Dreambelt

Chapter 6: Reasons To Live

2007-06-24T11:56:00.003+08:00

“Hey, Adimlen,” Ruhien sat up on impulse upon noticing the looming commotion on the surface of the glittering ocean. “Check that out.” It had been an hour and a half since Aipreal had succumbed to dream world, as indicated on the watch she lent him. “What do you think it is?”

Adimlen simply stared keenly at the gradual escalation of ripples on the water. The two of them were hanging out peacefully by the dying campfire they had put up earlier when the calm surface of the water began to show signs of distress.

Then he mumbled, “I’ve been waiting for you for the longest time.”

Expecting a more direct answer, Ruhien shot him a confused look. “Well, is it coming? The wave bearing the portal?”

“She did it!” Adimlen suddenly cried out in victory as he quickly readied himself for a swim. “Come on, get your girlfriend. We’re out of here.”

My girlfriend? Ruhien scratched his head, debating whether he liked the idea or not. Nevertheless, he did as he was told and hurried to the hole to fetch Aipreal’s sleeping body.

They arrived at the shore, panting. Adimlen wore a knapsack, which seemed to contain all his belongings, while Ruhien carried the unconscious Aipreal on his back.

“You must be excited,” Ruhien smirked, as they unperturbedly watched the approaching giant wave when they should be running for their lives. The wall of water grew taller and taller by the minute until beams of light started to radiate from the bottom.

“I’m anxious,” Adimlen clarified.

“About what?”

By this time, they could already make out the bright hollow found at the base of the wave. It looked like the mouth of a sea monster, ready to gobble everything in the way.

“I wonder which thread she reset,” Adimlen replied.

Ruhien glanced at him in alarm. “Please, tell me that’s not bad news.”

Adimlen shook his head. “No, actually it doesn’t matter which thread it is.”

The tide had now risen to waist-level near the shore and they could already feel the pressure of being sucked into the hole.

“Don’t you think I should wake her up?” Ruhien asked. “She might choke in some water.”

Suddenly, Adimlen shot him a dreaded look, as he was afflicted by great apprehension. “But I’ve got the worst news.”

“What?”

Finally, their feet were no longer touching the ground. The surf began to carry them off towards the portal, like a river leading to a waterfall.

“I forgot to tell her how,” were the last words Ruhien heard from him before the portal had swallowed the three of them completely.

~oOo~

Aipreal found herself wandering aimlessly in this place she was not sure what to call at all. She had gone back from that nowhere situated on the other side of the First Gate, which they had dubbed as the Backstage. With clear awareness, she could lucidly see the traffic flowing smoothly down the length of Dreambelt. And she stood there on the roadside, watching psyches emerge from it in all directions. Some would join bystanders like her, similar to what that blonde girl had done a while back when she saw this boy named Levin.

“Is it okay to say that I’m back in Trance now?” she asked herself. But how can that be? I’m not even supposed to be dreaming. I’d remember all of these when I wake up.

Wake up? That just had to hit the alarm button in her.

“More importantly, how do I get out of here?”

Never mind the falling asleep part. She knew she had missed something very important because this whole task turned out to be too easy to be true. And thanks to her quickness, she was able to simplify it further, even making the most of it. But now, with panic beginning to linger within her, she couldn’t help but consider a possible dead-end ahead of her.

How do I get out?!

She felt like screaming like a caged animal when suddenly, a timid voice interrupted her frustration. “May I help you?”

Aipreal turned to see who it was and found the pretty girl with golden locks standing next to her. She was wearing a peach dress and, like herself, she was barefooted. Her hair was done in elaborate tresses, framing the healthy semblance of her small face. Serenity was written all over her with those vivid emerald orbs staring at her in concern.

“You look troubled. Is there something I can help you with?” she went on with such a sweet tone.

Aipreal knew she had nothing better to do than to respond. Besides, help was exactly what she need right now. And so, she asked, “You’re Levin’s friend, right?”

This brought a smile to the girl’s face, “You know him?”

Aipreal was reluctant in disappointing her. “No, not really. I just met him a while ago.”

But the girl showed no sign of dismay. “He’s very kind. He has taught me a lot of things,” she continued with full enthusiasm.

“Oh, I see,” Aipreal chuckled, amused by the girl’s sudden outburst. Well, isn’t she a bit lively?

Feeling embarrassed, the girl hid her blushing face as she added coyly, “I’m just glad that all he’s asking from me is friendship.” Then, her timid voice suddenly reduced to a gloomy tone, “Because that’s all I can give him.”

“It’s okay,” Aipreal said soothingly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Promptly, her face seemed to glow with a smile once again, as she pointed towards the direction where she came from. “He’s over there. He went to see me off.”

With this, Aipreal’s ears perked up. “You’re going home now?”

She nodded. “And you?”

Somehow, the girl seemed to know what to ask about exactly. “I’d like to but,” Aipreal paused to muster better words, “I can’t.”

She had anticipated some follow-up questions from the lass. But instead, she had that mystifying faraway look in her eyes that told Aipreal she was currently lost in profound contemplation.

“To be alive is wonderful,” the girl finally spoke up after a long pause, “Even though sometimes the people you love would suddenly leave you.”

Obviously, Aipreal had no idea what she was talking about. But there was something in those words that made her listen to the rest of what she had to say. Somehow, she was able to empathize with the sentiments the girl was trying to express.

“Still, I want to try something new,” the girl went on. “That’s why I’m going back.”

Her words spelled out resolve. And Aipreal, not knowing exactly how to react, simply stood there speechless, while trying to process everything she had just heard in an attempt to figure out a way to go home herself.

Then suddenly, as she studied the placid figure of the blonde in front of her, she had the urge to voice out what had just occurred in her mind.

“You have beautiful eyes,” she mumbled out of the blue, which surprised even herself.

The girl gaped at her, and then quickly averted her gaze towards her feet, blushing. “Levin said so, too.”

Though she looked flustered in embarrassment, her tone was sad.

“Have we met?”

For some reason, Aipreal felt that she had to ask.

But there was now sadness in the girl’s eyes as well as she replied, “Even if we have, I won’t be able to remember your face.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Just then, the girl’s solid appearance began to crumble as her body was slowly disintegrating into splinters.

“What’s happening?” Aipreal inquired in alarm.

“I guess it’s my turn,” the girl said, watching her hands fade away. “Sorry, I have to go now.”

Aipreal understood right away. And so to bid farewell, she called out to her for the last time, “By the way, my name’s Aipreal,” she smiled in gesture. “What’s yours?”

Upon saying this, she saw the girl’s expression change into a stunned one before vanishing completely.

~oOo~

“You forgot to tell her what?!” Ruhien screamed at his conscious companion in disbelief upon arriving at their destination.

Adimlen stared at the lofty ceiling, the fine chandelier at the center, the intricate carvings on the frame of the painting hanging overhead, and finally felt the unique softness of the cushion beneath him.

“Where are we?” he asked in awe.

“This is her house,” Ruhien replied casually as he got up to lay down Aipreal’s sleeping body on the bed properly. He moved her a little to the side, outside the portal’s imaginary radius. Then, he gestured towards the center of the bed. “And this is the bed that has the portal.”

Adimlen, remained still on the other side, wondering. “So, she was able to find the right thread after all,” he concluded.

“Anyway, how, of all things, could you forget to tell her the way back?” Ruhien asked firmly.

Adimlen scratched his head in reply, “Because she was too eager to do it. I couldn’t stop telling her the important details that it slipped my mind.”

“And that was not an important detail?”

“Then, why didn’t you tell her yourself?”

“Don’t expect me to know everything,” Ruhien frowned.

Finally, Adimlen sat up to examine Aipreal’s unconscious body. Her breathing was steady and there was no sign of distress on her face. The wet trails on her cheeks they saw earlier had dried up. And her lips were slightly parted, which even added to her vulnerable appearance.

“So, she’s going to remain like that for a while?” Ruhien inquired.

“Don’t worry, she’s not going to die,” Adimlen reassured him. “There are people who actually do this. And they sleep for a much longer time than you could imagine.”

“But she has to wake up soon no matter what. She’s got a life here, you know?”

Ruhien had a point. Besides, who would tour him around the house if she was to remain comatose?

“Can’t we just shake her awake?” Ruhien suggested.

“I doubt it.”

“Then, what are we going to do?” he was getting impatient already. “I’m sure you have something in mind for you to look so unworried about it.”

Adimlen heaved a sigh. “Well, then, have you heard of the tale about a princess waking up from a hundred years of slumber after her prince had given her a kiss?”

Somehow, Ruhien had a vague idea where this was all leading to and narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion, “You’re joking, right?”

“Honestly, do I look like a clown to you?” Adimlen complained as he recalled being told the same thing over and over again ever since he met the two.

“You actually believed that fairy tale?” Ruhien yelled mockingly.

“You do know that faeries exist, right? In Rivka, at least,” Adimlen pointed out. “So there’s no reason for you not to believe.”

“I know, I know. But that story is just made up by Earthlings.”

“And who made the Earthlings?” Adimlen argued. “You should know that every single thing they have achieved so far is simply a derivative of the Rivkan wisdom. So, if they’ve come up with such a silly tale, that’s because they have a basis for it, even though they don’t realize it.”

“Still, how can you be so sure that it’s going to work?”

“Would it kill to try?”

Ruhien finally sighed in defeat. “It’s really useless arguing with you.”

Then, Adimlen burst out laughing. “Anyway, what are you getting so worked up for?” he teased. “I never said that you kiss her.”

Ruhien blushed guiltily.

“Well, since you don’t seem the least bit interested,” Adimlen assumed conclusively as he leaned over Aipreal’s body, “Let me do it.”

However, Ruhien had grabbed him by the collar just in time. “Not so fast.”

“Changed your mind?” Adimlen smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“Is there any other way?” Ruhien asked behind gritted teeth. “Anything but a kiss, please.”

Adimlen retreated, sporting a more serious expression this time.

“Fine, I’ll try to sleep myself and find her,” he offered as he found an empty cot on the floor. What is this mattress doing here?

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Ruhien grinned, a little relieved. “You had better bring her back soon.”

“As long as she doesn’t panic, she’ll be fine.” Adimlen reminded him as he took a seat on the mattress below. “Because if she does, it’s tantamount to having a nightmare.”

~oOo~

Aipreal spent a considerable amount of time brooding over the words she had been left with, albeit she was not sure if there was even something to wonder about them. She had quit her pointless pacing around and simply preferred to stand still while watching the channel of psyches in front of her.

Still, not a single brilliant idea was coming to mind.

How come I can’t think properly now?

She had to admit, she was more composed when she was still in the Backstage untangling threads. But now, she could already feel panic starting to get the better of her. And if this went on, she would be defeated for sure.

“What are they doing? Why don’t they wake me up?” she complained in frustration. I don’t want to be stuck here forever.

Then, it struck her.

Wait, does that mean that I actually want to go back?

She looked around. Here was the place where she could create her own world, filled with bliss and trouble free. But even so, knowing that she had abandoned a certain reality, a place where she truly belonged, it would definitely bother her to no end. And that’s even worse than having a déjà vu!

So going through the blonde girl’s words once again, she tried to reorganize her thoughts, hoping to be able to come up with something feasible this time.

“She said she wanted to try something new,” she mumbled to herself, repeating the girl’s words. Whatever that was, she could probably only do it in the real world.

Finally, she realized, “Could it mean that I must think of a reason to continue living?”

Something that I could only do in the real world…

Suddenly, she felt hot liquid well up in her eyes. But…there really is nothing.

~oOo~

Adimlen decided to take a nap on the cot he found beside the king-sized bed. He had inquired about it and laughed when Ruhien told him the silly reason why they had to set up two makeshift beds in the bedroom, despite the huge one that had already been provided.

“But you two are engaged,” he hooted, “So what’s there to be shy about?”

Ruhien could only sigh. How many times do I have to tell you that it isn’t like that? Definitely not!

After all, Aipreal had never shown any interest in developing their relationship into something of a higher degree. So why would he?

Besides, who would want an inscrutable girl like her? I can’t even find a single ounce of sweetness in her.

Not that he was wishing for it.

Gee, why do I even bother thinking about these things?

He sat at the foot of the bed while he watched his two mates sleep. Glancing over at Adimlen, who seemed to be fast asleep already, he could only hoped Aipreal would be found in no time.

“This is making me sleepy,” he grumbled.

But his drowsiness disappeared at once when Aipreal’s body stirred all of a sudden. Quickly, he snuck into her bedside to check up on her. From the apparent rise and fall of her chest, her breathing had definitely quickened. And when he looked at her face, he could not help but notice the tears that had started to leak from the corner of her eyes.

“She’s crying again.”

He was about to wake up Adimlen but hesitated when he realized that he might be in the middle of his search right about now.

But what the heck is going on? If she’s been found already, she wouldn’t be crying like this.

Except for the continuous rapid breathing, which sounded more like stifled sobs, no other motion could be observed from her since she stirred earlier.

With this, he dreaded his own assumption. She can’t be panicking, right?

Adimlen’s words of warning suddenly struck him like lightning. Because if she is, it’s tantamount to having a nightmare.

Damn it, Adimlen, you’ve got to find her fast!

But he could not completely count on that, especially now that she was beyond his control. And Adimlen might just find her too late.

Unless of course, he decided to do something that would simply put everything under his control.

“This had better work,” he griped as he inched his face closer to hers. I’d rather regret doing this than doing nothing at all.

And with that, he brushed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss.

~oOo~

Aipreal felt pathetic and she hated herself for it. What am I crying for? Do I really pity myself that much? She had to think of a reason but somehow she couldn’t come up with anything wholehearted.

Her vision had started to blur due to her tears. And she was about to reach for her eyes to wipe them clear when suddenly, gentle arms snaked around her waist as a soft voice tickled her ear.

“Will you finish the puzzle for me?”

She jolted in surprise and turned around at once, blinking away the steamy tears that had fogged her vision.

And the last thing she remembered seeing was Nathan’s content face fading away into dream world.

~oOo~

“Nathan!” Aipreal screamed awake, sitting up so suddenly that she bumped her forehead hard onto Ruhien’s.

“Ouch! That hurt, you know?” he complained, getting to his feet after stumbling backwards to the floor because of the impact.

She looked to her side blankly and found him caressing his forehead. “Oh, it’s just you.”

He scowled, “What do you mean it’s just me?”

Just then, a soft melody started playing in the background. They both fell silent and listened instinctively. Immediately, Ruhien recognized the music as the one he heard the other day.

“Julie,” Aipreal mumbled absently all of a sudden. Then quickly, she got out of bed and rushed downstairs barefooted. She knew all too well where the music was coming from.

Ruhien could only watch her disappear in a flash, even leaving the door to her bedroom wide open. “Julie?” he asked, confused. “And who the heck is Nathan?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adimlen get up as well from his assumed place of rest, wearing a taunting smirk.

“So, you did kiss her after all,” he laughed in amusement. “That’s good, because I couldn’t sleep.”

Ruhien glared at him, blushing. “That’s what I thought.”

“Anyway, where is she going?” Adimlen asked curiously.

“That’s what I want to know.”

And with that, they dashed out of the room to run after Aipreal, while the familiar melody continued to play, leading the way.

However, there was something different about it now. Ruhien could not help but notice it as they made their way down the long corridor. Instead of being cut off at the part where he had anticipated it to stop, the music went on smoothly with no gaps, bearing a brand new tune.

Oddly enough, the new bracket of notes still sounded familiar. But he was certain he had not heard it while he was in the garden the other day, wandering.

Nevertheless, just like how it was in the garden the other day, the music eventually stopped, ending so abruptly after he had heard enough of the added tune.

The piece is still not finished, he thought. Then, as he had expected, it started playing again from the beginning.

“I think I’ve heard that tune before,” Adimlen suddenly spoke from behind.

This made Ruhien glance at him in surprise. “You, too?”

At that very moment, Aipreal’s voice echoed through the whole mansion as it called out the name again, ultimately bringing the music to an end.

“Julie!” Aipreal exclaimed as she barged into the main hall of the big house, where she knew her cousin could be found fooling around with the piano again.

“Aipreal,” the sightless girl’s voice was trembling in fright as she spoke. “I-I’m sorry, I was jus—”

From the bottom of the staircase, Ruhien saw Aipreal enter the main hall, the room which she had forbidden him to enter before. But now that she had left the door open, he guessed it would not hurt to sneak even just a quick look inside.

