The Himalayas.

Wyatt's thought was still buzzing with the new information, but he couldn't help but be distracted by the luxurious private jet. The smooth beige leather seats were reclinable, and there was a bar set in the middle of the aircraft. How was that a good use of space?

"Sir, what would you like to drink?" a flight attendant asked. She was carrying a tray of champagne, soft drinks, and fresh juices. Wyatt was momentarily tempted to reach for the flute but ended up with one of the juices. It's best to stay hydrated and level-headed

George, on the other hand, went right for the alcohol.

"The good life," George called, raising the flute in a toast. Wyatt chuckled, glad that his best friend was here with him.

"The Himalayas?" Wyatt heard Juliette asked. She was across the aisle from them, since each side only has two seats and the chairs were set pods.

"Yes, I'll explain more once we land. Please enjoy the amenities; I'm afraid that the trip is going to go downhill from here," Arthur said. He had become tight-lipped again after revealing their destination. Looking around him, Wyatt shrugged. If this was the high point, then so be it because it was hard to think of what else that could top it.

Pampered with delicious food, a comfortable chair that convert to a bed, and a comprehensive entertainment system, the flight passed in a blur. When he woke up again, he was treated to a spectacular sunrise of pink, purple, and orange.

"There really is no place like Earth," Arthur's voice sounded and Wyatt looked around, startled. The guide was standing right next to him, his hands in his pocket and the usual smile in place. Wyatt nodded absentmindedly, still stunned by the beauty.

"Which country are we landing in?" he managed to ask.

"We are landing in a private airstrip," Arthur replied, taking a seat. Juliette was fast asleep, her hair fanning across half her face. She looked oddly vulnerable and Wyatt wondered just how old she was.

"Wait, what?" Wyatt's mind finally caught up with his hearing, and his foggy brain immediately kicked into high gear. First a private plane, now a private airstrip. Something was definitely off.

Glancing over at George, who was also still sleeping and snoring gently, Wyatt's excitement slowly waning as his control-freak side surface. Facing the unknown was probably one of his biggest weakness.

Whatever was coming, at least the view was worth it. Wyatt thought as he gazed out the window at the majestic mountain range.

The cabin lights turned on as the sun rose and Wyatt's peaceful moment became a fight to get to his side of the plane for a better look. Luckily, the landing announcement came on soon after, forcing everyone back to their seats.

"Dude, we are in Asia!" George shouted in front of him and Wyatt shook his head. He was from Asia, so that statement really didn't hold much excitement for him. Were they here to visit the local villages? To trek? They didn't really have the right equipment or preparation.

"Please follow me. I'll explain as soon as we are inside," Arthur said as he stood up. They had landed in the middle of nowhere, though Wyatt was able to make out a small village nearby. However, there was a mansion attached to the airstrip.

George beat everyone to walk right behind Arthur, but Wyatt chose to linger to observe the people he'd spend the next two months with. The Hatfields had hurried after George, followed by a nervous Riya. Salvatore looked less confident as he grabbed his bags, but seemed to have already made friends with one of the guys that Wyatt hadn't met properly. What was his name? Leo?

Carl was next. He looked pale and it suddenly occurred to Wyatt that perhaps he had never flown before.

"Come on, let's go," Juliette said, pulling his shirt sleeves. She looked calm and collected, not like someone who is about to head towards the unknown.

"You're not nervous?" Wyatt asked. He had never met someone like Juliette, and there was something about her that made him feel at ease.

"Whatever will happen will happen," Juliette replied cryptically. "No point worrying about something we can't control."

Wyatt nodded. But understanding the wisdom was one thing, executing it was another.

"I've never heard of a private airfield this far up," Wyatt heard Mr Hatfield saying to Arthur. He had to half-run to keep up with the long strides of Arthur. "Are we going to spend two months up in the mountains? My Jimmy has never been this high up, we'd need to take it easy."

"Please come along, I'll explain everything shortly," Arthur said, leading the group into the mansion adjacent to the airfield.

The door was unlocked and they walked straight into the house. It looked modern, new, and deserted. Like a model house. Arthur took a sharp turn left and inside was a room that was set up like a conference table. Exactly fourteen chairs surrounded an oval table, with a big projector dangling in the center.

"I'm sure you have many questions," Arthur started, not even waiting for them all to take a seat. The anticipation in the room was palpable and Wyatt did his best to clear his minds of speculations.

"We are going to somewhere that very few have the chance to go," Arthur continued, dragging out his sentences and looking at everyone in turn. George was practically perching on the edge of his seat and even Wyatt found himself leaning forward.

"Shambhala!" Riya shouted, earning a few glares as she interrupted Arthur. The man shook his head with a smile and Riya shrunk back.

