Why do I get the feeling that getting out of this place is not going to be easy? Ruhien wanted to think Adolphus Fanchon had at least once took a vacation by the sea where he must have conceived the idea of creating such an extraordinary bed. But his hopes had shattered at once upon seeing the sky was not blue. He frowned at the sight, knowing this was definitely not Earth. Just to note, the strange firmament was blinding yellow.
He averted his gaze right away when the color started to sting his eyes. The entire sky itself must have been the source of light, with its luminescence scattered evenly all over the place. And when he looked down, he realized that the only shadow he could cast was the minimal shade caused by raising his foot a few notches from the ground. He knew then that if he stood still, he would, beyond doubt, not have any.
The intensity of the reflection on the water surface was just as bad. In fact, it even seemed to double the amount of light in the area. So he had no other choice but to turn about, keeping his eyes away from the overwhelming brightness. Besides, Aipreal’s apologizing moan had also caught his attention.
“Rui, I’m sorry I knocked you down,” she mumbled, clutching onto broad shoulders when she felt warm strong arms around her.
Ruhien stared at her in confusion, asking pointedly, “What are you doing?”
“I’m dizzy,” she replied as she tried to get a hold of herself, pushing her body up from prostration. “I’m sorry, did I—”
Hazel orbs met dazzling steel blue. And a benign smile greeted her stunned face.
“Hey, have you no shame?” She heard Ruhien’s impatient voice from behind.
Her dizziness had gone in a blink as strands of fallow hair flew past across her face along with a gust of wind. But despite the cool breeze, her cheeks did not fail to heat up in mixed embarrassment and infatuation.
“Are you all right?” The gentle smile did not vanish as she watched his alluring lips move with grace to mouth a few words of concern.
Aipreal managed to blurt out in a timid voice, “A-Are you…Adolphus Fanchon?”
She regretted asking it though. For the most beautiful man she had ever seen was now laughing at her, with his well built body serving as her cushion, shielding her from the coarse sand beneath.
“I’m afraid not but you look quite okay now,” he muttered between chuckles, “Can you stand?”
“Hey, get up already!”
And so her daydream ended. Ruhien had grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away from her newfound prince. But seeing him now from a distance, she noticed his clothes were a bit scruffy for a prince, with that washed-out leather ensemble that simply emphasized his muscularity.
“Well, this must be your unlucky day,” the beefy man finally got up to give the newcomers a proper greeting, “Welcome to Feige, the island of no return.”
The four dominions of Rivka overlapped at a point they considered the center of the Greater Universe, in which a disc-shaped colossal mechanism called the Torch Plate could be found. Torch was like a coin flipped so that it was rotating about an axis. But unlike a coin, it would remain in motion for eternity.
Torch, as the name signified, served as Rivka’s chief source of light. An inconceivable amount of energy was being cultivated on one face of the huge disc to bring illumination to the different worlds falling within its beam width during rotation. Thus, it was daytime for these worlds and nighttime for those outside the beam.
Ironically, Torch was also the name given to a small civilization residing in everlasting darkness. It was the bleak isolated land located on the opposite side of the Plate. So whichever way the beam faced, Torch would always be behind the platter of light, hailing it as the world fated to remain in the shadows forever.
Even so, Cil Fa Yien decided to pay the dusky land a visit. Of course, a way to get there would be through a portal. Except for the fact that dawn would never grace the land, it was a normal world just like the rest in Rivka. Despite the gloomy façade of the place, the people were as cheerful and welcoming as they could be.
Cil had made friends with one of the residents not so long ago when she entrusted a rather valuable item to him. And now, she had returned, not to have it back, but just to check up on it and make sure it was in good condition. She would surely be at ease with this insurance. One less thing to worry about as she kicked off with her business.
“Just do what you have to do then come back when everything is fine,” the owner of the house, Cil’s chosen host, assured her. “And may I congratulate you for becoming a full-fledged Whiz?”
“I chose to be just an ordinary one, though.”
“Yeah, I figured. But it must be nice to have you as a Rivel.”
“Who knows? Someday, I might just change my mind,” she joked but she knew she meant it somehow.