And so, he found her rushing to the side of a blonde girl sitting by the piano, whom she gathered in a tight embrace.

“Thank you so much!” Aipreal exclaimed as she hugged Julie fondly as if she had not seen her for a long time.

“Aipreal?” Julie stiffened in her seat, startled by Aipreal’s sudden change in behavior towards her. Just a few days ago ever since Nathan’s death, all she had given her was a cold shoulder, even banning her from playing the piano. She really couldn’t blame her cousin if she was holding her responsible for her boyfriend’s death. After all, no matter how she looked at it, it really was her fault.

She groped nervously for Aipreal, who was still embracing her from behind. She didn’t know what it was that had caused her cousin to do such an affectionate thing but she could definitely feel her heart leaping with joy, now that the two of them seemed to be back in good terms again. Then, she heard Aipreal speak again in her usual sister-like manner.

“Somehow, it just felt like I should thank you.”

Meanwhile, Ruhien and Adimlen had been watching them from the doorway with much interest.

“Unbelievable,” Ruhien groaned in exasperation. “Shouldn’t she be thanking me instead?”

Grinning, Adimlen took this chance to tease him one more time. “Why, what were you expecting her to say? ‘Hi, I’m back from the dead. And I thought I should see you first.’”

“Better than ‘Oh, it’s just you.’” Ruhien mumbled, rolling his eyes in sarcasm.

Julie then shifted in her seat so she was now facing Aipreal, who let go of her finally.

“I haven’t apologized properly to you yet,” she muttered ruefully.

Aipreal shook her head and knelt before her. “There’s no need for that.”

“But…”

“Actually, I think I should be the one apologizing,” Aipreal bowed her head in regret as she fumbled with Julie’s hands. “For making you suffer like this unnecessarily.”

Julie had never felt happier in her whole life. “Oh, Aipreal, I thought you’ll never speak to me again,” she exclaimed with slight cracking in her voice. Then, her face had gone grim again in sympathy. “But, I’ve been worrying. Have you… cried enough?”

Instantly, Aipreal’s lips began to tremble in heartache as she could not hold it any longer. “No, not yet…”

And with those woeful words, she finally gave in to her still unresolved agony and wailed to her heart’s content on Julie’s welcoming lap.

“Why do I get the feeling that we’re not supposed to be witnessing this?” Adimlen asked, scratching his head.

“I agree,” Ruhien sighed. “Come on, let’s head back.” And gently, he closed the huge door of the main hall to give the two girls the privacy they deserved.

Then Adimlen, intrigued by what they had seen, couldn’t help but share his own opinion.

“But with a cry like that,” he began, caressing his chin in contemplation, “There could only be one reason.”

Of course, this just had to arouse the other’s interest. “What is it?”

“She’s in love,” he went on with a smile. “But the man had already left. So now, she’s crying.”

Ruhien made a face, as if it was the most ridiculous logic he had ever heard. “That’s pathetic,” he groaned. “If he had left, then that means he didn’t love her.”

Apparently, he was too dense that he missed the whole point of the issue brought up by Adimlen. So the latter decided for a counter, which finally left Ruhien in deep thought, who found it somewhat disturbing though he was not sure why.

“But if she thinks he’s worth crying for,” Adimlen argued, “Then that means she really loved him.”

Now, that really was something for Ruhien to think about. But first, he had yet to figure out why he was even bothered by such a petty issue. Adimlen sneered, knowing that the boy still had a long way to go.

Instead of heading back to Aipreal’s bedroom, the two found the smooth marble floor rather comfortable and sat by the doorway outside the main hall, waiting. As they leaned back on the thick wooden door, they could hear muffled sobs from the inside. It was obvious that Aipreal was still not done crying.

“So, how is it here?” Adimlen asked to have something to discuss while loitering.

Ruhien knew that he was referring to his life in the mansion. “It’s fine, I guess. She has a nanny she calls Nana, who seems to dislike me very much. Anyway, she’s old and the house is big so it’s really easy to avoid her.”

“You sound like a troublemaker.”

“Trust me, this boring house desperately needs one,” he replied in defense. “But I didn’t expect a third member in the household.”

“You mean that girl sitting by the piano?”

“Yeah, I’ve only seen her now.”

“And her name is Julie apparently.”

“Though I think Aipreal has mentioned her before,” Ruhien said, recalling the incident with Meona outside Aipreal’s room. “And the two of them are in a fight until now.”

“Well, it’s good to hear that they’ve reconciled already,” Adimlen nodded.

“What a bully,” Ruhien sighed, somewhat amazed. “She even fights with little girls.”

“Who’s the bully that fights with little girls?” Suddenly, they heard an angry voice from behind as Ruhien’s door flew open, causing him to stumble backwards for the second time today.

The two men looked up and found Aipreal and Julie standing by the doorway, with the older female ready to beat the crap out of Ruhien.

“You’re in the way,” Aipreal snarled at him as the ever shy Julie hid behind her in fear.

Ruhien immediately got to his feet. So did Adimlen. And even though they had a lot to ask and tell Aipreal at the moment, no one dared upon noticing the peculiarity about the feeble girl holding onto her from behind.

“Oh, she can’t see,” Ruhien mumbled thoughtlessly.

Aipreal stomped on his foot. “How crude.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Julie had finally mustered some courage and came forward to speak, so gracefully it made the two men squirm in awe, as if wanting to hear the angelic voice again. “Aipreal, we have a guest?”

She sighed, “Yeah, two of them actually.”

“I didn’t know there’s a cute girl living in this house,” Ruhien continued to marvel. “Hi, my name’s Ruhien.”

“Julie, is it?” Adimlen then approached. “I’m Adimlen. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“She’s my cousin,” Aipreal further introduced. “And she’s been living here for two years now.”

“So, how old are you?” Ruhien asked the girl.

“I’m twelve.”

Then, Aipreal shot him a doubtful look. “Do you even know how old twelve years old is? You grew up in a very different place after all. I mean a year here is equivalent to one solar revolution, if you know what I mean.”

“For your information, that principle took after the R.A.S.,” Ruhien said as a matter of fact.

“R.A.S.?”

“The Rivkan Aging Scheme,” Adimlen clarified. “In short, the age ratio is one is to one wherever you go.”

“So then, how old are you two?” she inquired keenly.

“I’m nineteen,” Ruhien replied casually.

“Twenty-four,” Adimlen shared. “And you?”

“I just turned eighteen…” she began cheerfully then her voice suddenly faded into a mere murmur, “two weeks ago.”

Julie immediately noticed the sudden change in her tone as she recalled the tragedy that took place the same day Aipreal turned eighteen. So to save her cousin’s emotions, she decided to change the subject at once.

“Ruhien?” she called shyly.

“Rui’s fine,” he said kindly, though a bit surprised.

“Ah, y-yes,” she stammered nervously but still went on. “How is it different, I mean the place where you grew up?”

The three glanced at each other anxiously, though somewhat thankful that Julie could not see their reactions.

These two really are cousins. Ruhien stared at the two girls as he scratched his head. They’re so quick it’s scaring me.

As he was about to bluff his answer, Aipreal suddenly cut in.

“Well, you see, I kind of spoiled her dress,” she said as an excuse, indicating the wet blots she had caused on Julie’s skirt when she cried on her lap a while ago. “I’m taking her to her room so she can change.” She may not see them but our words sure can spill a lot beans if we’re not careful.

“No, you should stay here and keep them company instead,” Julie smiled at Aipreal. “I’ll be fine on my own.” And with that, she walked out of the main hall, groping her surroundings.

The three watched her as she made her way towards the staircase with short careful strides.

“Is she going to be all right?” Ruhien asked worriedly, who was flinching with every step she took.

“Don’t worry, she knows her way around the house very well,” Aipreal reassured them. “Besides, you’ll just make her feel like a burden to you if you try to help her.”

“And she can play the piano.” Adimlen added in admiration.

With this, Aipreal sighed again. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped. You’ve found out about her.”

“So you intended to keep her from us?” Ruhien narrowed his eyes at her accusingly. Then, he lowered his stance and inched his face towards hers so that he was at the same level as her puffy eyes. “You, what were you doing just now?”

Aipreal was taken aback at his sudden approach as she wondered what he could have meant. His askance sounded so demanding and his violet eyes stared at her in a very scrutinizing manner, that the pit of her stomach felt a bit fluttery.

Actually, he wanted to ask the reason for her crying but somehow, he could not word it out properly. He was so absorbed in trying to figure out the right words to say that he didn’t realize the tiny distance separating their faces right at the moment.

And when he finally did, the scene with him kissing her crossed his mind at once like a flash of light illuminating the depths of his memory.

Right away, he straightened up guiltily, failing to hide the faint blush across his face.

Ignoring his odd behavior, Aipreal stepped back into the main hall and invited them in as well. Adimlen left the door ajar in case Julie decided to join them again.

“So, we finally got away from the island,” Aipreal said, pleased with their accomplishment.

“Yeah, you were great,” Adimlen praised. “I was surprised you even got the right thread.”

“Not at all,” she laughed, a bit flattered. But I was actually kind of proud of that. I really want to keep up with them. Their world and presence keep my mind off certain things. And for that, I’m grateful.

“By the way, how did you manage to go back?” Adimlen asked.

Ruhien glared at him. “Why are you asking? Didn’t you tell me to k—?” he stopped abruptly in mid-sentence. Perhaps, some things were better left unsaid.

Aipreal watched the two in confusion. “What?”

Then, Adimlen burst out laughing. “I was bluffing, you know?”

“You’re evil,” Ruhien fumed.

“Well, was it good?”

“What on earth are you two talking about?!” Aipreal screamed in irritation, feeling a little left out. “Anyway, Adimlen, you owe me one.”

“I know, sorry,” he bowed in apology. “But really, I’m curious. How did you figure it out?”

“Let me ask this first,” she said curiously. “Why couldn’t I go back that easily like everyone else?”

Adimlen took a seat at the nearest chair and began explaining.

“Since you were not actually dreaming, you lost your inherent ability to go back. But if you went there to dream, you wouldn’t realize that you possessed this ability. You just do it.”

“What about this ability?” she inquired further.

“It’s your desire to continue living outside of Trance. People normally dream for fun. So it’s only natural that we would want to wake up again for whatever reason we have. Once this thought occurs to you, you snap out of your reverie and wake up in the real world. And all that’s left in your memory would be your dream and nothing more. Not Dreambelt, nor the people you met who were not part of your dream.”

“In your case, it was different because you did not actually dream. You still remember everything, right?”

She nodded, “Yes, even the reason why I want to continue living.”

“Yup, that’s exactly how you do it!” he gave her a thumbs-up sign. “Of course, that theory is not found in the books. It’s only taught especially to Rivels and the people in the Portal Ministry.”

“So, how did you find out about it?” Ruhien asked.

“The first time I went to visit the Backstage, I almost did not make it back simply because I did not know how,” Adimlen answered. “But then, I met a beautiful lady and she told me what to do.”

“How convenient,” the two muttered in unison, with Aipreal rolling her eyes in sarcasm.

“Hey, I’m serious!” Adimlen insisted. “She was really beautiful. She had long black hair, warm amber eyes, rosy lips, and she was dressed like a princess.”

She yawned dryly. “Maybe you were dreaming all along. You just didn’t realize it.”

“Don’t mock your elders,” he grimaced, though his eagerness to tell them about this beautiful woman never faded. “Anyway, her name was Diantha Evzenie. She said she was visiting a friend in Trance at that time. Then, she promised me that she would help me get out of Feige.”

“So, did she ever come for you?” Ruhien asked.

Adimlen lowered his gaze glumly. “No, never.”

“You got ditched,” Aipreal muttered unthinkingly.

“That’s what I thought,” he laughed. “Though, I wonder if she really was a princess.”

She leaned forward in curiosity. “What do you mean really?”

Adimlen faced her with an indicating finger. “Because when you dream, your appearance changes. For the better, that is. Why, didn’t you notice?”

“Well, I didn’t particularly look at myself,” she muttered thoughtfully, glancing at the ceiling. “You should’ve told me earlier.”

Ruhien coughed, “Only ugly people would say that, you know?”

“No one asked for your opinion.”

“I do believe this is a free country.”

But she just ignored him for her mind was currently occupied with other thoughts. Come to think of it, she was a very pretty girl. She recalled an image of the girl she met in Trance. And the boy, too. Then, she giggled unconsciously as the idea of two youngsters meeting in dream land occurred to her.

Ruhien noticed her self-induced amusement. “What could you be imagining now, I wonder?”

“None of your business,” she replied snootily. Then, she turned to Adimlen for another question. “What do you mean visiting a friend?”

“I guess she’s friends with a Trancean so she came to visit,” he answered.

“Trancean?”

“The people of Trance.”

“People… you mean like citizens?”

“Yeah, they reside in Trance. And unlike us, they don’t have a physical body sleeping elsewhere. So they remain in Trance forever. If they feel like it, some will even join you in your dream.”

With this, Aipreal’s eyes sparkled. “Amazing!”

“So, have you met the man of your dreams?” Adimlen asked jokingly.

She nodded without thinking, as her mind was still in the clouds, utterly astounded by the wonders slowly unfolding before her.

“What?!” The two men almost fell from their seats as they were not expecting such a direct answer. Moreover, Ruhien was not anticipating an affirmative reply at all.

“But I don’t get it,” Aipreal scratched her head, completely ignoring their reaction. “You say that Spiridions enter through the First Gate but they just seem to pop out of nowhere right on the Gate. When I crossed it, I was actually expecting a long line outside. Then the Backstage seemed like a totally different place when in fact, Trance was just on the other side. And where are the other worlds? I didn’t see any planet or an island or something. I mean, how is the physical orientation of these worlds, including Earth, if they are all interconnected like that?”

She ranted all her curiosity, rendering the two speechless.

Finally, she heaved exhaustedly. “My view of the Greater Universe has been totally messed up.”

Then, Adimlen came up to her to give some consolation. “Let it be. You’ll go crazy if you try to understand everything,” he mouthed casually. “The best way to get the picture is to simply accept everything out there and live, believing that someone great is working behind it. After all, your existence is the sole end product of this ingenuity. And we were not created to figure out how we came to be.”

She pondered for a while, taking his words into consideration. He was right. There was no point in trying to get the whole picture at this time. She kind of liked the feeling of amazement and surprise she had experienced these past few days. And she knew there’s definitely more to come.

“By the way, may I use the portal?” Adimlen suddenly asked. “I have to find a new place to live as soon as possible.”

Then, Aipreal smiled brightly as an idea came to mind.

“You can stay here if you want,” she offered kindly. “You still have more than a dozen of rooms to choose from.”

“Hey, no fair!” Ruhien cried out instantly in protest. “How come when it was me, you gave me a hard time convincing you?” he sulked at her injustice.

“God made him my friend. Don’t argue with God,” she retorted.

“And me?”

“Right. Who are you?”

“That’s not funny.”

“It’s not a joke.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Adimlen pulled them apart before it could get worse. “If you’re pretending to be a couple, at least act like one.” Then he said to Aipreal, “Are you sure I can live here? I mean, your fiancé seems to be against it. And I really don’t want to get in the way.”

“No, Adimlen, it’s perfectly fine,” Ruhien clarified. “In fact, I think it’s better if we have more people around. As you may have noticed already, my life here is like a vacuum cleaner. It sucks.”

Of course, Aipreal wouldn’t simply let him get away with that. “I’m impressed that you even know what a vacuum cleaner is,” she laughed. “Aren’t we getting overly familiar with my planet?”

“Let me say this again. Everything on this planet, you owe it to us Rivkans.”

“Right, remind me to make a TV ad on that,” she responded rather coolly. “But it’s not like I owe you particularly so don’t be too full of yourself. In fact, in our case, it’s the other way around.”

Finally, Adimlen heaved a sigh in resolve. “I think I’ll just stay and watch over these two.”

Chapter 5: Beyond the One-Way Highway

2007-05-31T11:54:00.000+08:00

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.”

~oOo~

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?

~oOo~

“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.”

~oOo~

“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.”

~oOo~

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.”

~oOo~

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!”

