Realm of Realms

The live, morning sun welcomes the day as the people of New York City go about their daily lives.

Along the street, a white limousine drives downtown to an exotic hotel. The limousine drives down the road, passing by several stores and shops. A driver inside investigates his rear-view mirror and sees his employer, Jordan.

“Mr. Wolf, we will be arriving at the arena soon,” the driver said. “How are you feeling, sir?”

Jordan looked up from his cellphone. He thought about the driver’s question. Jordan looked at his phone again, watching his opponent’s stats. “I’m ready,” he answered.

The driver nods and turns back to continue driving. A few minutes later, the car arrived at the Liberty Hall Hotel.

Getting out of the car Jordan stretches his legs.

“Hey, Marcus, "I haven’t heard from you in a while,” Jordan said on the phone.

A couple of laughs can be picked up in the background as Jordan talks to Marcus.

“Yeah, man, it’s been wild out here, but I just wanted to let you know that I am coming to visit New York,” he said.

The limousine parked in front of the Liberty Resort and Spa doors; a couple of well-dressed men greeted Jordan at the front desk.

Jordan and Marcus continued their phone call via FaceTime.

His friend Marcus is a returning soldier from the US Army after serving his time in Iraq. They had been friends since high school. Marcus was shipped out as they went their separate ways, and they haven’t talked since then.

Jordan’s butler, Alistair, brought him several beverages, from iced mimosas to fresh lemons and even water.

As Alistair left the room, Jordan sat on his couch, talking to Marcus.

“So, how’s Sofia?” he asked Jordan.

Jordan flipped through his phone, browsing through the photographs of his girlfriend, Sofia Sarmiento, a famous Latina artist in America.

Sofia’s good; her manager told me that she’d stop by later,” Jordan replied.

After he finished looking through their photos together, he unpacked his suitcase.

He found an old photograph of Marcus and his parents at the skating rink in it.

His memory brought him back to when he and Marcus were just lonely teenagers, trying to make sense of their future.

Marcus has always had a robust and outgoing attitude, whereas Jordan has always been the shy guy in their friendship.

It was there when Jordan had his first kiss with Sofia, but Marcus had called up their encounter very differently.

A minor accident happened on the rink, which caused Jordan and Sofia to crash into each other.

Their eyes locked into each other as if nothing could stop this moment from ending, other than the dozens of screaming teenagers on the skating rink.

The incident had brought the couple closer together.

The two left the skating rink hand in hand, both in love with one another.

They grew up and used both of their familial influences to enhance their careers from that day forward.

Jordan and Sofia became one of the most famous couples in America.

He quickly snapped back to the present as Marcus was still partying with his kin in the background.

“Tell you what, Marcus, how about I send someone to come pick you up and bring you here to New York?” Jordan asked him.

Marcus, hearing Jordan, almost spilled his drink.

“You serious?” Marcus asked him.

Jordan smiled as he gave Marcus his answer.

“Shit! Thank you, man! I’ll grab my things! "See you soon, bro!” Marcus exclaimed as he hung up the call.

Jordan contacted one of his men to pick up Marcus via private jet.

While that happens, Jordan gets a much-deserved nap after the trip he has just come back from.

As he daydreams, he suddenly gets flashbacks from when he was a young boy.

The endless arguments raged on.

Dishes were being thrown, followed by the nonstop neglect by his parents.

His father, John Woods, has been hard-working since the military released him.

After that, he spent most of his life in a grueling, dead-end job until he experienced an epiphany.

John dug up some of his old contacts, and on that day, John and his friends formed the Black Clover Mafia.

Over time, their reputation has grown infamous all over New York.

Their rap sheet spread from dealing in military-grade weapons, having major political influences across the nation, and creating the future cars.

But as their reputation grew, their stance under the FBI’s microscope grew larger.

His wife, Veronica Wilde, had caught wind of this and took advantage of it.

She sold John and his crew out to the FBI.

Veronica later witnessed protection that day, taking Jordan’s little brother Dwayne and his little sister Nya.

Thanks to the Black Clover’s influence, John was able to walk out of prison free of accusation.

Years afterward, he married Talia, a Latina woman who liked John’s mafia.

He took in her son Marcello, who had later proved to John that he belonged in the family.

Jordan woke up, sweating on the sofa as he adjusted himself.

His girlfriend walked into the room with a couple of gift bags in hand as she sat next to him.

“Bad dream?” Sofia asked him playfully.

Jordan chuckles as he comes up from his bed.

“Bad memory,” he replied.

Sofia giggled as she leaped onto Jordan’s back, planting kisses along his neck.

