Deep down in the depths of the sea lay the unconscious bodies of Roxanne, Hunter, Nolee, Wulf, and Kai.
FLASHBACK
"Hunter!" Roxanne screamed as the car lost control and derailed off the bridge.
"I love you, Nolee!" Kai shouted, holding her hand tightly.
"I love you too, Kai!" Nolee screamed back.
"Goodbye, world!" Wulf yelled.
Hunter didn't have time to tell Roxanne anything before the car plunged into the murky depths. He only managed to grasp her hand before losing consciousness.
PRESENT
The ring on Roxanne's finger began to glow. Fish and other sea creatures scattered at the sight of the light. Her hair gradually turned white, and moments later, her eyes opened.
"Where am I?" she asked, her gaze sweeping the underwater environment. Suddenly, memories of the car crash and everything that had happened earlier flashed through her mind. Her eyes widened in shock. They were underwater!
She felt something on her hand. "Hunter!" she gasped.
Looking back, she saw the unconscious figures of her friends.
"Oh no! Guys! Wake up!" she shouted, shaking each of them.
"Hold on! Am I breathing underwater?" She held her breath, then exhaled—she could breathe! She glanced at her hand. "The ring!"
Immediately, she swam to Wulf, unlocking his seatbelt. Supporting his weight over her shoulder, she began swimming to the surface. Surprisingly, he wasn't as heavy as she had expected.
Finally, they reached the shore. Roxanne laid him on the sand and pressed on his stomach. Wulf coughed out water, his eyes fluttering open.
"Am I in heaven?" he murmured, eyes still blurry, mistaking the white-haired figure for an angel.
"You'll be fine, Wulf. Wait for me here," Roxanne said and dove back to rescue the others. On her way, a pod of dolphins appeared, helping her carry her friends to the shore.
"Thank you!" she waved, and the dolphins responded with their tails before disappearing into the waves. By the time she returned, the others were awake.
"You guys okay?" Roxanne asked.
"Yeah!" Hunter replied.
"I think so!" Nolee added.
"Anyone have any idea where we are?" Kai looked around.
"If my memory serves me right, we fell from the bridge… but I don't see anything familiar," Wulf observed.
"That's because you are in the Realm of Fate!" a voice said from the trees.
They froze. Darkness surrounded them, making it impossible to see the speaker.
"Who's there?" Hunter asked bravely.
A figure emerged from the trees. She wore a cloak with a hood, which she removed, revealing her face.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt any of you. My name is Martha, and you are welcomed to the
Realm of Fate—a place completely different from your world."
"Nice to meet you, Martha, but do you know how we got here?" Nolee asked.
"The Ring of Orion," Martha replied.
They exchanged glances.
"Follow me, and I'll tell you everything you need to know."
"Give us a moment!" Hunter said, gathering the group in a circle.
"What do you say, guys? Can we trust her?" "We have no choice," Wulf replied.
"He's right. Let's follow her! I believe she can help us," Roxanne added.
"Okay!" Hunter nodded and turned to Martha. "Lead the way!"
Martha pointed to a path, and they followed her into the woods. The moon hung like a great lantern in the sky, casting a soft glow through the canopy. An owl swooped overhead, letting out a loud "Tu-whit-tu-whoo!"
Wulf nearly jumped out of his skin, instinctively moving between Hunter and Roxanne. Both looked at him curiously, but he only smiled nervously. Roxanne understood and chuckled, while Hunter scoffed. The owl settled on an ivy-covered tree, its bright yellow eyes watching silently.
"Before we reach our destination, it would be nice if we got acquainted," Martha said.
"Well," Roxanne began, "we are a group called the Viteens. Don't get us wrong—we aren't bad. We fight for justice, peace, and harmony. I'm the leader, Roxanne. This is Wulf, Hunter, and over here are Nolee and Kai." "Nice to meet you all," Martha replied.
"The pleasure is ours," Nolee added.
"We were actually on our way to meet a sorcerer or sorceress—someone familiar with magic," Hunter explained.
"Then you've come to the right place!" Martha said.
They soon arrived at a small cottage, green light glowing from its windows, smoke curling from the chimney.
"Is this where you live?" Wulf asked.
"Not exactly, but I work here," Martha replied, using her powers to open the door. "Make yourselves comfortable." She led them to a room lit by a kerosene lamp. A crystal ball glowed dimly on a shelf beside a cuckoo clock, and voodoo dolls hung from strings across the far wall.
"Would you like to freshen up?" Martha asked, noticing their damp clothes.
"Of course!" Kai replied.
"Is there a bathroom in here?" Wulf asked.
"Seriously?" Nolee muttered, rolling her eyes.
Martha chuckled and snapped her fingers. Instantly, their clothes transformed.
"Woah!" Roxanne and Nolee exclaimed.
"Cool!" Wulf said.
"Now that you're all freshened up, what would you like to eat?" Martha gestured to the dining table.
"Anything you've got!" Hunter said, earning approving looks from the others.
Martha nodded, raising her hands over the table. Mouthwatering dishes appeared: roasted chicken, potato salad, lemon muffins, savory porridge, pepper-crusted steak, cornbread, and ring-shaped cookies.
They ate quickly, and Wulf accidentally let out a loud belch.
"Excuse me," he whispered nervously.
"Better out than in!" Nolee said, making them all laugh—except Martha, who simply smiled, and Hunter, who rolled his eyes.
