Chapter 4: Orion’s Revelation

As the flickering light of the strange device danced across the walls, Aiko’s curiosity finally got the better of her. She glanced at Orion, who was now leaning back against the wall, his eyes fixed on the glowing artifact in his hands. “So,” she started, breaking the silence, “how did you end up here? You don’t exactly look like one of the locals.”

Orion’s fingers paused for a moment before resuming their work. He sighed, his expression softening. “It’s... a long story.”

Aiko tilted her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, and I am a fan of long stories.”

Orion chuckled lightly, though there was a weight behind his voice when he finally spoke. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s not exactly a cheerful tale.”

He set the device aside, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His golden-brown eyes held a faraway look as he began.

“I wasn’t born in Shambal,” he said, his tone measured. “I grew up in a small town on Earth—well, my version of Earth. Quiet, unassuming, the kind of place where nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. I was always fascinated by science and astronomy, though. I wanted to understand how the universe worked—the stars, the planets, everything.”

He paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I used to stargaze for hours, imagining other worlds and what life might be like out there. It was just a dream back then, something that felt too big to be real. Until one day, it wasn’t just a dream anymore.”

“What happened?” Aiko asked, leaning closer.

“I found something,” he said, his voice dropping. “Or maybe it found me. It was an old artifact, something I’d never seen before. My father was an archaeologist, and he’d brought it back from one of his digs. He thought it was just a relic, a piece of art from an ancient civilization. But I… I couldn’t stop staring at it. It had these markings that seemed to shift and move when you weren’t looking directly at them. I spent months studying it, trying to decode its secrets.”

Aiko’s eyes widened. “Was it a portal?”

“Not exactly,” Orion replied. “It was more like a key. One night, while I was tinkering with it, something activated. There was this blinding light, and the next thing I knew, I was here, in Shambal.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression darkening. “At first, I thought I’d stumbled into paradise. Shambal is beautiful, but it’s also… unpredictable. The rules here aren’t the same as back home. Time doesn’t flow the same way. The creatures are unlike anything I’d ever seen—some are incredible, others…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening. “Let’s just say I learned quickly how dangerous this place could be.”

Aiko watched him, her heart heavy with unspoken questions. “So you’ve been here ever since?”

Orion nodded. “That was three years ago, or at least I think it was. It’s hard to keep track. I’ve been trying to find a way back ever since. The seven portals are the only way out, but there’s a catch.”

“What kind of catch?”

He looked at her, his gaze steady. “The portals need a foreign object to stabilize. Without one, they won’t open properly. And I’m not foreign anymore—this place has claimed me.”

Aiko’s breath caught. “But that means…”

Orion nodded. “That’s why you’re different. You’re still connected to your Earth. With you here, there’s finally a chance for me to go home.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, and Aiko couldn’t help but see the mix of hope and resignation in his eyes. “So… you’ve been stuck here, waiting for someone like me to show up?”

“Not waiting,” he said with a small, wry smile. “Surviving. And searching. You’re the first human I’ve met since I got here.”

Aiko looked at him for a long moment, her mind swirling with questions and emotions. “Orion… we’ll get you back. Both of us.”

For the first time, a genuine smile broke across his face. “I hope you’re right, Aiko. But we’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”

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