Disoriented beings swim around the void that I in. I am able to see their dreams, their withered dreams that were once filled with hope and desire.
These are beings that have ceased their curiosity, as they've discovered what real desires are.
They would never go as far as beings that crave their dreams. Even then, their dreams would still be broken.
I must admit that I too had a dream. A dream of freedom. A dream of peaceful solitude.
Only as you get wiser, do you then realize that dreams are not for the weak minded. It's for those that are willing to destroy themselves over and over again to achieve it.
So, it's easier to just abandon them. Although, even if you abandon your dreams, they will always follow you.
I'm not easily distracted, from what I remember, so my dreams shouldn't bother me that much.
It makes me absentminded. I don't have the time to dream, and I don't have the time to think about accomplishing my dreams.
Time is valuable. Very valuable. Someone such as myself does not have the ability to feel time, and the way it passes. The way it moves by without you giving it a thought.
A silent executioner.
I shouldn't think much of it. In the end, it only affects those around me. My late friends. My dear comrades. The memories I have with them slowly fade as time goes on.
That might be the only effect it has on me.
I've stopped communicating with other beings, whether they are a divinity such as myself, or a mortal. It's not healthy for me to think about the fact they'll leave one day.
That is, if anyone communicates with me to begin with.
People, mortal or divinity, don't seem to like talking to me, or they don't like me at all. I shall not worry about it. They don't matter to me.
The fading beings leap and dance. They wrap up into themselves and then they cry. They cry as if they wish for their tears to be heard by the heavens, the very ones who gave them such a corrupted life.
Their screams rip into my ears and quickly fill up my mind. I can't hear, think, or see anything other than it. I can even taste it. I cannot describe it in the modern language. How I wish I could still remember my native tongue.
If only I could bring forth my past memories.
..That sounds like a dream.
The destroyed beings continue screaming, and I continue listening. I can read their stories, I can feel their perspective. When they used to feel joy, when they used to know of happiness.
That was, of course, when they were young.
Now, they know of the truth. The real world. How could they know of happiness when they have discovered how vile and cruel this world is?
I don't blame them. I too, knew of happiness. I am grateful for being able to feel it. To have found happiness, it still gives me a certain amount of hope.
Ah, how foolish. To believe that I, a being so unworthy that they can't even feel the effects of time, could possibly feel happiness once more.
Dwelling on the situation won't make it any better.
I leave the eternal void, and begin my walk into the ephemeral world. I see small children playing with kites. The toys fly through the sky, imitating great dragons who soar through the sky in the sempiternal celestial.
I continue to watch, not the children, but the kites. It has been long since I've seen a dragon. To be precise, it's been long since I've seen a divinity. I can't even remember when I distanced myself from the others.
What made me distance myself?
I wonder if it was an event or a certain person. My memories, they are too far for me to reach alone. An old worn out being like myself couldn't possibly control my power to the extent of being able to reach it.
If I had help, then maybe. Possibly. I would never know, and I'd never dare to find out.
When I think about it, they wouldn't care if I died. Divinities don't die of old age, but they can be killed if the wound is fatal. Although, weak stabs that could kill humans could never injure a divinity.
I feel a slight tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to look at what it is, and they tilt their head. The human is as tall as me, possibly taller. Their hair slightly covers their eyes, as if he hasn't had a proper haircut in years.
This human is different from most. All humans have different personalities. Personalities that even I myself would have trouble copying.
But this human in particular, is very abnormal. They scratch their left arm, while staring at me. I do the same.
"You're a divinity, right?"
I nod slightly, feeling suddenly tired. The cries of those that have probably vanished are still echoing within me. Eating up my sanity.
"What do they call you?"
"Sioveris."
He squints his eyes a bit more. He stares at me a little longer before asking.
"Won't you ask what they call me?"
"What do they call you?"
He chuckles very lightly, if a human were to listen, they might not be able to hear it.
"You're the divinity of all parallels right?"
"That's an odd way to put it, but I suppose so."
He continues to look at me a little longer, before answering my question.
"My parents named me after you."
"So your name is also Sioveris?"
"To an extent."
I've heard about how many mortals name their child after the divinity they admire the most, but I've never heard about a mortal that would name their child after me. Most divinities have a book they pass on to their supporters.
Mine is 'The Forsaken Novel'.
It states that "All novels are worlds. All worlds are in a universe. All universes are parallel. Being parallel has two well-known definitions. Being similar or analogous to the other and having the same distance continuously between them.
Universes use both definitions consistently. But in order for a novel to have worlds, they must be understood. They must be seen. Even novels with no reader has a reader.
The author itself.
The world's creator, the world's editor. The imagination and the vision. Both contain the power of knowing what is yet to be known. The power of creating what is yet to be created.