“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re willing to reconsider,” he said in encouragement, “But I understand your obligation to your own people must come first.”
With this, Cil felt a surge of great appreciation within her. Rivka was indeed a place of true harmony. And she had vowed to do everything she could to keep it. After all, it was a Whiz’s job to maintain this harmony. But definitely alongside this duty was to eliminate anyone desiring to destroy this amity. Of course, her homeland was no exception.
And so, to bid farewell, she knelt before him in grateful humility, “Thank you for everything.”
She knew within the shadows of Torch was the best place to leave it. After all, with the place’s soothing darkness, who would be awakened?
“So you’re saying you came here thinking this Adolphus Fanchon of the past would be able to help you in solving the mystery of the existence of a portal in your bed,” the handsome Feige dweller clarified.
“Well, it was more like an accident,” Ruhien shrugged. Then, he glanced sideways at Aipreal, “No thanks to her.”
“I already know that,” she snapped at him, “If you’re here to complain, then you shouldn’t have come along in the first place.”
“How ungrateful,” he grimaced.
Their host watched them in amusement as they bickered. “By the way, are you two a couple?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Which is it?”
Aipreal finally sighed in defeat, “Yes.”
“Unfortunately,” Ruhien added.
“What was that?” she grabbed him by the collar, all set to beat him up.
“An arranged marriage?”
The two glanced at each other, not knowing how to answer. But Ruhien decided to take over, “It’s more complicated than that.”
The Feige local simply nodded, letting them get away with that elusive reply. Even though he was now more curious than ever, he decided they had still got plenty of time to talk so it was better to leave it as that for now. Yes, so plenty of time.
“So, care to tell me where you two are from?” he asked instead.
Aipreal met her partner’s eyes, as if asking for permission to give an honest reply. When he didn’t give her any sign of warning, she answered.
“You probably know him,” she began, gesturing towards Ruhien, “He’s the infamous chief sentinel of Zilch Tower, Ruhien Louvrei.”
The Feige host stared at him blankly. “No, sorry, I’ve never heard of him.”
“Really?!” the couple exclaimed in unison, surprised to find out that there was actually one person in Rivka who had not heard of the rumor about the runaway sentinel. “I thought the news has been widespread,” Ruhien muttered.
“Well, the news doesn’t really reach me here in Feige,” he reasoned out nonchalantly.
The two shot him a confused look, “What do you mean?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea what’s been happening out there for ages already,” he went on calmly.
“And why is that?” Ruhien couldn’t help but begin to worry. His initial instinct might be right.
“Because I’ve been locked up in this island ever since my hair was this long,” he explained as a matter of fact, gently squeezing some strands of his waist-length hair between two fingers just above his ear. “…was this short, I mean.”
“You’re kidding!” Ruhien forced a smile.
“Why would I?”
It was Aipreal’s turn to express her alarm, though she was comparatively more composed than her fiancé. “When you said locked up, you mean you couldn’t get out?”
Ruhien narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re surprisingly calm about this. It was your fault, remember?”
“Stop blaming me already!” she yelled at him. “It won’t change anything even if you repeat it a hundred times.”
“By the way, miss, you haven’t introduced yourself yet,” the long-haired gentleman smiled warmly at her. For some reason, his kind approach had cooled her down. If only Ruhien could be more like him.
“My name’s Aipreal and I come from Earth,” she smiled back, “Nice to meet you, Mister…”
“Adimlen,” he nodded curtly, “Adimlen Vorgwen.”
“So, can we simply call you Adimlen?”
“Suit yourselves.”
Now that the necessary introductions were done, Ruhien decided it was time to discuss the main problem at hand, which was to find a way to get out of the island. But before that, Adimlen spoke up, wishing to clarify one more thing. He thought he had heard her wrong.
“Wait, you’re from Earth?”
“Y-Yes.”
Her reply earned a few moments of silence. After all, it deserved some. Choosing to leave it as that once again, Adimlen heaved a sigh, crossing his arms, as he stared interestingly at the couple.
