episode 2 what even is happening?

Drew

I stare at Krays’ last message, my brain running in circles. None of the above. Then You’ll see soon enough.

What the hell does that even mean?

I shove my phone into my pocket, willing myself to stop thinking about it. I have more important things to deal with—like figuring out if my fridge is still making that weird groaning sound or if it finally died. But as I push open my apartment door, I know I’m lying to myself.

Because the truth is, Krays is getting under my skin.

I toss my keys onto the counter and flop onto my mattress, staring at the ceiling. There’s something about him—something off. He acts like money means nothing, like the world works by different rules for him. And maybe it does. Maybe he’s some trust fund kid with too much time on his hands. But that doesn’t explain the way he talks. Where I’m from, it’s normal currency.

Where the hell is he from?

I sigh and grab my phone again before I can talk myself out of it.

"You do realize how cryptic you sound, right?"

The message sends, and I wait, half-expecting him to ignore it. But no—he answers almost immediately.

Krays

I glance at my phone and grin. He took the bait. Of course he did.

I stretch out on my bed, tossing my book aside. Studying human history is mind-numbing. Half of it is wrong anyway. The rest is just… sad. But Drew? Drew is entertaining.

I type back:

"Do I? Weird. Thought I was being pretty clear."

The little "typing..." bubble appears, then disappears. He’s frustrated. Good. I don’t know why I enjoy teasing him so much, but I do. Maybe because he’s the first person in this world who’s actually interesting.

Finally, his reply comes through:

"Okay, fine. If it’s so normal where you’re from, then tell me—where are you from?"

I hesitate. Not because I don’t want to answer, but because I can’t. Not yet.

Instead, I send one final message:

"You’ll find out soon enough."

Then, for the first time since I got here, I actually look forward to tomorrow.

Drew

I wake up to my phone buzzing under my pillow. For a second, I forget where I am, the edges of a dream slipping away too fast to hold onto. Something about gold and a city that didn’t look real.

Krays.

I groan, rubbing sleep from my eyes as I grab my phone. There’s a message waiting for me.

Krays: Be ready at noon. You’ll see.

I stare at the words, my pulse kicking up a notch. Be ready for what exactly? But before I can type a reply, three dots appear, then vanish. He’s waiting for me to respond.

I sit up, my mattress creaking beneath me. The fridge is still making that dying-whale noise, but I barely register it.

I type back: See what?

Seconds pass. Then—

Krays: Not gonna ruin the surprise.

I don’t know why I’m letting him pull me into this, but at this point, I’m in too deep to back out. I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

Fine. Where am I meeting you?

Krays

I smirk at Drew’s reply. Finally.

I stretch, standing from my bed and walking to the window. The city looks so… small from up here. Ordinary.

He has no idea what he’s about to step into.

I send him the location—a spot near the park, just secluded enough.

Drew

Try not to freak out.

Yeah, great. Because that doesn’t make me immediately want to freak out.

I stare at Krays’ message, debating my life choices. I could just ignore it, pretend I never saw it, and go about my day like a normal person. But we both know that’s not going to happen.

So instead, I get up, grab the least-wrinkled hoodie from my laundry pile, and head out.

The city air is crisp, the sun too bright for how little sleep I got. I shove my hands into my pockets as I make my way toward the park, my brain running in circles. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but my gut is telling me that whatever Krays has planned, it’s not normal.

I check my phone when I get close. The location he sent me isn’t the main part of the park—it’s off to the side, near an older stone bridge that barely gets any foot traffic.

Shady.

I slow as I approach, scanning the area. And there he is.

Krays leans against the bridge, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. His dark clothes somehow make him stand out and blend in at the same time. But the weirdest part? He’s holding something small and metallic, flipping it between his fingers like it’s a coin. Except it’s not a coin.

It’s gold. Again.

I stop a few feet away, crossing my arms. “Okay. I’m here. Now what?”

Krays grins. “Good. Now try not to scream.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he lifts his free hand—and then everything I know about reality shatters.

Because right there, in broad daylight, the air around his hand bends. Light twists, warping like heat off pavement, except it’s controlled. Deliberate. And then—just as suddenly—something shimmers into existence.

A doorway.

Not a normal doorway, either. The space inside it is wrong—deeper than it should be, glowing faintly with colors I don’t have names for.

My pulse skyrockets.

“What the hell is that?” I take a step back, heart hammering.

Krays tilts his head, looking amused. “A door. What’s it look like?”

“A door to where?”

He flicks the gold piece into the air and catches it smoothly. “Home.”

I stare at him, at the impossible thing floating in front of me, and suddenly, I know one thing for sure.

Krays isn’t just rich.

He isn’t just messing with me.

He’s something else entirely.

Then, just for fun, I add: Try not to freak out.

Drew

Try not to freak out.

Yeah, great. Because that doesn’t make me immediately want to freak out.

I stare at Krays’ message, debating my life choices. I could just ignore it, pretend I never saw it, and go about my day like a normal person. But we both know that’s not going to happen.

So instead, I get up, grab the least-wrinkled hoodie from my laundry pile, and head out.

The city air is crisp, the sun too bright for how little sleep I got. I shove my hands into my pockets as I make my way toward the park, my brain running in circles. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but my gut is telling me that whatever Krays has planned, it’s not normal.

I check my phone when I get close. The location he sent me isn’t the main part of the park—it’s off to the side, near an older stone bridge that barely gets any foot traffic.

Shady.

I slow as I approach, scanning the area. And there he is.

Krays leans against the bridge, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. His dark clothes somehow make him stand out and blend in at the same time. But the weirdest part? He’s holding something small and metallic, flipping it between his fingers like it’s a coin. Except it’s not a coin.

