Moments before the sun peeks over the horizon, amber eyes awaken. At some point or another, he had fallen asleep. Both the boys had.
Sirius's back is pressed against the damp bark of the large tree. Droplets of water drip from the hanging leaves. The sky is a deep shade of purple. Instead of the normal black night he's used to, the sky is a beautiful violet. A small sliver of pale blue is creeping up.
As his eyes adjust, he notices the ground is glowing. Each blade of grass is lit up in a luminous light blue. The draping leaves of the tree transmit the same neon.
Sirius stumbles upright and gazes over the cliff.
What once was a bland and dreary sight now sparkles with shining color. Gone are the basic greens of grass he's accustomed to. It is all replaced with lustrous beacons. Sweeping fields of brilliant cerulean, colossal trees comparable to distant disco balls... The lavender sky stirs with nature's glowsticks, repainting the entire scene.
The landscape is truly out of another world.
It's... beautiful.
Tiny insects buzz past, flickering golden lights from their bodies. Sirius sits at the cliff's end and gazes out in awe. It's the most gorgeous sight he's ever seen.
...
Reality starts to set in.
So much has been happening... He's barely taken in the fact that he's not on Earth. It didn't seem real. It doesn't. But looking at the sprawling landscape, it all comes crashing into him...
Gone are the endless cycles of numbing routines. Gone is school. Gone is his vacant room. Gone is his suffocating home life. Gone are the people he wanted to get away from. Gone is his family.
Gone are his shackles.
Gone is his old life.
...
The edges of his lips curl into a smile.
He absorbs this moment into his soul. This lasting, liberating moment...
...
-Let's restart... That stifling life is gone... It's just like that woman said. This is a second chance. The memory thing isn't real. Forget about it. Forget about everything.
No more acting out. No more over-displaying of emotion. Bottle it. Bury it.
Be perfect. Just like you've always been. Maybe in this life... I can change. Maybe in this life...
...
There is a quiet rustling in the grass behind him.
Korlin's honey-hued eyes awaken to the same marvelous sight. The boy sits up and takes in his surroundings. His pupils widen along with a grin.
Korlin spots his companion sitting solemnly on the cliff's coda. He trudges up the incline, taking in every blade of grass; he even stuffs a few in his pocket. As he approaches Sirius, the world unfolds before him.
The beautiful parade of purples and blues colors his heart. His mouth gapes as tears well in his eyes.
This.
This is what he's always dreamt of. A real, breathing fantasy world that he could be a part of. No chains to his past. No stress of his present. Only the dreams of what the future holds in a spectacular world...
It's everything he's ever wanted.
The spellbound boy falls to his knees beside Sirius. The surrounding glow highlights his entire body.
Two boys, both of differing upbringings, perch together after their deaths under stars they've never seen. They gaze on in silence, minutes passing in what feels like seconds. No words could fill this moment.
A golden hue suddenly bathes the terrain.
The blazing ball in the sky crawls out from behind the faraway mountains. The breathtaking purples wash away and transition into vibrant pinks and pale blues. The luminous glow of grass and trees fades into their base colors. Greenery ripples across the fluorescent fields like a tide across the ocean.
Traces of translucent blue still linger, but are swallowed by shimmering sunlight. While the moment has passed, the boys still watch on in wonder.
...
"I can't remember the last time I've watched a sunrise..." Korlin says, his voice groggy.
"Me neither. It's a shame... sunrises have always been prettier than sunsets to me."
"You think so too? I've never met someone who thought that as well." Both of them give genuine smiles.
"Sunsets give me a saddening feeling, while sunrises... They show me... That maybe today, it'll be different... It'll be better. It'll be okay..."
The calm serenity is heightened by the passing breeze.
"...I was thinking more about how the colors are prettier, but there's that too."
They share a laugh together.
Genuine, guileless grins attach themselves to their faces.
The chill morning is accompanied by sincere sounds, sparking shreds of warmth.
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
After stretching and helping each other crack their backs, Korlin decides it's time to head back into the city.
Making their way through the rusty gate and narrow passage, Sirius's words echo off the walls.
"So, I kind of ran off yesterday... Did the Timekeeper say anything else?"
"I knew you'd come around to the name Timekeeper."
"I doubt you got his actual name."
"You would be correct." They exit the tunnel and emerge back into the waking town. The streets are surprisingly dry. "Timekeeper did say something to me, or rather, he gave me directions somewhere."
"Directions? Did he give you a map?"
"No! He didn't! That man is unbelievable. He literally told me a street name and the shape of the building."
"Wow... Does he not know we can't read?"
"That's what I was about to ask before he said he had to go. Old people these days..." He's on the verge of laughing.
They enter a main road; only a few people are up and about.
"Where does an old guy like that even have to go in such a hurry?"
"Who knows... He did say something about not being out past dusk or something."
"Huh..." Sirius doesn't give it much thought. "So, why the directions?"
"He basically told me that there's some guy named 'Alzir' that can give us more information."
"Information? On what? Like, about this world, or...?"
Korlin excessively shrugs his shoulders and throws his arms in the air.
"No clue! But, considering we have nothing else to do, except learning magic, we might as well-" As if reacting to his statement, his stomach rumbles. "...Dude. I don't think I've eaten anything since coming out of the ground."
"I don't think I have either... Besides the gummy. Shall we go find something?"
Hunger hadn't come to mind; they've been rather preoccupied. The only thing they've had to drink is some water that Gary left them in the stable.
Korlin nods affirmatively, and they set off.
...
As the hour hand of their watches passes the budding flower, the morning streets fill with magic. Both metaphorically and physically.
