Chapter 1
" GOSH how annoying is this going to be ? ”
Said Zen , dude really can’t help but to feel bored already --
" pleaase , you just don’t like change do you Zen ? ”
Layla snarked - a smug, yet kind of annoyed expression showed up her face as she was laying upside down the chair -
Zen didn’t respond but sighed instead as he narrowed his eyes with a frown ,
it has been a week .
a week since summer started .
a week since they arrived to discord’s city lake .
obviously , Zen was not glad neither satisfied with this -- his thoughts were all going around the same thing , ” i should’ve went to that beach house with Beth ”
yet everytime someone asks him who’s beth , he responds with total denial and avoids the question --
things were boring ,
that’s how Zen felt.
But Layla?
SHE felt something different, yet relevent.
" this was supposed to be a fun vacation with my family...
then why is he acting like a total stranger, moon? ”
Said Layla with a frown drawn upon her face -- the frown did not express either anger nor sadness , only disappointment .
she was speaking with the moon -- full moon night , what a beautiful night she thought , she was laying on the edge of her window -- with her book that said ” THINGS TO REMEMBER ” on it , her drawing skills were awful , yet she drew anyways..
Zen have always liked this about her .
-
Morning has laid upon us ,
apparently , Lauren , Martin , Thomans , barok and Layla were getting ready to go out ,
where’s Zen you ask...?
well.
" no. ”
he crawled in a corner .
" BUT ZEEEENNNNNN ” Layla whined, trying to convinve the curly-haired boy to leave with them ,
" WE’RE GOING TO THE LAKE CITY DOWNTOWN’SSSS ”
" not very convincing , Layla. ”
Zen said, refusing to move from his corner , which made Layla inhale and exhale a big sigh.
you could see Thomas, Zen’s father sighing in anger as well --- and as soon as Lauren and Martin , Layla’s parents - noticed this , they had to do something to avoid any awkward upcoming situation ,
" wellll Layla darlin’ , Zen obviously doesn’t feel okay .. maybe you could stay here with him and keep him company? ”
Lauren said ,holding Layla’s shoulder gently
“WHA BUT---”
then she was interrupted by her own thoughts as he looked back at the boy curling himself..
he didn’t seem to protest for her staying?
..
" fine , mom . ”
Layla sighed, before smiling againas Lauren ruffled her hair.
" well then kids , be safe , don’t burn anything , don’t play hockey inside, don’t play with gummy bears it’s creepy , don’t look into my search history an--- ”
Barok was Interrupted right away by martin’s yelling
" GOSH MOVE JUST MOVE BAROK . ”
..
they left.
--
" sooo..” layla awkwardly made a sound .
" you want to mess up in grandpa’s old room ? ” Zen boldly suggested - much to Layla’s surprise ..
usually , Layla would doubt but.
this is the first time Zen has offered her to join in .
" DUH ” Layla answered .
my my, we’ve got two trouplemakers around here .
the door creeked as it opened in suspense, Zen is slowly sneaking -- even though nobody’s around, while Layla is following his steps .
suddenly, they both stopped.
they both stared in awe.
it was ...
just a room ?
" OH RIGHT DIDN’T UNCLE BAROOK SLEEP IN THIS ROOM ”
quick realization kids, this room wasn’t abandoned at all.
it was full of nerdy-science stuff Barok used.
" Layla..”
Zen quietly called .
" come check this out . ”
he said, as he noticed a misfit in the frame of the window .
he could move it, and he did it .
..
what appeared was weird , thought,
a very thin blue book that had on the cover
" DO NOT OPEN . ”
and on the back ” - william Lackford . ”
...
they both stared at eachother in suspense , as they synced on saying .
" Dark family secrets . ”
..
Zen looked down the book and was just about to open it before getting interrupted by layla ,
" w-wait ! zen-- maybe we should wait to at least tell everyone about this ? ”
" Layla, we’re going to tell them about this of course, i just want to see what’s inside. ”
Zen reasonable answer was unarguable.
So layla nodded as she watched Zen slowly opening the book..
...
....
" what ? ”
Layla titled her head as she looked confusingly at Zen.
" it says -- say this in whispers and apparently has like , a poem? ”
" well-- Tell me what it says ! ”
Zen nodded and started reading the poem out loud for two minutes...
only something strange happened.
" huh? ”
" i-- didn’t hear anything you just said , sorry zen . ”
Layla said in embarrassment as she couldn’t recall any of the poem.
" no--layla i -- i don’t remember any of it either ? ”
" weird. ”
" maybe i should just whisper it as it says . ”
Zen suggested and then started whisphering the poem...
now that was something.
things got weird , the further zen whispered, the more something felt stranger even to Layla.
things started floating around them
..
