Chapter Five: New Beginning Part Three

I am dead. I am so dead, I screamed in my thoughts. A cold lump was building up in my throat as if I was about to choke before swallowing it, though my heart kept pounding against my chest.

“The sad part is that you’ll no longer remember the god you met and all the events happening in this world,” Rad said. “And you go back to your normal lives like it was yesterday. It sucks, but it’s for the best. And also part of the rules of the Game.”

Someone asked, “What happened to those braves who had reached the other side?”

The Party King glanced at the crowd with a widened grin. “They made these….” He gestured toward the window once more. “The city that we live in, the walls that protect us, and the farms that feed us. The Guilds of Eight, or G-8, they called themselves, came together for peace and built this paradise for everyone. They then went back to protect the finish line so we can enjoy this paradise for all eternity.”

As I glanced around, everyone had mixed feelings about this. Many of them were happy. Others still had doubts. I turned to Wilt, Li, and Alex; they were calmed as usual, but not Katie and Brock. Others like them had the looks of thrill and excitement as if they wanted to take on the world. As for me, my legs couldn’t stop trembling when thinking about the Yellow Zone. I had to make sure I stayed away from that place. I couldn’t afford to get recalled.

“Wouldn’t the gods be angry about this?” another from the crowd asked.

“Kid, it’s been over two thousand years,” Rad replied. “We should have been in trouble a long time ago if it weren’t for one of the golden rules.”

“Oh, yeah.” That reminded me. That Greek god did inform about the rules before coming here. One of those rules was that all the gods weren’t allowed to enter this world and intervened in the Game.

“Just imagine, for two thousand years, we created a thriving society with the knowledge we brought from our world and the powers granted to us by the gods. With no one to boss us around, we can do almost anything. Think about it. No more adults, no more schools, no more government, wars, pollution, and all the crappy stuff back home.”

Rad was right. All the wrong things we had done in our world, we could start over in this one. Now I understood how this city got its name. This was our second chance, our new beginning — my new beginning.

“And here, this is our kingdom, this is our paradise, and this is our world,” he said with his voice booming throughout the hall. “And we’re going to party here that will last forever!”

The crowd burst into cheers and applause. A fresh start here in this world as an immortal. It sounded to be the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I would be okay as long as I stayed in this city, or at least under a blue sky.

Rad raised his goblet. “Now it’s time for celebration. Now it’s time to par-tay!” He exaggerated that last word. Again, the crowd cheered louder than before. He shouted, “Music!”

Poof!

A stage appeared under the balcony, complete with every sound system and equipment that any concert had, with a goat-headed DJ performing behind the booth. Everyone cheered even louder once the music started.

“Bring out the feasts!”

Poof!

Several long tables appeared around the dance floor. Mouths were watering at the silver dishes filled with roast meats, salads, sliced fruits, desserts, pastries, and fruit punches.

“A little decoration is needed.” He snapped his fingers. Colorful balloons, streamers, and banners popped out everywhere. It was a good thing they didn’t fall on top of the food.

The curtains rose again, revealing nine cosplayed girls, including Andromeda, who got back from the mountain so quickly. Rad’s entourage gave way as they marched forward.

Rad introduced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Muse!”

When the goat-headed DJ started to play an upbeat music, Andromeda and the girls sang and danced amazingly with spotlights following their every move. Once the party began, all of our worries and fears vanished.

I went toward one of the long tables. After snatching a paper plate, I grabbed some turkey legs, a heap of fries, and chunks of grilled mushrooms, smothering them with gravy and melted cheese. As for drink and dessert, a big cup of fruit punch and bread with chocolate filling. Afterward, I went around finding a place to sit. Luckily, there was a marble bench near the stairway on the right.

After finishing my meal, I observed the party while relaxing. The shadows behind the stairway hid me well from any prying eyes. Wilt and Katie were dancing together. Alex and Li spent their time at the tables. When the Shaolin tasted a piece of chocolate bar from a bowl of candies, his eyes glittered as if he had never savored such sweetness before. As for Brock, some girls gathered around him. Surprisingly, he was an excellent dancer.

It was good that they were enjoying themselves. As for me, I was never a party-goer from the start. They were all the same. The music was loud, and people danced wild. It was like any typical teenagers’ party, though the concert was new.

Eventually, my gaze drifted around out of boredom until I discovered a decorative portal behind the other stairway. I headed there to take a peek. Inside was a corridor with well-lighted torches hung on its walls. Out of curiosity, I went in to explore. If I ever got into trouble for leaving the party, I’d tell them I lost my way of finding the bathroom.

After wandering through corridors, winding stairs, and hallways, I didn’t find anything remarkable, especially Rad’s vanity portraits and statues of himself. At the last entrance, I went through, I was outside, standing on top of the castle wall. It was already evening with seven moons orbiting in different phases. The closest was a full moon shining over the middle of the city. When I turned to the stars, it was the most fascinating I had ever gazed upon. Instead of constellations like on Earth, they were beautiful murals of animals, people, and landscapes.

“This is it, Sam.” I smiled to myself. “This is your chance to start all over again.”

Suddenly, there was someone leaping from one building to another, about several blocks away. Upon getting closer and closer, it was a modern girl with long wavy rainbow hair, wearing winged sandals, the same pair as Andromeda had worn. As she leaped into the air from a building across the street, I managed to get a good look at her when she soared in front of the bright full moon, and my jaw dropped in awestruck. She was like a beautiful fairy flying in the night. My heart was hammering like crazy.

As she went further and further away, my feet bolted themselves to go after her. A tower got in the way. I opened its thick door, breaking the lock with ease. Once I rushed out from the other door to catch one final glimpse of her, she was gone.

“Lovely night.” Startled, I wheeled around to see Li standing behind me. “You were looking for the girl with many-colored hair, were you?”

How did he know that? I stared at him with a dumb look on my face. I didn’t speak up, much to my embarrassment.

“I saw her heading north.” He pointed in that direction.

“Oh, thanks.” My shoulders sank to my disappointment. Wait, come to think of it, why was Li here? “Shouldn’t you be at the party?”

He smilingly patted his stomach. “I came out here for some fresh air after I filled my belly. As a follower of Buddha, I have no need for more of those earthly desires — although I do enjoy those brown sweets.”

“Those are called chocolates.”

“Chocolate, I like that,” he said that word with delight. He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. “By the way, I’d like to thank you and the others for teaching me how to use this — phone. And for having me in your group.”

“It’s no biggie,” I repeated to what Katie said to me earlier, “Wilt said us, smart ones, have to stick together.” That was true on Li’s part. He was smart enough not to get involved in that stupid brawl earlier. “Plus, you’re a Shaolin. We’re glad to have you with us.”

“I’m honored by your words.” He bowed. “By the way —” He dropped his smile, casting a cautious stare at the buildings across the street. “I sensed some powerful forces lurking in the shadows. And they are watching us right now.”

I wasn’t sure if it was part of his god’s power or part of his training to sense people. Nonetheless, I was confident to trust his words, but hearing someone watching us gave me chills.

“Are they enemies?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. They’d been watching me ever since I got here.”

“Maybe they’re curious about us, newcomers.” I hoped I was right in saying that.

“Perhaps….” He blinked. “Oh, they’re gone now.”