"No, but it is a place of legend, a place of myth: Kulasciceus," Arthur whispered the last word out. Wyatt blinked, trying to remember if he had heard of a country with that name before. Maybe it's a small mountain nation in the Himalaya?

"That's not a country," the guy whose name should be Leo said confidently, putting his arms behind his head. His eyes was glinting and he looked excited by this turn of events.

"It is not," Arthur confirmed. His eyes caught the sunlight and Wyatt swore that it turned amber for a second. "It's another world. The world beyond."

The room fell silence and a few people laughed forcefully. Another world? Did Wyatt just hear right?

"What do you mean?" Salvatore asked, his voice trembling slightly. A shiver ran down Wyatt's spine; he didn't know what to think. Was this a prank? Were they being punked?

Arthur pressed on the remote he was holding and the projector turned on, showing a map. It depicts a wing-shaped land, or rather, an elf ear; however it didn't seem to be complete because there was no end at one side, just an indication of a forest. Alongside the north coast, there were almost all high mountains, they stopped at roughly half-way and cut across at two-third length of the land, and there's only a rough indication of land at the north-west of the mountain (the pointy bit).

Wyatt studied the map carefully. It looked like something from the Age of Discoveries. He could easily imagine Columbus or some explorer pouring over it and trying to find a route. It is definitely not a continent on Earth, but that didn't mean it would be from another world.

"Is this a joke?" Mr Hatfield shouted, standing up from his chair with a loud squeak. His hands were shaking and he looked mad. "I didn't take precious time off work for—for—"

He trailed off, but everyone got the gist of what he was trying to say. While no one else spoke, there was definitely an air of agreement. All of them had signed up for an adventure of their lifetime, not for a practical joke.

"I assure you that is no joke. The precise reason why everything was kept a secret, why there is a non-disclosure agreement is because the existence of Kulacecius must be kept a secret," Arthur explained calmly. "You are given an opportunity to explore another world, unlike anything you've ever imagine. If I had made this public, millions would kill for this opportunity."

He speech managed to quiet Mr Hatfield. It sounded genuine, heartfelt, but still hard to believe.

"How do you prove that it is true?" Juliette spoke up. Arthur turned to her, but his smile seemed more meaningful. He raised his left arm and twisted his hands rather theatrically, then fire erupted from the tip of his fingers.

"Bloody hell..." George exclaimed, as did a few others as people closest to Arthur leaped back in surprise.

"As I've said, Kulacecius is a land of legend," Arthur lowered his hand and the fire went out. He turned his attention back on the map, but all Wyatt could think about was the fire.

That was magic.

He was sure of it. It suddenly occurred to him that if Arthur knew so much about Kulacecius, could it be that he was from there? Did that make him an alien?

"...there is twelve countries in this land." Arthur pointed to a river that runs straight through the land and cut across a roughly marked big forest set at the left side of the mountain that cut down at two third of the land, right at the middle of the land. Wyatt blinked and pulled his attention back on the screen.

"This river divided 12 kingdoms of Kulacecius," he pointed to the river that runs to the east and disappeared into another roughly marked forest which was marked unknown beyond.

"The forests and mountains are very dangerous. The map is not completed because no one ever comes back alive out of the forest, and no one ever passes through the mountains at the North and come back, so people assume that there's nothing but mountains.

And this area marked as unknown at the furthest North-West peak, surround 3 sides by mountains, is the land of the drafts, or so it is said upon the people who live at the country north at the side of the river. It is said that the wind is so sharp that it can cut off your limbs,"

Our journey will take us from the village there all the way to the edge of the Forest of No Return," said Arthur, then turned off the projector. "Any questions?"

Wyatt studied the map, noticing the scale at the bottom right. If his maths was correct, the continent is similar in size to the UK on its long side. Two months across the whole continent was generous if they have a transport option.

"Before we continue, I must give you a full warning. Kulacecius is a world that might look similar to Earth, but it has many subtle differences that can be lethal. I will be with you and help you as best as I can, but ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety," Arthur stressed.

"Dude, this is beyond exciting!" George had made his way next to him. It was hard to decide on how he felt, but George's enthusiasm was contagious. After all, he did ask for an adventure.

"Can we bring things back? Leo asked. He and Juliette were the calmest among the group, neither fazed by the new information. Arthur nodded with a shrug.

"You can do anything that is not prohibited in the non-disclosure agreement. Which basically only means that you cannot reveal the existence of Kulacecius," Arthur answered.

"How are we going to get there?" a shrill voice asked. Wyatt looked towards the origin and found that it was the Hatfield kid.

"Excellent question, young sir." Arthur smiled, turning his gaze out towards the mountains behind the village. "We need to go through a portal."

---------------------------------

Nearly to Kulacecius! I'm excited to unveil this new world, though I do still need to work on the map somemore myself to get a better understanding