Jordan responds by playfully carrying her around the penthouse until they collapse onto the couch.

“I’m sorry that I’ve been out for so long, babe; this music life is too much,” she said.

Sofia looked upset as she sat up on the sofa.

Jordan puts his arm around Sofia’s shoulder, comforting her as she rests her head on his shoulder in return.

“You don’t have to apologize for doing something you love,” Jordan responded.

As they both got a sip of their drinks, Jordan got a call on his phone.

The call came from Alistair, Jordan’s butler.

“Alistair, what’s up?” Jordan asked him.

Alister brought news of the arrival of Marcus.

“Good evening, Jordan. I wanted to inform you that Mr. Turner has arrived at our airport; he will be arriving shortly, "Alistair answered.

As Alistair hung up the phone, Jordan got himself up from the couch, grabbing another suit from his closet.

Jordan tried to fix his tie, but to no avail; he always had challenging experiences with these things.

“Need help, Jordan? You always bad at this,” Sofia said, entering Jordan’s closet.

Jordan smiled at Sofia.

As she cleaned up his tie, Jordan looked at a worried Sofia.

The two have been through a lot together as they have faced their fair share of trauma. Their very relationship is what holds them together. They’re the yin to their yang per se.

He kissed her forehead as she proceeded to rearrange his tie.

At that moment, it reminded the two of their first kiss at the skating rink, a tale as old as time, a romance long remembered.

Sofia kissed the nape of Jordan’s neck, making him throb inside.

His body was trembling underneath her kisses.

Their eyes met as the tension in the closed room rose between them.

Sofia pushed Jordan against the wall. Aggression followed her as she kissed Jordan.

Jordan savored this moment like it would be the last time they had ever seen each other.

The kiss lingered until Sofia stepped back from him, holding her breath.

“Well, shit, where was this energy when we got together?” Sofia asked Jordan.

Jordan flashed a mischievous grin.

He answered back with another passionate kiss.

A few minutes afterward, they finally left the closet.

“I gotta go, but I’ll see you at the party.” Sofia asked him, putting her clothes on.

Confused, Jordan checked the calendar on his phone.

The event labeled “Record Label Party” appeared on the calendar.

“Damn, that’s today,” Jordan answered jokingly.

He kissed Sofia across her forehead as he left the penthouse.

Jordan headed to his garage; his butler awaited him with a limousine revved up.

The two drove down to the airport to meet Marcus.

An evening sky set in as Marcus exited the airport, his suitcase in tow.

He saw Jordan arrive with his car, and a warm smile appeared on his face.

“Hey man, long time no see,” he said.

The two hugged as they left in the limousine.

They cruised around the streets of New York.

“Ready to party, Marcus?” Jordan asked him.

“Hell yeah,” he responded.

They laughed as their radio blasted the car, with the sounds of sweet jazz playing in the background.

Hours passed as Marcus searched various clothing stores for an outfit, until finally, he found a lovely red velvet suit, followed by a golden undershirt.

“Ha, now I’m ready to party,” Marcus said as he flashed around in his new suit.

He also bought a small red jazz hat and grabbed a black and gold cane as an added accessory.

While Jordan paid off the suit, his limousine arrived just in time for them to go to Sofia’s record label party.

When they arrived at the arena later that night, it was packed with reporters and other performers.

“Goddamn, this is nice,” Marcus said to himself.

The shiny, glittering lights of the stadium radiate with excitement as one of Sofia’s hit songs, ”Dance Story," plays on the speakers, multiple people dancing as others enjoy the catered food.

They both walk in as security has already noticed them in the line.

Sofia noticed them as she greeted the other patrons.

“You made it!” she said, hugging Jordan.

Jordan hugged Sofia back as he handed her a gift he had picked earlier in the evening.

Sofia had hugged Marcus as well.

“You must be Marcus, Jordan’s best friend,” Sofia said.

“Guilty as charged,” Marcus answered.

“You rented out this stadium?” he asked Sofia.

Sofia winked at Marcus; Jordan, however, answered the question for him.

“Her family owns the stadium, knucklehead,” Jordan stated as he playfully shoved Marcus.

The three move onto the dance floor, grooving and partying to Sofia’s music. The night goes on; Marcus parties with the other partygoers, and Jordan hangs out with Sofia and her bandmates.

A man wearing sports glasses stepped up to the podium, turning down the music.

“Attention, attention, everyone,” he said.

The crowd turned to the man as they listened to his announcement.

“Thank you. My name is Ian Holt, from Third Dimension Records, or TDR,” he said.

On the titantron, his branding logo appeared.