“So that’s why,” Now he knew why it was more complicated. “And you thought time-travel would solve your problem?”
Aipreal bowed in guilt and mumbled to herself childishly, “Einstein said it was possible. In theory, at least…”
The two men eyed her uncomprehendingly. What was she talking about all of a sudden?
“Is this the Einstein…?” Adimlen wanted to ask.
“The greatest physicist there ever was,” Aipreal finished for him.
“Yeah, the one who admitted he was unsure of the breadth of the universe,” Adimlen recalled. Then, he grinned at her, “Now, you’re greater than him.”
She paused, unsure whether to laugh or not.
“So, it’s impossible, right?” Ruhien asked Adimlen. The Feige local seemed to have some knowledge on this subject.
But Adimlen shook his head, indicating his refusal to go into details. “It’s not really about the possibility. So let’s put all those theories aside. If you know the basics of Rivka, then you should’ve at least imagined the chaos it could bring.”
Ruhien knew Adimlen had a point. Aipreal had simply relied on theory, which wasn’t really wrong. But he, a Rivkan, should have known the easiest answer—practicality. “I’m telling you, it will mess up everything,” Adimlen finished.
Aipreal sighed, “So we’re back to square one.”
“Hey, don’t sulk. You still gained something, you know?” Adimlen cheered on. “Assuming time-travel was possible, the fact that you didn’t emerge from the same portal meant it didn’t even exist during that time.”
She frowned, “It’s the same square.”
“But at least, you can now abandon that theory of yours.”
“So you mean Adolphus Fanchon had nothing to do with the portal?”
“An Earthling should not be involved with any portal to begin with.”
“We’ll get back to that topic later,” Ruhien spoke up, “For now, we need to figure out a way to get out of this island.”
His words harked back. “Oh, yeah, why can’t you leave the island?” Aipreal asked Adimlen.
He thought they would never ask again. So he mounted himself on a nearby boulder, knowing the talk would last for quite a while. “Feige is composed of only this island,” he began, rubbing his foot against the blanket of white sand. Then, he pointed a finger at the body of water before them, “…and that sea.”
Ruhien gulped, following Adimlen’s gaze. “So, you practically have nowhere else to go.”
“That’s one reason,” Adimlen nodded.
“Then, why don’t you use the portal?”
“That’s the problem.”
Aipreal and Ruhien exchanged worried glances.
Then, he looked at them warningly, “I can’t.”
“Why do you mean you can’t?”
“Unlike the other legitimate ones, the portal here is intermittent. That’s why no one wants to come here. They know there’s very little chance of getting out.”
With this, Aipreal charged at Adimlen in disbelief, “Then, why are you here?”
“How ungrateful,” Adimlen snorted, “If I’m not, then how do you intend to escape?”
The two stared at him vacantly. “You mean you’ve already come up with a plan?”
He grinned knowingly, “As a matter of fact, I have already simulated this plan many times in the past—found the flaws and loopholes, improved it, and most of all, tested it once. So there’s a hundred percent chance that it’ll work.”
Their faces fell. “You’ve tested it but you’re still here. How’s that going to work?”
Adimlen simply smiled at them, “That’s because I couldn’t do it alone. It requires at least two people for it to be successful.”
“Now, I remember!” Ruhien exclaimed suddenly, recalling what he had read in a book. “This is the world where the portal is carried by the waves.”
“Waves?” Aipreal looked at him questioningly.
“There’s a wave in that sea that bears a portal,” he explained. “It comes out like a wall of water concaved at the bottom. And when it reaches the shallower part of the sea, you can walk your way into the cavity, which is actually the portal.”
“So, all we have to do is to wait for it then,” she eagerly concluded. “Right?”
“Unfortunately, that particular wave hardly ever comes out,” Adimlen further explained. “Actually, it just did a while ago when you got here. I thought it just felt like appearing so I rushed into the water but the lady crashed onto me so I didn’t make it.”
Aipreal bowed her head in shame, “Sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Adimlen gave her a pat on the head, “At least, there’s three of us now. Ready to hear my plan?”
“Wait,” Ruhien cut in, “You said you thought it just felt like appearing. So that makes one possibility. A very slim one, though.