It’s gold. Again.

I stop a few feet away, crossing my arms. “Okay. I’m here. Now what?”

Krays grins. “Good. Now try not to scream.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he lifts his free hand—and then everything I know about reality shatters.

Because right there, in broad daylight, the air around his hand bends. Light twists, warping like heat off pavement, except it’s controlled. Deliberate. And then—just as suddenly—something shimmers into existence.

A doorway.

Not a normal doorway, either. The space inside it is wrong—deeper than it should be, glowing faintly with colors I don’t have names for.

My pulse skyrockets.

“What the hell is that?” I take a step back, heart hammering.

Krays tilts his head, looking amused. “A door. What’s it look like?”

“A door to where?”

He flicks the gold piece into the air and catches it smoothly. “Home.”

I stare at him, at the impossible thing floating in front of me, and suddenly, I know one thing for sure.

Krays isn’t just rich.

He isn’t just messing with me.

Drew

I take another step back, my body screaming at me to run. Every logical part of my brain is telling me that this isn’t real, that I must be hallucinating, that doors like this don’t just appear out of nowhere.

And yet, here it is.

Krays watches me, the gold piece still rolling over his fingers like this is nothing. Like he hasn’t just shattered my entire understanding of reality in one casual motion.

“You good?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you might pass out.”

I snap my gaze from the glowing doorway to him. “I—what—what the hell?” I gesture wildly at the portal. “You can’t just—just do that and expect me to be fine with it!”

He smirks. “Told you not to freak out.”

“Yeah, well, that’s impossible.” I rake a hand through my hair, trying to steady my breathing. “What is that? How are you doing that? What even are you?”

Krays lets the gold piece drop into his palm and tucks it into his pocket. “That’s a lot of questions, Drew.”

“Yeah, because I just watched you open a hole in space like it’s your personal front door!” I shake my head, laughing a little hysterically. “Do normal rules just not apply to you?”

Krays hums, considering. “Not really, no.”

I groan, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. This is insane. I’m insane for still standing here. But despite every part of me telling me to leave, I don’t.

Because no matter how terrifying this is, I need answers.

I lower my hands. “Explain. Now.”

Krays tilts his head, studying me like he’s trying to decide something. Then, with a sigh, he gestures at the doorway. “This,” he says, “is a portal. It leads to where I’m from.”

I cross my arms. “And that is…?”

He grins. “A place you’ve never heard of.”

I resist the urge to punch him. “Try me.”

He steps closer, just enough that I catch the shift in his expression—still amused, but something else now, too. A hint of curiosity. Like he wasn’t expecting me to still be here, demanding answers.

Finally, he says, “I’m not from this world, Drew.”

Silence.

I open my mouth, then close it. Because honestly? I don’t know what to say to that.

Krays watches me, waiting for my reaction. When I don’t immediately bolt or start screaming, he gives me a slow, knowing smile. “You believe me,” he says. Not a question—just a fact.

I want to deny it. I really, really do. But the proof is right there, humming in the air behind him. A doorway to somewhere else.

I swallow hard. “What happens if I step through?”

Krays’ smile widens. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

He holds out a hand.

And against every shred of common sense I have left—

I take it.

Drew

The second my fingers brush Krays’ hand, the air around us shifts.

It’s not just the portal—it’s everything. The air gets heavier, charged like the moments before a storm. The world tilts, my stomach lurching like I just stepped off solid ground.

And then—

We’re somewhere else.

The cool air of the park is gone, replaced by a thick, heady warmth. The scent of something unfamiliar—spiced, rich, electric—fills my lungs. My feet stumble against polished stone instead of pavement. And above us…

The sky isn’t right.

The colors are too deep, too alive, swirling in patterns that shouldn’t be possible. Distant lights hover like stars, but they move, shifting in ways that make my head spin. Towers rise in the distance, sleek and dark, glowing at their edges like molten gold. The whole city feels like it’s breathing, alive in a way I’ve never seen before.

I don’t realize I’m gripping Krays’ hand like a lifeline until he shifts, his thumb grazing my palm.

“Breathe,” he murmurs, voice low. “You’re not gonna pass out, are you?”

“I—” I exhale sharply, trying to find my balance. “I don’t know.”

Krays chuckles, his hand still holding mine. “You’re handling this better than I expected.”

I glare at him. “I feel like I just got abducted.”

“Well.” He smirks, stepping closer. “Technically, you walked in on your own.”

I’m about to fire back, but then I really look at him. The way the strange, golden light catches in his eyes. The way his usual smug amusement is edged with something softer. And the way he still hasn’t let go of my hand.

A realization settles over me.

He wanted me to come with him.

Not just for answers. Not just because I was curious.

But because he wanted me here. With him.

I should be freaking out. I should be demanding to go back. But instead, my heart is racing for an entirely different reason.

Krays lifts our joined hands slightly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. His smirk deepens. “You’re staring.”

I scoff, trying to ignore the way my pulse stutters. “Yeah, because I’m in a whole other world right now.”

“Sure.” His voice dips lower, amused. “That’s why.”

I narrow my eyes, but my breath catches when he steps even closer. The heat of him is suddenly right there, pressing against me. I can feel the shift in his energy, something magnetic, something impossible to ignore.

“You should probably stop looking at me like that,” he murmurs.

I swallow. “Like what?”

Krays tilts his head, considering me. Then—without warning—he tugs me forward, our bodies flush. His lips brush against my ear, just barely.

“Like you want me to do something about it.”

My brain short-circuits. My breath hitches. And for a split second, I don’t care about where we are, or what’s happening, or the fact that I just stepped into an entirely new world.

All I care about is him.

And the way I want to close the space between us even more.

He’s something else entirely.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***