But by then, wouldn't the unknown be known and the uncreated be created?
These are necessities that the creator of the world must have in order to create a true world. And soon, those worlds will advance to create their own universe using their own power. Power is both good and evil.
Although, nothing in the heavens can be simply distinguished as good or evil.
Everything and everyone is influenced by their inner emotions, by their own body. Their body could hone the ability to take over their mind and-"
"Verius."
I stare at the mortal, Verius, trying to find the similarities between his and my name. The last few letters might be it.
"Oh."
"It's not my first time being face to face with a divinity, but it is my first time being face to face with a divinity as controversial, odd, and dangerous as you."
"I wouldn't describe myself as dangerous."
"You own all parallels."
"It's no use if I'm not stable enough to control and know them."
"Sometimes, the most unstable things are the strongest."
"You are no regular mortal."
"It's because I'm not entirely mortal."
Verius. If written correctly in the modern language, the word is various, meaning many of. Many of what exactly? There is no specific answer, as there is no specific answer of parallels.
Having the same definition yet being very different from the other is interesting. It reminds me of an unparalleled parallel.
"Crossbreed?"
"Of a mortal and an inferior divinity."
"Your kind is quite rare."
"I suppose so."
He smiles slightly and runs his hand through his hair.
"Can you follow me?"
"Pardon?"
My eyes must've widened at the question, for he continues to speak.
"I've traveled far to find you, I have something to show you."
I suppose I have time. In fact, I've been quite bored.
"Okay."
He tries to take a hold of my hand, and flick my hand away.
"Why are you so stiff?"
"It's normal for-"
"Okay, sure."
We continue to walk, the sun seemingly following our every move.
We travel through a forest, the trail leads us to a pathway. When we get to the pathway, I notice fountains of vibrant water on both sides of it, parallel to each other.
Behind the fountains - perfectly inbetween - is a large building with large doors. The house has to have been made with wood from tilia trees. The trees themselves are placed around the building with a moderate distance.
The flowers, acting as a border for the area between the trees and the house, are definitely amaryllis belladonna, hydrangea, and ×amarine. So fragile, yet so bold. Placed perfectly to match the main design.
"Your home is resplendent."
"Actually, I didn't spend much money on it. I did spend a lot of time though."
"Time is priceless."
"Is time one of your parallels?"
"Everything has a parallel."
"Only you know the truth behind it all."
"There is always something I don't know of. The unknown. Parallels are practically built upon that belief."
Verius smiles while pushing the door open. It isn't just a building. It's a library. A home for novels. A home for parallels.
…A home for many.
"I've loved novels since I could understand one."
He rubs the main desk with his index finger.
"They became a problem for my parents when I started reading random books instead of focusing on my studies. I received many educational books from school, but they were never to my liking."
Picky reader I see.
I hum in response, not sure what I'm supposed to do with this new information. Doesn't seem important enough to keep at the back of my mind.
"What about you Sio?"
Not exactly fond of the nickname, but I suppose it's okay.
"When I resided in the Arcadian Elysian, I had many novels in my abode. Maybe I had too many, the shape of my abode seemed to shift slightly with each book I got."
Arcadian Elysian is peaceful to a certain degree. It's an idyll if I may be honest. It ranks V in the heavens. I wouldn't even think of the cosmos being noticed by the heavens, but here we are.
Now that I think about it, books and I have quite the odd relationship.
"The last time I opened a book was about 3 years ago."
"Why is that?"
"Strange things had been happening to me."
"Such as?"
"All my dreams would be based on the book, with some twisted events. It was almost as if the book itself was creating a parallel, although its parallel wasn't exact."
Verius thinks for a while, humming lightly as he processes through the information I told him.
"Forgive me if this is wrong, but maybe you were unknowingly creating a parallel for that book. As you said before, your power isn't as it used to be. So that might mean you were creating either incomplete parallels, which would be dangerous, or parallels of specific aspects. In the worst case scenario, it would be both, and sadly, this seems to be the most realistic possibility."
I must say, I'm greatly impressed by his intelligence. He seems to understand me more than I understand myself.
"That would explain many things, although, parallels are worlds on their own. The exact opposite of the original, or an incomplete copy of the primary."
"Guess there's only one way to find it out."
"And that would be?"
"Entering the parallel of books."
I stop walking, confused at what I just heard.
"You don't even know the danger of creating parallels, and now you wish to enter one?"
"It would be fun."
"Think with your mind, not your emotions."
"Humans are bound to act upon their emotions without thinking."
"Didn't you say you were a crossbreed?"
He slides a book down the table, placing it directly in front of me.
"Continue explaining those dreams of yours."
I take a hold of the book, stroking the frame of it, feeling the firm tips. If I add enough pressure, my finger might start bleeding.