"Have you discovered the powers within the ring?" Martha asked seriously.
"Only one so far—super strength. I carried Wulf from the bottom of the sea to the shore," Roxanne answered.
"Really?" Hunter mouthed, "Wow." "Amazing!" Nolee exclaimed.
"That explains why your hair changed color," Martha noted.
"My hair?" Roxanne gasped, noticing her white hair.
"Holy crap, Roxanne!" Kai exclaimed.
"It looks good on you!" Nolee added.
"Thanks, Nolee! But Martha, will my hair turn back to normal?"
"Yes—only when you remove the ring."
Roxanne removed the ring, and her hair returned to its natural color.
"The Ring of Orion is a treasure that belongs to a village in North America called Montunoi," Martha continued. "It was given to them to protect against the powers of darkness and keep their island alive. Every 100 years, the goddess of light, Vega, takes the ring to renew its powers, entrusting her servants to return it. Unfortunately, on the last day of the 21st century, my brother Oropher, with his legion of supernatural warriors, attacked Vega's servants and stole the ring. Vega heard of it and declared war. Though it was a bloody battle, the ring was eventually retrieved. Fearing it might be stolen again, Vega entrusted it to me and sent me to the human world."
"Hold on!" Hunter interrupted. "Were you the one who gave the ring to a human?"
"Yes. I gave it to a human because Oropher was after me. Though we are siblings, we are not on good terms."
"You gave the Ring to my father?" Roxanne whispered.
"What a coincidence! It's a shame your father wasn't able to discover the great abilities of the ring—otherwise he would still be alive. Accept my condolences," Martha said gently.
"It's okay. I've gotten over it already," Roxanne smiled.
"I have a question, Martha," Kai spoke up.
"Yes?"
"You mentioned Montunoi… does this village still exist?" Everyone looked at Martha, eager for her reply.
"Yes! It still exists," she confirmed.
They all exhaled in relief.
"But…"
They looked at her expectantly.
"Montunoi is gradually fading away. Dark energies are slowly taking over it. We need to return the ring to its rightful place before it's too late."
"If we delay in returning the ring, what will happen?" Wulf asked.
"Darkness will take over—not just Montunoi, but your world as well."
"Hold on…!" Nolee interrupted. "What if Oropher steals the ring again after it's been returned?"
"Yeah! What if?" Kai added.
"That's not a problem. Once the ring reaches its place, Oropher will be rendered powerless. He'll be destroyed. Remember, I told you Oropher stole the ring from Vega's servant. He can only gain power when the ring is not in its rightful place."
"If that's the case, then why didn't he take it all this while? We're in the 22nd century, and the powers of the ring renew every 100 years…" Hunter asked, but Martha interrupted.
"Take it easy, Hunter. I understand your concern. Oropher didn't take the ring all this while because he was waiting for the right time."
Wulf sighed. "Man, this ain't good at all."
Roxanne's eyes glinted with determination. "If that's the case, we've got to reach Montunoi before Oropher gets to us."
"Problem is, how do we get there?" Nolee asked.
"We could use a boat or a ship… if your magic can create one," Wulf suggested to Martha.
Martha shook her head. "Traveling by sea would take days. But with my magic mirror, you'll get there in a jiffy. The only problem is I'll need to brew a potion first to stabilize it, so none of you suffer side effects."
"Side effects!" Wulf exclaimed.
"Yes," Martha said. "The mirror may switch your souls if I don't prepare it properly. Hunter could end up in Kai's body, Kai in Roxanne's, and…"
"Whatever!" Hunter shouted. "How long will it take to brew the potion?" His face revealed his unease at the thought of body-swapping.
Martha chuckled. "It will take all night."
"So that means we'll have to spend the night here?" Kai asked.
"Obviously," Wulf said, yawning.
It had indeed been a long day—from Nolee's house, to school, to the restaurant, and now here in the Realm of Fate, preparing to travel to a new world.
"Unfortunately, I don't have beds here because I don't live in the cottage, but I do have bedrolls. You can stay in the basement," Martha said, leading them to a room lit by a single candle.
The basement was enchanting in a strange, mysterious way. The walls were made of roughhewn stone, lined with shelves that held jars of glowing powders, dried herbs tied in bundles, and tiny enchanted trinkets that hummed softly. Cobwebbed corners held old tomes with gold-leafed titles, and a faint smell of sandalwood mixed with the earthy scent of moss lingered in the air. The faint flicker of a candle cast dancing shadows across the room, making the herbs sway as if alive. A small crystal hung in one corner, refracting light into tiny rainbows across the walls, giving the space an almost otherworldly glow.
"Thank you, Martha. We really appreciate it," Roxanne said, clasping her hands. Martha smiled softly. "Good night!" She gently closed the door.
Roxanne turned to find her friends arranging the bedrolls. Soon, they lay down in sequence: Kai, Nolee, Wulf, Hunter, and Roxanne. Roxanne had worn the ring again, her hair reverting to white.
"Hey guys!" Wulf rasped, clearing his throat. "Now that we're heading to Montunoi tomorrow, what weapons are we going to use in case we get attacked?"
"Yeah, Wulf is right! We lost our weapons in that accident," Nolee added.
Roxanne shrugged. "Then we'll just have to rely on our combat skills. You guys should get some sleep. After tomorrow, everything will go back to normal." "I hope so," Kai muttered.
Hunter lay silently, lost in pessimistic thoughts, but kept them to himself.