Chapter 2: In Another World
One night, as Angel lay on his bed, he thought about the day he had spent with his two new friends, Rhea and Yabal. It was his first time ever having friends, and that feeling made him happy; it was his first time experiencing what friendship truly meant. Suddenly, as he was lost in thought, a mysterious figure appeared by his window. The moonlight cast a long, silent shadow across the wall. A chill ran down Angel's spine. He quickly pulled the blanket up to his face and froze, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure it could be heard. Time passed, and eventually he fell asleep. In his dream, a voice echoed through the darkness:
— You cannot escape this fate… This body is not yours. Soon, it will return to its true master…
Angel woke up abruptly. The room was still dark. He sat up and looked toward the window, but there was nothing there, only the curtain moving gently with the wind.
When morning came, the sun's rays slipped through the shutters. His mother entered the room with her usual soft smile.
— Wake up, my angel, or you'll be late.
Angel rubbed his sleepy eyes.
— Mom… I had a strange dream.
— Tell me about it after breakfast, she said, ruffling his hair.
— Mom, did you know I have new friends? I met them at the supermarket.
She froze for a moment, worried.
— Really? People accepted you, despite your appearance? I was planning for us to move to America so you'd be more comfortable. We've saved enough for your studies. Over there, people like you exist.
— Really! But Mom, it's fine now. I have Rhea and Yabal. Their friendship means a lot to me. I don't need many friends, I'm not used to having any.
Her mother smiled gently.
— If you feel at ease with them, then cherish them and forget what others say about you.
— I know, Mom. I already do.
In the kitchen, the smell of toasted bread filled the air. His father was reading the newspaper, and the radio played softly in the background. It was a morning like any other. Angel drank his milk, grabbed his bag, and headed to school. The path was peaceful, birds singing, leaves whispering in the breeze.
But at school, during recess, everything changed. A group of boys waited for him near the wall, cruel smiles on their faces.
— Hey, weirdo, come here, one of them called.
Angel hesitated, then approached. Without warning, one of them grabbed him and said:
— Guys, look, I'm gonna try what I saw on my sister's phone.
Laughing, he forced a kiss on Angel.
The headmistress, who was watching the playground, noticed the commotion and walked over. She stopped in shock, seeing the scene: the boy forcing himself on Angel, who was struggling to break free. The whole place fell silent. And in that silence, everything turned against him. Angel tried to explain, but no words came. The teacher frowned.
— Enough, Angel. We'll talk about this with your mother.
That evening, at home, voices rose.
— Angel, what happened at school this time? his mother shouted, her voice trembling between anger and shame.
Angel lowered his head. He wanted to speak, to explain, but nothing came out. His father said nothing, eyes fixed on the floor. The room felt suddenly too large for the three of them.
Later that night, alone in his room, Angel clutched his pillow tightly. Tears came but they were not ordinary tears. They floated in the air like tiny pearls of light, rising gently until they slipped through the open window and disappeared into the night. Curious, Angel got up and followed them. They led him to the garden, where something shimmered faintly in the sand: a strange brochure marked with an unknown symbol. When he touched it, a bright light burst out, and the ground vanished beneath him.
He was falling, then standing, somewhere else. Around him stretched breathtaking landscapes: endless hills, forests that seemed to breathe, creatures with translucent wings gliding across the sky, and a golden sun shining over a vast plain. The wind blew through his hair, his eyes wide with wonder. It felt like paradise. Everything was beautiful, peaceful, unreal. He walked for a long time, his heart light, his mind free from all earthly pain. But then, the wind rose stronger, and everything began to tremble. The sky folded in on itself, and an invisible force pulled him away. He gasped and woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat.
The next day, he told Rhea and Yabal everything. At first, they laughed, but when they saw his serious face, they stopped.
— Alright, Yabal said. If it's true, show us how you did it.
After class, they met behind the school. Angel showed them the brochure, and as soon as he touched it, a warm wind surrounded them. In an instant, the world around them disappeared.
They were there in the other world.
Rhea and Yabal were amazed.
— Wow, Angel, are you some kind of magician? Yabal asked.
— No, Angel replied, I don't know how. It's all because of this brochure.
Rhea ran after a small glowing animal she had never seen before, a sort of fast-moving rodent with crystal fur.
— Hey, guys, come look! she called.
They ran, climbed, and laughed together. Rhea picked luminous flowers, while Yabal tinkered with floating metallic spheres.
— They're cameras, he explained proudly. They can turn invisible and record everything our lives, our smiles, even when we're old.
Angel laughed for the first time in a long while, a real laugh that came from deep inside.
But one day, everything changed again. While out with his aunt, an unknown man appeared and kidnapped him. In the car, Angel heard strange words.
— Sacrifice… sorcerer…
Then silence. The kidnapper wasn't alone. Sitting next to him was a pale man with black hair, wearing a dark jacket, legs crossed, his expression empty. In a flash, the kidnapper's body twisted and imploded, blood splattering everywhere. Angel screamed, but no one could hear him.
The man in the jacket calmly drove the car to an apartment, where he did unspeakable things to the child until Angel lost consciousness. When it was over, he carried the boy home and left him on his doorstep.
When they found Angel, he was unconscious. His parents rushed him to the hospital, leaving his siblings with the neighbor. When he finally woke up, he was not the same. His eyes were wide and empty, and he kept repeating only one thing:
— The man is dead… the man is dead…
Months passed, the investigation led nowhere, and summer arrived in their poor country. Even back home, Angel remained silent and distant.
Rhea and Yabal decided to bring him back to the other world. They went there every day, trying everything to make him speak again, but nothing worked. Time passed, only two months remained before school started again. Watching his friends play, Angel slowly began to smile once more. They trained, laughed, and flew on magical creatures. Each moment spent there seemed to heal a part of his broken heart.