"I noticed that I was a character with strong importance to the story, and that many parts of the story were mixed up, combined, or just broken."
"What do you mean by broken?"
"If a character was supposed to have 1 arm, they would have 2. But instead of the second arm being normal, it would be made up of floating phrases, words, or sentences. Occasionally, they would also be accompanied by a ticking sound.."
"How many times have you experienced that?"
"Only once, thank the stars. Being in a dream with broken parallels is incredibly exhausting, and causes me to be irrational."
"Creating a parallel with broken parallels is exhausting?"
"Yes, I just said that."
He thinks a bit more while tapping his finger on another book he found.
'Alice in Wonderland'
An interesting title, I wonder what it's about. Verius gives me the book, brushing against my hand when he does.
"Have you seen this book before?"
"No, but it looks interesting."
"You should read it. This is the first book we'll be entering."
"Are you my instructor now?"
"If I have to serve in that position, I will."
"How would we even enter the book?"
"You said you entered the book while you were sleeping, but I think I know of a better method."
He walks towards the middle of the room, opens the door, and begins walking outside the house. He continues walking straight, into the forest and onto a small stoned path. In the middle, there is a circular building, a rotunda, made from white type of rock, and waving lines of gold.
"I call this building the macrocosm, and my house is called the atheneum. I'm telling you this so you don't get confused in the future."
I nod as an answer. There are two large books, books as large as the building itself. I look up only to realize that the books are indeed larger than the building, in fact, the building on the inside reaches the sky.
"How did you.."
"I made an invention to enter your parallels with the hope of meeting you."
He chuckles while speaking. How did he create this while in the mortal realm? I decide to save the conversation for another day. Verius places 'Alice in Wonderland' on a glowing lectern in the middle of the books.
The two books glow in the same colour as the lectern, with light orbs forming between their pages.
"Touching the books will put you into a parallel, and touching the lectern will do the same. An unlimited number of people can enter, as long as they enter either at the same time, or if it is someone who already understands the parallel."
"Shouldn't we find another person to enter the book with us?"
He turns around and looks directly at me.
"Why would we do that?"
"2 is a number fit for an automatic parallel, which would mean the novel would create parallels for us."
"You're right about that…we can head over to the plaza, but it'll be quite difficult to find someone willing to help us continually."
"Difficult, not impossible."
Verius smiles and we begin walking to the plaza. Many stores can be seen, as well as people roaming about.
I grab a long piece of fabric out of the parallel of everything and cover my complexion. Verius sees this and nods. As Verius said before, I am a quite controversial person. Not everyone likes the complexity of my being, they've even destroyed shrines and altars dedicated to me as a way of expressing their hatred.
If I may be honest, there weren't even many shrines for me to begin with. There was one which got destroyed by divinities. Shrines getting destroyed by divinities doesn't usually, and it has only happened twice. Once for the Divinity of Divines and once for me.
People walk around us, between us, and away from us. It's loud. Very loud. And it keeps getting louder. The fabric is occasionally getting stepped on and it tugs my head slightly. I try lifting it up, but it doesn't work. Verius finds a few pins on the ground, and I use them to lift up the fabric.
Verius leads us into a bustling public area. We continue walking until he suddenly turns the other way. I continue following him. He moves much faster than before, and has his arm wrapped tightly around on my shoulder. As he moves, the area gets louder and louder, so loud that the sound echoes within itself.
I hear anger, excitement, and the sound of coins clicking against wood. Is this a gambling house? I wince as Verius moves closer towards silence. Then the whole room goes silent.
"I bet this one for the next few rounds!"
That isn't Verius. I try lifting up the fabric from my face and someone pulls it down.
A man rises and speaks. His voice is filled with a certain aura.
"Alright then, set them over there."
Two people move me closer to the man and make me stand next to a few other people, probably women. What type of gambling house is this? To think they would gamble with humans…why must this world be so cruel?
I hear people cheering for 'Lork' and 'Aisvelo'. I'm guessing the man that took me here is Lork. His name doesn't sound important. I need Verius to get me out of here. I'm not strong enough to fight through on my own.
What parallel can I use.. the body. The parallel of the body is the mind. A gift, a power, something that cannot be priced.
✦[Verius, can you hear me?]
✧[Sio? Sio where are you?!]
✦[I was taken to a gambling house by someone. I need you to come and get me.]
✧[I think I can. What colour is the inside of the house?]
✦[I can't see.]
✧[Just lift up the fabric.]
✦[I can't. If I do, they could see my complexion. And I tried it before, someone pulled it down.]
✧[You look a lot different from what the public thinks of you, it doesn't matter.]
I scowl at Verius's words. What does he mean by that statement? I slowly lift up the fabric and the inside of the gambling house is brown with some aspects of it being red. It's very cozy, something I didn't expect.