" um..Zen? ” Layla said in fear as she herself started floating, hanging on the window to keep her to an even level.
But that wasn’t all--
it felt like something was shattering.
not something that was there.
not something that they felt.
it was --
existence.
existence shattering , which caused this rift in space-and-time to appear as soon as things got back to normal and Layla fell down the floor.
..
" Zen ? ”
" Layla ? ”
" what kind of person was grandpa william ? ”
...
" the strange kind . ”
they had this conversation going as there eyes did not even meet once, they were too busy being surprised, scared , and staring in awe.
---
" WELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE STATION ! ”
" what .. ? ”
the place - or to be more accurate , this non-place excuse of a place
it was all shattered , Kaleidoscopethat contains all the chaos of the existence , YOU can look and it’s orange , YOU can look again and it’s violet , YOU can look as many times as you want and it’s always different , it’s always weird , strange , unbareable to look at and disturbing.
Zen and Layla took their time to comprehend , not just for the chaos-y enviroment around of them , most likely -- because there’s a giant floating hand with an eye floating right infront of them , that just said something very strange.
" The.. Multiverse station? ”
Zen hesitated for a second before saying-- while Layla was still trying to process .
" YES ! HUMANS I SEE , HOW DELIGHTFUL , I HAVEN’T HAD A HUMAN IN THE MULTIVERSE STATION IN LIKE , 5 YEARS ! ”
...
" how..can you speak.. without a mouth ? ”
Layla noted out , both in a sarcastic and scared tone.
...
“.... ”
the hand looked in a very unlikely expression of embarrassment.
t" IT’S TELETHEPATIC ! I CAN TALK TO YOUR MINDS , I AM TALKING TO YOUR MIND , I’M HANDAO , I CAN DO ANYTHING ! ”
" what..is this place , handao ? ”
Zen asked.
" GREETINGS,HUMANS , YOU’VE SOMEHOW REACHED THE MULTIVERSE STATION , THE VERY LINK TO EVERY UNIVERSE, THE NEXUS !
I’M HANDAO , THE MULTIVERSE STATION GUIDE, I AM OUGHT TO TELL YOU HOW THINGS WORK DOWN HERE , AND I AM OUGHT TO MAKE YOU REACH ANY OTHER UNIVERSE YOU’D LIKE TO GO !
THIS SAID ,. THERE’RE RULES YOU MUST OBEY IN THE MULTIVERSE STATION----OR ELSE. ”
this said , a shiver went down both layla’s and Zen’s spine..
" and , what rules are they ? ”
" SMART MOVE FROM YOU TO ASK ! VERY DELIGHTFUL , THAT’S WHY I NEVER LIKE HUMANS. ”
Handaostated as he snapped his--fingers? head?
making a very-old fashioned GIANT list appear out nowhere-
much to zen’s and layla’s both surprise and excitement.
HANDAO coughed - mentally - as he started stating the rules .
" handao can’t hurt the passengers .
handao may not leave the multiverse station.
handao may not trick the passengers.
handao may not send the passengers somewhere they didn’t ask to be .
handao may not see the non-exist.
handao may not foresee.
handao may not live
handao may not die
HANDAO .
..
" that sounds like a list of laws only including you. ”
Zen sarcastically said , making Layla giggle a little.
" but what may we NOT do ? ”
" WELL , I’LL TELL YOU IF YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG, NO WORRIES. ”
handao voiced echoed in both their minds,
" NOW , WHERE DO YOU WISH TO GO , HUMANS? ”
....
Zen and layla exchanged a look and shrugged, as they took a corner to discuss.
" shall we trust him ? ”
layla said.
" i mean.. i’m very excited about this. ”
zen declared.
" yes me too but like.. look at him . ”
layla said.
" yeah he looks shady . ”
" i can hear you , i don’t have ears as well i told you. ”
handao interrupted in annoyance
though both Zen and Layla ignored him.
" but like , you heard the rules, if there is some sort of a cosmic power above, i’m sure nothing bad will happen . ”
Zen continued..
" i think....fine. ”
Layla agreed as they both nodded back to Handao.
" so where are you taking us ? ”
" your ride , your call. ”
" if you’re our guide at least suggest something to us . ”
Handao giggled as he kind of tried to nod , awkwardly.
zen and layla tried to hold their giggles.
" i see you’re a fan of art , Layla. ”
" huh---how’d you kno--” layla was interrupted.
as he closed his eyes..
blinking.
a pencil appeared out of
nowhere, drawing a door that just opened infront of them.
" have a nice trip, passengers. ”
.....
.....
CHAPTER ONE .
FINISHED.