Chapter 4: Proposal Accepted, Theory Denied

2007-04-30T11:51:00.000+08:00

On his fourth day in the Favia household, Ruhien decided to survey the remaining unexplored portion of the mansion, which included some rooms downstairs, the main hall, and the library, which he supposed contained a large collection of written accounts judging from the two-door entry to the said room. Also, he must not forget to check out the lush garden outside, whose whiff would almost always catch his attention whenever Aipreal’s windows were open. Being confined in her room definitely made him long for the scent of fresh air. Not that he disliked the atmosphere inside. He simply thought it would be a good practice to air himself out once in a while.

He had been to practically every corner of the house, or at least was planning to, except for the lone room right next to Aipreal’s bedroom. For one thing, the door was always locked. And his ethics told him that if it’s locked, then it must be off-limits and the secret it kept was not for him to find out. So he opted not to push it anymore.

But he could swear he had seen Aipreal come out of it twice. Then again she would never talk about it, that’s for sure. So giving the door a final glance, he walked off and headed for the stairs. First, he would see the garden, and then go back inside for the main hall, and finally the library for he liked to save the best for last.

Ruhien glanced at the pocket watch Aipreal lent him. Of course, he knew how it works. He just had to adapt to the earthly norms regarding time. And one quick look told him that he had been strolling for half an hour already, just in time to finally take notice of the faint melody playing in the background.

He looked around and found himself in the shade of blossoming yellow trees. Trellises covered with vines stood on either side of the walkway, framing the paved path in a fairy-tale fashion. He looked up and saw through the leaves ruffling in the wind the wonder of the infinite blue above. This enchanting picture of his whereabouts coupled with the soft music he surely thought sounded familiar made him conceive of a particular place not of this world.

He stopped, wondering where the idea had come from. No, his surroundings could not have brought about that impression for they did not even, in any way, resemble the world in his mind. But even before his train of thoughts could go any further, the music stopped.

And the magic immediately vanished.

Ruhien turned around, realizing the absence of the melody. It must be the music. He decided, staring at nothing in particular, though straight ahead was one of the large windows of the main hall of the mansion. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it before.

Checking out his watch once again, he noticed that he had been standing there for about ten minutes already. And it would probably take him another five minutes or so to walk back to the front porch. But as he began his retreat, the music started playing again.

Or rather, someone decided to play the piano again with the same melody.

Listening to it more intently now convinced him that the tune did sound familiar. But to his dismay, it stopped once again, very abruptly, just like an unfinished piece. Then after taking a couple of steps forward, the music began again. This time, he found himself staring at the lofty window ahead.

It’s coming from the main hall.

Ruhien hurried back with quicker steps. For some reason, he was dying to find out who it was playing the piano. Heck, he didn’t even know that this house had a piano. Not that he was surprised to know that it had one. It just never occurred to him. With this, he frowned. He definitely had more exploring to do.

As expected, the music stopped again. But more importantly, it was cut short on the same part. He heard this happen three more times and the part where the composition gets cut off was the same everytime.

Upon coming in through the front door, Ruhien saw Aipreal emerge from the main hall, face tainted with irritation. And so without further ado, he ran up to her. “What do you want?” she snapped at him. Obviously, she’s not in a very good mood.

“I just thought…” Ruhien looked sideways, knowing his question might worsen her mood, “Were you just…”

“I don’t play the piano,” she answered coldly. Somehow, she knew he was going to ask about it.

“Then, who…”

“That’s not important.”

“May I come in, then?” he asked, reaching for the door to the main hall.

“No!”

“Fine,” Ruhien scowled, “That’s why I asked. No need to scream it at my face.”

“Sorry,” she apologized, “Just don’t come in there no matter what.”

So now, we’ve got two off-limits zones. Ruhien scratched his head as he watched Aipreal walk away.

~oOo~

That evening, Ruhien emerged from the library, bringing with him the top three books that had caught his interest. Upstairs, he met Aipreal in the hallway, who frowned at him upon seeing his cargo.

“Atlases?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why, what’s wrong with them?” he asked back through narrowed eyes.

“Though you keep calling us stupid, you love my planet, don’t you?” she teased.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” it was his turn to frown.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of keeping you here forever,” she jeered, giving him a pat of assurance on the shoulder. “Hurry up with those. Dinner is waiting downstairs.” For some reason, her more pleasant mood had returned. You are such an enigma.

As they were about to turn in for the night, Ruhien initiated an unusual chat even though he himself was not sure why he had done so. Anyway, since he had already spoken, he might as well go on.

“I don’t intend to stay on Earth for a long time either, just so you know,” he began, “This afternoon, I think I’ve caught a glimpse of my true homeland but I don’t know where the place is.”

“Are you that convinced that Iverem is not your homeland?” Aipreal asked.

He stared at her for a while before giving a well-thought answer, “One day, I just woke up with knowledge of practically anything except for my past and some vital information about myself.”

Aipreal, too, stared back in contemplation before stating her follow-up question, “Anyway, how were you able to see this place you’re talking about?”

“I think it was the mu—” he paused abruptly, realizing it would be bad to bring up anything related to the piano, “I don’t know. Maybe a memory globule had leaked out again.” That’s probably half-true, though.

“Then, remind me to give this back to you when the time comes,” Aipreal reached for the red pendant that clung onto her neck, “Make sure to think of a very good reason the next time you give this precious thing away.”

Ruhien stared at her as she took off the nupcharm and set it aside.

“I thought I’ve warned you to always keep it on,” he reminded her. Then, he looked away, mumbling inaudible words, “And I could only give it away once. That’s the law.” “I might choke myself to death, you know.”

He rolled his eyes, “Only an idiot would do that.”

“You can be an idiot when you’re asleep,” she barked, “That’s why people drool and snore.”

Ruhien grinned at this, “Then, do you want me tell you about your sleeping idiocies?”

“Shut up and go to sleep!” Aipreal yelled, hiding her embarrassed self beneath her sheets.

“You’re always the first to fall asleep that’s why I get to witness everything,” he reasoned out, “So it’s not my fault at all.”

After stating his argument, he anticipated a muffled retort from her but none came. Finding it strange, he looked over to the other side of the real bed, only to find a curled up body shrouded in peace.

“Like I said, you’re always the first to fall asleep,” he sighed, as he reached for the nupcharm beside her pillow and threw it on the disused bed.

~oOo~

Thirst awakened her from her deep yet dreamless sleep. Good thing the trouble of going downstairs was no longer necessary for Meona was thoughtful enough to leave a pitcher of water in her bedroom every night. Aipreal knew very well where the tray was located so even in her state of half-asleep, she was able to drag herself towards the coffee table across the room.

But it looked like this intuitive ability never worked with roundtrips. Or perhaps, it did and in fact, it must be working perfectly fine except that her subconscious memory was outdated. For after taking in as much as necessary liquid to refresh her dehydrated throat, she heedlessly threw herself back to sleep in her original cradle, never to be disturbed again for the rest of the night.

~oOo~

Ruhien hated breakfast the next morning. Not because of the food—no, of course not. Plus, he simply had no right to hate it, by the way. Rather, he had to endure Meona’s disapproving look ever since the old nanny found out that Aipreal was missing.

Yes, the owner of the house is missing. And that fact alone was enough to efface the flavor of every spoonful of food he consumed.

This morning, he woke up and found Aipreal’s cot empty, which meant that she must be up already. But his instincts told him that something was not quite right, as he examined her messy nest. Aipreal always made it a point to fix her place of sleep before anything else.

He headed for the dining hall right away only to find it void of anyone. However, the table was already waiting for him to sit down and have his first meal of the day.

A few moments had passed in complete silence. But for some reason, he could not begin his meal. He waited until finally Meona came in, carrying a bowl of hot soup from the kitchen.

“Where’s Aipreal?” he asked immediately. That question was probably keeping him from eating.

Meona simply stared at him as if to tell that he should know. And now as he thought about it, perhaps, it really was a ridiculous question coming from him.

“Maybe, she’d gone out to jog,” he replied casually to his own question, pretending to be cool when in fact, he was already deeply alarmed.

“All doors were still latched from the inside when I woke up,” Meona informed him as she set the bowl down.

With this, Ruhien swallowed hard the first spoonful of food. Something’s definitely wrong.

“I’m going to look for her,” the old nanny offered and left the dining hall.

When Meona was already out of earshot, Ruhien instinctively pounded the table with his fist.

“Don’t tell me she…”

Of course, it’s not impossible. In fact, what he had in mind was the only plausible reason why Aipreal was nowhere to be found right now. Meona had confirmed her absence when she returned to the dining hall several minutes later. And Ruhien must think of a way to escape the old lady’s watchful eyes so he could go back to Aipreal’s bedroom and beat the crap out of the bed until the portal opens.

~oOo~

Once more, Aipreal found herself in serious trouble. How could she have transferred to her real bed in the middle of the night? Falling off from it was more believable. Either way, waking up in yet another unfamiliar and outlandish place could only mean one thing—the portal in her bed had opened again, and then one thing led to another that’s why at this moment, she’s in the middle of nowhere.

Another likely scenario would be that Ruhien saw it open and, despite her sleeping, he dragged her into the portal because it was all part of the stupid deal. If such was the case, then he’d better be prepared for a juicy lecture.

But she had no more time to think of a third possible situation because right now, the croaky voice of an old man from behind had occupied her thoughts.

“Young lady, do come with me, please,” it said.

Aipreal turned to see who had spoken and found a short groggy-looking old man with a stylish white beard smiling serenely at her.

Moments later, she found herself following his tracks as they climbed up a winding dusty road, until a silhouetted file of cubical structures came into view above them.

“We’re almost there,” she heard the man speak for the second time since they met.

“Almost where?” she asked.

“Surprises make life colorful, don’t you think?” he chuckled.

Aipreal cringed, “No, thanks.”

When she realized it was useless to rephrase her question, she looked back to where they had come from, only to be greeted by the most dizzying vista she had ever seen. There she was, gawking from the edge of this unbelievably huge funnel, as if it was capable of swallowing the whole world in one gulp. Then, she allowed her gaze to shift from below and just settle on the view across to neutralize her queasiness, where she discovered more cubical structures bordering the conical hole.

“Just wait right here. I’ll get a wagon,” the old man instructed. “By the way, my name’s Boaz and I’m in charge of this village, Kyros.”

Village? Aipreal looked around. They had finally reached the shore of the huge basin, which was crammed with die-shaped abodes of various sizes. So that’s what they were.

“We thank you for gracing a poor community like Kyros with your presence!” Came a shout from the lively throng.

“Eh?” Aipreal was definitely bewildered.

“Hurry, show us some magic!” Another yelled in excitement.

“No, you must’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she cried, shaking her head frantically.

“Aren’t you a Whiz, young lady?” Boaz asked.

“A Whiz? What’s that?” she asked back naively, silencing the crowd in a snap.

“Then, where’s your nupcharm?” he asked again.

At once, Aipreal reached for her chest to grope the jewel in question. Then, her face paled at the same instant as she realized her mistake.

No way, I left it!

It was a rather long ride but the place was so monotonous, with only cubes everywhere she looked, that she had practically ignored everything along the way. And so the next thing she knew, she was already standing amidst a strangely expectant crowd.

~oOo~

Somehow, Ruhien managed to get away from Meona’s heedful eyes and headed for Aipreal’s bedroom right away. Once inside, he locked the door and scanned the room with one swift scrutinizing look. His skimming eyes landed ultimately on the bed, which had been evacuated. Actually, it had been since four days ago. But its bareness at the moment was telling him only one thing—

“It’s gone!”

He climbed up the bed and looked over to the other side, where Aipreal’s cot was, to verify his hunch. And indeed, the scarlet jewel was nowhere to be found.

But he had to grin at this. Leaving the charm on the bed last night definitely served a purpose.

“If my plan worked, then she should be fine,” he breathed, somewhat relieved. If the nupcharm ended up wherever Aipreal was right now, then there really was nothing to worry about.

Right?

With this, he sat on crossed legs at the center of the bed still in deep thought. Anyhow, that’s still a big IF…

“Damn it, Aipreal, where are you?!”

~oOo~

Near the heart of the parched hollow lay a crimson gem, its luster becoming more and more ashen by the minute, courtesy of the dust carried by the blowing wind. But the last of its sheen did not escape the eyes of a zealous vagabond, whose primary aim was to discover the extraordinary amidst the drabness of Kyros.

And so, with one scratch of his boot against the dry soil, he unveiled the treasure that would otherwise remain hidden and lost forever.

~oOo~

“Believe me, I have one!” Aipreal cried in plea, “I just left it at home.”

“You know that that’s not a valid excuse, young lady,” Boaz muttered regretfully, shaking his head. “The nupcharm taps the woman’s psyche once she steps out of the house without it.”

“Really?” she accidentally mumbled in awe, which only made the villagers more suspicious. Well, in my case, I don’t actually go out of the house.

The stage had now been set for her execution. With the huge crowd creeping up, she looked like a beast that was about to be offered to the gods. Certainly, these people were not joking when they sentenced her to be lynched. Running away would be futile for she’d be greeted by the same horrible fate as long as the Greater Universe confined her.

Then, Boaz decided to delay the punishment for a few moments by asking her, “Assuming you have indeed left your nupcharm at home, who asked you to have it then?”

That’s an easy one, she thought, a little relieved. Her answer was almost automatic, “Ruhien gave it to me. Ruhien Louvrei.”

Then, her reply was followed by a series of whispers from the crowd, which she hoped was a good sign. But the sharp glares coming from the young ladies of the mob was telling her otherwise.

“You mean that young mischievous sentinel of Zilch Tower?” Boaz asked in disbelief.

“Well, yeah. I guess that’s him,” Aipreal replied, biting her lower lip in hesitation.

“Though rumor has it that he’s on the loose right now, with some random woman whom he instantly took in as his wife to save her, you can’t expect us to believe your claim right away,” Boaz pointed out. “Actually, I’ve been anticipating that you will use his name to defend yourself.”

His wife? That is so not true! Aipreal could feel her rage building up, which made her want to strangle the person in front of her. But she could not primarily because she was firmly tied up on a post. What kind of rumor was going around, anyway?

“Wasn’t that so princely of him?” a girl exclaimed from the crowd with dreamy eyes.

“But that woman had better be good and beautiful like him!” another adoring but angry shout came.

Aipreal could only gawk at the two ugly girls in amazement. No wonder they were glaring daggers at me.

Now, she didn’t know if she should still insist on her claim or not because it would be useless either way.

“Lady, I’m very sorry but this is your fate on the word of Fa Riha,” Boaz finally declared, commencing the death sentence.

No, please! Not this way! I don’t want to end this way! She could only cringe in fright as she watched the insanely excited crowd close in on her.

And so, out of sheer desperation, she had managed to cry out, “Ruhien, please, come and save me! I need you right now!”

~oOo~

Ruhien, meanwhile, pummeled the bed for what seemed like the hundredth time in frustration. “Come on! Just take me to wherever hell you’ve brought her!”

And like a wish coming true, the surface of the bed cracked open, allowing warm beams of light to gush out from within. Then, he felt the mattress crumble beneath him, sinking him into a bottomless abyss.

The trip was quick but still stomach-turning like always. When he sensed some solid ground once again, he got up and examined the new surroundings. What he saw was just scorched soil all over, with hot airstreams sweeping the thick layer of dust off the ground.

And definitely no sign of Aipreal.

“If I’m not mistaken, this is the renowned Crater of Kyros.”

~oOo~

“What’s the fuss all about?” a sonorous yet sweet-tempered voice broke through all the yells and hooting, putting the impending lynching to a stop.

All eyes shifted to where the inquiring voice had come from. And there, sitting blissfully on top of the nearest cubical abode was a man clad like a hermit, his face concealed by a cloth mask that matched the white turban crowning him in an elegant fashion. Together, they framed his beautiful amber eyes, which were now gazing intently at the center of attraction.

“Oh, it’s just you,” Boaz shrugged upon seeing the newcomer.

“What do you mean it’s just me?” the man chuckled.

Whoever you are, I thank you for you just saved me. Aipreal sighed in relief, looking hopeful.

“Anyway, this woman must die. She carries no nupcharm so definitely we have to perform the punishment even without trial,” Boaz informed him, “So I hope for you to be of the same mind.”

“Of course, I agree with you, Great Boaz,” the hermit concurred with a smile, as evident by the crinkles around his eyes. “But if that’s the case,” he instinctively reached for his pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a red pendant attached to it, “Then this must be yours.”