Adimlen grinned at him, “I think you’re getting to my point.”
Taking it as a compliment, Ruhien continued, “But another possibility for it to appear is when someone out there sets Feige as his destination.”
“Precisely.”
“But no one would want to go here,” Ruhien reasoned out in frustration.
“We’re not going to drag anyone else into my plan,” Adimlen assured them, “Having three people trapped in this island is enough.”
“All right, the floor is all yours,” Ruhien said finally, parking himself a few paces away from Adimlen’s boulder to listen to what he had to say. Aipreal followed suit. And so, Adimlen began drafting his plan.
“Portals are linked together through a mesh of threads. The thread lights up when the portals it connects are in used. It records all information related to that particular usage for security purposes. On some special occasions though, they have to erase the thread memory. To do that, they reconnect either end of the thread to the corresponding portal. Once reconnected, the thread lights up and the two portals are forced to open momentarily.”
Ruhien asked, “So you plan to reset one of Feige’s threads?”
“And then the wave will come out for sure,” Aipreal added.
Adimlen was impressed, “You two are pretty quick.”
“But how do we do that? The only way to get to the Backstage is through…” Ruhien stopped as a realization dawned on him, “Don’t tell me you…”
Adimlen simply shrugged, “Like I said earlier, I’ve done this many times in the past. I just couldn’t bring my physical self near the wave. I might drown, you know?”
“But that’s crazy! Only a select few in the Portal Ministry are able to do that,” Ruhien argued. “And of course, the Rivels.”
“That’s because they are especially taught how,” Adimlen reasoned. “But there’s no law that prohibits ordinary citizens from learning the process on their own, is there?”
“E-Excuse me,” Aipreal butted in, “Care to share what you two are arguing about?”
Both men stared at her. Ruhien simply held an expression of indifference. However, a brilliant idea came to Adimlen, which brought a wide grin on his face.
“It’s easier if it’s you,” he told her, beaming.
“Huh?” she blinked and stared back.
“Hey!” Ruhien protested, “You know it’s dangerous. Why don’t you do it yourself?”
“I actually don’t mind doing it myself,” Adimlen said, “But can you carry me?”
Ruhien frowned at the thought. He’s definitely making fun of me.
“You still haven’t told me what the plan is!” Aipreal screamed at the two irritably.
“Will you do it?” Adimlen asked her in challenge.
“Will I do what?” She looked at Ruhien, begging for some clue on what she had to do. But the look he was giving her only spelled out one thing—danger.
Then, Adimlen turned to Ruhien, “Or will you rather do it?”
He fixed his eyes on the sandy ground, thinking the matter over. It was equally dangerous for first-timers like him and Aipreal. But Adimlen was right in saying it was going to be a whole lot easier if Aipreal would do it. In any case, the success of the operation would definitely be top priority.
“I’ll do it.” Aipreal’s determined voice broke into his thoughts.
Ruhien objected, “Do you have any idea what you’re about to do?”
“Of course I don’t. You haven’t told me yet, remember?” she snubbed. “Besides, I am to blame for ending up in this place. So I thought I should take responsibility somehow.”
“Well, that’s true,” Ruhien agreed.
“No one asked for your opinion,” she snapped at him.
“Very well,” Adimlen got to his feet, “I’ll teach you how to get to the Backstage.”
“What’s this Backstage, anyway?” Aipreal asked, “And where is it?”
“The Backstage holds the mystery behind the physicality of portals. It lies on the other side of the First Gate.” Adimlen explained. “When you get there, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.”
She accepted that brief definition for now. Besides, the task shouldn’t be hard seeing that Adimlen was still alive up until now despite his claimed numerous attempts to carry out the plan.
“But isn’t the First Gate the one that leads to Trance?” she asked, anyway.
Once again, he was impressed, “You’re well-informed for an Earthling.”
Ruhien cleared his throat for the credit.
“I see,” Adimlen nodded, “So you two actually get along fine.”
“Get back to the main topic, please,” Aipreal groaned.
