An escape? Such a beautiful word. It was the first thing that crossed her mind. More than anything, Aipreal wanted to break away from the reality that had started to cage her in eternal solitude. The rowdy physical world she had come to know ever since she was little seemed so distant now, as she swallowed the lush environment cradling her in one disbelieving gulp. But it wasn’t fright she felt. Rather, it was awe and excitement. The bottle green sky kept changing hues in a flurry of rythmic waves. She was so fascinated she thought the sky was dancing.
Wait, isn’t it?
That was when she felt a cold droplet grace the tip of her nose, her face scrunching in surprise. It was water indeed. But where did it come from?
Rain?
Couldn’t be, as there was not even a single cloud lingering under this sea of emerald.
Yes, a sea of…
“No way!” she heard herself exclaim in wonder, her eyes gawking as if she had seen a ghost. Suddenly, the panorama before her seemed to have zoomed out, revealing a vast splashful ocean surface.
So, it was the sea after all, reflecting an equally extensive prairie below. That’s why she thought the sky was green. Just like when she wondered why the ocean was blue. She lay there in silence and found herself currently enjoying the slightly damp carpet of grass. If only the greatest painter in the world would see this…
World? But which world exactly was she talking about? Who knows, these so called greatest ones on Earth might simply be nothing but mere mediocre. This shimmering place, no matter how fictitious it seemed, was telling her only one truth—there exist other realities that could defy and surpass every ounce of wisdom on Earth.
“I’m not dreaming, am I?” she mumbled to herself, half-hoping for an affirmative answer.
“Sorry, lady, but you’re not on Dreambelt.”
Aipreal sat up in an abrupt like someone awakening from a nightmare when she heard the threatening voice. And true enough, there stood before her two ruffians clad in stylishly shabby clothing, one carried an axe and the other a spear. From a certain distance, they examined her as if searching for something that could identify her. But there was nothing, like a symbol or accessory, that could give out some clue regarding her identity, except for the plain black garb she had on right now, which she had not bothered to take off after the funeral and instead went straight to bed.
“So, what is this place?” Aipreal found her voice despite the fear suffocating her.
“This is Iverem,” the man with the axe was kind enough to answer, “Looks like you’re not from this place. Are you alone?”
“I suppose,” she nodded reluctantly. Just then, a vague vision of a flaxen-haired young man flashed before her. That’s right, someone’s with me.
Before she was magically transported into this foreign land, the last image she remembered seeing was that of a handsome youth with his violet eyes intently upon her. After that, everything went white as she was engulfed by a dose of warm intense light.
“Where’s your nupcharm?” the other one asked, breaking into her recollection.
“Excuse me?”
“Your pendant, where is it?” the axe chap added. “Or do you even have one?”
“A pendant, yes, I do. But I always keep it at home and…” she trailed off, realizing they might be referring to a different pendant—probably a special one, something with magical powers. What was it called again? A nupcharm?
The two strangers took turns in interrogating her.
“Is it a hundred-sided red gemstone?”
“No,” she replied in confusion.
“Then it’s not a nupcharm,” they concluded, “Get up, you’re coming with us.”
And they both grabbed her by the arm to arrest her. “You’re too honest. You could’ve saved yourself with a mere nod.”
“Maybe she’s just plain ignorant.” The man with a hunting spear reckoned.
“Wait, where are you taking me?” Aipreal struggled hard to break free as she was being tied up like some criminal. I should’ve wandered off right away.
“To your execution chamber,” her captors replied in unison.
“What?!” she snapped in disbelief. So she really was a criminal. “W-Why, what did I do?!” her voice cracked in desperation. She could not believe this sudden turn of weird events at all.
“You’re unwedded, right?” the axe chap asked once again.
“Of course!” Aipreal cried in affirmation. She knew she had to fight back now or else it would be the end of her. Not that she minded.
“Too much honesty could also kill, you know?” he sneered.
“Maybe she’s not from this world.” The other attempted another conclusion.
“No, she’s just plain ignorant,” axe chap said firmly, repeating his comrade’s words a while ago, “And besides, we already know she’s not from Iverem.”
“No, I mean maybe she’s from that planet,” the spear bearer insisted.
“Then, she’s just plain stupid,” axe chap groaned.
“Well, are you from that planet, young lady?” Aipreal looked at the spear bearer in caution, mentally debating whether to answer honestly or not this time. For some reason, she had this feeling that he was talking about Earth.
“Moron, you know that’s not possible!” Axe chap yelled at his companion.
“Did you mean Earth?” Aipreal asked guardedly. She had to be careful of her words now or else her life might end sooner than she had expected.
“It’s too late now for your excuses, miss,” axe chap scoffed warningly at her, “Women like you have no right to live.”
“Fine, kill me. I have no more reason to live after all.” Just then, a familiar gush of sadness swiftly replaced the apprehension she was feeling at the moment. Yes, she realized she’d be better off if her life could end sooner. She knew forgetting was impossible. Death was always an option.
