Onward to the Sun

Chapter 2: The Mystical Painting is a Portal

Chapter 2: The Mystical Painting is a Portal

“Wake up, Luna.”

“Luna, come here.”

“Luna...”

“God, damn it! Let me sleep!” I was beyond mad at the voices in my head who were nonstop at calling me out and my name, telling me to wake up and go elsewhere. I sighed and put my pillow in my head, but the voices were still there—ah, of course, it is all in my head so covering my ears will be futile because the voices are from within, not out. How can I tone down the voices in my head? It was frustrating because all I just want is to get a nice sleep.

With a frown, I opened my eyes and went out of my bed. These voices are so noisy! I just want to sleep! I sighed. I guess I will just do whatever these voices are telling me to, and maybe if I give them what they want, they will finally stop bothering me.

“Come here, Luna.”

“Where?” I scowled. If my Dad sees me like this, he might think I am finally losing it, since there is no one around, but I am acting like there is someone I am talking to, and he will say that is because I am a shut-in girl, and that because I watch too many movies and stuff like that.

“Here.” I followed the direction where the voice was and walked down the stairs. I switched the lights on and before it totally lit, the lights flickered first until it finally illuminated the way, I looked at the grandfather clock at the corner of the corridor in order to find out what time it was already and realized that it was exactly midnight. It was already my eighteenth birthday.

It felt like my feet had a life of their own, and I walked towards the living room. I stopped on my tracks when I was already in front of the painting of my mother—I stared, curiously, at the magical place that was being depicted by this beautiful masterpiece, and I grimaced. I do not know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or because I woke up, still feel sleepy, and feel lightheaded, but it seemed like the meadow of grasses moved along with the old Acacia tree.

I blinked several times, but the grasses were still moving. “What the actual hell is happening?” I mumbled to myself as I stared at the moving landscape of the painting. Maybe I am just dreaming? Yes, perhaps this is just a dream.

I slightly closed my eyes when the painting started to glow, and I hear the voices in my head whisper to me again.

“Touch the painting, Luna.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

“Come on, come on.”

“Shut up. Don’t tell me what to do.” I commanded, but the voices just kept on and I mentally hissed at them.

Without a word, I put my palm against the painting to double-check whether what I am seeing is real or not and just give these voices the satisfaction they want so that they can finally be quiet. And that’s when I felt this force that seems to have wrapped up my entire being when my fingers were finally in contact with the glowing painting of a magical world.

I felt it pull me into the painting, and I gasped as everything around me started to go into a blur. It felt like I was falling endlessly, and it felt like my soul was leaving my body behind. I could not move, nor do anything. I gasped for breath as I was running out of air in my lungs already but I struggled because of the speed that I was being propelled at with, and I could not move my body as it felt like I was paralyzed by this force that has engulfed me and everything else.

What on Satan’s hairy balls is happening?

I closed my eyes, confused. Is this just a dream? If so, please wake me up because it all feels so real!

When I felt everything else seems to have calmed down at long last, I opened my eyes and felt the sword-like grasses prickling my bare feet. I looked down, confused, as I was already standing at a meadow of grass, and behind me was an Acacia tree that looked hundreds of centuries old.

“Where am I?” I whispered to myself, knowing there is no one with me to answer that. I can no longer hear the voices in my head too, they were gone. The cold breeze where I currently was rooted to hugged me, and I shivered because I was only wearing my pair of pajamas. Is this really a dream? Because if it was, then whatever the feeling I am receiving, it is too real.

I looked at the red-bricked pathway a few meters away from me and followed the trail of it. That’s when my eyes landed on what seems to be a kingdom surrounded by high walls, perhaps three kilometers away from my position.’

I scowled, and that is when I had a few strings of realization.

I never thought dreams could be this realistic, and the fact that the landscape looked strangely familiar, I finally knew—this is the exact view that my mother painted. This is the magical world that was depicted in the painting of hers. When I mentally processed everything already as my brain was still dysfunctional as I just woke up, I cannot help but feel a little bit excited... I am inside the painting of my mother! I gasped, unable to believe whatever it is that I am experiencing. I walked around, remembering everything of the details of the painting—the ancient tree, the meadow of grass, the clear river, the red pathway, and the fortified kingdom from afar. This was, indeed, the place that my mother has painted.

Could it possibly be that the painting was a portal and that I was teleported to a new world?

There’s no such thing! I must have consumed too many fantasy books and movies which is why I am experiencing this. I made myself believe that, since that is the only rational explanation for all of this. Anyway, since this is just a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am fond of magical worlds, I guess I will explore the place? I will have nothing to lose because this is just a dream, after all.

Right?

I walked and felt the grass that seems to tickle my feet, the feeling was too vivid and real for a dream, but anyhow, I paid no hid about it and moved forward. I looked behind me and saw a forest. Curious as it was the only place closer to me than the kingdom from afar, I entered the woods. The chirping of birds and the sound of animals immediately greeted me, and I can also smell nature in its purest form.

I continued to wander around the place, taking in the majestic and magical scenery so that I can burn it into my memory and so that I will be able to paint it clearly when I wake up. Every single detail mattered to me. That’s the time when I saw a flock of birds who started to fly away from the northern part of the forest as if there was a disturbance there. That’s the time I heard a loud explosion that seems to echo from that point and the ground somehow quivered, but there was no earthquake, I am sure of that. I looked at the sky and saw a cloud of smoke afterwards.

My instincts told me to run away and go back to the Acacia tree, as I was also sensing danger because there seems to be a weird force being emitted on that area of the woods. However, I sucked it in and decided to be brave and go to wherever it was, as this was just a dream—it is not like I will die, right? I will not lose anything; this is just another dream.

As I walked towards the area of the explosion, I started to see several trees burning and the place became more humid than usual, I can feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead too. I frowned as I walked closer towards the cause of it, that’s when I caught this man who had dark red hair that almost looked black, and his crimson red eyes were glowing. He was covered in his own sweat, and his clothes that seems to look like a school uniform were already tattered and dirty. My eyes widened when I realized who that man was; he was the guy from my dreams! I stared closely at his face while remaining hidden in the bushes—a pointy nose and thin but kissable lips. I can finally complete his portrait! I will make sure to draw him when I wake up immediately.

What caught my attention most as well were those orbs of fire that he could conjure with his bare palm—he wore this silver bracelet, which seems to create sparks where his flames originate. He threw it away like a bullet towards these werewolves, the ones that looked like from my dreams—with black smoke for a fur, golden sharp teeth, and glowing gray eyes that almost looked snow white. The wolves that were hit by his fire turned to ashes and dust after.

As I was too engrossed in the show, I decided to move closer and hide behind one of the trees, my eyes still peeking at whatever was happening. From what I managed to collect, it seems like this fire guy is fighting these monsters.