Instantly, Aipreal’s head perked up, her face enlivened upon seeing the nupcharm in his grasp. “Does it say Aipreal?”

With this, he held a scrutinizing expression as he inspected the gem in his hand.

“Sorry, but I can’t read Fa Riha’s writing,” he muttered, scratching his head in apology. Then, he turned to Boaz, who jolted in surprise when he threw the nupcharm at him, “Here, kindly read the name aloud for everyone!”

Boaz caught it clumsily with both hands and read the name etched inside the charm right away.

“April,” the old man read out accordingly with a tone of amazement. “The etching says April indeed.”

“There you have it. You heard him!” The hermit announced to the crowd, “Now, let her go.”

“But before that, let her wear the nupcharm first to see if it’s truly hers!” came a disapproving shout.

“Sure, if it’ll make your day,” he agreed.

They untied her and she did as she was told. And before everyone’s watchful eyes, the name engraved inside the gem remained as vivid as ever, proving Aipreal’s true ownership of the charm.

However, Boaz was still doubtful and he shot Aipreal’s rescuer a skeptic look, “I’d hate to think you sacrificed yours just to save this girl. Are you sure the nupcharm did not belong to you?”

The hermit grinned at the old man once more, “I thought you’d say that. But I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” Then, he pulled out another nupcharm, this time from his purse, and showed it off for everyone to see, “Mine’s still here so don’t you worry. Now, set the girl free. You’ve harassed her enough.”

Everyone knew there was no more reason to hold her captive so they released her without further questions.

Now that the show was over, the crowd dispersed little by little, leaving only Aipreal, Boaz, and a few other men on stage. Aipreal had never felt so relieved in her entire life. But most of all, she was glad her nupcharm was safe and sound in her bosom once again.

“You’re one lucky lass, did you know that?” the Kyros elder told her, “That guy rarely comes up here, let alone mingle with people.”

“Really?” Aipreal mouthed in amusement, “Then, let me thank him prope—” But when she glanced at the top of the nearest house, he was already gone.

“That’s just like him,” Boaz chortled.

Aipreal kept staring at the top of the house where her redeemer had been. “Who is he?”

“No one knows,” Boaz shook his head in reply, “But we call him the Nameless Wonder.”

She simply looked at him askance.

“He had done quite a number of great things in the past that improved our way of living here in Kyros,” he explained, “But up until now, no one had seen his face yet, nor found out his name. Even where he lives is unknown.”

Aipreal was astounded. She thought that characters like him only existed in movies. In any case, she was thankful that he existed and chose to be here when needed.

“Anyway, would you like to have some tea?” Boaz offered, “It’s also to express my sincere apologies.”

Aipreal realized it must be about time for breakfast. So once she felt her stomach complain, she agreed right away.

~oOo~

The tea that Boaz offered ended up as a meal when he saw some symptoms of fainting in the wobbly way she walked on the way to his house. Then after taking in some nourishment, Aipreal decided to stay a little longer for a nice chat. Besides, she had nowhere else to go.

“By the way, why did you call me a Whiz?” she asked, recalling the events a while ago, “What’s a Whiz, anyway?”

Boaz smiled at this, “You know, I was just about to ask why you didn’t know what a Whiz was.”

Aipreal gulped. Well, is that a common thing in Rivka?

“Because if you don’t know, then you’re probably not from Rivka. And if you’re not from Rivka, then I don’t know where you’re from,” he stated, not knowing that he had just hit the bull’s eye.

“Well, you see, I’m kind of…ill-educated,” she reasoned out timidly.

“Even so, that’s common knowledge,” Boaz frowned.

Aipreal sighed. I thought so.

“Anyway, I won’t ask you unnecessary questions,” he assured her, “So you want to know what a Whiz is?”

She nodded.

“In Rivka, as stated in the law of Fa Riha, a woman has two options—either to marry and bear children, or become a Whiz and remain a maiden forever. Those who do not wish for a married life must go to Belva, where they will be honed to become the future guardians of Rivka. These guardians are what you call Whiz. They say that a full-fledged Whiz can create a world out of nothing and destroy it if she wills it.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” she flinched.

“That’s why only five Whiz are bestowed with such authority every eon,” Boaz pointed out, “And these five definitely know more than to perform such foolish act.”

“So that’s where the famous saying must have come from,” Aipreal shared, “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

“I’m glad you understood,” Boaz smiled.

“Anyway, going back to my first question, you thought I was a Whiz when you saw me without a nupcharm, am I right?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “Because a man can never propose to a Whiz. Likewise, a married, or even an engaged woman cannot enroll in Belva anymore.”

“I see,” she mumbled in understanding, “So women who don’t fall under any of the two categories must be executed.”

“Yes, that’s how it works.”

Just then, a huge commotion erupted in front of Boaz’s home, where squeals of female fanatics dominated the uproar. Seconds later, they heard the sound of quick footsteps approaching, followed by a loud rapping at the door.

“Great Boaz, someone’s here to see you!” came a shout from the outside.

“Now, what?” Boaz marched towards the door to welcome the unexpected visitor while Aipreal followed closely. He swung the door open to reveal the runaway sentinel of Zilch Tower, who wore a smug expression on his face at the moment.

“Rui!” Aipreal gasped, loud enough to silence the crowd outside.

He stared at her and waved indifferently, “What’s up?”

“Oh, you came to fetch her?” Boaz asked.

“Not necessarily,” Ruhien snubbed.

Aipreal frowned, “How uncute.”

Boaz, sensing the very unromantic exchange between the two, suddenly dragged Ruhien into the house, along with three other people from the crowd, “Come in here for a moment.”

~oOo~

“So, the rumors are true, eh?” Boaz fumbled with his beard as he sat at the dining table, while Ruhien and Aipreal each took a seat across him. The three men who tagged along stood behind Boaz after he asked them to act as the witnesses. The rest of the crowd competed for the few small windows of the house so they could nose around.

“You’re not going to interrogate me and force me to go back to the tower, are you?” Ruhien glared at the old man.

“No, of course not,” Boaz laughed, “But I do want to see some proof of your marriage.”

“What for?!” Ruhien asked in protest, “Isn’t the nupcharm enough?”

“Besides, we’re not even married,” Aipreal added more calmly, though she couldn’t hide the pink shade that had graced her fair cheeks.

“Oh, is that so?” the old man sat back in dismay. Then, he turned to Ruhien, “But I suppose you have already proposed, seeing that the lady now has your nupcharm with her name in it.”

Aipreal glanced at Ruhien in confusion, “Proposed?”

Then, it hit her. No, he hasn’t! In fact, it’s more like a deal.

“We’re going now,” Ruhien readied to leave as he pushed his chair backward to get up.

“Not so fast,” Boaz gestured warningly at him, “Why don’t you be real man for once and give this young lady a decent marriage proposal?”

The couple cringed at the idea.

“N-No, thanks. That’s really unnecessary. I-I’m fine,” Aipreal’s smile twitched in embarrassment.

“You heard her. Now, we’re leaving,” Ruhien said finally.

“Then, allow me to inform the Zilch staff about your whereabouts,” Boaz threatened, “Remember, they can always trace you through the portals you use. And they can start with the one here in Kyros.”

Upon hearing this, there was no more need for Ruhien to think twice. So, he knelt on one knee, turned Aipreal in her chair so that she was facing him, held her hand, and proposed in his most heartfelt voice that she had never heard before.

“Aipreal, will you marry me?”

Aipreal simply stared at him, speechless. Of course, she hadn’t seen that coming. And she never expected him to fall for such a dirty trick.

But somehow, she was glad that he took it to heart. That it was not just part of the deal. That at least for once, he saw her as a woman and not simply his landlady. After all, though a little late, he still came to her rescue, right?

Then after a few more moments of intense silence, Boaz cleared his throat, snapping her out of her reverie, “And your response, woman?”

Aipreal jumped in her seat, blinking twice to compose herself.

“Y-Yes.”

The response was brief and a little stuttered but still earned a relieved expression from Ruhien, who sighed in gratitude. Wait, what am I sighing for?

“There, there, there. Let’s cheer for the newlyweds!” Boaz declared.

“Just wait a second!” Aipreal suddenly smacked the table angrily with her bare hands. Though painful, she was more spirited with fury at the moment.

“I don’t remember marrying her!” Ruhien yelled in equal frustration.

“You proposed. She agreed. It’s the same thing.” The old man explained in delight. “Anyway, you may carry on with the engagement for as long as you want. Besides, there’s more thrill that way, right? It’ll make you crave for it more.” He winked at Ruhien knowingly, who blushed furiously.

“Yeah, dream on, boy.” Aipreal muttered in sarcasm, tramping on his foot.

“Like I’d do it with you,” he rebuffed.

She fought back the urge to kick him in the groin right then and there. And elbow his triumphant face when necessary. She was seriously losing face here, all thanks to her now so-called fiancé, who knew nothing but to offend her still recovering heart. But of course, she would never show that feeble side of her to him. As much as possible, she would like to keep such sensitive matters to herself. Besides, what good would it do if she was to tell him about her melancholy?

“You had better remember those words very well,” was all she could mouth to challenge him.

“Sure, no need to remind me,” he retorted.

“And you can only regret in the end,” Boaz advised him.

Ruhien looked at the old man intently, wondering what his words of wisdom could possibly mean.

~oOo~

They made it back safely to Earth without so much hurdle like ending up in another random world or the meddling of Ruhien’s fangirls. Aipreal sighed at the thought. She had never imagined him to possess such degree of popularity. He was simply an arrogant jail warden to her, who knew nothing but to run away from his obligations whenever he could.

But now, due to a strange twist of fate, he had also become her fiancé.

To others, the engagement might appear official. But for the two of them, it was only a pretense, which they hope would make life in Rivka easier for them.

At any rate, she was still responsible for all the trouble she had to go through in Kyros. If only she took his advice seriously, then perhaps, she could have gotten away very easily.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled in apology, as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Ruhien shifted in his position on the other side and turned to her, “For what?”

“I’ll never take it off from now, I promise,” she went on.

He nodded simply when he realized what she was talking about. “Good thing you found it.”

She paused for a while, refusing to admit that she was awfully scared when she thought she was going to be lynched for real. “And thank you.” It was all she could express.

He stared at her before answering, “Don’t mention it. After all, you’re my responsibility.”

With these words from him, she had to rethink. So, there were still some responsibilities that he would not run away from.

“Glad to hear that,” she had accidentally voiced out her thoughts, which Ruhien mistook as sarcasm.

“Don’t you dare take advantage of that fact,” he snapped at her.

“And don’t you also dare take advantage of the fact that we’re engaged!” she retorted.

Ruhien sneered, “Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”

Aipreal blushed, knowing that she indeed kind of overreacted.

“Either you still can’t accept it or you’re too overjoyed,” he continued mocking her, “That’s why you can’t put it out of your mind.”

Her face had now turned a deep shade of red.

“Anyway, whichever it is, it won’t change anything,” he said in conclusion, shrugging the matter of, “You’re still mine.”

She was now as red as a tomato.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he disclaimed right away, rolling his eyes, “Now, do you mind if I change the subject?”

Knowing he had a point, she shook her head in response. And upon getting her permission, he began at once.

“Have you noticed the portal didn’t open for three days?” he asked her, “It only did again on the fourth night.”

Aipreal mulled over it for a bit before agreeing, “Come to think of it, you’re right.”

“You know what I think? You must have activated it when you crawled back into the bed and slept in it by mistake.”

“How did you know that I did?” she asked in suspicion.

“It’s just my theory.”

With this, Aipreal glanced across the room and found her glass of water half-empty.

“Maybe I really did,” she mumbled to herself. Then, she turned to Ruhien, “So, what are you trying to say?”

“Some portals are activated by heat,” he declared.

Her face fell. “You’re not simply making that up, are you?”

“Of course not!” he exclaimed in defense, “I just don’t know which ones but I know there are.”

“So, what’s your point?”

“The bed must be used to keep the portal active,” he answered.

“And why do we need to keep it active again?”

“So we could establish the links to the other worlds until it becomes stable,” he reminded her.

“Then, you sleep in it,” she appointed him, “I’ve had enough of these accidental transports.”

“You’re missing out the most important part of our deal,” he warned her.

“Which is?”

“You’re coming with me,” he pronounced, “You’ve said it yourself, remember?”

“Well, yes, but…” she tried to object. There’s no way I’m going to sleep with you!

“Oh, yeah, another thing,” he recalled as he moved on to the next topic, “Your nanny said this bed was made by a famous bed designer. Don’t you want to check on this person? He might know something about the portal. I mean, yes, he’s an Earthling. But who knows?”

The news immediately piqued her interest, “So, who’s this famous person?”

“She said there’s a nameplate somewhere on the bed,” Ruhien got up and began searching.

Knowing that she had nothing better to do, anyway, she joined in the hunt. After all, should this person give them some explanation concerning the portal, it’s really going to help them big time.

Fortunately, the nameplate wasn’t that hard to find. It was affixed underneath the wooden framing at the foot of the bed.

Aipreal read the engraving out loud at once.

“Adolphus Fanchon.”

“Never heard of him,” Ruhien commented, shaking his head.

“Obviously,” Aipreal rolled her eyes in sarcasm, “And neither have I. I’ll look it up on the Net later.” Then, she headed for the door, “Come on, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

~oOo~

Apparently, Adolphus Fanchon was quite famous, judging from the countless online resources she had been provided with. She had already visited a dozen of websites about him and based on what she had read in them, he seemed to be an ordinary happy man that lived a blissful normal life.

Of course, that piece of information wasn’t helpful at all. And even if she only visited one site, it was already enough for them to know that this investigation was never going to lead them anywhere. For Adolphus Fanchon had already left this world more than a decade ago and was now resting in eternal peace.

“And here I thought I could e-mail him,” Aipreal sighed in disappointment as she shut down the computer.

“We’ve only come this far but we’re already stuck,” Ruhien said in comment, scratching his head. “Looks like this bed is one of a kind,” he added, recalling the feedback from people patronizing the Fanchon brand. All of them were nothing out of the ordinary. “There’s probably no one else who knew about the true nature of this bed.”

“Then, we can only ask him,” she concluded.

He nodded, “Yeah, only he can answer our questions.”

“Then, let’s go and talk to him!” she yelled in delight, as if it was the brightest idea of the century.

Ruhien stared at her in incredulity, “Are you nuts? The guy is dead! He died twelve years ago, in case you’ve missed that part.”

“Yeah, I know that,” she muttered stubbornly as she headed for the bed and hopped on, “But can’t you use the portal to travel back in time?”

He just continued to stare at her in disbelief, “Hey, do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you,” she pointed out, “Well, is it possible?”

Ruhien took a seat to think it over. The deep sigh he heaved indicated his helplessness and that he had no other choice but to heed her supposition. How come she’s taking charge all of a sudden?

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Déjà vu is very different from the time travel you’re theorizing, just so you know.”

“I’ve realized that,” she nodded. Then, she rephrased herself, “I mean, is it possible to go into this portal,” she patted the bed three times, “and emerge from the same portal but in a different time?”

Somehow, he thought he understood what she was trying to say.

“Let’s go back to the time when this bed was still being made,” she added, “I’m sure Adolphus Fanchon will still be alive and kicking by then.”

Ruhien didn’t have any more time to blink. Right before his eyes, Aipreal started to sink into the bed as she was engulfed by a sudden burst of light, vanishing her shocked face from his sight.

And so, there was no more time to think as well. Jumping into the portal and going after her were the only thoughts he had. Good thing he wasn’t that far from the bed. Thanks to his quick reflexes, he was able to dive into the hole in no time.

He was conscious during the entire trip but chose to remain motionless for a little longer as he lay on the sandy ground. It was cool and breezy, causing a unique sense of tranquility to emanate from the place. He could hear the faint sound of water splashing from a distance that added even more freshness to the mood.

And though he could only see a small portion of this new world from his position, he could tell that this time, the portal had decided to transport them to some random place near the ocean.

“Where are we?” he heard her spoke from a distance.

Good question.

He finally got up and was greeted by an overwhelming stretch of water, extending as far as the eyes could see. There was nothing at the horizon, not even a mountain or an islet. It was water everywhere.

And so once again, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, proving Aipreal’s theory wrong.