With her words, plus the hint of sadness in her voice, the impending argument between her captors got subdued as the two stared blankly at her in sympathy.
“It looks like there’s a long story behind you,” the spear bearer studied her from head to toe, scratching his head.
“All right, just come with us then,” axe chap sighed, revealing his more considerate side, “It seems like a special case this time. We’ll just probably detain you for now.”
So off they went as a huge wave plummeted towards them, swept them gracefully off their feet, and soared back to the ocean sky, swallowing them in one thunderous splash.
Ruhien Louvrei yawned for what seemed like the hundredth time in boredom. He had parked himself rather stubbornly on the dark archway leading to the spiral brick staircase of Zilch Tower, which housed countless cellars for criminals of all sorts, keeping a supposedly watchful eye on them.
This was what he had been doing for several eons already to earn a living. A decent profession but one that he had never fancied, never put pride into, and had always tried to get away from whenever he could. To his comrades, he was simply a jail keeper. And because he hated the job description so much, he preferred to be called a sentinel to make it sound a little more professional at least.
That’s right, he had tried many times to get away from this damned job in the past. Just like a couple of days ago, he had eavesdropped on a conversation between two detainees about portals. Not that discussing them was strange. In fact, portals were a common thing. What had truly aroused his interest was their plan to use a portal to escape prison.
“How’s that possible?” he asked, interrupting the audible whispers in curiosity, “This place is void of any kind of portal. Heck, you can’t even dream in here. That’s why they built the Zilch Tower around here so thugs like you would have no means of escape.” He went back to his usual spot, dusting cobwebs off his spiky flaxen hair.
“We’re not that stupid, Mr. Jail Keeper,” a big black goon with two nose rings spat mockingly at him.
“It’s Chief Sentinel!” Ruhien retorted heatedly.
“Whatever,” the prisoner laughed, knowing he had hit a nerve, “But did you know that you could make one? Watch this.” He nodded at his inmate who was in a cellar across his as if telling him to get ready. Both closed their eyes, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Though Ruhien felt kind of stupid for giving in to this ridiculous activity, he couldn’t help but watch. If a portal should open any time soon, the whole tower would be in chaos.
“Fat chance, your thoughts must be well synchronized to be able to do that,” he muttered astutely. With those words of distraction, the prisoners lost focus right away.
“Unlike you, I read books. You can’t just create a portal out of nothing. At least one of them must be a legitimate portal. And I’m telling you, there’s not a single one in this area.”
“Of course, because all the legitimate ones are out there. And that’s exactly where we all want to go,” the other prisoner added.
“But no one out there is stupid enough to wish of going to this rotten place and open a portal especially for you,” the smug sentinel smirked tauntingly.
“You’re forgetting about our families,” the black goon frowned.
“Like I said, mind sync is the most crucial part in unlocking a portal,” Ruhien pointed out once again, “Even your folks wouldn’t waste their time doing that exhausting process just to get you out of here.”
“You’re cruel. That’s why you never get what you want.” This particular prisoner really knew how to crush a nerve on the self-proclaimed sentinel. “If you think about it, you’re no different from us.”
“Shut up!” Ruhien stood up irritably. I hate this job, I swear! Stupid career test! A stupid paper full of stupid questions can only tell the most stupid job for you! Not the most suited one. Heck, only an idiot would fall for that!
Well, look who’s talking?
Then again, he never considered himself as one. That’s why he was so determined to run off to some place where nobody knew him.
Like that intermittent realm called Earth.
When he was still a student, he had encountered quite a number of written accounts regarding the infamous planet. Titles included some bestsellers such as A Journey to the Earth, Earthly Fancies, Gravitated, and the most fundamental of all, How to Make an Earth?
Rereading these books had somehow helped him get the boredom off his mind during duty hours. And with these, he had acquired a strange fondness of the said world, learned its philosophies and values, gathered some useful facts, and discovered the numerous things he could indulge himself in.
But it wasn’t like he actually wanted to experience life on Earth. It was just a fleeting fantasy obviously brought about by his confinement in his workplace. Just the mere thought of being somewhere else other than this miserable tower could already bring him bliss to some extent.
Plus, I get the feeling I don’t belong in this world at all. It seems there’s a huge part of my existence I’m missing. But I’ll never be able to figure that out if I simply stay here and watch myself age with these criminals.
He wanted that adventure so badly. But to do that, he needed a place where he would not be required to perform his ordained duties and yet would still be able to survive. And that place, which was exempted from all the laws governing this harmonious universe, was none other than the planet called Earth.
However, to his dismay, the only way to get there is to die. Death could lead you to Earth. And there’s no way back. That was what all the accounts he had studied said. He knew why, of course. And he firmly believed it was better off that way.
