Orion's Rise: From Zero to Hero in Two Worlds

Chapter 9

“Is it supposed to feel like this?”  

Ben’s voice echoed beside me. It sounded distant. It was like he was speaking through layers of thick glass. 

I blinked. Trying to gather my bearings.  

The portal had been, disorienting. To say the least. One second, we’d been in the catacombs. And then.. 

“This place is, weird, right?” Ben's voice broke through the fog.  

Yeah. Weird was one way to put it.  

I looked around. Gasp.

The sky above us wasn’t a sky at all.

It was some kind of.. swirling.

Silver mist.

The clouds had been spun into fine threads. It stretched across the entire horizon.  

The atmosphere was dense.

With something that I couldn't quite articulate.

And the ground beneath our feet. It wasn’t grass or dirt.  

It was smooth. Almost metallic. But warm. Like it had a pulse of its own.  

“It’s not just weird.” I took a cautious step forward. “It’s. Familiar.”  

Ben scratched his head. “Familiar? You mean like déjà vu?"

“Sort of.” I frowned. Trying to place the feeling. “I’ve seen this before. In my dreams.”  

He gave me a sideways glance. “Your dreams are WAAYYY more messed up than mine.”  

I ignored him. I was too focused on what was in front of me.  

The landscape extended indefinitely. But, not in a manner that was logical.

There were structures. Tall. Jagged pillars of stone. But they were.. floating.

Just, hanging there in the air. Defying gravity like it was some kind of casual suggestion.

And the trees? If you could even call them that. Were twisted and knotted.

With glowing blue veins running through their bark. There was light trapped underneath.

“Okay.” Ben said. Exhaling slowly. “This is. A lot.”  

I nodded. Still trying to process everything.  

“Yeah.”  

He turned in a slow circle. Taking in the surroundings.  

“So. What do we do now? Just.. keep walking?”  

“I guess.” My shoes made a soft crunching sound on the strange ground. I went forward.

“I don’t know what else to—”  

There was a noise. Quiet and deep. Heard from afar. Interrupted me while I was talking.

Ben stiffened.  

“Uh. Did you hear that?"  

“Yeah.” I spoke. I am feeling tense in my voice. “I heard it.”  

We both froze. Scanning the horizon with our eyes.

The sound came again. Closer this time.  

It wasn’t a growl, exactly.  

More like. A rumble. Like the earth itself was shifting underfoot.  

I felt my heart rate increase.

“This isn’t good.” Ben's voice was strained.

“No kidding.”  

The air around us had a ripple effect. The atmosphere itself was pulsating.

I can feel my heart beating rapidly. My veins coursing with adrenaline.

Then I saw it.  

A shape. Moving between the floating pillars in the distance.  

Huge. Hulking.  

It was hard to make out at first. Just a shadow. Slipping in and out of the mist.  

But as it got closer. I caught my breath.

It was a beast. Massive. Having dark, shiny leathery skin that glowed in the unusual silver light.

The eyes of it. Radiating a dark, unearthly red. Were locked on us.  

And its teeth. Long. Sharp. And shining brightly. Looked like they could tear through steel. Let alone flesh.  

“What the *hell* is that?" Ben whimpered.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.  

Because I knew exactly what it was.  

“I’ve seen it before.” I whispered. My eyes are open wide. “In my drawings.”  

Ben shot me a look.  

In your WHAT?!

WHAT THE FUUCCK!! 

“What drawings?!" 

Gulp. Ehhhh...

“The ones I made before. Before all this. Before the powers. I used to draw it. This exact thing.”  

“Well. That’s. Comforting.” Ben, was shaking. “Anything else you drew that we should be worried about?"  

The creature released a low, throaty growl. That caused the earth to tremble beneath us.

Breathe. 

Breathe.

Ba-dum, ba-dum.

Oh Lord, please breathe.

I could feel the energy inside me. Building. Surging. But I had no idea what to do with it.  

No idea how to stop this thing.  

“I don’t think your doodles are gonna help us right now.” Ben's voice was tight with panic.  