Chapter 3: False Truths

2007-02-21T12:48:00.000+08:00

First things first, even though it seemed the most inappropriate thing to do on the first morning after her boyfriend’s funeral, which was to introduce a new male species to the household and let him stay for as long as he wanted to boot. And the mere fact that he came in neither through the front nor back door but through a portal in her bed just added to its absurdity. Of course, she would never mention the portal to Meona. But seeing the visitor come out of the Favia heiress’ very own bedroom would probably be the most inexcusable phenomenon of all.

Because that’s exactly what happened this morning.

The loud clatter of breakfast utensils on the marble floor echoed through the hallway upstairs upon seeing a watchful Aipreal emerge from her bedroom followed by a stranger clad only in a pair of baggy trousers. The commotion caught the couple’s attention right away.

“Nana, are you alright?!” Aipreal exclaimed, realizing Ruhien’s state of half-undress at the same time, “You idiot! Why did you take off your shirt?”

“I’ll put it back on. I’m just fixing it, see?” he explained, showing off the rip on the shabby garment in his hand. But even before Aipreal could take a closer look at it, her old nanny had arrived right in front of them, all set to scold the hell out of the oblivious ex-sentinel.

“Put it on right away!” Meona commanded in a yell, slapping the back of Ruhien’s hand that held the garment, as if he were a stubborn little brat who had just touched something he shouldn’t have.

Ruhien practically hid himself behind Aipreal upon experiencing the old lady’s wrath and had somehow managed to don his shirt in the process.

“Just behave. I’ll handle this,” Aipreal beckoned at him and turned to face Meona, who greeted her with a scowl.

Nathan’s untimely death had shattered the hearts of many, including the old nanny’s. But Aipreal never thought it would come to a point where it could already cause a noticeable change in one’s disposition. Should that happen to anyone, it would surely be her. Definitely. And if she was to throw in her own honest opinion, she’d say Meona was rather overreacting with her quick temper and petulance, which the heiress never expected her nanny to possess. It wasn’t like she didn’t like it. She simply missed her sweet old Nana who had looked after her from the day she was born.

Aipreal watched Meona’s scowl grow uglier by the minute as she began to put into explicable words the outlandish situation she had walked herself into without sounding the least bit crazy or she’d be the one accused of overreaction. But Nana beat her to the last second with a question from nowhere, which was supported by sharp cerulean eyes lingering just below her neck area.

“Where did you get that?”

Aipreal followed Meona’s gaze and stopped at the dangling scarlet pendant in her bosom. “Oh, this?”

With a shaky hand, Meona reached for it and let it rest on her palm. The gem glimmered beautifully against the dimly lit chandelier above them, exposing the graceful etchings within. After poring over it for a moment, her scrutinizing eyes looked back at Aipreal.

“It’s yours?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the now fidgety heiress.

“Er…actually,” Aipreal began but was cut off when her nanny rolled her watchful eyes once again, this time towards Ruhien, who remained standing in the background not daring to keep his guard down.

Ruhien returned the stare with equal resilience, only his had a hint of confusion. If he didn’t know better, he’d say this old woman seemed to be mentally putting two and two together to arrive at a conclusion, which was simply impossible for her to realize. Then again, how could he know better as he was the newcomer here?

But had the most stocked knowledge, he bet.

Aipreal decided to break the staring contest by bringing up her appeal finally. “Nana, this is my friend, Rui. He lost his home in the fire two days ago,” she fibbed, recalling the headline in the local newspaper yesterday at the funeral.

I did? Ruhien glanced at Aipreal disbelievingly, which earned a suspicious look from Meona. He decided it’d be better to let her do the talking entirely. Why does this Nana seem so irritated with me?

“And he lives alone, like me,” Aipreal fiddled nervously as lying wasn’t her thing, “So I told him that he could stay here for the mean time.”

“How dare you involve her in this mess?” Meona snapped at Ruhien all of a sudden.

Ruhien frowned. Now, she’s blaming me even though I never said a thing.

“Nana, it’s okay. He can live here,” Aipreal tried to calm her down but her nanny’s next accusation left her frozen in her spot.

“How could you fall in love so fast with another man?”

Aipreal’s eyes shot open, “It isn’t like that!”

“Hell, no!” Ruhien agreed defensively.

But Meona was just as stubborn as the couple, “You probably won’t understand it but this boy can’t live here. I can’t allow it. Absolutely not!” she reprimanded. “Just imagine what Nathan would say if he were al—”

“Please, leave him out of this!” Aipreal screamed at Meona but was taken aback at once. After all, it was the first time she had raised her voice at the old nanny. “He had nothing to do with this so please…” Her voice faded into a faint sob but it did not escape Ruhien’s earshot.

She’s crying?

After a short while of painful silence, Aipreal finished sternly, “Please, prepare a room for him. He’s my guest so be kind. Besides, if there’s one person you want to blame, it should be that sightless bundle of misery awaiting that soiled breakfast you’ve awakened so early for to prepare.” And with that, she turned around in retreat, back to seclusion in the comforts of her bedroom.

Meona heaved a sigh, allowing a couple of words escape her mouth, “Poor child.” So she does hold a grudge against her cousin.

But Ruhien could no longer endure this guessing game. “Why, did something happen?”

The old nanny simply eyed him in indifference, knowing she was right all along. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”

He swallowed guiltily. Damn! This old hag’s suspicions are too accurate for her own good.

She simply smirked, “I thought so.”

~oOo~

Aipreal lay down on her bed, arms stretched out in front of her with palms facing the lofty ceiling above. She knew though it was dangerous to hang around the bed like that for the portal might open anytime. Her pretty but currently exhausted face wore a frown, not a sad but a thoughtful one.

Now that her so-called guest was not around to pester her with his bossy demeanor, she could—for the first time in what seemed like a month already—finally be alone to ponder on these changes that were swiftly taking place in her life. And she still wasn’t quite sure whether she liked them or not.

She stared at her hands hovering above her, focusing on the silver band around her ring finger. An innocent gift to finally mark her as his—who would have thought it would also be the last? But she had accepted it so even though it was only for a short while, she had belonged to him.

And then vowed that she would always be.

“I shall put away everything except for you,” she spoke to the metal band as if it were a person. She decided she’d probably be better off with every single piece that would remind her of Nathan packed away. Except for the ring, that is.

No, she wasn’t going to forget him. She couldn’t and would never. She knew it was plainly impossible so it’s just a waste of energy to even try. She was simply going to move on and remember him all the way. Sure, she was going to miss him. But what were all the happy memories of them together for? Wouldn’t it be more terrible if they didn’t have any?

How far she could get with this moving on thing, she still wasn’t sure. All she knew it was going to be a really long journey. Perhaps, she would go as far as Iverem, she thought for a laugh and felt her lips curving into a slight smile. That for sure was far. No one could argue with that. It would take one crazy portal to get to the place. She was kidding, of course, but it did sound fun. Taking her longing too literally was surprisingly consoling.

~oOo~

“This should do,” Meona pulled the green drapes open to let the morning sunshine grace the monotony of the room through one squad of those tall arched windows of the mansion. “This room shares the bathroom with the next guestroom but it’s empty right now so it’s all yours.” She pointed at a narrow door to their right. Beside it was a four-storey wooden shelf, wide enough to fit a thirty-volume set of encyclopedia. The last book was numbered thirty so that’s how he knew.

Ruhien studied the rest of the room. Though it seemed unused for ages because of the bare walls and unornamented furniture, there was not a single pinch of dust on them. Even the glass of the windows looked sparklingly clean. “It’s quite um…spotless for a guestroom. When she said prepare, I was expecting some kind of a grimy place with cobwebs all over.”

“Actually, just two days ago this room was like that,” Meona explained as she brought out additional bed linen from the closet. “I’ve just finished my monthly cleanup of all the bedrooms yesterday, the last of which was Aipreal’s since I also had to change her sheets.”

His ears perked up at the mention of sheets. “Well, did you find anything unusual about the bed?”

The old nanny squinted at him, somewhat mystified by his question, “I beg your pardon.”

“I-I mean, was the bed like that ever since?” he stammered, rephrasing his inquiry.

“How am I supposed to know? The package just got here yesterday,” Meona shrugged in reply.

“Package?”

“That bed was a birthday present from her parents, who are in Europe right now. So I’m guessing it was bought there.” she deduced, this time replacing the bulb of the lamp on the side table.

“So it’s brand new?” he went on with his askance, trying his luck in getting to the bottom of this whole portal-on-Earth thing.

“I wouldn’t exactly say that,” she paused for a while, recalling the piece of junk that arrived at their doorstep yesterday. “I just applied some wood polish on the bed frame so it looks new now. But if you look closely, you’ll see the scratches all over. As for the mattress, it was really dusty so I had to vacuum it. The material was a bit tattered around the corners and there was a huge stitch in the middle.”

Ruhien was aghast, “But why would her parents give her such crap for a present?”

“Believe me, they would.” It was a very straightforward answer that it actually freaked him out. “Besides, I heard that crap cost a million since it was supposedly designed by some famous artist.”

He knew he was getting somewhere. “So, who’s this famous artist? He’s well-known so you should know his name, right?”

“On the contrary, I do not. But I think I saw a nameplate at the bottom of the frame.”

“All right, I’ll go and take a look later,” Ruhien mumbled to himself in resolution but loud enough for Meona to hear. This time, it was her turn to interrogate.

“Anyway, why do you ask so many questions, particularly about that bed?”

“N-No reason,” he shook his head a bit too much and had to make an excuse fast, “I-I guess I w-was just envious. I also want one for myself.”

Meona narrowed her eyes even more until she arrived at a conclusion. And when she did, she pointed an accusing finger at him. “Don’t you dare sneak into her room and try to sleep with her in that bed at night! Don’t even think about it!”

“I-I’m not thinking about it!” he exclaimed in defense, his face reddening a bit. Just then, a realization dawned on him. Wait a minute…come to think of it, I really do need to sleep with her! Or at least stay in the same room as she does.

Without warning, he dashed out of the room, leaving a heated Meona, and headed back to Aipreal’s room, only to find it empty.

Oh, no! Don’t tell me it opened again while I was gone. And she got sucked in.

He looked about, examining the room carefully. It seemed fine but felt kind of awkward, as if a few things were missing. Not that he could particularly tell which items were gone. It’s just that a strategically cleared out spot amid a messy desk was making it obvious. And there were about twenty of those around the room in various locations. Damn it! It even took some souvenirs in.

He climbed up the bed immediately, crouched on all fours, and began to feel the surface of the bed with his hands, as if looking for the switch that would activate the portal. At the same time, he was keeping his guard, knowing he might fall anytime.

All his efforts were in vain, of course, for the portal would never open just like that. Heck, he didn’t even have the slightest idea how. And so to his utter embarrassment, somebody barged into the room, catching him off guard in this rather strange position. He lay sprawled on the bed like some maniac on the loose.

“What are you doing?” It was Aipreal’s voice and he straightened up immediately that he almost fell off the bed in surprise.

His eyes bulged at the sight of her irked self, which had now moved towards the dresser, where she picked up a claret box with a miniature crystalline pagoda on top. She turned the small protrusion on the side, which turned out to be a key that initiated the glockenspielic melody of the musical box. And while she listened to the delicate tune, he realized he was completely being ignored at the moment.

She didn’t turn the key all the way so the melody ended immediately. And the silence that followed was broken at once by Ruhien’s unrivaled egotism.

“Where were you?”

“In the next room,” she replied with equal arrogance.

“What were you doing?”

“None of your business,” she snubbed, “And besides, that was my line.”

“I thought you fell into the portal,” he defended.

“So you were worried about me?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Whatever gave you that stupid idea,” he rolled his eyes in denial.

“Fine, no need to argue.”

And she was about to walk out of the room again, this time with the music box, when Ruhien called out to her.

“I have to keep an eye on the portal,” he explained, “So I need to stay in this room.”

“I thought you’d say that,” she sneered at him, “You can have my room then. That’s less troublesome than moving the bed to another room.”

“And you?”

“We’ve got half a dozen rooms in this floor alone. So even if you bring your entire clan in this house, you’ll never have to worry about space,” She said in assurance.

“But you can’t stay in another room,” he protested.

“Why not?”

“Because you have to be here when the portal opens.”

“Oh, gee. Here we go again,” she muttered akimbo, getting sick and tired of his all-time favorite excuse, “Let me guess, you’re taking me with you.”

“Precisely.”

“Fine, we’ll set up a makeshift bed in here,” she resolved and walked out finally, “Because it’s all part of the deal!”

“I saved your life!” he shouted out since that, too, was part of the deal.

“No, you did not!” she yelled back from the hallway.

“Annoying girl,” he mumbled, scratching his head.

“I heard that!”

~oOo~

Gigantic mushrooms swarmed the murky hollow underneath a hemispherical trellis of soaring creepers. The thickset stalks clung onto each other so tightly that any form of seepage was impossible. The uneven ground felt damp and cool with a bit of sporadic grass here and there. It was dark but the trail was visible due to the luminous threadlike structures outlining the paved path that connected each and every one of these organic umbrellas.

The place was called Chanterelle, the country responsible for the formulation of the present Earth. One would think the place was eerie because of the obvious gloom painted everywhere. Adding to the spine-chilling air were the dark crowns of these giant mushrooms that seemed to haunt anyone who dared to look up. But seeing it from bird’s eye view would reveal the lighted path twinkling like a chain of stars entangled in a brilliant manner. If it was cosmic dust that caused the twinkling of stars, this time it was the silhouettes of people walking down the path.

Among the crowd was Zaide Erfath, emperor of Ophira, and Mayrs Dukker, his most trusted minion who accompanied him to the recently adjourned assembly held at the stadium on top of the stubbiest mushroom in the hollow. So now, the two of them were on their way back to their homeland as they headed for the dock found at the bottom grounds, which was built especially for the management of the portal leading to Chanterelle.

Today’s gathering was meant to discuss, yet again, the enduring controversial issue regarding Chanterelle’s unique Earth formula. The scholars of Chanterelle had admitted that it was entirely experimental and should it fail, precautionary measures had already been laid out in conjunction with the Creation carried out ages ago, which tantamount to a billion Earth years.

“I’d say they’ve been too lenient in granting wisdom to the current Earth,” Dukker concluded, “Take dreams for example. It was ridiculous enough to allow Earthlings to open the Gate to Dreambelt, let alone enter Trance, without bothering to disclose even just a fair amount of information about the dimension. That’s why up until now, their so-called psychologists still haven’t been able to present hard evidences on the existence of dreams.”

“But that’s what makes it fun,” the emperor laughed, “Their theories were half as bad as the petty comedy they show on television. But I must say those devices they’ve invented and improved over the years were simply pure genius.”

“That’s why I’m saying Chanterelle has been too lenient.”

“But that lenience is likened to a double-edged sword,” Zaide mumbled, his aging face turning serious. “Remember, the souls that now dwell in those human bodies have once belonged to those who have resided in the Zilch Tower and have been sentenced to death. That’s why Earthlings are, by nature, evil.”

It’s true. Death was the quickest way to Earth, as discussed in every Earth-related book. And it was actually a form of exile in disguise. It was freedom, bounded only by insufficient wisdom.

“The preventive measures the scholars have presented actually seem effective as far as human nature is concerned,” Zaide went on, “So unless Earthlings learn how to put this wisdom to good use, they’re going to be marching themselves off towards their own doom in no time.”

“Evil has been widespread in that planet. The amount is unimaginable. Even worse than what those souls have done here in Rivka,” Dukker commented.

“It all boils down to Chanterelle’s unique formula,” the emperor began another lecture, “An extra knowledge means allowing them to come up with ways on how to prolong the existence of the current Earth. That’s why the number of spirits that have been reincarnated on the planet now is relatively greater than those of the previous Earths.” Dukker nodded in understanding, “So it’s like the present Earth is capable of accommodating more reincarnations because of the extended lifespan of the planet.”

“Even so, the growing amount of evil brought about by these reincarnations will shorten it,” Zaide muttered warningly, “That was the precautionary measure the scholars were talking about.”

“Really, a double-edged sword,” his subordinate said thoughtfully.

“Brilliant, wasn’t it?”

“Come to think of it, the sun’s flare is getting weaker everyday,” Dukker noted.

“And it will be gone in no time,” Zaide finished for him.

