessa nodded.
Bella grabbed Sak by the arms.
“Come on, Vanessa. Help me.”
Vanessa grabbed Icecreamer.
They began dragging them through the grass.
Master SHD walked ahead, watching for danger.
Jack followed behind.
Bella looked down at Sak.
“We need to find somewhere safe.”
Vanessa struggled to pull Icecreamer.
“And then what?”
Bella looked deeper into the mysterious forest.
“Let’s find somewhere safe and figure out what happened to them.