So these thoughts of Earth just had to remain as one portion of his many childish fantasies. Until later that night—that fateful night—when he fell asleep on his post, his mind currently filled with earthly wonders.
“Just where did that woman run off to?!” Ruhien yelled in frustration, his fist clenched, thumping the cold floor he was squatting on.
“What about you? Where did you run off to two nights ago?” the black goon snickered, not letting this chance of teasing the arrogant warden pass. “One minute you were just snoring, the next moment you went poof!”
That’s it! So he really did get transported! Even this annoying thug said so. But the more logical part of his brain was telling him that it was plainly impossible since not a single portal existed in the Zilch Zone.
Unless, of course, he was able to make one.
And if he remembered right, the only thought that had occupied his mind that night was some random city depicted in the book entitled Earth Hot Spots.
Now, even a child would be able to make a conclusion based on the details currently in hand. A portal was opened; he was thinking of Earth.
“That was Earth, I’m sure of it,” he mumbled to himself as he recalled a shadowy vision of soft blue fabric with yellow crescent prints while allowing himself to tumble into the alluring comforts of this unknown cradle, “But somehow I made it back alive.”
Everything was not making any sense and yet it seemed that it was, as if an unknown entity was about to be unveiled, waiting to be discovered. Or maybe, it had been already.
In any case, he would never let this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the pace of his current lifestyle slip away, “I have to find that woman no matter what. She had to be around here somewhere. At least in Iverem,” And he marched off towards the only exit of the tower, his footsteps echoing determination.
At least that resolution made perfect sense to him.
“What a mischievous guy,” the black goon sighed bleakly, amused by the sentinel’s monologue, “So off he went again.”
Aipreal thought the upturned sea would drench her. To her surprise, she was dry as ever upon emerging from the liquid layer. In fact, it was just like passing through the delicate membrane of a huge bubble without rupturing it.
The spectacle that greeted her was downright stunning. For beyond that drowning seam of clear waters she thought was boundless was a stretch of rust-colored valleys so extensive it could take anyone’s breath away. And among the three of them, she realized she was the only one holding her breath in awe. Her captors had obviously made themselves immune to the sight already with that sickened expression written all over their faces.
The place might be barren and dull but it didn’t seem that loathsome to deserve some winces of disgust from its spectators. That was her opinion until she glanced up and saw a rather stumpy ceiling of barred windows, thousands of them, with eyes of various shapes and sizes staring out from within these dark cavities.
“Don’t look up,” the spear bearer said warningly, “Someone might spit on you.”
Aipreal looked straight ahead right away, “What’s above us?” she asked.
“That’s the Zilch Tower, home of delinquents, from the most notorious murderer to the lowliest pick-pocket,” axe chap explained, “In other words, a prison.”
Aipreal gulped in horror. And you’re taking me there? But her curiosity never left her. “A tower? But why is it lying parallel to the ground?”
True, a closer inspection would tell one’s imagination that it could be a tower that had tripped over due to a massive top. Though right now, she could not in any way make out the ends of this unbelievably wide ceiling.
“Ground? There’s no such thing as ground in Iverem, young lady. As long as it is a walkable plane, everything attached to that terrain is right side up,” axe chap continued. She tried to picture out what he meant by that but it seemed that processing such baffling explanation was no longer necessary for right before her eyes while traversing this rusty land, she had witnessed the way the so-called tower appeared to have risen up, like a pole being erected, until it was finally standing perpendicular to the ground. And so after an hour-long exasperating stroll, she found herself waiting in front of a door, the first normal thing she had encountered so far, which seemed to be the only way into the tower.
At this moment, she decided to take a glimpse of what’s above her once again. It was a tower, all right. But it was so tall her eyes could only perceive up to a certain extent. And beyond that, her vision would start spiraling, sending a dose of dizzy sensation through her body until lightheadedness got the better of her ultimately.
“Gone again?” axe chap exhaled with a scowl upon discovering the empty spot at the bottom of the spiral staircase of the tower where the jail keeper was supposed to hang about. He was used to the young sentinel’s frequent disappearance on duty hours but he knew that no amount of scolding or reprimand would work on the juvenile. “That guy sure is hopeless. Where could he be this time?”
The black goon, whose cellar was closest to the guard post, emerged from the darkness of his cubicle to answer the axe chap’s inquiry, “Went to hunt some woman, I heard.”
Suddenly, the axe chap and his companion burst into fits. “Finally, our boy is starting to learn things about being a real man.”
“No woman will buy that conceited attitude of his,” the black goon rolled his eyes in sarcasm.
“He’ll find one. We are all lovable in our own little way,” axe chap sighed, fixing the unconscious body of a woman, who was Aipreal, on his shoulder. Then, he turned to the prisoner once again, “Where do you think is the nearest vacant cell in here?”
