The portal swirled with colours Alfie had never seen before—electric blue mixed with sunset orange and sparkling gold. As he stepped through with Dad and Zigbot, his feet landed on something smooth and solid.
"Whoa," Alfie breathed.
Stretching out before them was the most incredible skatepark ever built. But this wasn't any ordinary skatepark—everything was made entirely of LEGO bricks! Ramps curved up like frozen waves, half-pipes glittered in rainbow colours, and rails zigzagged through the air like roller coasters. In the centre stood the biggest ramp Alfie had ever seen—so tall it disappeared into the cotton-candy clouds above.
"The Legendary Mega-Ramp," Zigbot whispered, his antennae wobbling nervously. "I've heard stories, but I never believed it was real!"
Alfie's tummy did a flip-flop. Part of him wanted to run straight up that ramp. Another part of him wanted to hide behind Dad's legs.
"Pretty impressive, isn't it?"
Alfie spun around. A LEGO teenager with spiky purple hair and knee pads covered in star stickers was gliding toward them on a LEGO skateboard. He stopped with a perfect little kick-flip that made the board spin twice before landing.
"I'm Felix," the teenager said with a friendly grin. "Skateboard instructor by day, secret pro skateboarder by night. And you must be the new Guardian everyone's been talking about!"
"Everyone's been talking about me?" Alfie asked, his eyes going wide.
Felix laughed. "Word travels fast through the dimensions, little dude. So—you ready to shred?"
Alfie looked at the Mega-Ramp again. His heart thumped hard against his ribs.
"I... I'm still learning," he admitted quietly. "I can't even do the small ramps properly yet."
Dad put a warm hand on Alfie's shoulder. "That's okay, mate. Everyone starts somewhere."
Felix nodded, his expression kind. "You know what the secret to skateboarding is? It's not about being the best. It's about being brave enough to try—and brave enough to fall."
"But falling hurts," Alfie said.
"Sometimes," Felix agreed. He pulled up his sleeve to show a small LEGO bandage. "Got this yesterday trying a new trick. But you know what? I got back up. And today I landed it perfectly."
Felix snapped his fingers, and a small purple skateboard made of shimmering bricks appeared at Alfie's feet.
"Let's start small," Felix said. "See that little bump over there? It's barely a ramp at all. More like a speed bump, really."
Alfie looked. Felix was right—it was tiny. Barely bigger than a book lying on its side.
"I... I think I can do that," Alfie said.
"That's the spirit!" Dad cheered.
Alfie stepped onto the skateboard. It felt wobbly at first, like standing on a sleeping cat. But he bent his knees the way he'd been practising at home, and suddenly he felt more balanced.
"Bend those knees, lean forward just a tiny bit," Felix coached. "Your body knows what to do—you just have to trust it."
Alfie pushed off with one foot. The skateboard rolled forward, smooth as butter on a warm pan. The little ramp got closer... closer...
Whoooosh!
He went up, felt his tummy lift for just a second, and came back down. He'd done it!
"YES!" Alfie pumped his fist in the air—and immediately wobbled off the board, landing on his bottom with a soft thump.
"Wipeout!" Zigbot giggled, then quickly covered his mouth. "Sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?"
But Alfie was laughing too. "That was brilliant!"
Dad scooped him up in a big hug. "That was SO brave, Alfie! You didn't even hesitate!"
Felix skated over, grinning. "See? Falling isn't so scary when you know you can get back up. Ready to try again?"
Alfie dusted off his trousers and climbed back onto the board. This time, he made it over the bump AND stayed on.
By the time the dimension's double suns started to set, painting the sky in stripes of pink and gold, Alfie had conquered three small ramps and even tried a tiny rail (he fell off twice, but who was counting?).
"You're a natural, Guardian," Felix said. "Tomorrow, we try the Bowl of Bravery."
But just as Alfie was about to ask what the Bowl of Bravery was, a rumbling sound echoed across the skatepark. The ground shook. LEGO bricks rattled.
And from behind the Mega-Ramp, something HUGE began to rise...