The crystal pulsed faintly in Stell's hand as they entered an empty chamber deep within the palace.
The room was bare, its stone walls cold and silent, as if it had long been forgotten. Perfect.
Stell stepped to the center and carefully placed the crystal orb in front of him. The others stood behind him, watching in quiet anticipation.
He pulled out the worn parchment he had studied countless times over the past few days. The symbols etched on it were ancient, curved, flowing, and unfamiliar.
Yet somehow… he understood them.
Taking a steady breath, Stell began to chant.
"Aethera valen… Lux et Umbra, gatea verin… Solis et Nocta, bendara…"
The air shifted.
"Mundo et Terra, vincula aperion… Eldrinor exa… portalis, awaken."
A low hum filled the room as the crystal began to glow black and white energy swirling violently within it. The space in front of Stell trembled… then cracked.
Like glass shattering.
A fracture split the air itself, spreading outward until a swirling portal of black and white energy opened before them, twisting and pulsing like a living thing.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Stell smiled. "It worked…"
He turned to face the five behind him. "Once we step through this portal and enter the human world… remember my rules."
They straightened.
"Let me do the talking. Don't point your weapons at anyone. Be patient and most importantly…" his gaze hardened slightly, "stay with me at all times. No wandering."
They all nodded.
"Good."
Stell then looked at Damir, who stood a few steps away. "Take care of the kingdom while I'm gone."
Damir bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Stell inhaled deeply, steadying himself. Then, without hesitation he stepped forward. The others followed and together, they crossed the portal.
______
Earth
A swirl of black and white tore open the stillness of a quiet forest.
Moments later, six figures stepped out.The portal shimmered behind them.
Stell immediately scanned the surroundings, trees, uneven ground, no signs of danger. Just a normal, quiet forest.
He exhaled.
Then turned to his companions. "Akneb. Daron. Do it."
The two stepped forward.
Akneb raised his arm toward the portal. "Shroud."
Dark, dust-like particles spilled from his palm, drifting through the air before wrapping around the portal. Slowly, it faded from sight, hidden beneath a veil of illusion, undetectable to the naked eye.
Daron moved next. He placed his palm against a nearby rock.
"Mark."
An X-shaped symbol appeared briefly, glowing faintly before vanishing.
But Stell knew it was there. Only the one who made the mark could sense it.
Satisfied, Stell pulled the hood of his coat over his head.
"Let's go."
______
An hour passed.
The forest gradually thinned until they reached its edge, where a road stretched into the distance toward a city.
Stell looked ahead.
"It's still far… guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
He stepped closer to the roadside and raised his hand, thumb extended.
The others watched silently, confused but obedient.
A car passed then another and another.
None of them stopped.
"…Of course," Stell muttered.
Minutes passed before the rumble of a larger vehicle approached. A jeepney loaded with crates of fruits and vegetables slowed down as it neared them.
The driver leaned out the window, eyeing the group. "Hey! What are you all doing out here in the middle of the forest?"
Stell stepped forward, lowering his hood slightly and giving a casual smile.
"Sorry, sir. Our car broke down deeper in the forest. We had no choice but to leave it and walk. We got tired, so we tried hitchhiking."
The driver raised a brow, his gaze shifting to their outfits. "You guys look… unusual. Is there some kind of event?"
Stell let out a small chuckle. "Yeah. We're heading to a cosplay event in the city. Just bad timing with the car."
The driver laughed. "You all look serious about it too. Alright, hop in. I'm heading to the city anyway."
"Thank you," Stell said with a nod.
They climbed aboard carefully, making sure not to draw attention. The others remained quiet, observing everything around them.
The jeepney roared back to life.
As they drove, the driver kept talking.
"So where exactly did you come from? That forest is pretty deep."
"Yeah," Stell replied casually. "We took a wrong turn."
"Dangerous place to get lost in. Good thing I passed by."
"Yeah… we got lucky."
The conversation stayed light, the driver completely unaware of who or what his passengers truly were.
Stell leaned back slightly, relaxing for the first time since stepping into this world.
The jeepney rumbled steadily along the road, its engine roaring as it weaved through the sparse traffic. The others sat quietly in the back, their eyes wandering from one sight to another, still absorbing everything this strange world had to offer.
Meanwhile, Stell remained at the front, seated beside the driver, his gaze fixed ahead but his mind elsewhere.
There was something that had been bothering him since the moment they arrived.
Something he needed to confirm.
He hesitated for a brief second before finally speaking. "Sir… what year is it today?"
The driver glanced at him, clearly caught off guard by the question. His brows furrowed slightly, as if wondering whether he had heard it right.
For a moment, he simply stared then shrugged it off with a small chuckle.
"That's a strange question," he said. "It's 2016, my friend. Oh, and my name's Pedro. You can call me that."
Stell gave a small nod. "Thanks, Pedro."
After that, he fell silent but inside everything shifted.
'2016.'
The number echoed in his mind, heavier than it should have been.
'So it's true… '
His gaze lowered slightly, his expression tightening just enough to go unnoticed.
'I really transmigrated.'
When he first woke up in that stone body, he still had doubts. Part of him had hoped, however irrationally that the human world he returned to would still be the same one he left behind.
That maybe he had simply crossed into another dimension of Encantadia but the Earth here s is still the same, but this… this was different.
This wasn't just another place. It was another time. He had died in 2026 and now he was ten years in the past.
Stell exhaled slowly, leaning back against the worn seat, eyes flickering with quiet realization.
'So not only did I change worlds…
I went back in time too.'
His grip tightened slightly against his knee before relaxing again. Then, as if nothing had happened, he lifted his gaze back to the road ahead.
Calm, composed but now certain.
As the forest disappeared behind them, buildings began to rise in the distance.
Lights, people, noise.
The city.
Stell looked ahead, a faint smile forming on his lips. "…We're here."