Suddenly, Dukker had thought of diverting from the topic, “You’re highness, pardon my rudeness but I can’t quite discern whether you’re satisfied with Earth’s current endangered state or not. Because if I remember right, you’ve given away some hints of concern for the Earthlings during the conference. But I’m also well aware of your ambition. After all, the appointed next creator of the new Earth is Ophira.”

Zaide Erfath had to laugh first before presenting an overview of his plans. “With the power I possess now, I can practically do anything I want. My ultimate goal is to formulate my very own Earth. And now, I’m closer than ever to achieving that dream. It took me two generations to get to this eon. And two lives to acquire this power.”

Dukker listened intently as the emperor explained further.

“First, I can patiently wait for the scheduled destruction of the present Earth. Judging from the current level of evil in the planet, it won’t be long. Second, I can speed up the upsurge of evil so that doomsday will be much sooner than you have expected. That way, I can assure that Ophira will be granted the power of Creation during my current lifetime. Or third, I may do the exact opposite. I will encourage all the inhabitants of the Earth now to stop all their evil doings so that their doom can be withheld for another million years or so. And I shall start my regime with this new Earth that is void of any form of evil.”

Dukker thought that if he himself was an Earthling, he would want the emperor to decide on the third option.

However, it seemed that there was still a fourth one. “Should the Earthlings realize their own mistake before it’s too late and the lifespan of the planet goes back to normal, which is beyond my own, I will have to resort to my old way of doing things.”

Which is? Dukker wanted to ask but held back. He knew, though, that the emperor was talking about his lifespan for there’s just no way he’d let go of this goal of creating his own Earth.

“Any news about Lady Dian?” Zaide inquired out of the blue.

Dukker was briefly taken aback for he hadn’t seen that coming. But the lackey guessed he had the slightest idea why the emperor asked about his runaway niece all of a sudden.

“Rumor has it that her majesty is about to become one of Rivka’s Elite,” Dukker informed his superior.

“A candidate, eh?” Zaide sneered, “Diantha Evzenie. Indeed, such a brilliant girl she is. I knew she’d make a fine queen.”

Dirty old man. Dukker thought disgustingly. And she’s your cousin’s daughter!

Zaide went on, shaking his head, “Too bad, she wasn’t as pragmatic as I thought she was when I offered her my nupcharm. She should’ve just accepted it like an apple.”

A poisoned apple. Dukker wanted to choke out in addition.

~oOo~

So this was how it went. Despite Meona’s protests, Aipreal was able to convince the old nanny to help them assemble two sofa beds in her bedroom positioned on either side of the real bed. She had never imagined herself sleeping like some refugee in her own bedroom. Aside from having to share it with someone, a man to boot, she was simply being deprived of the comforts of her own bed.

On their first night, Ruhien let her borrow some of his books and scrolls, which she marveled wholeheartedly, like some child watching a circus performance, until she dozed off to sleep. When he realized the sound caused by the careful flipping of pages of his precious books had ceased, he got up and went over to the other side of the king-sized bed to gather his things. As he did so, he took this chance to take a closer look of her more peaceful self. And judging from the way she slumbered now, it seemed that she’d been through a lot of real hell these past few days.

The second night felt a little less awkward than the previous night. It was Ruhien’s turn to be entertained this time courtesy of Aipreal’s computer. She was rather surprised that he knew how to operate it, at least good enough for a first timer. But as he had explained a number of times already, he probably knew more about Earth than any living creature on the planet did.

He was so absorbed in the puzzle game he was playing at the moment that he didn’t realize he’d been staring at the computer monitor for several minutes already without moving anything. To his surprise, the screen suddenly went black as a series of pictures started to flash one by one in the form of a slideshow.

He watched the little show in curiosity, forgetting about the game. They were all photos—of Aipreal and a young man with jet-black hair. And in them, she looked happy, especially on one photo where the man was planting an adoring kiss on her cheek.

The tenth picture was about to appear in a fade-in effect when his hand holding the mouse was shoved away, disturbing the cursor’s stillness and ending the slideshow in the process. Aipreal’s hand had taken over the navigating device, immediately clicking on the “Quit” button on the game he was playing, plus three more swift clicks and the next thing he knew, the computer was shutting down.

“You’re not allowed to turn this thing on again,” Aipreal warned him, “Not until I tell you so.”

“Okay, sorry,” he apologized. He knew there was something about those pictures she didn’t want to bring up. “It just went on by itself. I didn’t do anything, just so you know.”

“I’m not accusing you,” she said coldly and proceeded to her bed, “I’m going to sleep.”

In the end, second night was even more uncomfortable.

The third night was lecture night. Ruhien decided to entertain Aipreal’s questions after letting her read the materials he had brought with him from Iverem. He had to admit, Aipreal was one curious girl. And he was still trying to figure out how he would be able to put up with this rather troublesome character of hers.

“How come there are two universes?” she began asking away, “Doesn’t that contradict the word itself?”

All right, it’s started. Ruhien sighed. But better than silence, I guess.

“Rivka, also known as the Greater Universe, is where Iverem and all the other worlds no Earthling has ever heard of belong. All these places—countries, empires, kingdoms, and such—are linked together through portals and are classified into one dimension.” He paused for a while, mentally debating whether to elaborate on his last statement or just leave it as it was. But when Aipreal’s forehead creased in interest, he decided that he might as well do so. “There are other dimensions in Rivka, each having an entry called Gate. So you could say a portal is just one type of these Gates, which is the most accessible for us Rivkans. Though technically, they don’t consider it as one since it’s always open. That’s why they have simply labeled it as the Zeroth Gate.”

“So meaning all the portals in Rivka are grouped together under one big name called Zeroth Gate?”

“Something like that,” he shrugged, “And one more reason why they aren’t truly considered as Gate is because there’s just too many of them. There should only be one Gate to a dimension.”

“Then, what about the other Gates?”

“There may be one or two requirements before you can open them. They say there are seven Gates all in all,” he indicated with his fingers and started enumerating them, “The First Gate opens to a highway called Dreambelt, which branches out to different places in Trance.”

“Wait, I think I’ve read a couple of chapters about that a while ago,” Aipreal mused, “I thought it was all bluff, just like the book we have in our library downstairs.”

“It’s true!” he mumbled behind gritted teeth, “You think my books would lie?!”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she frowned, “Anyway, Trance is a dream land, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he nodded, “But not like the ones you see in your fairy tales.”

“So I’ve been there?”

“We all have,” he answered as a matter of fact, “So what do you think is the requirement to be able to open the First Gate?”

“The person must be asleep,” she replied attentively.

“Hey, you’re not as bad as I thought you were,” he smirked.

Aipreal gave him a scowl, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind,” he shrugged off the impending argument immediately. “Anyway, next is the Second Gate, which opens to a huge basin called Memory Pool. It contains all the bits and pieces of our memory in the form of globules.”

“So you open this gate when you want to recall an event,” she concluded.

“Or when you want others to recall that event,” he added, “We all have our very own Second Gate since some memories are solely ours. And those globules can only be touched by you and you alone. But there’s only one Pool for everyone so the shared globules can be touched by anyone who have witnessed the events contained in them.” “Amazing,” Aipreal marveled, “I can’t believe it actually makes sense.”

“However,” Ruhien broke into her state of wonder, “Right now, there’s a leak in the Pool.”

Aipreal’s forehead wrinkled once again in curiosity, “What about it?”

“You’ve heard of déjà vu, right?”

She nodded.

“Once in a while, a random globule would escape the pool by accident and return to its owner. Then, with the help of the Fourth Gate, déjà vu happens.”

“Why, what’s behind the Fourth Gate?” she asked, “And don’t forget about the Third Gate.”

“All right, Third Gate first since it’s less complicated,” he decided, “Each one of us also has his own Third Gate since it deals with our emotions. The Gate can’t be accessed by anyone other than the person concerned—you. Basically, it keeps all the feelings we haven’t realized yet for ourselves. So if you think you know yourself, then think again.”

“It does sound quite simple,” Aipreal commented.

“Unlike the next one,” Ruhien agreed, “The Fourth Gate opens to the various alternate outcomes of a certain event. Unfortunately, only a few people can unlock it willfully and make the most of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Normally, events occur in a person’s life because he simply goes with the flow. Meaning, whatever the Fourth Gate offers him, he subconsciously accepts. For instance, when you asked the very first question a while ago, the Fourth Gate must have presented to me the outcome where I would simply answer it. And since I didn’t have the ability to control it, I just went along with it.”

“But what if you refused to answer my question?”

“That means that was the outcome given to me—not to answer your question.”

Aipreal stilled, her face scrunching up in contemplation. Something’s not quite right.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ruhien muttered, cocking his head to the side. “Even though it’s the Gate that provides the outcome, everything’s still up to the person’s decision. Is that what you want to say?”

She didn’t answer but the glint in her eyes was affirmative.

Ruhien smiled for he just had the right counter for that, “But the decision-making phase itself could also be an outcome offered by the Gate. Meaning, it’s also possible that the Gate has given you an outcome where you will have to think over your decision first. Of course, it’s still you who will decide whether to think it over or not. Again, that could also be an outcome and the list goes on.”

“I’m having a headache,” Aipreal gawked, “But yeah, I think I get it.”

“Trust me. Events where you need to make a decision are the best examples.”

“And that’s just for someone who can’t control the Gate, right?”

“It’s almost the same, actually. The only difference is that the person who is able to control the Gate can see, not just all the possible immediate outcomes, but also the ones thereafter, flashing before him like the reels of a slot machine spinning. Then, he can choose the best combination of events and live with it.”

“So it’s like seeing the future?” she asked, realizing that one topic could really lead to another.

Ruhien nodded, “That’s why there are those who have premonitions. I mean those who aren’t faking it. And as I’ve said, very few are truly gifted. You can even count them just by using your fingers and toes.”

“But how would I know if he’s faking it or not?”

“If he tells you that he can see your future.”

Aipreal had her face scrunched up once again.

“Because he can never open the Fourth Gate for you,” Ruhien stressed out, “Your future is for your eyes alone to see.”

Again, it all made sense. Earthlings must really be a big bunch of idiots! She screamed in mind in annoyance.

“If you say that on national TV, you’re going to give all those fortune-tellers a run for their money,” she sighed.

“That is, if people would believe me,” he pointed out.

“Anyway, what does this have to do with déjà vu?” she asked, going back to the previous topic.

“It’s because the Second and Fourth Gate can be used together to fix something in the past and alter the reality you are currently in. So it’s not simply seeing and choosing a future. You actually go back to a point in time and start living differently from there. Unfortunately, this can only be achieved by those who are capable of manipulating the Fourth Gate so I’m not so sure about the process.”

“So where does déjà vu come in?”

“When a memory globule accidentally leaks out, it returns to its owner. Then, the Fourth Gate opens and the person goes back to the time when the event inside the globule took place. That’s why he thinks he has already experienced the current situation before.”

“Then what happens when that state of déjà vu ends? I mean it only lasts for a few seconds, right?”

“The person will have no other choice but to relive his life starting from that point, without him realizing that he has actually come all the way from the future. Of course, you, Earthlings, don’t know the truth behind all this so the process is concealed by a really smooth transition. The moment déjà vu happens, the person forgets everything past that point.”

“So what happens to that future?”

“Nobody knows. It was his future after all. Should he come across with situations that have taken place in that future, then it’s another déjà vu.”

“But can’t déjà vu happen to anyone?” she asked again, “How come the Fourth Gate opens?”

“That is the thing they couldn’t resolve up until now,” Ruhien replied snappily, “Plus, the leak is beyond our control.”

Suddenly, Aipreal was in deep thought. “I’ve experienced déjà vu before,” she said wistfully, “Does that mean I’ve left some future behind?” That sounded weird.

“Yes,” he nodded, as he watched her gradually saddening face. “Now you know what’s behind all of it. A word of advice, don’t regret any of it, even if that future you’ve left behind is far better than what is now. The most important thing is that you’re alive.”

The word alive just had to hit a nerve on her.

“We, Rivkans, also experience déjà vu, you know?” he went on, knowing he hadn’t fully convinced her yet judging from the glum expression on her face. “And it’s more chaotic for us, believe me, since we know what’s causing it.”

No response came. Instead, she simply went on with her brooding.

“I still haven’t told you about the other universe yet,” he exclaimed, changing the topic.

“Go on, I’m listening,” she nodded at him, though she didn’t look the least bit interested.

“Isola, the Lesser Universe, is where Earth and everything that exists in the universe you’ve come to know belong. And the entirety of it is one dimension by itself.” He continued anyway, even though the one and only member of his audience seemed mentally absent at the moment.

“You forgot about the Fifth to Seventh Gates,” she nagged.

Or not. He frowned. But really, what was she thinking just now? She looked so serious as if it was a matter of life and death.

Actually, it was.

“They say the Fifth Gate is the one that leads to Isola,” he went on, “And I haven’t read or heard anything about the Sixth and Seventh. Though there’s this book I’ve always wanted to lay my hands on. The title’s Our Final Destination.”

“Then why don’t you buy it?”

“I couldn’t. It was limited edition. And my luck wasn’t that good.”

She must have heard him but her eyes were telling otherwise with that faraway look on them.

“Okay, enough bedtime stories!” Ruhien exclaimed suddenly, getting to his feet, and went back to his own bed on the other side. “Just go to sleep. You seem tired.” This has been a really long night! I’m beat.

But even before he could throw himself into the mattress, he heard her speak.

“Rui,” her soft voice startled him.

“Yes?”

“I’ve decided,” she began carefully, “I’m going with you.”

He looked dazed for a moment, as his eyes darted from her towards his own bed, “You mean go to bed with me?”

Her aura seemed to flare up as she threw a pillow at him. “I mean to wherever hell that portal may lead you, you idiot!”

“You mean you haven’t decided yet until now?” he asked in disbelief, throwing back the pillow at her. “In any case, it’s still part of the deal.”

“I know, so you can shut up now.”

“So annoying,” he muttered irritably as he finally went to bed.

Aipreal, however, remained wakeful for another two hours. She lied down on her bed in the darkness, eyes glued to the ceiling, with only one thought in mind—

If only I could open the Fourth Gate…

~oOo~

The soft gentle breeze blew her raven hair away, causing it to dance back and forth as it whipped against her hips in a graceful rhythm. The night would always appear at its best on the rooftop of the farthest tower of the citadel, for it had the best view of Belva, capital city of the northern dominion Fa Riha. Here was the place she considered her second home, where young maidens from the four dominions of Rivka were being honed to become the future guardians and maintainers of the Greater Universe.

Unfortunately, hers was a different goal. She only wanted to gain knowledge and expertise so she could move on her own and commence her own personal mission. Helplessness would never defeat her. She simply wouldn’t allow it, especially if time was not on her side. Every single day was fruitful. Her outstanding attitude towards learning could be one factor. Or maybe she simply had the talent. Truly exceptional.

But to belong to the cream of the crop was never a part of the plan. To be able to qualify as a Whiz was more than enough—just as long as she had learned as much skills as she could and those abilities that she thought would be useful to her. Perhaps, now that she was about to be rewarded for her hard work, she might just regard it as a bonus. She chuckled at the thought. So I’m that good?

“Cil?” a voice awakened her from her musings.

She turned around and found Zay Fa Yien, her best friend and another aspiring maiden from the eastern dominion just like her, standing by the archway leading to the rooftop. She wore the same style of Whiz garb as Cil, only hers was less revealing for she had a cloak over, bearing the sacred insignia of Belva.

“There you are!” Zay exclaimed as she walked up to her, “What are you still doing here? Your name is about to be called.”

Cil Fa Yien smiled at her, studying her friend’s outfit. “Is that it?”

“Is that what?”

“The cloak,” she nodded in indication, “You’re now a certified Whiz. I’m happy for you.”

“What are you saying? We all are.”

“I’m not,” Cil muttered sadly but not regretfully.

“What do you mean you’re not?” Zay was kind of baffled at her cryptic statements. “Your cloak is waiting for you in the great hall. I just saw it.”

“I’m going to refuse the title,” she muttered simply.

“What?”

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fulfill my duty as a Whiz.”

“What are you talking about?” Zay asked in disbelief, raising her voice due to her friend’s ludicrousness. “You are more than capable of fulfilling this duty. Being the top candidate for Rivka’s Elite is enough proof.”