“All those in the line of seven are empty, I think,” the black goon replied, finally noticing the lifeless body of someone clad in black on the axe chap’s shoulder. “Hey, you detain even corpses now?”
“Nah, just fainted on the way in,” axe chap shrugged, “And she’s no criminal.”
After chatting a little more, Aipreal was brought upstairs, her captors numbering every step they took for each stair corresponded to one cell. Therefore, all the cellars that tallied with steps seventy to seventy-nine were available.
When Ruhien realized it was useless to search every corner of Iverem for one lone woman whose face he himself could not remember at all, he decided to might as well return to Zilch Tower where he could at least wait for the portal he believed he had accidentally unlocked to open again. Besides, he had a somewhat clear speculation where this portal might have appeared.
“Yo, we’ve got a new inmate in cell seventy-six. The boss wants you to perform an interrogation since it seems like a special case. He’s left some questions on your desk, I think.” The black goon was thoughtful enough to relay the news to the irresponsible jail keeper.
“Seventy-six?!” Ruhien exclaimed in disbelief, “But eleven is vacant.”
With this, the goon looked sideways guiltily, “Sorry, my bad.”
“Never mind,” Ruhien waved his hand in indifference as he began his flight on the helical staircase, “At least I’ve got something to do.”
Aipreal woke up with a start, immediately feeling the hunger caused by missing dinner at home. That very thought seemed like a past from another dimension that happened to a different self.
What the heck am I doing? She pondered as she stared at the visible portion of the cylindrical wall outside this cramped barred chamber that held her captive at the moment. Talking to the strangest of all strangers in this strange land, following them wherever they took me, fainting like some helpless idiot—I really am wishing for my death, aren’t I?
“Could somebody tell me what’s going on?!” she cried desperately into the reigning silence, the pain of starvation deepening. But only a momentary reverberation came in riposte.
Of course, she did not know that the neighboring cells were empty. In fact, axe chap had purposely placed her somewhere in the middle of these contiguous empty cellars so that the other prisoners, who were mostly ill-mannered, could not bother her.
“Am I alone?” she sat on the cold floor, hugging her knees, her face buried in them. Her voice cracked while she spoke. And this loneliness came hand in hand with a certain person’s name, “Nathan…”
Her mourning did not last for long since it was impossible to ignore the sound of approaching footsteps amidst this deafening silence. And from her location, she watched in stillness as a flaxen-haired lad checked sketchily the inside of the cells that preceded hers, as if looking for something.
Or someone.
Until finally, he was in front of her cellar, the same scrutinizing expression painted on his handsome but scowling face. And his lingering told her that he had seen her despite the shadows blanketing the chamber.
“Are you the newcomer?” he asked, his voice cold and demanding.
Now, if Aipreal was a hopeless loud-mouthed damsel in distress, she would have screamed at the glowering face of this self-important bully, ordering him to release her at once. But her always composed self would always skip towards a higher level of thinking, which was becoming aware of the less evident things. And this time, that thing was his voice.
Don’t scream. That, plus the demanding manner it was spoken, was something that had been etched in her mind for some unknown reason. And with this realization, she came forward to have a better view of the young man who remained still outside her cellar, waiting for her response.
“It’s you!” Aipreal exclaimed in recognition. It was so sudden it made Ruhien jump in surprise.
“Huh? And you are?” he simply stared back at the woman in front of him, whom he thought for a while was insane. He supposed it would be better to start the interrogation at once but then, a sudden realization had also struck his consciousness right at the center, “Wait, are you…” he went wide-eyed, his heart racing in mixed excitement and frustration.
Frustration?
“You are!” Ruhien went on, “You stupid stupid woman! Where the hell have you been? I’ve searched high and low for you!”
“You have?” Aipreal stared at him incredulously.
“Please, tell me you’re from Earth,” he pleaded frantically.
“Eh?”
“You are, right?” he egged on.
“Is that why I’m being held captive?” she asked, trying to put some reason into his thrill.
“That’s…” he paused for a while to consider her question, “No, probably not.”
“Then, what is my crime?” she continued, her impatience building up. She herself had noticed it.
Ruhien analyzed the situation currently at hand. He had seen many cases like this before. All the women involved shared the same horrible fate at the end of their confinement. And this clueless woman in front of him right now would definitely not be an exception.
This woman is going to die.
“Adopt me,” he blurted out of the blue.
“What?!” Aipreal surely was taken aback. It looked like things were becoming more and more nonsensical by the minute, courtesy of this boy.
“I’ll get you out of here. You’ll let me stay on Earth,” Ruhien proposed, ignoring the cynical expression on her face.
“I don’t get it,” Aipreal felt as if her head was about to burst, “And why am I even here in the first place? What’s my crime?”
Finally, Ruhien gave her a sensible answer, though to Aipreal it still sounded completely irrational. “Unwedded women are executed in this universe. That’s the law.”
“That’s totally ridiculous!” she yelled in protest.