“TDR has always strived to become the best producing company today. In the indies, our goal was to become a multi-billion dollar industry.

Most artists neglected to sign with us, believing we don’t have what it takes to make it in this business.

"But one person has looked through all those bloody smoke and mirrors, and that woman is Sofia Sarmiento,” Ian said.

“Sofia has produced unbelievable hits, becoming one of the top hitting stars of 2019, and I would like to personally thank you, Sofia, for putting us on the map and for that,” he said.

Applause filled the air as Ian continued talking.

"I would like to declare that we are now partnering with our friends Liberty Audio to create our new studio, Liberty Records!” he explained.

The crowd cheers in excitement as the banner is revealed from behind the stadium.

Sofia oozes with joy; she kisses Jordan.

“Did you know about this?” Jordan asked her.

Sofia shakes her head in denial as she goes to the central stage.

She hugs Ian as he gives her the microphone.

“Thank you, Ian; this has been such a journey for me." I couldn’t have managed this without the support of my family and my boyfriend, Jordan; I love you, babe,” Sofia said.

Applause soon roared throughout the stadium, accompanied by a couple of whistles.

The party resumes as Ian and Sofia meet up with Jordan and Marcus at the catering table.

“Congratulations, you two,” Jordan stated, giving Ian a firm handshake.

“Yeah, congrats, Sofia,” Marcus replied.

As their conversation went on, a text message came out on both Jordan and Marcus’s phones.

It reads as follows:

Meet me at the old train station on 5th and Hope Street at 9:00 pm; it’s time to finish what we started.

-Trevor McAllen ”

Jordan looked confused, just as Marcus did.

Marcus reread the text message once more.

“Trevor, as in Trevor McAllen, the weird guy from high school?” Marcus asked Jordan.

Jordan shrugs as he rereads the message one last time, examining all of the words in the text.

Jordan began to leave, but Marcus grabbed his arm.

“You’re not seriously thinking about going?” Marcus asked.

“Look, all we need to do is stop by Trevor, say hello, and come back, easy as cake,” Jordan replied.

“Easy as pie, Jordan, easy as pie, that’s how it goes,” Marcus said.

Jordan shrugged as he left the room.

As he followed Jordan through the exit, Sofia waved goodbye to them as the party went on.

They made their way to the train station in haste.

Entering the old train station, Jordan and Marcus went to find Trevor, narrowly avoiding the falling rustic debris.

The train station was part of a significant industrial line. It held the most expensive trains back in 1997, but this train station ran out of business and foreclosure due to the increase in modernized vehicles.

Jordan peered around a corner, hearing a man cussing to himself very loudly.

He wore a rusty brown lab coat with iron goggles on his head, but one lens was busted.

“Trevor?” Jordan asked him.

Trevor turned around, and the sight of two of his old best friends sent streaks of tears down his face.

He had caught both of them standing in awe of the massive machine in the background.

“Friends, it’s been so long!” Trevor exclaimed, wrapping both of them in a giant hug.

Marcus grew uneasy at the sight of Trevor’s clothes.

Trevor giggled.

“Oh, sorry about the clothes. I’ve been here for months, and I haven’t found a day to bathe,” Trevor said, cleaning himself up.

Jordan dismissed Marcus’s last statement and hugged Trevor once more.

“It’s fine, Trevor, but what the hell is this?” Jordan asked him. He waved his hand in the air towards the giant mechanism shadowing him.

Trevor’s bright smile falters as he lies down in a chair.

You don’t remember Jordan? The project that we started back in high school? You don’t remember that? ” Trevor asked him as he showed him a picture of the three of them in high school.

Marcus knew, though. “I remember us going to jail. "Yeah, that wasn’t fun,” he replied. Trevor smirked at Marcus, wiping away the soot from his brow.

“We survived, didn’t we?” he responded.

Marcus scoffed and sat down on a nearby couch in silence. The sofa itself wasn’t in the best condition, but it was still suitable.

Jordan stops Marcus, calming his anger down by sitting on a nearby bench.

“Look, Trevor, regardless of what happened, that was all in the past." We all knew what happened that day, and we all also knew the risks. ” Jordan said. “But now it is not the time to bring back some old childhood fantasy; you need to stop,” he said to Trevor.

Trevor let out a sigh.

He puts the photo back on the whiteboard, pinning it to the other images.

Trevor’s hand then started fidgeting rapidly. It lasted for a quick second, and then the calm subsided.

“You guys don’t get it." I have to do this and, to be honest, I’ve got nothing left. ” Trevor said. Jordan’s eyebrow was raised. His curiosity peaked as he walked up to his friend and consoled him.