“Zay, you know my cause. More than anyone, you know why I’m here. Please, I’m trying my best not to feel sad about this.”

“Oh, Cil,” Zay sniffed, giving her friend a comforting hug. “The others would surely hate you for this. You just have no idea how many of us are dying to be at least a candidate for Rivka’s Elite. And you’re simply throwing this opportunity away.”

Cil smiled at this, “I’d like to know. Sun would be very happy, though.”

Zay frowned, “That woman doesn’t know how to give up.”

“But that’s what I like about her.”

Zay sighed, “So when are you leaving?”

“Tonight.”

“At least get your cloak,” she suggested.

“No way!” Cil declined, “Or else men would stay away from me.”

Chapter 2: An Overturned World

2007-01-17T12:13:00.000+08:00

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.

~oOo~

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.”

~oOo~

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.

~oOo~

“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.

~oOo~

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.”

~oOo~

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.

~oOo~

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.”

Chapter 1: Presents and Bereavement

2006-12-29T12:09:00.000+08:00

If there was one day she would never forget, it would be the last day of April. Not because it was her birthday—thus, being named after the diamond month, which almost expired and it got her eccentric mother demanding for a Caesarian section eighteen years ago just so she could name her daughter Aipreal—rather, it was also the same day she had the experience she considered her most embarrassing. But with a happy ending, nevertheless.

But that was three years ago, during a town festival. She and some companions had volunteered to take care of the refreshments section in the town square, preparing ice-cold drinks for everyone and making sure they never ran out of any.

She was handing a cup of freshly made strawberry shake to a grumpy-looking old man when her co-worker stationed to her left reached over her stretched out arm to tap the other one to her right.

“Hey, do you see that guy in blue shirt?” she heard left co-worker speak.

“That one with the black hair?” Right co-worker asked for assurance though she had already spotted the said guy.

Aipreal discreetly followed their gaze and true enough, a dark-haired young man in blue shirt stood a few feet away from their booth, chatting merrily with his friends.

“Isn’t he cute?” Left co-worker asked in delight.

“He seems nice,” Right co-worker agreed, “And he’s a newbie. I heard he just moved into town last week.”

“Really? Then, let’s make friends with him! Or else, he might think this place is filled with a bunch of lowly snobs.”

And the two of them unlaced their plaid aprons, placed them on the counter, and took off, leaving Aipreal with additional two mixers in hand.

“H-Hey, you can’t just…” she called after them but they had disappeared into the crowd in no time, “… leave me like that. Great!” she sighed in defeat, seeing more dehydrated customers pile up in front of her.

But then, she was smiling to herself. She would always find something to amuse her. And this time, it was that boy in blue shirt.

She decided to simply keep quiet about it when the two girls were gushing over him. For in reality, she already got the chance to talk to him while being temporarily assigned at the registration booth early this morning.

He had given her his name so she could write it down on a tag. After scribbling the letters D-A-N-I-E-L neatly on the card, she peeled the thin transparent film off the back, revealing an adhesive surface, and handed the card-now-turned-sticker to him.

He took a glance at his name on the neon-colored sticker before pasting it gently on his shirt pocket, an amused smile forming on his lips. But even before he could leave the booth, the tag fell off. Apparently, the material of his shirt wasn’t that adhesive-friendly.

Then almost instinctively, Aipreal reached for her hairclip and fixed it on the lip of his shirt pocket, holding the nametag in place.

“That should do it,” she muttered akimbo and when she looked up at him, a serene smile greeted her, causing a warm feeling to creep up her cheeks.

“Then, remind me to give it back later,” he said, patting her on the head and messing up her chestnut hair in the process, “See ya!”

“You didn’t have to do that,” she frowned, fixing her hair as she watched him walk away from the booth and into the square.

It was already evening when people started to call it a day, as evident by the diminishing crowd. As she cleaned up, she would scan the place once in a while and look for a certain boy in blue shirt. After all, though not stated exactly, he was the one who offered to meet up after the festival. Not that she wanted to see him and so she could also have her clip back, but it was simply out of curiosity that she kept her hopes up. She simply wanted to know if he was kidding or not.

Finally, the refreshments booth and the surrounding area were clear of spills and garbage. Then, the booth owner handed her a small envelope containing some change.

“Thanks for helping out,” he said.

“No problem,” she smiled in return.

“Then, shall I see you next year?”

“Sure thing!”

She glanced at the now deserted town square one last time, trying her luck. But it looked like she wouldn’t be having her clip back anymore. And so she turned on her heel and started to head home, which was the fancy-looking but lonesome mansion at the end of the dark street she was trekking now. She didn’t actually feel like going home at the moment for there wouldn’t be anyone to greet her, except for Nana, her chubby old nanny since birth.

Her father, being an only son, inherited this house and every ounce of material possession and business her grandfather owned when the old man died ten years ago. So there, she was a filthy rich kid, always getting what she wanted. Pretty spoiled, maybe. But not a lazy brat. She would always come up with something to do to get the boredom off her mind. For she, too, was an only child. And with her parents always on a business trip ever since her grandfather passed away, she had no one to talk to in that huge boring house. Except for Nana, that is.

She was halfway down the dark street when she heard slow footsteps behind her. It wasn’t fright she felt but surprise rather. Nobody had walked down this street in a long time except for her and Nana. Unless that person who seemed to be stalking her right now turned out to be Nana. But if it was her trusty nanny, she would have called out to her by now.

“Hey!”

That confirmed it, as a male voice broke the now tensed silence. She quickened her pace and looked nowhere but straight ahead. Mr. Favia, her father, had once told her about the harsh reality of this world and the existence of kidnappers. She frowned at the thought. He just told me, but did not warn. And he’s supposed to be my father. What a cruel reality! Her house already seemed big though still quite far away. Why had they never installed streetlamps around here, anyway? She found herself complaining now that she realized she was wandering in darkness alone with a stranger.

“Hey, wait up!” the suspicious being called again.

Just leave me alone, will you? Aipreal was now walking faster than ever until finally she broke into a run.

“Happy birthday!” the man finally yelled when he saw her getting away.

This definitely made her stop in her track. A stranger greeting her a happy birthday? She mentally counted the few people who knew today was her birthday. And if she remembered right, all of them had greeted her already. And so she whirled around, only to find herself face-to-face with the boy in blue shirt even though in the darkness, it looked more black than azure.

“Happy birthday?” she asked him, no longer frightened but curious.

“Well, I was running out of words to say,” he replied, scratching his head and ruffling his jet-black hair, “I just thought it would catch your attention.”

“Well, it certainly did but how did you…” she trailed off when she saw his nametag still hanging onto his shirt pocket.

“Don’t tell me it really is your birthday,” he muttered wide-eyed, “It was just a wild guess. Wait, I wasn’t even trying to guess to begin with.”

“Anyway, thank you, Daniel,” she smiled, stressing his name so he would somehow remember the hairclip, “I hope you enjoyed this year’s festival. You’re new in town, right?”

“It was quite a celebration,” he nodded, “And yes, I just got here last Saturday. My dad received a transfer so we had to move.”

“So that means you’ll have to move again when he gets another transfer, huh, Daniel?” it sounded awkward but she didn’t pass the chance to append his name at the end, hoping it would remind him of her hairclip, give it back, and finally go home.

But why was she in a hurry to leave, anyway? He seemed harmless enough to let him know her birthday. And now, he was about to find out where she lived, too.

Perhaps, it was that same uneasy feeling deep within her, which had always told her that something bad was about to happen. And each time, her instincts never failed.

So she decided to simply take the matter into her own hands. She would ask him directly to give her clip back and it would be the end of their conversation.

“By the way, Daniel, can I…” she began but was cut short when he snapped his fingers in realization.

“Oh, yeah! Your hairpin,” he reached for his pocket and unfastened the little thing, “Here. That was really clever, you know? Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” she nodded and was about to walk away when he called out to her again.

“Why didn’t you wait for me? I said I’d give it back after the festival.”

“Well, I didn’t think you would remember,” she replied in all honesty. Even now, it took you long enough.

“How could I forget it? People kept bugging me about it,” he looked up at the starry night thoughtfully.

“Huh? Why, is there something wrong with a hairpin on your pocket?” she asked, her curiosity building up again. I’d probably find it weird, myself, but it was there on purpose.

“Nothing,” he shrugged and his amber eyes moved back down to her, “It was my name they kept noticing.”

“Your name? What about it?”

“I’m sorry, but my name’s not Daniel,” he grinned. “It’s Nathaniel.”

Eh?!

Her curious face abruptly shifted into a sheepish one. Now, this was not funny at all. There she was, purposely muttering his name repeatedly, emphasizing it every time as a matter of fact. But all the while, she had actually been making a fool of herself and she had no idea.

I’m completely mortified!

So that was the bad thing her instincts had been telling her. An utter embarrassment. In front of a handsome stranger no less.

“Maybe you didn’t hear it right back there,” Nathaniel went on, with an emphasis that it was not her fault so there really was no need to fret. “It was pretty noisy.”

“Why didn’t you tell me right away?” she demanded in annoyance, her cheeks flushing in shame. She so hated it whenever she made a silly mistake. “I could’ve changed it.”

“But you would be wasting paper,” he reasoned out, trying to appease the anxiety that had soon surfaced in her voice. “… and ink.”

“I am not going to apologize,” she snapped rather stubbornly. It might be her fault but she also had to be laughed at, by this man and those people.

“I didn’t ask you to,” he shrugged, cocking his head to the side. “You really amuse me, you know?” he muttered absently, which earned an incredulous stare from his object of amusement.

“Well, you’re freaking me out,” she retorted at once for she couldn’t think of better words to say. Silence would mean she liked the compliment, which she did and it brought her already tinted cheeks up another shade. She did not expect that by just being her ever boring self could charm someone this gorgeous. It was actually flattering, she had to admit. But she wouldn’t forgive him just yet, as if he had truly wronged her. Then, running out of decent remarks to throw at him even before she could think of worth uttering ones, she added in a low voice, “Weird boy.”

A boy? Me? At first, he frowned. But then, he chose to simply flash another amused grin at her weird comment. You really are something.

For a while, they stayed, staring at each other, with Aipreal glaring daggers at him while Nathaniel getting entertained by her mood swings. Never had he seen a girl as quick-witted—proven by the hairclip incident this morning—and as daring—evident by her strolling alone in the dark—as her. She seemed to be timid for she must be the only girl who didn’t approach him during the festival and start a trivial conversation. In fact, now that they began their small talk, him moving again to a new home after a couple of years or so was the first thing she brought up. He, himself, had not even thought about that at all. And though she looked coy, she spoke with unmistakable affirmation. So, you’re not the shy and apologetic kind, eh?

Aipreal finally broke the staring contest, “This is really humiliating. I’m going home,” and she stomped off towards her mansion.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s no big deal, really,” Nathaniel followed suit.

“They must be laughing at me.”

“No, they were not. I told them I’ve always liked the name,” he finally caught up, “That’s why I asked you to put it instead of my real name.”

“Well, that was really gay, you know?” she made a face that looked she really was freaked out.

With this, he stepped right in front of her, arms crossed, “Care to repeat that?”

Suddenly, she burst into fits, breaking the cold evening silence that had been lingering for a while now. She was giggling so hard she almost fell to the ground.

“Hey, I’m not gay,” Nathaniel frowned as he watched her have hysterics.

But she did not seem to have heard him. Today was her birthday and she was simply having the time of her life. Would it kill to let her laugh all she wanted tonight? Besides, considering her boring life in that hopeless mansion of theirs, she never had so much fun in a really long time. Though, she wasn’t exactly sure what it was that made it fun. Perhaps, it was yet to come…

“I said I’m not gay!” Nathaniel repeated himself as he was already starting to feel annoyed by her chuckles, “I’ll prove it to you.”

And in an instant, her laughter hushed down as it got muffled by the sweet sound of two pairs of lips locking.

And on that night, my first kiss was stolen by the most wonderful person in the whole wide world.

~oOo~

The usual gloomy demeanor of the mansion had slowly faded away ever since that fateful day. Nathan could be found in the huge house almost every other day, keeping the princess of the house company—from telling tales, to making his own contributions to her already messy kitchen experiments, to helping her with school homework and projects even though they attended different high schools.

Though he knew all too well that Aipreal was one heck of a dexterous lass, music was one trade he could enthusiastically and indulgently brag about, for the girl somewhat lacked the knack for this particular craft. He had wondered why; though he never bothered to ask, dismissing the thought and regarding it as a simple trivial matter, which it was.

At any rate, the ivories in the great hall would always look inviting whenever he visited. And with him posed in front of the ebony grand was one sight that would almost always take Aipreal’s breath away, especially on the day he first sat on it.

Lack of skill was one thing. But lack of interest was another. Aipreal knew her weaknesses. That’s why she adored people who had them for strengths. And she loved Nathan more because of that. He had never bored her, that’s why.

~oOo~

Exactly a year later since that fateful day, after months of endless mirth, occasional bickering, a series of teasing, and everyday banter, Nathan arrived at the mansion porch, a bouquet of white roses in hand. After all, his date was now sweet sixteen.

For weeks, he had wondered what to give her on this special day. There seemed to be no item in the market that could really please her for she had practically got everything in that colossal abode of hers. Indeed, she was a princess, an heiress, which would certainly secure her a bright future. Not that she actually needed this immense wealth to be assured of her future because she alone was a brilliant hard-working student with her own many ambitions.

So what was it that she truly lacked?

Meona was the one who opened the door after a couple of knocks by him. She was old and wrinkly but full of energy. Her blue eyes would dance in excitement whenever Nathan was around. If Aipreal did not know better, she’d say her nanny had fallen head over heels in love with her friend. But such thought was ridiculous though she found it rather amusing, often letting it pass with a giggle.

“But he looks like my grandson,” was Meona’s forever excuse every time Aipreal would tease her about it.

“Nana, is Aipreal home?” Nathan knew it was a silly question but blurted it out, anyway, due to nervousness. Why am I nervous all of a sudden? Is it because I don’t have a decent gift to give her?

“Oh, she’s just upstairs with Julienne,” Meona cocked her head towards the stairs with a loving smile. “Come in, I’ll make some tea for the three of you.”

“Who’s Julienne?” Nathan asked in curiosity as he was ushered into the foyer. Just then, Aipreal came running down the marble staircase rather hastily. “Watch it!” Nathan exclaimed when the celebrant almost slipped at the bottom steps. The hem of her dress got caught by a sharp protruded carving on the balustrades, that’s why.

But Aipreal was able to regain her composure at once. No way was she going to look ridiculous in front of her date. “Julie is my ten-year old cousin. She’s going to live with me from now on. I’m really lonely in here, you know.”

Lonely? What do you think I come here everyday for? Nathan frowned, not because of what she said, but because of the tone of hurt in her voice. Wait, could she hinting something?

“We both are,” Aipreal added instantly, seeing the sudden change in Nathan’s expression. Gee, that was a joke. But realizing it was her fault anyway, she went on, “Julie, too, is an only child like me. And a very special one. She needs company. I do, too. That’s why our parents decided that we should live together.”

Or maybe not. Nathan frowned even more, realizing that what he had thought a while ago about her hinting something had been disproved. Well, hinting or not, he now knew the perfect gift to give her.

“What the heck are you scowling for?” Aipreal slapped him on the arm jokingly as she was kind of frustrated with the way his mood seemed to have worsened despite her efforts to cheer him up. “Come on, where are you taking me today?” she grabbed his now swelling arm and dragged him towards the door. “Hey, pretty! Are those mine?” her hazel eyes sparkled upon seeing the white bouquet he was trying his best to conceal behind him with his other arm.

“Yours?” Nathan chortled. “Yeah, for you.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“No, it’s not,” He shook his head, handing the roses to her. “They’re mine. I bought them. And they’re for you.”

“Fine, I lost,” she sighed in defeat. His commonsensical reasoning would often get the better of her for his logic was not in any way pure. There was always a tinge of charm and sugariness mixed in it. And as much as she hated being beaten by this annoyingly unique logic of his, she loved it.

“Hey, before we leave, aren’t you going to do something about that rip?” Nathan raised an eyebrow at the hole made on her dress by the little accident at the bottom of the stairs a while back, which now showed a good portion of her thigh, “I don’t really appreciate the idea of my girlfriend parading some skin that’s not supposed to be seen, you know.”