“I thought you’d say that,” he shrugged, “But believe it or not, it’s one aspect of perfect harmony.”
With this, Aipreal could not bring herself to comment, knowing he had spoken of something with simple words yet full of meaning.
“I’ll tell you more if you accept the deal,” Ruhien offered.
Aipreal had changed her mind. She didn’t want to die anymore. Besides, Nathan wouldn’t like that. It must be the most sensible thought she had pondered so far. Just like the normality of that door she had seen a while ago.
“Get me out of here,” it was her way of getting on with the deal. But she had inadvertently ended her statement with an untimely sob, which surprised the both of them.
“What, your lover died or something?” Ruhien asked randomly, not knowing he had hit the bull’s eye, “They’re just a bane of your existence. That’s why I haven’t given mine away yet. And have no plan on doing so.”
“How dare you speak of things you know nothing about?” Aipreal snapped at him in a raised voice, completely offended by his unrivaled arrogance.
Ruhien was kind of taken aback at her sudden outburst, “Aren’t we a little defensive here?” he mocked.
“Are you going to release me or not?” she retorted as she held onto the bars in an attempt to tear them down with all her might.
“Fine, come out already,” he sighed, reaching for the bolt of the door and unlocking it, “Besides, I want my precious feet on Earth as soon as possible.”
But she just wouldn’t give in. His rudeness was starting to get on her nerves. “You had better take back what you just said if you wish to live in my home,” she muttered threateningly as she was ushered out, “It would be very bad for a guest to be in disagreement with his host.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I specifically want your home. It’s more like having no other choice. Meeting an Earthling could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, you know?” Ruhien pointed out as a matter of fact, “So you’ve got no other choice as well but to live with it because that’s our deal.”
Aipreal knew it was useless to argue with a hopelessly self-centered person like him. But she also wanted to make her point right here and now if it meant shutting him up.
“Giving your heart away is the most gratifying thing you can do, just so you know,” she muttered, going back to the root of this argument, “It creates a whole new world for just the two of you.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden?” Ruhien raised an eyebrow at her, getting all weirded out by the quote from nowhere, “Please, don’t speak of things you know nothing about.”
She realized it was her who ended up speechless after all. The way he said it, she felt like eating her own words. They were now walking side by side in awkward silence as they descended this rather long and winding flight of wide steps.
“Hey, what are you spacing out for?” Ruhien waved a hand in her face, “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Aipreal,” she replied, forcing herself to be more attentive. Being unmindful of the situation would not help her a bit. Then, she added, “With some trivial complexities in the spelling.”
“After the fourth moon?” Ruhien inquired again just for the fun of it.
“Wait, how do you know?” she asked in curiosity.
“That’s basic stuff,” he shrugged, “I probably know more about Earth than you do.”
This guy sure is bigheaded. Aipreal frowned thoughtfully as she continued to follow him downstairs. “Are you sure this is okay? I mean you just unlock the door and that’s it?”
“Just let me make myself at home in your home,” Ruhien sighed in deep satisfaction, “That’s it and no more.”
However, it only made her scowl even more. “Just what exactly is your definition of home?”
But even before he could muster another haughty response, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps of five or more people. The two of them still went on, nevertheless, with Ruhien leading the way. He supposed he had a clear idea of who these people might be.
After a while, six people appeared before them, who seemed to have come a long way from down below. Aipreal saw the axe chap and his spear wielder companion among the crowd and recognized them at once. The other four were dressed in such a way that would suggest their affiliation with the authority. And the smug expression emanating from them did not look cool and amicable at all.
“What is the meaning of this, Louvrei?” the one in front, who looked like their captain, spoke up in a high and mighty manner.
Ruhien knew he was talking about Aipreal’s unlawful release. But as he had promised the girl, he would get her out of prison. And himself as well.
“What the hell are you doing taking my fiancée in custody?” Ruhien yelled in reply without warning, which certainly made Aipreal jerk in surprise. Not because of the volume of his voice but because of what he said.
“Your fiancée?” the captain inquired in skepticism.
“Yes, didn’t you know?” the conceited sentinel went on haughtily.
Aipreal, however, was not listening at all even though she was the subject of their conversation. Instead, her mind was crammed with a million questions she wanted to throw at them. She so wanted to smack his head at the moment and ask. How the heck did I end up as your fiancée all of a sudden?!
“But that woman admitted she ain’t got a nupcharm,” axe chap explained, which was true.
“You dare interfere?” Ruhien glared at him, with a tone of seriousness that could not be swayed. And he walked off as if it was the most natural thing to do after a sudden declaration of engagement, ditching the astonished mob frozen on what seemed like the fiftieth and fifty-first steps.
Aipreal caught up with him on the seventh stair from the encounter. “What was that all about?”
But instead of giving an upright response, he yelled, “Run!” And he dashed the rest of the way downstairs, leaving Aipreal with no other choice but to comply.