“What do you mean, Trevor? The last time I checked, your parents were loaded with money. Why didn’t you stay with them instead of here? ” Jordan questioned

Trevor took off his pair of glasses and cleaned them off. His mind had recalled the events of what happened all those years ago. Right after we got arrested, my parents were ashamed of me; they cut me off from my money to pay for the damage we did to the school,” Trevor answered. “Shortly after, my dad barely acknowledged my existence, and as for my mom, well, she used this as the perfect opportunity to leave and start fresh somewhere else.”

Trevor immediately wiped his tears away.

Jordan looked around the room and saw some old memorabilia from the golden days. Back in high school, Jordan was one of the popular kids and had friends left and right. His popularity was unmatched by anyone else in modern times. Teachers adored him, women loved him, and men aspired to be like him. He met Marcus during a football game where the two used to play for the school. Jordan eventually met Trevor one day in science class, where the two were grouped together for a project. One friend met the other, and their goals aligned in some weird, unconventional way.

One afternoon, when the three hung out at a local diner, Trevor brought up the idea of interdimensional travel. It can’t be done. Jordan said that no person in this world has ever cracked the code. But Trevor didn’t let Jordan’s doubts get the best of him. So later that night, Trevor still had the key to his teacher's lab workshop and started building the machine. He would spend his days and nights in that workshop. Jordan and Marcus caught wind of this and decided to help him. The project took the boys months to build.

By the time graduation was on the horizon, the machine was already finished and ready to be tested.

It was almost time for the three of them to get their caps and gowns for the ceremony. Trevor advised the two boys to go ahead without him as he wanted to stay and finish up.

As the two left the room, Trevor went back to fix a couple of wires. During that, Trevor heard a whisper. The voice was coarse and raspy, and sent shivers down Trevor’s spine. At first, he ignored it, but the voice became more prominent and frequent a few minutes later. This voice plagued Trevor’s mind, filling his head with bad omens of the future unless he added one final detail to the machine. Trevor obliged and did what the voice asked. Trevor heard the voice chuckling as he started up the device, clearly shooting a bad feeling down his stomach.

The machine cackled electricity in the workshop and looked to be stable. That, of course, was a red herring as the device started opening small pocket dimensions, one of which a large white crystal began shooting out all over the place. Trevor took cover behind a table. Jordan and Marcus walked in and were immediately thrown into the fray. The machine itself lashed out, causing sparks and even fire to blaze in the room. Marcus went to find a fire extinguisher as the place was quickly engulfed in flames. As Jordan helped Trevor up and out of the room, the pair escaped. Marcus did what he could, but not even an extinguisher could put out the fires in the room. The three ran out of the school, and not a second later, a multi-colored explosion rang out into the air. It was beautiful as multiple clouds of smoke were glowing.

An hour later, the fire department arrived at the scene, as did the policemen. They took many witness statements that pointed to Jordan, Marcus, and Trevor at the crime scene.

The three of them were arrested and put in jail. Jordan’s father, John, paid his bail, and due to his mafia influence, the three were able to get off scot-free, except for Marcus, whose parents sent him to military school. There, under the guidance of General Barnes, Marcus was put through the ringer and was never heard from again. And shortly after that, Marcus enlisted in the Marine Corps.

The rest is history.

When we were in high school, we had a plan. We would build our machine and make millions! But just because you guys moved on doesn’t mean I can't! ” Trevor explained.

He began to hear whispers in his head.

"Pull it, Trevor, pull the lever," he heard.

Trevor fell onto the floor.

Both Jordan and Marcus look concerned as they tend to the panicked Trevor.

I’ve heard these voices, scratching and clawing at my head. I need help, plus I can’t stop unless I finish this machine, "Trevor explained.

Jordan and Marcus distance themselves as they try to develop a plan for Trevor.

I don’t like this man; all I wanted to do was have a great time, party, maybe get laid, who knows? "Do not spend the night in Dexter’s Laboratory,” Marcus stated.

As Marcus continues to ramble, Jordan eyes a woman working on the machine in the background.

“Who’s that, Trevor?” Jordan asked, pointing to the woman.

Trevor turned to look at Scarlett.

“That’s Scarlett Summers from high school,” he answered.

Jordan looked perplexed as he tried to recall if that woman was the same woman from their high school long ago.

“No way, Scarlett Summers! As in daughter to police chief Zachary Summers and head restaurant owner Vivian Summers? ” Jordan asked.

Trevor nodded.

Jordan immediately felt like his teenage self, all sweaty and nervous at the same time.

He slapped himself in the face and mustered up the courage to approach her.