Immediately, he bit his lip upon uttering the last word. It actually hurt it almost bled.

“Hey, that rhymed.” Fortunately for him, Aipreal seemed amazed rather than surprised. Then, as if another nose had sprouted on her companion’s face, her jaw dropped and her eyes grew big as a realization dawned upon her. “What did you just call me?” her hazel orbs were now sparkling in delight, though, with a hint of mockery. She would never pass the chance to tease him, especially when caught in one of his few goofy moments.

“Uh…” Nathan was once again trying to formulate another logical reason to counter her impending taunt. But it was his fault for letting that word slip out in an untimely manner. “You should change then I’ll tell you.”

“Agreed,” she exclaimed, dashing upstairs and into her bedroom right away.

A fun and memorable day it was. A typical date but Nathan had managed to spice it up a little. They left the house as ordinary acquaintances and they returned as lovers. This morning, his dilemma was what to give Aipreal as birthday present. And at the café where he took her, he had simply let his sweet talk do the trick. Aipreal had to admit, Nathan was a pro in that department.

“The gift I brought, you might not like it,” he began with fearful eyes.

His expression was so contagious Aipreal could not help but worry herself. “Why, what is it?”

“I swear, I did my best to make it look great,” he continued, raising his hand in pledge.

“You know it’s no big deal even if you haven’t brought any,” Aipreal said in assurance.

“Will a boyfriend do?” Nathan blurted out in an instant, now with childlike innocent pleading eyes.

For a moment, they stared at each other in silence. Aipreal’s hand wandered about the table and grabbed the first thing it had touched. It was the menu.

Upon acquisition, the poor thing had graced Nathan’s head in a loud smack, courtesy of his adorably violent date. “That’s got to be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard in my sixteen years of existence.”

For some reason, his sweet talk never worked with her. Well, usually.

“Really? In that case, I’m very proud,” Nathan managed a smile, despite his throbbing skull.

“Gee, I didn’t know my boyfriend could also talk of cheesy crap, aside from gay ones,” she mumbled in sarcasm.

“Still, you just regarded me as your boyfriend,” he sneered in triumph, which earned a blush from Aipreal’s already rosy cheeks, “Ready for your second kiss?”

As expected, the menu had landed again on his thick skull.

Nothing had changed, except for the intertwined hands. The walk home was like any other. The chosen topic of conversation was even more typical.

“Nana will be surprised when she sees us,” Aipreal giggled, remembering her good old nanny’s hypothetical crush on Nathan.

“I doubt,” Nathan yawned.

“You bet?”

“If I win, you’ll get your third kiss,” he smirked.

“Pervert,” and she smacked him for the fourth time today, “By the way, remind me to introduce you to Julie when we get home. Then, let’s all go to the festival together. I got the afternoon shift in the refreshments section.”

“Sure,” he shrugged, “By the way, you said she was special. In what way?”

“Ah, that’s because she can’t see,” she replied pitifully.

“She lost her sight?”

“No, since birth. She was born blind,” Aipreal clarified.

“Oh, poor kid,” Nathan muttered, feeling sorry for the girl’s misfortune, “She doesn’t even have an idea how herself looks like.”

“No, that’s what makes her even more special,” Aipreal corrected him.

“What do you mean?”

“She knows exactly how she looks like. How a person looks like, features and all,” she narrated.

“Well, that’s kind of subjective because you don’t really know how much she can imagine,” Nathan reasoned.

“You have a point there,” she mumbled thoughtfully. Now that she considered Nathan’s opinion, maybe Julie’s parents might have been a little harsh on her. Exiling her in the mansion like that would not help their daughter at all. She then remembered the real reason why her aunt and uncle were forced to send Julie away. The poor girl had been suspected of being possessed by the evil spirit for she suddenly started doing and talking about things she was not supposed to know given her state of disability. “She can play the piano just like you.”

Though surprised by the additional information, Nathan simply blinked as he turned to his girlfriend, “Beethoven was deaf.”

“That’s a different story.”

Nathan shrugged, realizing her point, “How well can she play?”

“Really well for someone who never took lessons.”

“Maybe that’s her true gift, to compensate for her disability,” he contributed as he insisted on viewing the issue from a different angle, “How many pieces can she play?”

“Only one,” Aipreal replied, remembering what Julie’s parents had told her, “She keeps playing that one again and again but never finishes it.”

“See? It’s not as strange as you think,” Nathan smiled, “Be very surprised if suddenly she plays all the masterpieces in the world.”

With this, Aipreal managed to stifle a laugh. This was another trait she loved about him. He could always carry out his critical thinking with a straight face. And after a few words of wisdom, she herself would end up holding a straight face as well.

A few more strides and they had reached the mansion porch finally. But even before Aipreal was able to rap a couple of knocks, the front door opened.

“Well, it’s about time,” Meona greeted the couple on the doorstep, a knowing grin plastered on her always smiling face.

“Told you,” Nathan raised an eyebrow at the oblivious girl beside him, catching her off-guard with a quick smack on the lips.

~oOo~

Aipreal’s nonchalant voice could be heard amidst the silence reigning over the den of the Favia household. It was a fine morning; she and her cousin were having a sumptuous breakfast when the phone rang. Meona picked it up. It was Aipreal’s mother, who was currently in Europe with her father.

“I’ll be fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me,” the bored Favia heiress sighed, “It’s not like this is the first time you’ve left me alone.” There was an intended sarcasm in her last statement but just decided not to pursue it. And on my birthday, too.

“We’ve already sent you your birthday gift. It should be arriving in a week. I’m sure you’ll love it!” came the enthralled voice of Mrs. Favia.

“That rhymed, Mom.”

“What was that, dear?”

“Never mind. I’m just weird,” Aipreal heaved another sigh and simply let her mother do the rest of the talking. Well, I must have inherited my weirdness from you guys. I wonder what kind of bizarre gift you’re sending me this time.

An hour or so later, Nathan arrived. This year, since it was Aipreal’s eighteenth birthday, he had come prepared. Standing still beside him on the doorstep was a pink parcel—a rectangular box that reached up to his knees, with a yellow ribbon sitting lazily on top. What it contained was for Aipreal to find out, of course.

“Hi, you’re early,” Aipreal greeted him with a kiss, which surprised him, and ushered him into the den.

“What was that about?” he eyed her suspiciously. Normally, she would give him a high-five for a greeting.

“Well, I’m a woman now.”

He stopped. “Okay…” he looked weirded out but he liked the idea, anyway.

The yellow ribbon stood out in Aipreal’s peripheral view and so her eyes immediately darted towards Nathan’s lifeless elfin companion.

“I’m claiming this, right here and right now, so don’t bother arguing with me,” she flashed him a smile that he couldn’t resist and gathered the package in her arms. It was rather light for its size and as it was lifted up, a soft crumbling sound was heard from within.

“What’s this?” she asked in curiosity and continued shaking the big box, creating noise that sounded like a carton of cereals.

“I thought it’s yours so why are you asking me?”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. He had beaten her again with his logic. And so without further ado, she ripped the parcel open, revealing a picturesque scene printed on one face of the box. On the upper right hand corner, it said 5000 pieces, which certainly made her gawk in awe.

“It’s a jigsaw puzzle,” she mumbled agape as she continued to marvel the art. At the bottom, it was labeled Hidden Arbor, signed by the artist, Thomas Kinkade. Still, she couldn’t believe her eyes for some reason. She had received quite a number of unusual gifts in the past, no thanks to her parents, and though this one was equally peculiar, she didn’t sense the usual nonsensical oddness emanating from the giver. And knowing Nathan, he must have a very good reason for getting her such an ingenious present. And indeed, he had.

“It was the best gift I could think of that would remind you of me,” he smiled sheepishly, “With those many pieces, there’s bound to be one that would make you think of me.”

What a guy… She thought as she gazed at him, her eyes sparkling with love. If she was her usual self, she’d smack him with the box right then and there. But no, his charming choice of words had touched her deep down, vanquishing the more violent character of hers.

“Liked it?” he asked expectantly.

“Very much!” she nodded, rubbing the impending tears off her eyes.

“Finish it, okay?”

“I definitely will.”

He knew she was about to cry and so to preserve her fresh look, he changed the subject right away. “Where’s Julie? I thought she’s coming with us.”

“Are you sure I won’t get in the way? I really don’t want to be a burden to you guys,” came a soft voice, “Trust me, I’ll be fine in here on my own.”

A timid blonde girl walked into the den, her eyes gracefully shut, revealing long thick lashes.

“But I’ve already reserved tickets for three,” Nathan gestured three fingers. The agenda for today was to attend a concert at the festival, get Aipreal’s other gift, and finally plant that long-awaited flag, marking her as his.

“And besides,” Aipreal smiled as she leaned forward to whisper something in her cousin’s ear, “The more, the merrier.”

“Right,” Nathan nodded, pointing out his index finger in indication, “The more, the manier.”

Okay, so the gig wasn’t really that spectacular. Aipreal had to admit, it was the most awful she had seen so far. Therefore, it being the worst could do without elaboration. It would be better to leave it as that to avoid further humiliation. Nathan must have noticed the boredom painted on his girlfriend’s face so he decided to might as well leave even before the concert concluded. After all, the rest of the day awaited them with much more interesting events.

A coffee parlor downtown would do the trick. It was a tiny but homey place conveniently located beside a novelty shop. The tables set up outside seemed more inviting in this sunny day than those confined within the fiber glass walling of the parlor.

Nathan did not want to waste any more time so he took this opportunity, while waiting for their orders, to bring Aipreal to the adjoining shop and check out the merchandise. He knew for a fact that Aipreal would love the place. And something in there was going to aid him big time in planting that eminent flag.

“Go ahead, I’ll wait here,” Julie smiled in assurance. Besides, sitting did not bore her at all. Listening to her surroundings had always amused her.

“Okay, but don’t talk to strangers,” Aipreal reminded her. And the two set off, leaving the quiet girl alone in their coffee table.

An officer’s occasional whistle, a dog barking, an ambulance passing by, flipping of broadsheets at a nearby table, the cries of a little boy because his balloon popped—which caught her in surprise, causing her to jolt in her seat—and then a far off voice calling out her name.

Julie cocked her head as she tried to figure out where the call might have come from.

“Julie, over here!” she heard again. A female voice? Must be Aipreal… Armed with this conclusion, however indefinite it was, she stood up and started to follow in the direction she supposed, completely unaware of the danger she was about to walked herself into.

“Thanks for shopping!” the storeowner waved in appreciation as the couple walked towards the door. Aipreal wore a smile, admiring the way the silver band fitted perfectly around her finger. She simply couldn’t explain how great it felt to belong to someone, especially if that person took the ownership as a pleasure and honor.

The shop door’s glass window provided a very good view of the coffee tables next door and every now and then, she and Nathan would glance at their table to check up on Julie. But now as they were about to leave, they found the table in question empty and Julie, who seemed oblivious of her current situation, was on her way to cross the street!

“Julie!” the two cried in unison though Nathan’s reflexes were far swifter than Aipreal’s and he managed to arrive at the forthcoming mishap in no time. And just in time to be run over by a speeding truck as he shoved Julie to safety.

Aipreal froze in her spot, refusing to believe what had just transpired right before her eyes. His defenseless body was tossed back onto the sidewalk upon impact as crimson spill began to stain the gray pavement underneath. And the next thing she knew, she was crying her heart out, with Nathan’s last words confusing her already dazed mind in endless echoes.

“Find… me.”

And on that day, my only world was gone in a blink.

So, if there was one day she would never forget, it would be the last day of April. Not because it was her birthday. Rather, it was also the same day she had the experience she considered the most heartbreaking. Not quite a happy ending.

~oOo~

The wake lasted a week. And the entire time, Aipreal would simply stand in silence in front of the casket, watching over Nathan’s sleeping body, her used-to-be cheerful eyes swollen from crying.

A love lost forever—that’s what it was.

Her happiest days with him kept flashing before her with a promising luminance that she thought would glow without end. First love. First heartbreak. And one that seemed incurable. How could she ever recover from this pain when every single dream they had envisioned together haunted her each lonesome moment of her life?

Now, she had been left with no other choice but to return to the monotonous life she once had. And that was what frightened her because at the heart of that simplicity would be an ultimate fear she had hoped to experience never again.

She had almost lost all her tears at the funeral. The past three years had all been nothing but a beautiful dream. And she had never imagined that waking up from such could be this painful.

Despite her hazy vision, she had managed to go home, the gloomy foyer of the mansion greeting her with absolute sympathy. Upon closing the door behind, she looked up and found Julie standing at the bottom of the staircase in wait.

“I’m sorry,” the feeble girl managed to mumble in between sobs. It was all her fault, she knew. But how was she supposed to know that there was another Julie in the vicinity? Then again, she should have known better than that. Aipreal would never call out to her like that when she knew all too well what her cousin was incapable of. “I should’ve stay—”

She was cut off when a trembling hand landed on her cheek in a painful slap that echoed through the hall with hateful reverberation.

Not long after, the sound of angry footsteps could be heard dashing upstairs, concluded by a loud slamming of a door. And downstairs, a pitiful girl filled with a lifelong regret was left in her own agony.

It was never her intention to put the blame on the young girl. But she was also no god who was incapable of hatred and iniquity. A human, after all, no matter how rational he might be, was meant to act beyond reasons as well.

The moment she entered her room, her vision had blurred due to the tears that began to well up in her eyes yet again, giving her a not so vivid view of her surroundings and making her act out of pure instinct. A nice long rest after a week of endless grief, that’s what she needed, she thought wearily as she finally succumbed herself into the comforts of her bed.

The bed. She paused for a while. Something about it felt different. The sheets, so soft and fresh. And the mattress, so limp and supple she thought she was going to drown in it. She reached for a pillow and heard a sound of crumpling paper. Opening an eye, she found a card lying on the bed right in front of her face.

Happy birthday, darling! Have fun sleeping. Love, Mom & Dad. She read the card silently. They sent me a bed for my birthday? She stared blankly at the card for a while. Unbelievable! As much as she wanted to voice out this amazement, she couldn’t for she had no more energy to even mutter a whisper of thanks.

And this gift, no matter how enormous it was, did not change the fact that she had just lost the love of her life, never to see him again in this lifetime. With that thought in mind, she couldn’t suppress her feelings any longer and bawled like never before till her stingy eyes bled dry with the last teardrop she could yield, dozing her tired self off to a dreamless sleep.

It was early evening when she fell asleep. She had even missed dinner because of it. Meona had knocked several times on her door but the lack of response made the old nanny realize that food would not exactly help an aching heart. So with that, she simply left her be.

For Aipreal, an inevitable derivative of going to bed early was her proneness to waking up in the middle of the night. And tonight was no exception.

Or so she thought.

Perhaps, the one and only thing that would make tonight an exception was the raspy breathing of someone lying next to her, which was in fact the very reason of her awakening. The room had remained unlit from the moment she fell asleep so her vision wouldn’t do much in this situation. Strong arms caged her in an embrace that felt dangerous yet protective. Sensing an oddity, which was quite obvious, in the current state she was in, Aipreal was left with no other choice but to defend herself and break free from the intruder’s grasp.

But it looked like the sound of her quickening heartbeat did not come unnoticed by the stranger. So even before she was able to push the intruder away, she was pinned down deeper into the sheets while a dark figure of a man loomed over her, trapping her with his arms now placed on either side of her.

“Don’t scream,” he mumbled in a gruff voice. It was an offhand warning yet Aipreal found herself obeying.

Then, her eyes slowly widened in awe as warm multihued light emanated from beneath them, illuminating her assaulter’s princely features of flaxen hair and violet irises. The sight blinded her, with the overwhelming radiance filling every single corner the room, until she could see no more. And the next thing she knew, she was falling deep into whirling oblivion…

With a thump, she was awakened for the second time tonight. But instead of clutching onto silky sheets, her hands brushed against a damp layer of grass that served as her bed at this moment.

Wait a second. Grass? Just what in the world…

Finally, she opened her eyes and found herself underneath a blanket of beautiful emerald sky where there was a surplus of light but no sun at all. In fact, even a thin ray of the fiery sun would not fit in this breezy environment at all. There’s just too much green in the place that Aipreal wondered how the people of this world looked like.

And that’s when the most absurd thought struck her.

Could it be that there are other worlds above and beyond the place called Earth?