However, the echo of his scream did not go unnoticed by the bunch they deserted a dozen steps away.
“I knew it!” axe chap exclaimed upon hearing the faint sound of hurried footsteps in flight. Right away, he and the rest of them went after the two fugitives, who were obviously heading for the base of the tower.
Going back to the runaways, Aipreal had no idea exactly why the two of them were running away. But she had resolved to simply do as she was told or they might end up in a much worse situation.
“Stay close to the wall. The steps are narrower in that portion,” she heard Ruhien mumble in between breaths as he pointed at the cylindrical wall to her left. Of course, knowing he was right, she complied. Again.
Finally, the bottom of the tower came in sight. Though it was Aipreal’s first time seeing it, as she was unconscious when she was brought in, she knew they were already nearing the exit. But her companion’s sudden halt a few paces from the door and beside an empty work desk startled her.
“What’s up?” she inquired, absolutely clueless of his intention.
“It should be somewhere around here,” he replied, studying the area.
“What is?” she asked again, this time in a louder voice that woke up the sleeping prisoner in the first cellar, who happened to be the sentinel’s favorite inmate, the black goon.
Just then, the bottom of the grazed cold wall in front of them began to crease on its own as it melted into a black gelatinous substance. Then, slowly it warped, as if some unknown creature behind the wall was gobbling it up. Until finally, only a dark circular hollow was left, glimmering like an upturned rotating disc.
“Damn it! Ruhien, you son of a…” the black goon managed to chew out at the implausible event he had just witnessed but was cut off when the couple finally vanished from his sight after jumping into the dark hollow.
After a while, he heard quick footsteps as the chasing flock arrived.
And just in perfect time for the portal to completely evaporate.
“Where are they?” the captain asked no one in particular, but was actually hoping for a reply at least from the prisoners located at the bottom steps of the tower.
“Outside,” it was the black goon who volunteered to answer. It wasn’t a lie, of course. Not entirely at least. For that newly opened portal surely led them somewhere outside. But disclosing such matter to the authority just wasn’t his thing.
Besides, there was also the door to support his brief and not-so-informative response beyond question.
“That boy’s really gonna get it this time,” axe chap muttered warningly as he headed for the said door.
“Leave them,” the captain stopped him abruptly, earning puzzled looks from everybody, “Just as long as the woman makes him her husband, it won’t pose a problem, right?”
Everyone was thoughtful for a moment. The captain made sense and it would obviously save them the energy. And the woman as well.
“Well, yes. I guess you’re right,” axe chap mumbled in agreement, “But I doubt it.”
“So I guess that’s less one lady in the death row,” the captain sighed, feeling a bit satisfied.
The scent of her favorite perfume told her that she had returned—to the comforts of her room in that empty mansion on Earth. Somehow, she made it back with a handful of new discoveries and stories to tell but ones that would never convince any sane person.
“You’ve got such a nice and cozy bed,” a male voice snapped her out of reverie, “I envy you.”
At once, she sat up and looked about. There on the bed with her was the man who helped her escape prison, lazing around like some dizzy idiot and was about to doze off. It was just now that Aipreal was able to take a closer look at her new bed, which she got as a birthday gift from her parents. It was a king-sized one so there was enough room for her and her visitor. And it owed its coziness to Meona’s wonderful handwork with that triple layer of bed linen and all those fluffy pillows bordering it.
Until now, though, she still could not figure out how she got transported to another world. But one thing was for sure however absurd it might sound. Everything was the bed’s doing.
“Your bed has the portal,” she heard the man lying beside her, whom she thought was asleep, speak. “I saw it open the first time I came here. Then, we fell together and got transported to Iverem.”
She remembered now. That was the light that emanated from beneath her. But how come it seemed different from the one that appeared in the tower?
“Judging from the light it emitted, this one is legitimate,” he continued even though he kept his eyes closed. “Damn, I’m dizzy!” And he curled up in the bed, rubbing his eyes in annoyance.
For the first time ever since she met the ex-sentinel, she felt some small amount of concern for him because now as she thought about it, she herself was feeling rather wobbly as well. And she’s not the least bit happy with it.
“Must be the portal,” he exhaled as he forced himself to sit up, “Newly opened portals are known to be very unstable.” He then grabbed the nearest pillow and buried his face in it.
“Hey, Lou—” she wished to soothe him but trailed off. Come to think of it, she hadn’t asked his name yet. Even though she heard it back then in the tower, it was kind of rude to suddenly call him that, right?
Noticing the awkward way she stopped in mid-sentence, he looked up, as he already knew what it was that made her stop.
“My name’s Ruhien,” he introduced, “Just call me Rui for your convenience.”
“Um, okay,” she nodded but already forgot what she was supposed to say. So she asked instead, “To be honest, I really don’t understand anything. Could you elaborate, please?”
