Alex Mayne and the Shadow of the Sentinel

7. The Arrival: A New Beginning

As Alex lay in bed, exhaustion finally caught up with him after days of little sleep, Olivia remained fast asleep. Stirring from his slumber, Alex found himself unable to rest any longer. With a sense of restlessness tugging at him, he quietly slipped out of bed and made his way to the window. Peering out into the darkness, he strained to catch a glimpse of the moon, but it was nowhere to be seen, shrouded by thick clouds.

Lost in thought, Alex pondered over the events of the day and the mysteries that lay ahead. Suddenly, a faint creak behind him broke the silence, causing him to turn around. There stood Olivia, her eyes heavy with sleep as she rubbed them groggily, her presence a comforting reminder that he wasn't alone in this unfamiliar place. He hadn't noticed her presence since they were in the car. "Did you get enough sleep?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I guess," said Olivia, still stretching her arms.

As Alex turned back to the view out of the window, he couldn't see any surroundings in the darkness, nor the moon in the sky, which was confusing. As he tried harder to discern the surroundings, a thud was heard—a sound coming from the door. Alex and Olivia exchanged glances as mumbled voices emanated from outside. Alex moved toward the door, but Olivia whispered loudly, "Stop!" Alex turned back, and Olivia continued, "We don't know if they're the twins or someone else at the door. Remember, they told us to only open the door if we're sure it's them."

"Yes, you're right," said Alex as he reached the door, but he just stood there, trying to listen to the mumbling coming from outside. He kept his ear pressed against the door, with Olivia standing behind him.

"Oh, can I see him?" asked an unknown voice, sounding like a child's.

"Of course you can," replied a familiar voice, which Alex was sure belonged to Oscar.

"Don't worry about him. I'm stronger than him," asserted another voice, with a goofy tone.

"Ooh, did you ever fight a person?" inquired the childish voice.

"Uh..." stammered the goofy voice once more.

"Haha. You're even more of a loser than I thought," mocked the childish voice.

"You—" began the goofy voice before being cut off.

"Stop it, you two," intervened another familiar voice, which Alex was again sure was Oliver's. "We gotta wake the two of them up."

"Two?" questioned the goofy voice.

"You didn't know there was another girl too?" added the childish voice.

"Nope," admitted the goofy voice.

"Well, sh—" the childish voice was interrupted.

"Stop!" shouted Oliver's voice as he knocked on the door, resulting in another thud from outside.

Alex explained everything he had heard to Olivia as three more knocks sounded. They both knew it was okay to open now, as Alex was sure it was the twins.

As Alex reached out for the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open on its own, pulling Alex outside the room while he still held onto the doorknob. Alex fell onto his knees, unable to maintain his balance.

"Oh, hello," said the childish voice beside him. Alex turned to see a small child who appeared to be about five years old. "I thought you was gonna be more like a Viking." 

"Me?" asked Alex. As Oliver reached out for his hand and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," said Alex as he was pulled up by Oliver.

Olivia came out too. There was another boy along with the child. He was taller than Alex, with red hair, a muscular build, and sparkling blue eyes. He wore clothing that resembled warrior attire.

"Hey there," said Olivia as she looked at both of the new strangers.

"Hey," said both of them in unison.

"It's still dark in the house and there's no light."

"Why is there no light in this house?" asked Olivia, turning to Oscar, who was leaning on the wall beside the door.

"Well, in here, the sun never rises and the moon never sets. This house is ours. And no lights should be turned on at this hour," replied Oscar.

"Why so?" asked Alex.

"The thing is, this place is now cursed. And at this hour, it is said that we're not allowed to have any light in any house, which is from ten in the morning to twelve in the afternoon."

"Who cursed this place?" asked Olivia.

"The Shadow," said the red-haired guy with a goofy voice. He looked down, fists clenched, his eyes sparkling with anger and betrayal. Oliver came to him and placed his hand on his shoulder as he looked at at Oliver. Oliver smiled and said "Wouldn't you like to introduce yourselves."

"Sure," said the red-haired boy, turning to Alex and Olivia. "I am Fred. A mistwalker. Fred Mistwalker."

"And I am Trev Mistwalker," said the child.

"I am Alex," said Alex, and Olivia also introduced herself. "I am Olivia Whitewood."

"Nice to meet you guys," said Fred and Trev in unison.

"Well, you can take them and make them learn about the workings of this place, Fred," said Oscar.

"What about me?" asked Trev. "I wanna go with them."

"No. You have to come with us," said Oscar with a glare, to which Trev nodded innocently with his baby face.

Fred gestured for Alex and Olivia to follow him downstairs. The downstairs was dark too, and nothing could be visible. Fred stopped them and looked at his wristwatch, which seemed old with large, gold hands and a black but sturdy strap. He checked the time and said, "It is done."

"What's done?" asked Olivia, to which he replied, "The hour of dread."

He now moved towards the main door, which also couldn't be seen, but seemed like the way they came in before. Fred again gestured for them to follow him. Fred opened the door, and at once lightning struck Alex's face and his eyes. As Alex rubbed his eyes and looked around, he saw that all the street lamps he hadn't noticed before were flickering, and the whole town could now be visible even in the dark because of the light the street lamps were producing.

"Do follow me," instructed Fred, as he vacated the residence and commenced his journey along the adjacent path. "First and foremost, it is imperative that you acquaint yourself with this vicinity," Fred declared. "To truly comprehend it, you must accompany me to the School of Realms, Mystic... Wood."

"Is it possible for us to undertake our studies there?" Olivia queried.

"Indeed, it is compulsory for all to study there. There is, regrettably, no alternative," Fred responded.

Alex was positively aglow with anticipation to traverse the environs, having never previously embarked on such an adventure. He was utterly bewildered by his current circumstances and was profoundly taken aback by the abrupt transformation in his life and experiences, a sentiment that Olivia appeared to share. Events were unfolding at a dizzying pace.

"Can we go there?" asked Alex.

"Indeed, our journey is just beginning," Fred said, his eyes twinkling with anticipation. "Prepare yourself, Alex and Olivia. The world of knowledge awaits us at Mystic Wood!"