Hot sun baked Blake in a warm light. The snow beneath him was no longer there. He was now on rocky ground with grass beneath his fingers. He breathed and looked up at blue skies and a glorious sun that filled his body with warmth. He let out a laugh.

“What is this?” he said, removing his gloves to feel the grass, “H–How?”

“Welcome to Valiant, young Blake,” a voice said, from behind him.

He spun around and saw a man sitting on a boulder, watching him with a smile. The man looked familiar. His skin was not as tight as it had been, nor did he have as many wrinkles but his hair was still as white. It was Midrel.

“Midrel?” he asked, unbelieving, “How — what are you…how did I get here?”

“You stepped into a portal, young Blake,” Midrel said, sliding down from the boulder. “Well done on that mountain. You did very well. I watched your entire journey. Your mental resilience is something to admire.”

“A portal?” Blake’s mind went back to the story that Midrel had told them. “Those are real?”

“Look around you,” Midrel said, waving his hands to show the rocky landscape around them.

“You’re not on Everest any longer, are you?”

“N-No,” Blake said. “So where am I exactly?”

“Valiant,” Midrel said. “It is…another dimension. Take your jacket off, feel the sun.”

“Valiant…” Blake repeated the word, removing his jacket while he played with the word in his mouth. “Wait, another dimension? Does that mean I’m dead? Is this like…heaven?”

Midrel laughed, “No, no, you’re not dead. You were about to die, though. Your life was hanging by a thread. A mental thread, mind you. Your body was already long past its limit. I think one more hour and you would have been dead.”

“Oh,” Blake said. That disappointed him.

Midrel laughed again, “You’re disappointed because you believed yourself to be indestructible. Well, not quite. Anyhow, I’ve been instructed to bring you to Valiant to recruit you.”

“Recruit me?” Blake asked.

“Yes,” Midrel said, taking on a serious look. “You see, Valiant is a dimension that overlaps with earth’s. From a certain vantage point, we can see everything that happens on earth, and we can stop certain events from happening.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the earth should have been destroyed by now. Natural disasters, wars, disease…humans should have died out long ago. The only reason why they did not is because we, the warriors of Valiant, fight to stop that from happening. We stop wars from going too far. We stop diseases from killing too quickly. That is our job. I am what is known as a recruiter. I find brave and valiant men like you and I bring them here, to Valiant, and I offer them the opportunity to become a part of Valiant. You can choose to accept or reject my offer.”

“What happens if I reject it?” Blake asked.

“Then I will take you back to Everest,” Midrel said. “I will take you to Base Camp so you will be sure to live. But you will never remember this place, nor me. I have brought many people here who have climbed Everest and returned, and many rejected the offer to stay. They have families they want to return to and I understand that. Your friend Gustav is one of them.”

“Gustav?” Blake asked, “You brought Gustav here? So he’s alive?”

“Gustav is dead,” Midrel answered. “I brought him here many years ago, on his first climb. He rejected the offer, and I took him back to base camp. The offer is never extended a second time. He hated me when I spoke to you at base camp, and he never knew why. But you are here now, Blake, and so I must offer you the same opportunity. Will you remain in Valiant?”

Blake looked down at his hands. He looked around at the rocky landscape and then again at Midrel.

“I won’t be able to return here again if I decline?” he asked.

“Nor will you remember this place, so there will be no regret,” Midrel said.

That made Blake laugh.

“What is it?” Midrel asked him.

“It’s just…I’ve dedicated my life to undertaking challenges and conquering them. Everest will be the only one I’ve failed at,” Blake said.

“You didn’t fail. The goal of Everest is to make it to the top, and you did so,” Midrel said, “however, if you want a challenge, Valiant offers you many.”

“Is that so?” Blake said, with a smile. “Well then, if that’s the case, how can I reject your offer?”

“Is that a formal acceptance?” Midrel asked him.

“It is,” Blake said.

“Well then, young Blake,” Midrel extended his hand towards Blake, “welcome to Valiant.”

Blake took his hand and shook it with a smile. Valiant. It was his new home. A new adventure awaited him. A new land.

New challenges.

New victories.

Tell us: What did you think of the story?