Ruhien thought she had the right to know. At least those things she could appreciate. And so, he positioned himself properly as he sat across her on the bed, knowing that it was going to be a long talk.
“Okay, I’ll start with portals. But everything that I’m about to tell you is solely based on the way I have understood it. So don’t sue me,” he sighed, getting ready, “If there’s anything that confuses you, just butt in anytime.”
Aipreal nodded.
“We have accidentally unlocked a portal that’s not supposed to exist. To unlock one, it requires a great deal of mind synchronization between two people from different places. Basically, they simply need to think of something they long for, which can be found in the other place. They must absolutely complement each other’s thoughts or the mind sync will not be completed.”
So far, she could keep up with the foreword.
“In our case, I remember myself thinking about the Earth. And you probably were thinking of…” he trailed off, giving her the chance to fill in the blank.
“I can’t remember what’s on my mind at that time,” Aipreal muttered thoughtfully, “I was asleep I think.”
“You’re not helping at all,” Ruhien frowned at her, “Well, is there anything that your heart desires? I think those things work as well.”
At the question, Aipreal bowed gloomily. “I want him back.”
“W-Who?”
“I want to feel his arms around me once again,” she continued in a cheerless tone.
For a while, he studied her then concluded mockingly, “Maybe you just wished for a man’s embrace that’s why I ended up hugging you that time.”
But despite her depression, Aipreal heard him. “I am so going to throw you back to that rotten tower the next time this portal opens!”
“Hey, we had a deal!” Ruhien reminded her.
“To hell with that deal!” Aipreal yelled angrily as she threw one of the heavier pillows at him so hard it made him tumble down to the floor. “Then, I’m going to lock this bed up in the attic where no one can use it anymore so the portal won’t open ever again.”
He managed to get up, grabbing onto the bed sheets with one hand and the other rubbing his lower back in pain.
“You can’t do that,” he said, flinching. Instead of going back to the bed, he chose to stand up and stay as far away as possible from this rather violent girl. Besides, the portal might indeed open again and she might just do exactly as she said. “Once activated, there’s no way to close down a portal anymore.”
“You seem to be so sure of it,” Aipreal mumbled distrustfully.
“Of course, I have books to serve as my reference,” he exclaimed, drawing out a rucksack loaded with books of all sizes from behind. He took out one, a pocket-sized, flipped through the pages, and pretended to read.
Aipreal obviously was taken aback as the bag seemed to have popped out of nowhere. “Where did that come from?” she asked, pointing at the tattered bag, which was now lying on the floor.
“This contains all my belongings,” Ruhien grabbed his rucksack once again and hugged it preciously. “I purposely marked the spot on the tower wall with it where I thought the portal might appear again. And when it did, my bag was right there so it came with us. Convenient, wasn’t it?”
“You planned all of this,” she pointed accusingly at him.
“I just grabbed the opportunity,” he refuted. “Anyway, as I was saying, you can’t close down a portal anymore once it’s been unlocked.”
“I’m not closing it down. I’m just gonna put my bed away. I’ll put it somewhere inaccessible,” Aipreal corrected him.
Ruhien knew she had a point. Keeping it somewhere where nobody or nothing could touch it would surely eliminate accidental transports. But that would also mean losing his access to his own universe. And he didn’t like that idea a bit. Now was the perfect chance to commence his life-long dream of adventure and nothing would frustrate him even more than this girl getting in the way.
He had to think of something fast, even if it meant inventing a few harmless rules regarding portals. “But isolating your bed would make it even more dangerous.”
With this, Aipreal’s ears perked up, “And why is that?”
“It’s a new-found portal. At this rate, it’s unstable that’s why passing through it makes you dizzy. The mere fact that the channel is unsteady means you may end up in some random place,” Ruhien elaborated, “Or some random creature may end up in here.”
“You mean it can suck things from other places and bring them here?” she asked.
“Exactly,” he nodded, “But that only happens when no one is there to regulate it. A new portal must be used constantly until it becomes stable.” Even though that’s a lie, it made perfect sense to me.
“And why would I want to look after a portal?” she insisted stubbornly.
“And why would you want random creatures to appear in here?” he asked back.
All right, so he had made his point. And Aipreal knew she had no other choice but to heed once again.
“Okay, so we are going to keep the bed here,” she agreed, “But why would you want to go back to your place? I thought you hated it.”
All right, so this girl was not as stupid as he thought. He guessed he had to tell some truths now.
“To be honest, I just hated my job. But I love the place. Iverem is not all that,” he began, “You should’ve seen the Verdanta. It’s a space sandwiched between water and grass.”
Aipreal thought for a while, “I think I’ve seen it.”
“So that’s where you went,” Ruhien realized, “That means a link has already been created to that one in the Verdanta.”
She just eyed him, urging him to give some details.