“Anyway, you’re right. It’s the Gate that opens to Trance,” Adimlen continued. “When you dream, you pass through this Gate and enter Trance. To get to the other side, you need to turn around and go through the Gate again. It’s as simple as walking in and out of a room.”
“Well, you made it sound simple but I’m sure there’s a catch somewhere,” Aipreal said thoughtfully.
Ruhien joined in, “You must be able to wake up in your dream to go against the flow of Spiridions on Dreambelt.”
She raised an eyebrow at the two. “Care to elaborate?”
“Spiridions are the dream forms of people,” he answered immediately. “In other words, it’s you in dream land.”
“So it’s simply my soul separating from my body?”
“Earthlings like to put it that way,” he shrugged. “But separate is not the right word for it. It’s more like the soul evolves into a higher form and becomes a whole new entity because it can move and think even without the physical body. Whereas the body can’t do without it.”
“That makes sense,” Aipreal mumbled thoughtfully.
“Of course it does,” Ruhien bragged.
“And what about this Dreambelt?”
“Dreambelt is an endless one-way highway in Trance that channels the Spiridions,” Adimlen elaborated. “In Trance, you are entitled to have your own world. It could be a duplicate of your real world or a whole new exclusive one. Since a person can dream practically about anything, Trance provides him with infinite settings. So when the Spiridion comes across a situation that he likes, he breaks away from the flow and starts dreaming. If you had a dreamless sleep, it means your Spiridion wasn’t able to find one.”
“Dreambelt itself doesn’t register in the dreamer’s memory so no one can ever claim that he has actually seen it except for the Ministry people and the Rivels,” Ruhien added. “That’s why books about it were all authored by them.”
“What are Rivels, by the way?”
“It’s a nick for Rivka’s Elite,” Adimlen answered.
“Oh.” What was that again?
Then, the two men took turns in explaining further.
“Anyway, the dreamer forgets about Dreambelt mainly because the Spiridion still lies above the subconscious state.
“It’s light because it doesn’t bear any thought. That’s why it can rise as high as possible, drifting farther and farther away from consciousness.”
“During this empty state, the Spiridion can’t do anything but simply go with the flow.”
“Consciousness is the heaviest of the three because your mind is at work. So it’s loaded with tons of thoughts.”
“The subconscious state obviously lies between the two. This is where you actually dream. You gain this as you go and come across the different dream scenarios along Dreambelt.”
“Your Spiridion starts to work by processing the information it encounters so it gets heavier somehow until it attains the subconscious state.”
Aipreal simply sat there on the beach in contemplation. Judging from the way they complemented each other’s account, they must be telling the truth.
“And that is your task.” Adimlen finished. “Your Spiridion must attain the subconscious state as soon as possible so you could turn around and go against the flow. Then, simply follow the highway until you reach the First Gate.”
“So how am I supposed to do that?” she finally asked.
“Go to sleep,” The two replied in unison.
“And bring a million thoughts along with you,” Adimlen added, “So your Spiridion will be pre-loaded, making it easier for you to achieve the subconscious state.”
“How would I know?”
“You will know for sure.”
“And then what?”
“When you have turned around, follow Dreambelt. Trace where the flow of Spiridions is coming from. There you’ll find the First Gate.”
“Then I cross it?”
“Yes,” Adimlen nodded, “And beyond it is the Backstage. Look for a crack whose threads are all unlit. Then, I leave the rest to you.”
“I’ll reconnect one of these threads to force the portal open.”
“That’s right,” he nodded again, “While the two of us wait here for the wave to emerge. Then, we’ll jump into the portal, carrying your sleeping body, of course. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter where you wake up.”
“I have to say, your plan sounds feasible enough,” she commented. “I’ll do my best.”
“Great!”
“So, let’s wait till evening!” she exclaimed. “It’s easier to fall sleep when it’s dark.”
Adimlen frowned, “Sorry to disappoint you but there’s no such thing as evening in Feige.”
“Eh?”
“See, there’s light all over the place,” he motioned everywhere. “That’s why you can’t find any shadow beneath anything. Unless it’s an entirely closed space.”
