RED EYES
Wienders

"Come, we have to get through the portal!" Bring Erasmus. He called the sighting that looks like water a portal.

He stepped, I followed his steps. He passed through the portal. I started to put my right arm first, apparently in the mouth of the cave it was not water, it was a light that was like clear water.

Someone pulled my right arm from behind the portal. I passed through the portal quickly. Now Erasmus was standing in front of me in the strange clothes he was wearing. Erasmus did not take his hand off my hand, and my resentment and regret increased.

Everything I saw looked amazing. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. I slapped my face and it hurt, it wasn't a dream. There is no dark cave, behind this portal is seen a garden planted by many sunflowers and orchids. Many butterflies came to me. I hope there are no mosquitoes here.

"He's my future wife." Erasmus said to the old man in front of us. I don't know when that guy showed up.

Erasmus grabbed me by the shoulder with his right arm. Erasmus said things that my common sense could not accept. I take this as a cover because I don't have a passport and a visa to this remote country.

The old man left us without saying a word. His sharp gaze towards me managed to make me feel frightened for a moment.

I don't know when Erasmus changed his clothes with his weird clothes. A wide brown trouser along the underside of Erasmus' knee. The clothes worn were white and wide along her thighs. I don't even understand why a golden rope is on the outside of her clothes, right on her waist. The man who had just left us was also wearing very foreign clothes in my eyes. Does this country require its people to wear clothes like ancient Roman times?

"Your clothes are bad!" I commented to Erasmus. Of course I try to hide the laughter.

"Is your outfit better?" Erasmus replied, he laughed.

"What?!"

I saw my clothes long and wide. I was very surprised because my best clothes had changed like very simple clothes. Light blue clothes are connected with a long skirt to cover my ankles. A patterned white scarf covers the head to the elbow of my hand. What I don't really understand is why Erasmus and I don't wear footwear.

"Why did my clothes change?" My toot. It's freaky.

"Any outfit will turn into a polite outfit if we pass through that portal. Your previous clothes will be considered impolite in this place." The reply.

This place is really weird. I don't even know the name of this magic-filled place.

"Where are we?" Ask again.

"Wiender, didn't I tell you?" The reply.

"Other countries. Don't blame me if I get caught! I don't have a passport and a visa." I whispered to him.

"Passport is not an identity in this place." Reply Erasmus casually.

"Then? Resident Identity Card?" I asked again, he ignored me.

Erasmus started to step up and I followed him. I don't know where he's going. I hope he does the right thing. I hope he doesn't take me to some strange place.

"There are rules that you have to abide by in this country." Erasmus.

His voice sounded slower than before. Both eyes looked ahead. His face did not look at me who was next to him.

"Now you will be my future wife." Erasmus is really annoying.

"What?!" I stopped my steps and he started to look at me.

"There's no other choice." The reply.

"What's? I hate this thing. There must be another option. Whatever choice I'll accept other than your offer."

"You can step on this land because I risked my life for you. Don't you see that I've been dripping blood in front of the portal?" 

"No!" I snapped. My eyes are enlarged.

"Just a show, Claire!" Erasmus Reply.

I can't believe what he just said. Risking lives? I don't need that. Is a drop of blood a life? I escaped from prison and entered a more bizarre prison.

"If that was his only choice, then I would choose not to enter this place!!!" I replied with exploding anger.

"You can't leave this place because a woman can only pass through the portal if she's with her husband, parents or best friend."

I looked towards the portal I had just been through. My eyes grew bigger and I wanted to scream when I saw no more portals around us. The old man who was not seen before was also no longer.

"May I ask?" My toot.

"What?"

"Are we in a land of magic? Do you want to bewitch me?"

That question doesn't make sense, but I have to ask it. That's the only way to make sure things don't make sense. Everything I saw was filled with magic. If I tell others about what I saw, then I will be sent to the Mental Hospital.

"I think you're missing your hometown." Erasmus said, smiling.

Hometown? Just be right! I don't have a family, how can I have a hometown.

"This place is Wiender, Claire. The magic land you asked about has been wiped out for twenty years." Erasmus.

I shouldn't have asked Erasmus. Every word he said was unacceptable to my common sense.

"Forget Claire's name from your life! Now your name is Hera."

...

I really feel like I am in a mental hospital. Everyone, including me and Erasmus, wore very strange clothes. We do not wear footwear, fortunately this place is based on grass, smooth rocks and sand that feels smoother. There was no trash visible in my eyes, completely different from the environment in my place.