“In theory, a portal must connect you to any world. Except for Earth, that is.” He paused for a while, anticipating a question from her. When none came, he continued, “For newly-opened ones, all of these links have to be established one by one.”
“Until the portal becomes stable,” Aipreal added.
“Y-Yes,” he nodded hesitantly. So she actually believed that fib.
“So why is a portal to Earth not supposed to exist?” she finally asked the question he had been anticipating, though it was worded more wittily, combining two of his previous statements.
“Actually, there are,” he was very careful of his answer, “But they’re of a different kind. And to be able to access them, one has to die. Because of that, he can’t go back anymore.”
Aipreal simply nodded. For now, she thought she understood everything that had been said. There were still so many questions she wanted to ask, more complex ones, but most of them could probably wait. For the mean time, she wanted to know about the basic things, at least those that she had already witnessed.
So she resumed her askance, “Anyway, what is this legitimate portal you mentioned earlier?”
“It’s legitimate meaning it’s genuine like that one in the Verdanta,” he explained, “It’s like the official portal to a certain place. That’s why I was wondering how come Earth has one.”
“So what about the one in the tower?”
“That one is black, unlike the portal in your bed, so it’s illegal. As of the moment, at least,” Ruhien was thoughtful for a while as he realized his mistake. Oh man, a portal in the Zilch Tower! But I can’t possibly report it to the authority, can I? “You can always file a petition to the Portal Ministry to make it legal. Then, it becomes white like all the others.”
“Then, what do you plan to do now?” she posed another question. She would never run out of them, “I mean you finally got what you wanted. You’ve quit your job, set your precious feet on Earth, what else do you want?”
Ruhien looked resolved, “I want to discover myself.”
Aipreal grimaced, “That’s really motivating, you know?” she commented in sarcasm, suppressing a laugh.
But Ruhien was not kidding, “I have this gut feeling that something out there is waiting for me. I’m not sure what it is but it seems so important that I become restless whenever I think about it. It’s like a huge part of my being and I’m missing it entirely. So unless I’m satisfied, I won’t stop.”
Aipreal simply listened as he spoke. Somehow, it felt like something she would want herself to say as well. She envied the determination in his voice for she had lost hers when the love of her life passed away. Her only world was gone yet this portal was offering her other worlds where she could nourish herself in.
As she was currently lost in her thoughts, Ruhien threw something at her. It landed on her lap and she jolted in surprise. There, sitting in elegant contrast to the blackness of her dress was a red pendant attached to a silver chain.
“Pretty,” she found herself mumbling in fascination, as she gathered the whole of it in her frail hands, admiring the numerous stylish cuts on the red gemstone.
Is it a hundred-sided red gemstone?
That statement struck her thoughts just in time.
“This is…”
“That’s a nupcharm,” Ruhien finished for her, “As long as you have that, you’re safe.”
“Why, what is it? It seems so important,” she asked.
“It is,” he replied as a matter of fact, “I told you already. Unwedded women are executed in our universe. That charm marks the woman as married or engaged at least. With that, she wouldn’t have to worry about being seized.”
“But can’t a woman just get one for herself?”
“Unfortunately, no,” he shook his head, “A man must give it to her or else it won’t work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Watch,” Ruhien sat with her on the bed once again to show her yet another wonder. And before her very eyes, the heart of the translucent gemstone swirled like scarlet mist, as it amassed to outline some figures she couldn’t quite discern. “See, it’s yours now.”
She simply stared at him with questioning eyes.
“That’s your name written in the language of Fa Riha, the one who invented the nupcharm,” he explained but couldn’t give any more details for he himself had never studied the language, “I willed it to etch your name inside. Should another woman wear it, the name will disappear. Then people will know that it’s not hers. Plus, it’s my nupcharm originally so only I can will it.”
“So only a man can write the name?”
“Something like that,” he shrugged.
“How many do you have?” she wondered why he was giving away such a precious jewel.
“A man needs only one,” he replied in an honest tone, “Actually, I never expected I’d give mine away in exchange for my freedom.”
That’s why I haven’t given mine away yet. And have no plan on doing so.
“You mean you were talking about this?” Aipreal asked in alarm, remembering their conversation back at the prison tower, which ended up in an argument.
“Of course,” he exclaimed, overflowing with sincerity, “What else would I be talking about?”
All right, so that was really embarrassing. She thought he meant his heart.
“Are you sure it’s okay to give me this?” she asked for assurance.
“Why not? I’m probably never gonna use it,” he shrugged. For some reason, his frankness was infuriating. “Besides, I need you to come with me while I journey to the other worlds. They won’t touch you as long as you possess a nupcharm.”
“Well, thanks for worrying about my wellbeing,” she nodded in gratitude, “But why do I need to come with you? Can’t you just go by yourself?”
The response came almost automatically. “Simple. You are my key back to Earth. And I don’t have to worry about you burning your bed or something.”
Aipreal frowned, “I thought so.”
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