“Then, how in the world do you sleep in this brightness?”
“I’ve dug a hole over there,” he pointed at a cluster of bushes nearby. “It’s dark enough for me inside. You can try falling asleep in there if you want.”
“A hole?” the couple cried in unison as they cringed on their spots.
“What, are you a mole or something?” Ruhien eyed him incredulously.
“There’s no way I’m sleeping in there,” Aipreal backed away.
“Hey, it’s not as bad as you think,” Adimlen mouthed in defense. “It’s actually pretty cozy inside. It’s my home.”
Anyway, Aipreal trusted his words no matter how absurd it was to sleep in a self-dug hole in the ground. It sounded more like a grave to me than a home.
“But won’t she wake up when we carry her outside?” Ruhien asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Adimlen shook his head. “What’s important is that she’s able to reconnect a thread. It’ll stay like that for a while, enough time for us to get to the portal.”
“Sounds good to me,” Ruhien nodded, looking pleased.
“Well, in that case, let me tire myself out,” Aipreal told them. “I’m not at all sleepy.”
“Hey, Adimlen.” They heard her call from the inside of the makeshift bedroom. “How can I fall asleep when my mind is filled with thoughts?”
“That’s the challenge,” he replied.
“Well, can you?”
“It was hard at first. Then, I eventually got the hang of it.”
“How long did it take you?”
“I don’t know. I have no sense of time in here, remember?” Then, he grabbed a handful of strands of his long hair. “Well, I probably started it when my hair was of this length.” He pretended to cut off a considerable length, showing it to Ruhien, who frowned.
“She’ll fret if she sees that.”
When no reaction came from the inside of the hole, they quietly crawled their way towards the opening to check up on Aipreal, who had successfully dozed off to a deep slumber.
“You think she’ll make it?” Ruhien asked.
“No,” Adimlen bluntly replied. “She looks too peaceful to be thinking of things.”
Aipreal emerged from the hole looking groggy and found the two busy building a campfire outside. It was Ruhien who first noticed her presence.
“Hey, you’re awake.”
“We’re still here,” she yawned. “I guess I failed.”
“That’s fine,” he consoled. “Come, we’ve prepared a meal.”
Aipreal was in deep thought the entire time. She had to figure out a way to cram her mind with thoughts without compromising her drowsiness. How could anyone fall asleep with such level of awareness? Any person with tons of problems, for example, would definitely have a hard time getting a wink of sleep.
That’s when it her.
When was the last time I’ve fallen asleep even though my mind was occupied with so much anxiety?
It had been a painful slumber but she needed it very much. She had to rest or she would have gone crazy. The events were simply so much for her to take, exhausting her heart and mind. Yes, she had done it then—sleeping without a peaceful mind. Too bad, she now had to resort to such heartbreaking means.
Even though I try my best not to be reminded, I guess I have no choice this time.
After exhausting her energy by running around the beach like some wild creature, she decided to turn in and try the operation once again. This time, she had a more concrete understanding of what she was about to do.
“She seemed a bit livelier today, didn’t she?” Adimlen noticed, as they watched her disappear into the hole.
“Believe me, that girl’s got exceptional mood swings,” Ruhien muttered casually.
“So I was right. You two do get along pretty well,” Adimlen teased.
“She accepted me in her home,” Ruhien added seriously this time. “I owe her one.”
“But you have yet to show her how grateful you are,” Adimlen advised.
Ruhien could only sigh. After all, he still had no idea what’s in store for both of them after this. Changing the subject, he asked, “So you think she’ll make it this time?”
Adimlen smiled, “I believe there’s a greater chance.”
“I hope so.”
“Wanna go check?”
They marched towards the hole to check on Aipreal. As expected, she had already fallen asleep from exhaustion. She was clutching onto the sheets, hiding a portion of her seemingly distressed face. And a closer look would reveal wet trails from the corner of her eyes.
“Wait, she’s crying!” Ruhien whispered loudly in alarm, all set to barge in. But Adimlen stopped him.
“Leave her be. She’s working hard for this.”