Shopkeepers light up their stores with bursts of fire from their fingertips. Living blobs of slime divide themselves into smaller pieces and use themselves as a staircase, up a staircase. A kid grinds through the air on a rail of ice produced from his palm. A group of girls flies overhead and lands on the rooftops, walking casually across. Hair-covered men spray water from their palms, cleaning the streets; another man follows behind, drying the road with wind magic. A line of small men phase through the front door of a building.
-Is that why doors are rare?
Besides the literal magical beings, unmagical people thrive as well. Merchants set up and open their colorful stalls. Mothers wave their children goodbye, sending them off into town. Citizens walk upside-down beasts resembling dogs along the roads. Everyone goes about their lives, just like any other town...
...
The capital of Lunalir, Auretta, is a massive city. The sheer size of the place should lead one to believe finding a restaurant of some sort would be a piece of cake. They would be wrong. Especially for two illiterate boys who only arrived two days ago.
Attempting to translate the sign of a building, Korlin determines it to be a grocery store. Upon entering, a long set of stairs leads to an underground battle arena. Korlin, thrilled by the sudden development, takes the money from Sirius's pocket and tries to bet on a fighter. Sirius steps in and drags Korlin from the establishment. Parenting is rough.
After many failed attempts, they stumble upon the scent of grilled food and find an eatery. It's structured along the lines of a diner. A cozy interior with round tables and beast-folk waiters. They are taken to a table and handed a menu with only words, no pictures. They both examine their menus as if they can read them.
"Psssst, Sirius." Korlin doesn't want anyone else to hear him. "What do we do?? I can't read this."
"I don't know-"
"Have you decided on anything?" A waitress with a tail and stubby ears atop her head approaches them.
"Uhhhhh," Sirius struggles to act casual. "W-We can't seem to decide... It's our first time here. I-Is there anything you would recommend?"
"Of course! Today's special is grilled trawlgills, caught in the surrounding waters of Esflowna's Tomb. But as a personal recommendation, I'd suggest the Kindnel's Charcoal. It may look unappealing, but it is absolutely delicious!"
"I'll try the charcoal!" Korlin is very enthusiastic for burnt wood.
"Uh... I'll go with the t-trawlgills," Sirius says.
"Alright, I'll go put those in!" The waitress walks off. She didn't even ask for drinks.
"That was so awkward..."
"Indeed."
"Hmm, Esflowna's Tomb, huh?" Sirius mirrors the ladies' words.
"That's got to be some crazy lore, right?" He slams his hands on the table, his eyes are bursting with excitement.
"Must be... We really need to learn more about this place."
"Hey man, one thing at a time, alright? For now, let's just take in this fabulous restaurant, and soon-to-be amazing food." He says it with such confidence that it's hard not to feel uplifted.
Eventually, some glasses of water arrive and then their food. It, in fact, does not look appealing.
On Sirius's plate is a large fish, fully intact as if it weren't killed or cooked. Its gray skin has webbed engravings, almost like it was indented by a net. The only thing is, it looks completely natural. It must be the fish's natural anatomy.
The beady, black eyes stare at Sirius. It almost looks... disappointed?
"This thing looks like it's judging me." He pokes at the fish with a utensil resembling a knife. "I don't even like seafood..."
"Yeah, that's a real shame..." On Korlin's plate is what looks to be a pile of rocks. Fairly sized, black stones, all stacked on top of one another. "There is no way this is edible. This has got to be a health-code violation."
"You should try it. She did say it didn't look good, but is actually delicious."
"Delicious, my ass! This is actual charcoal! I thought it was just a weird name..." Korlin sighs and stares at his meal. He hides behind his glass of water. "Alright, fine... Let's do this."
Sirius cuts off a piece of the fish and Korlin prepares a coal to his mouth. They each take a bite.
Instantly upon hitting their taste buds, a wondrous swarm of flavors floods their mouths. An onrush of flavors they've never savored before. All textures are new to their rebirthed tongues.
"Holy... This is probably the best thing I've ever tasted." Sirius continues to eat the trawlgill, thankfully, every part of it is edible.
"I'm almost a hundred percent sure this is an actual charcoal. But this... This is heaven on my virgin tongue." A tear wells in his right eye, it's a bit dramatic... The thought-to-be wood crumbles and melts in his mouth, caking it in exotic flavors.
They swap their plates and try the others' food. They devour each and every bite of their first meal. It is glorious.
"Man... That was some life-changing stuff right there."
"I feel like I've transcended into a higher plane of existence." Korlin is on the verge of passing out.
"Did you enjoy your meal?" The waitress is apparently standing next to them. The two of them give her a nod. "Alright, that'll be 41 nem."
Sirius almost completely forgot the very concept of money.
"Oh- Right." He digs around in his pocket and pulls out the orange gem.
-Orange is supposedly worth fifty nem. I think. I hope.
Sirius hands it to the lady, and she tells them to wait there for a moment. She returns and gives back a blue gem and four green ones. Blues are worth five, greens are worth one.
"Thank you," Sirius places the gems in his pocket. The waitress leaves, and they let out sighs of relief. "Man, I think I need a wallet. My pockets are all cluttered."
"Want me to carry some?"
"Mmm, so you can go try and bet it all again?"
"Fair point," he pouts. "Guess we should find one on the way to the wizard."
"...Wizard?"
"Yeah, the guy we're supposed to meet."
"He's a wizard?"
"Well, I don't know for sure, but his name is Alzir. If Alzir isn't a wizard name, I don't know what is."
They chuckle, then head back into the world.