Worlds Apart: World Beyond

Alexei Alekseyevich Sokolov, Alyosha to his family was having one of those rare moments of peace. He and as President of Russia, he's always got a lot on his plate, but today was different. For once, he was able to just relax with his wife, Elizaveta Andreevna Nikolaeva (Elia), and their three daughters Anastasia (Alya), Marina (Masha), and Daria (Dasha). They were all enjoying a simple picnic in the garden of their mansion, and for a moment, everything felt... normal. Almost like nothing bad could ever happen. Then, out of nowhere, the sky flickered just a quick, blinding flash that only lasted a second. Alyosha froze, eyes scanning the sky, wondering what the heck had just happened. His family looked around, equally confused. It came and went, disappearing just as fast as it happened, leaving no trace, but something about it felt wrong. An hour later, his phone rang. The voice on the other end was frantic. Alyosha's stomach dropped as he rushed to the Kremlin. Being the president, he's used to receiving urgent news, but this was different. His council didn't waste any time. Their words hit him like a punch to the gut, "Mr. President, Russia... has been transported to another world." At first, it didn't make sense, almost like a elaborate joke done perfectly. Everything were still same as ever. The sky, the air, it all looked like it always had but it again left him speechless. The world beyond their borders was completely otherworldly. The landscape felt wrong, like it belonged to another era, a realm born of legend and myth. Was this some kind of magical, fantasy realm? his ministers didn't have answers. What they did know was that Russia was no longer where it had been. Russia had been transported to a strange, magical, fantastical world, one that defied all explanation. While the sky above them looked the same, everything around them felt like it came out of an epic medieval tale. The air thrummed with a strange energy and the lands beyond their borders held a mysterious, almost arcane quality. Magic? Creatures from fictional stories? Nobody knew for sure... at least for now.