She felt light-headed despite the heavy thoughts of misery she had brought along with her. Memories of Nathan had once again conquered her mind, causing a familiar surge of sadness to flood over her healing heart. Funny, how this painful feeling was helping her now. She ended up wondering how she would fare without it.
She landed on velvety ground barefooted. Scented smoke filled her surroundings, blurring her vision. Then, she felt herself being pushed forward, her toes gently grazing the furry floor.
Letting the invisible force from behind do as it pleased, she kept moving forward while her sight remained as hazy as ever. It actually felt relaxing to be carried away even though she had no clue where she was headed. But despite the apparent tranquility, something was bothering her from within.
That’s when she heard a familiar voice calling out her name. She looked to her left at once, where the sound seemed to have come from. Instantly, the smoke in this direction began to swirl, bearing a hole that cleared her view. And behind the disappearing cloud stood the healthy form of Nathan, looking handsome as ever.
“It’s you…” she muttered in a gasp.
“Here,” Nathan offered, holding out an inviting hand, which Aipreal did not hesitate to take.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You decide,” he smiled, “This is your world after all.”
In Trance, you are entitled to have your own world. It could be a duplicate of your real world or a whole new exclusive one.
“Wait,” she took a step backward, squeezing his hand in the process, “This is a dream, right?”
Nathan did not respond. Instead, he gave her a longing face.
“Please, don’t give me that,” she pleaded with tearful eyes.
This is it!
“I’ve wanted to see you again so much,” she muttered in between sobs.
I think I’m on the right track.
“Even if this is just a dream, I’m very happy.”
I’m almost there…
Suddenly, she found herself caught in his arms, caging her in a tight embrace. Then, she heard him speak, his gentle voice tickling her ear.
“I guess I’ll see you later. Take care of yourself.”
And with that, he planted a soft kiss on her lips until he faded into nothingness.
“Thank you,” Aipreal sobbed for the last time, feeling where his lips had been.
I did it!
In an instant, she turned on her heel as she finally realized where she was. The haze that was moving past her had tiny floating luminous orbs mixed in it, grouped together to form shapes resembling that of a human being. She stared in awe as the one-way current continued to stream down a winding road, whose destination was too far-flung for her eyes to see. But the end of the highway was not of her concern. What she cared about was the beginning.
As she was about to take a step forward, opposing the stream of Spiridions, someone suddenly grabbed her by the arm.
“Where are you going?” Came a demanding juvenile voice.
Taken by surprise, her eyes quickly darted to her side to see who had ambushed her. A boy in his early teens stared at her warningly with deep red eyes. A mass of silvery-white hair tied up in a short ponytail framed his youthful face as it blended with the foggy surroundings.
How am I supposed to answer that? Aipreal thought in alarm.
“I suggest you return to the stream at once,” he went on.
Finally, she had found the right words. “Look, I don’t know the rules of this place. I’m just here to help a friend.”
“That’s why I’m asking where you’re going,” the boy insisted.
“T-To…to the Backstage,” she replied hesitantly.
After taking her answer into consideration, he finally gave in. “All right, do as you please,” he muttered tamely, releasing her arm. “It’s none of my business.”
“You’re letting me go?” she asked in disbelief.
“You said you’re here to help a friend,” he began explaining himself, “Same with me.”
“Oh, I see.”
Then, his solemn face suddenly lit up upon spotting somebody from afar. “There she is!”
Aipreal instinctively followed his gaze. And there, a cerulean-eyed girl with golden tresses emerged from Dreambelt, wearing a delighted smile, which Aipreal thought looked familiar. Then, she waved eagerly at the silver-haired boy as she began running towards him.
“Well, I have to go.” Sporting a pleasant expression on his childish face, he bade farewell to meet up with the blonde girl.
“Wait, what’s your name?” Aipreal called out to him before he could go any further.
“It’s Levin,” he waved back at her. “By the way, your business out there is a lot easier than you thought. So, don’t you worry.”
He didn’t seem to be a bad person, Aipreal mused. I wonder if he also knew about this whole turning-around thing. Could he be sleeping somewhere and dreaming just like me? But that friend he mentioned, she also came out of Dreambelt, right? That means she, too, is a dreamer just like everybody else on the highway. Then, her jaw seemed to have dropped in realization. No way! Don’t tell me those two people are meeting in their dreams!