There are even stranger things. Many times I see some people talking to animals using very foreign language in my ears. Little children who played with wild beasts like crocodiles and snakes, the little boy was even laughing with the wild beasts. It feels like being in a dream because so many heman that I know is extinct. Maybe my head has been hit by magic because I saw a long-necked dinosaur walking among the trees.

"He didn't eat you?" My toot.

"will not. We took care of him and kept him alive, but he's very old now and probably won't last much longer." The reply.

"No way, this place must be a world of magic." I said to myself.

This place is very strange, but I like it. There is no pollution from vehicles as they only use horses or cows as their vehicles. Mountains, rivers, trees and grasses make for a very beautiful view. Very cool even though the sun is in the middle of the sky, not as hot as my place.

The big bridge that Erasmus and I were walking on looked very sturdy. The bridge that is above the water, it seems that under this bridge is a river. A rushing stream of water was clearly heard in my ears. I also saw something spinning from a distance, spinning like a wheel due to the swift water of the river. I'm guessing it's a hydroelectric plant.

"Good day, prince." A man greeted and approached us, and bowed before Erasmus.

I still didn't expect that someone I hated was a prince. A man saluted Erasmus. The man looks to be the same age as Erasmus.

"Welcome, prince!" Greet the man again with respect.

"Alright, Lucas! Just call me Erasmus! You were only my bodyguard when we were in the palace." Erasmus Reply.

They laughed, started joking. Like I thought if they were the same age. From their familiarity, I can deduce if they were best friends.

The man stood on the other side of Erasmus. Show me where Erasmus should go. They seem to be getting more familiar. They talked and I just kept quiet.

"Is this woman Hera?" Ask the man.

"Yes." Yeah." Erasmus responded quickly.

I also understand if I use someone else's identity. Everyone always guessed that I was Hera, the future wife of the prince. I hope that the real Hera is not in this place, it would be awkward if we met.

"Hera, he's Lucas. Our best friend when we were kids. You must have forgotten." Erasmus introduced Lucas to me. I smiled at him too.

"Hopefully your marriage hastened, it feels like I want to play with little Erasmus." I hate Lucas' jokes. Sucks.

"You must miss each other. I have to go so as not to disturb you." Lucas left us.

I went back with Erasmus. He was silent and no longer spoke.

"Erasmus." Called him. He looked at me.

"Who's Hera?" My toot. Hopefully the answer he gave me can be digested in my head.

"My future wife. She is a very good and honorable woman. He was one of the sons of King Loi. However, King Loi was already dead. Queen Kena, the son of the chief bodyguard, was Hera's biological mother and is now dead."

"Where is he?" Ask again.

"Go far away." Reply with a sad look.

"I guessed it." I reply along with laughter.

"Why?"

"Sure, he doesn't want to marry you. If I were Hera, I would do the same."

"Your answer is very painful." The reply. I just want to be honest.

"My nature and Hera look different. I can't stay in this place too long because there's gonna be someone who realizes who I really am."

Erasmus. He no longer replied to my words. I started to feel like my words hurt her.

We walk side by side. Every step of the way, all human and animal eyes looked at us. I also felt the trees welcoming me and Erasmus. This is strange, but the facts show that nature is really united and close to each other. I saw the beauty of the hidden earth.

Step by step, I arrived at an incredible place. In front of me began to look a very magnificent palace and look quite old. Although it looks old, the palace is still beautiful because it is surrounded by clear waters and green trees. Mountains are also visible from a distance. If all humans knew this place, surely all humans would be interested in coming to this place because it was so beautiful and calm.



"You like it?" Ask Erasmus. He began to speak again, though his green eyeballs were not directed at me, but looked at the palace before me. He just looked straight.

"Of course, nature is beautiful." I answered enthusiastically, Erasmus smiled.

"Then you want to stay here forever?" Ask Erasmus.

"No. This place is not my place." I answered quickly.

We also passed a bridge made of stone. A bridge that stands firmly on a clean river. The palace in front of me was getting closer, the more it looked splendor.

"Where are you?" Ask Erasmus. He still didn't look me in the eye.

"Not got it, but I'll find it." I replied, though I did not know where I was going.

"What's your parents' place?" He asked again.

"I just don't know who my parents are." I answered so openly. He also looked at me.

"You-you"

"Please don't talk about my family!" I cut his words. He's silent.

Everyone will tell me about his family, but not for me. My family is strangers. Renata once gave me a picture and told me that the lovers in the picture were my parents. At first I believed it, but not anymore because my face was very different from the two people in the photo. My family are strangers, admitting it was embarrassing for me.

...