“So. Unless you’ve got a plan. We need to run. Like. *now*.”  

I snapped back to reality. My eyes quickly scanning the area.

There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.  

The beast was massive. And it was moving fast. Its heavy claws digging into the strange metallic ground with each step.  

We wouldn’t outrun it.  

“Orion?” Ben's voice was rising. “What do we do?"  

The energy inside me was buzzing now. Louder than ever.  

It was like a current. Rushing through my veins. Demanding to be used.  

But I didn’t know how.  

I didn’t know. What I was supposed to do. 

But then. The words of the Guide resounded in the depths of my consciousness.

“You must control it.” 

Gulp.

“What?”  

Ben frowned.  

“What?!”  

The Guide’s voice was calm. Steady.  

“The power is within you. You must control it. Focus.”  

The beast was getting closer now. Its eyes glowing brighter.  

Its growls were literally shaking the air.  

Ben was staring at me. Waiting for me to say something. To do something.  

But I was frozen. Paralyzed.  

“Orion?!” Ben’s voice was sharp.  

“Snap out of it. We need to move.”  

I shook my head. Trying to clear the fog.  

“No. We can’t outrun it.”  

“What do you mean we—”  

“I can stop it.” I said. The words tumbling out before I even realized what I was saying.  

“I just. Need to focus.”  

Ben stared at me like I’d lost my mind. 

“You’re gonna stop that thing. With what. Your *mind*?!"  

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.  

Because somehow. Deep down. I knew he was right.  

That’s exactly what I was going to do.  

The creature released another thunderous roar.

I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet.

I could feel my heart beating rapidly. My hands were trembling.

But I forced myself to take a deep breath. To focus.  

The energy was there. I could feel it.  

Vibrating. Waiting for me to call on it.  

This was different from before.  

This wasn’t like moving a rock or throwing Ben across a yard.  

This was. Life or death.  

I closed my eyes. Blocking out the sound of the beast. The sound of Ben’s panicked breathing.  

I could feel the energy now. Swirling inside me. Building. Pushing against my skin.  

I just needed to. *Control* it.  

“You must focus.” The Guide’s voice whispered again. Calm and unshaken.  

I tightened my hands into fists. Feeling the power surge inside me. 

The energy was hot. Electric. Like fire coursing through my veins.  

I opened my eyes. Locking onto the beast as it charged toward us.  

And then. I released it.

***

The air around me crackled.

The ground beneath my feet. Vibrating with the force of the energy pouring out of me.  

I could feel it rushing forward. Slamming into the beast like a tidal wave. 

The creature let out a furious roar. Its massive body skidding to a halt as the energy hit it full force.  

But it didn’t stop.  

It stumbled. Shaking its head. But it kept coming. Its eyes burning brighter now. Filled with rage.  

I could see the muscles rippling beneath its skin. The sharp claws digging into the ground as it pushed forward. Fighting against the energy.  

“Orion!" Ben shouted. Grabbing my arm. “It’s not working.”  

I gritted my teeth. Pushing harder. Feeling the energy surge again.  

But the beast was too strong. Too fast.  

It wasn’t stopping.  

It wasn’t slowing down.  

And then it happened.  

The beast leapt. Its massive body hurtling toward us. Claws outstretched.  

I could see the muscles tensing. The teeth gleaming in the silver light.  

I threw my hands up instinctively. The energy exploding out of me in a final burst.  

The air around us shimmered. Crackling with power.  

And then. Everything went white.  

---  

When I opened my eyes. The beast was gone.  

The landscape was still there. The strange metallic ground. The floating pillars. The twisted trees.  

But the beast. It had vanished.  

Like it had never been there at all.  

I blinked. My heart still racing. My breath coming in short. Sharp gasps.  

Ben was standing beside me. His eyes wide. His face pale.  

“What. What just happened?"  

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.  

I was too busy trying to understand it myself.  

But then I saw it.  

A shape. Moving through the mist.  

Not the beast this time.  

Something else.  

Someone else.  

And that’s when I realized.  

We weren’t alone.