Amazing as it might sound, she knew she didn’t have the luxury of time to bowl over it now. Maybe later when she wakes up, she would ask them if it was possible. But for now, let’s get down to business.
It didn’t take long for her to find the beginning of the highway. Though it was extensive and winding, it only had a single path, making it a whole lot easier to track down. At the terminal, there was an archway as wide as the road, where a foggy torrent of firefly-like entities continued to penetrate some kind of a transparent membrane.
“Is that the First Gate?” she asked herself. And with this resolve, she took a few more steps until one of the columns of the arch was at arm’s reach.
“I’ve come this far. It would be stupid to back out now.”
The stream of Spiridions did not fill the entire cross-section of the archway. There was still some space left near the bottom, just enough for her to squeeze in and make her way through. And so without much effort, she was able to cross the said Gate and found herself afloat in the middle of some sort of vacuity.
There was nothing to grab onto but she was able to glide her way towards the glowing streaks that filled this outer space. They lay side by side, with some crisscrossing each other, like circuit paths, throughout the expanse of this so-called place on the other side of the First Gate.
So, this is the Backstage, eh?
Then, she found a stray lighted filament and, curious, she traced it until it led her to a gash, aglow with pulsating radiance.
She was fascinated. There was no wall or any surface where the shimmering rift could have been made. It was almost like a crack in space.
Look for a crack whose threads are all unlit.
She stared at the crevice in front of her. Aside from the strand she had followed, there was a whole bundle of it attached to the narrow gap.
She did not have to think twice. She knew she was closer to her goal than ever. A crack with unlit threads shouldn’t be hard to find. And so, she began her search by slithering through the mesh of threads, careful not trip on any of them.
But when I find it, which thread should I pull? Would any of them do? It was something she forgot to ask about. Maybe she should head back to make sure. If I make a mistake, we could end up in another Feige or somewhere. Or it could be worse!
Then again, if she were to head back now, she would be wasting time and energy.
Never mind, I’ll just think about that later. Besides, Adimlen did not say anything about it so I guess any would do. But if I were to choose, I’d like to be transported back to my lovely planet.
It was as if everything had fallen into the right place. She halted at the sight of a lone crack with four unlit threads attached to it.
“Is this it?” she wondered, touching a strand. “It looks a bit strange.”
She glanced at each of the cracks nearby. Unlike the one in front of her, all of them seemed lively with the many luminous strands affixed on them.
The portal in Feige is legitimate, right? She stared at the crack before her debatably. Then, I guess it should have the same number of threads as the others. Even if it’s a place everyone avoids, it should still have the links to other places.
Unless…
“Iverem, Kyros, Feige…” she enumerated, “Three worlds so far.”
For newly-opened ones, all of these links have to be established one by one.
“But there are four threads,” she went on with her analysis. “It couldn’t be that.”
She was about to drop her speculation when she realized one important detail.
“No, wait, there really were four of them!” she exclaimed. “In Iverem, we had both the Verdanta and the Zilch Tower.”
She had to be right. Her argument was logical enough. Even Ruhien would definitely agree had he been here.
“I can’t believe I’ve actually found the crack in my bed,” she smiled, pleased with herself. Just then, another bright idea occurred to her.
She examined the four strands in front of her. If one of these is connected to Feige, then locating the crack of that damned place will be much easier. And I won’t have to worry anymore about which thread to pull!
“Damn, I’m a genius!”
And so, she set off, trying out each and every one of the threads.
She succeeded on her third try. Indeed, all the threads leading to the crack were lifeless. Not a single glow could be seen radiating from them. Adimlen had been here in this very spot many times in the past. And he had been so close to accomplishing his plan.
Aipreal frowned. She could already imagine his frustration.
Anyway, what was she still hanging around for? She was glad that everything went well according to plan. So just like a machine operator under command, she muttered, “Okay, resetting link.”
She giggled before pulling the final straw, “We’re going home!”
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