Marcus had a chat with Trevor near the whiteboard as he walked over to her, and considering what Trevor put Marcus through, the two are due for an overdue conversation.

Jordan went on to talk to Scarlett, but she was hard at work.

She took off her welding mask and revealed her surprisingly attractive face, the same face that made Jordan nervous back in his sophomore years.

Red, long layered hair, double braided to reveal a bony, glaring face.

Dead blue eyes set light within her sockets, watching the sparks fly off the piece of metal she was just fixing.

Something about Scarlett that prompted Jordan to talk to her

Maybe it was her unforgettable face, or perhaps it was that he and she hadn’t seen each other in years.

Regardless, it was fate that brought the two to this moment.

There was a sense of awkwardness between them as neither could find the correct words.

Instead, Jordan struck up a conversation about the giant machine in front of them.

He turns to her as she motions for him to walk with her.

“The device is somewhat hard to explain, so I’ll keep it simple; this portal is called the Traveler. It uses concentrated dark matter to sail through time and space,” Scarlett answered.

Jordan turned his attention to the portal, its slick metal frame shining under the dim moonlight of the old train station.

“How have you been?" It’s been a while, "Jordan said."

Scarlett chuckled as she walked over to her desk.

“I’ve been good, but you’ve been busy, Mr. Sarmiento,” she said playfully.

Scarlett’s remark rang through his head; Jordan’s eyes widened as he realized what she meant.

Scarlett was talking about his relationship with Sofia.

“She’s cute,” she said.

Jordan rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to respond to this situation.

Luckily, Marcus pushed Trevor violently and began wailing on him.

“FUCK YOU!” he yelled as he punched Trevor in the gut.

Trevor blocked the second punch but immediately got hit in the face once more.

Both Scarlett and Jordan separated Marcus and Trevor.

Marcus reeks of anger as he growls at him.

“I’m outta here, Scarlett." "Good to see ya, Trevor... fuck you, asshole,” he said as he left the room.

Trevor coughed up some blood as he sat down in his chair.

Scarlett looked worried as she

“I’ll find him,” Jordan said.

He left the room, searching for Marcus.

Marcus was waiting for a cab outside.

He huffs and puffs as he sits on a park bench.

Jordan sat alongside him.

Marcus rolled his eyes as he spotted Jordan.

“Jordan, man, what’s the plan?” Marcus asked him.

Jordan didn’t answer.

“So nothing then,” Marcus said.

“Fuck man, I ain’t going back in there,” he said.

Jordan looked frustrated, knowing that Marcus would be uncooperative if he tried to help Trevor.

He went back into the room with Scarlett and Trevor, leaving Marcus outside.

A few minutes later, Marcus walked back into the room.

Jordan gestured to Marcus to help him, and Scarlett fixed the machine.

After a few moments of pacing, Marcus rolled up his sleeves and helped them, bringing tools, trashing spare parts, and grabbing food.

They all repaired the machine shortly afterward.

Trevor gazes at the large gateway.

“Thank you, my friend,” Trevor said to Jordan and Marcus, hugging them intensely.

He and Scarlett nod and turn on the machine, causing it to flash blue neon beams everywhere.

A blue portal opened up, causing massive objects to fly around the station.

Scarlett stood by the computer, and as she checked the monitors, words appeared on them.

“It says thank you, Trevor,” Scarlett said.

Looking confused, Trevor, Jordan, and Marcus turned to the portal.

A monstrous scream emanates from it, shaking the entire station.

Everything begins to be sucked into the portal.

“What the hell?” Marcus exclaimed.

A strange glowing tentacle wraps around Marcus as they try to run, pulling him into the portal.

“Marcus!” Jordan yelled.

Trevor looks around at the destruction of his work and grabs a rustic metal pole.

“We must penetrate the core; there, we can stop this portal from destroying all of New York,” Trevor said.

Trevor reaches the portal’s core, dodging incoming debris as he tries to stab the machine’s core.

Before he could destroy the machine, a wave of energy pulsates and hits Trevor, sending him tumbling into the portal.

Scarlett catches Jordan’s hand, preventing him from falling into the portal.

She grabs the stairwell, holding him and Jordan in place.

“This isn’t going to hold, Jordan!” Scarlett yelled at him.

“We’ll think of something!” he replied.

After feeling a sense of panic in Scarlett’s eyes, Jordan’s hand begins to slip.

“Scarlett, you’ve got to save yourself,” he said.

Her fingers finally gave out, causing them to fall into the portal.

Jordan, Scarlett, Trevor, and Marcus were all sucked into the portal and never came out.

The portal ejected multiple energy waves, terraforming the area, and everything faded to black as it shut down.