The Aftermath

A Lost Home

The pain finally faded away, leaving the two figures numb and exhausted. For a moment no one moved, their muscles burning and cramped. They lay prone on the ground, waiting for the last vestiges of pain to fade away before taking on the exhausting task of getting up.

Groaning, Aahan pushed himself up, grabbing the desk for support. Legs shaking uncontrollably, he collapsed on the bench panting heavily from the exertion. Ajay imitated him, slumping down on the seat beside him. They sat there quietly, perhaps not fully registering the change before Ajay banged his fist on the desk and muttered in a low angry tone, "How could they?"

Aahan didn't respond, not that the other had expected him to. He simply laid his head down, tracing the words carved into the old wood; echoing memories of the now graduated alumni. Ajay was sitting still; too still, his hunched shoulders making him look much smaller than Aahan remembered him being.

Or perhaps that was because... Aahan didn't let his thoughts complete. He couldn't.

The sound of the bench screeching against the tiles prompted Aahan to raise his head slightly. Ajay had stood up, walking around the desk to pack his school bag quietly. Aahan followed suit, stuffing his books in a bag now unfamiliar to him. Glancing at the clock above the blackboard, he swallowed heavily. He didn't even know what day it was or month or year or how old he was or-

Breath in. Breath out. Following the achingly familiar voice, Aahan's breath soon leveled out, until he no longer felt the pull of a panic attack.

Sometime in between, Ajay had taken to stalking the narrow rows of benches, his fists clenched and white. Abruptly, he turned on his heel in a perfectly executed about turn. There was a wild look in his eyes; one which Aahan unfortunately recognized. Mentally preparing himself for whatever wild idea had taken root, he-

"We can get back. We just need to find a way. We can return home, Aahan." Aahan stared at him blankly. "Ajay," he mumbled, voice heavy with loss, "Even if we somehow do find a functioning portal- or, or build it ourselves, this world lacks magic. We- we wouldn't be able to... to power it. To activate it. We are stuck."

Ajay shook his head. His voice took on a more regal cadence, the one he had used to deliver speeches of progress and excellence and a bright future. "We can. Magic found us. Magic can exist in this world. We just need to search for it. And then use it to power our portal." His speech was unadorned, lacking the flowery language he used to employ. But it still made Aahan wonder.

Could they truly find a way back?