✦[Brown and red.]
✧[What?]
✦[The inside of the house is brown and red.]
✧[I know where that is. Wait a few minutes.]
I tap my feet as I wait. More coins clatter onto the table, which would explain why there's a noticeable increase in desperation. I can sense it through the air.
I then hear the doors open, and I lift the fabric so my hand can be seen.
✧[Are you the one that lifted up your hand?]
✦[Yes, that was me.]
✧[I need you to confirm it though.]
How does he want me to confirm it? I wave my hand up and down, and wiggle my fingers a bit.
✧[Ah, watch out.]
✦[What?]
I sigh as someone yanks me towards the middle of the room. I am then turned around to face someone. I continue hearing light whispers here and there.
Someone, a guard I believe, escorts me towards what seems to be Aisvelo. The two begin to converse quite loudly.
"Are they drunk?"
"Possibly."
Huh? Is this because I wiggled my fingers?
✧[Speak to them.]
✦[Why?]
✧[Don't you know what they do with drunk people?]
✦[I haven't been out much.]
The presence of Aisvelo increases highly and he chuckles before sitting down.
"Continue on with the game, just ignore them for a while."
The guard brings me back to the spot I was in before, and I tap my foot in boredom.
✷[Sioveris, Divinity of Parallels.]
✦[Pardon?]
✷[Did you forget about me? How upsetting.]
✦[Memory isn't one of my strongest abilities.]
✷[I can tell.]
✦[Who exactly is this? It's been a long, long time since someone used this thing.]
✷[The thing that saved the heavens? We call that a miracle.]
✦[Not everyone thinks the same.]
✷[They should.]
✦[You still haven't answered my question.]
✷[So you really did forget about me, what a shame. I'm Aisvelo.]
✦[I know that, perhaps I should change the question. What divinity are you?]
✷[Divinity of Bloodshed.]
Oh. Aisvelo, Divinity of Bloodshed. Well, of course I would forget him, the last time we met he…I don't remember. Just by his divinity, I know where within the heavens his essence belongs to.
Draconian. Filled with barbarians, people who wouldn't think twice about randomly creating havoc just for the fun of it. Not interacting with them would be best, but if that's not possible, pleasing them is your only option, unless you wish for crazy arsonists to chase you wherever you go.
Setting things on fire is their trademark.
I guess I'm lucky, for some reason Draconians seem to admire me for rebelling against the heavens, which is something I did..but is also something I didn't do.
✦[Is there something you need?]
✷[I need you to exit the premises.]
I bet he had to find a scroll with the definition of that word. The beings in Draconian don't have the best education.
✦[I would if I could.]
✷[Okay, stick to the script.]
✦[What script?]
I hear sudden yelling and distress. Then I hear loud footsteps towards the middle of the room.
"Aisvelo, it's up to you."
Aisvelo walks up to me and holds my hand.
"I choose this one."
✧[Sio!]
✦[Don't worry, it's part of the plan.]
✧[What plan?!]
A very chaotic aura suddenly fills the room as someone enters.
✷[Great.]
✦[What happened?]
✷[Whatever you do, don't-]
✹[Divinity of Parallels.]
Another draconian. This one however..
✦[Who is he?]
✷[Doesn't matter. Whatever you do, don't interact with him. He can't know it's actually you.]
✦[Then why is he using this parallel?]
✷[I don't think you realize this, but as you said, this gadget of yours hasn't been used in centuries. If all of a sudden, someone decided to use it, or in this case the very person who made it, every divine and I mean every divine would know.]
✦[Isn't that fantastic.]
✷[I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.]
✦[That still doesn't explain why he's is here.]
✷[You don't know that almost every divine wants your head on a silver platter?]
✦[Come again?]
I knew I wasn't friends with every divinity, but to think they would want to kill me. I must be popular.
✦[Do they talk about me a lot?]
✷[I bet they know how your name tastes, as if your name was a type of dish.]
✦[If that's the case, they probably know all the ingredients by heart.]
✷[Ha! I'm sure they do.]
✹[Is this thing not working?]
✦[He's still contacting me.]
✷[Who?]
✦[The one we were talking about before.]
✷[For your own safety, don't interact with him.]
✦[I'm trying not to, but all these tunnels in my head are making me dizzy.]
✷[You're communicating to another person?]
✦[...]
If someone is using this parallel, I'll know, since I created it. It creates a chasm in my mind, like a piece of me is being temporarily broken to allow them to use the parallel.
I can, or am supposed to be able to choose whether or not I want to allow someone to use it. Something happened, and that forces me to automatically allow them. Something that I cannot remember. But that also means I'm able to read their conversations.
I do love eavesdropping.
✹[Nuxis said you were alive.]
I remember her. Nuxis, Divinity of Interconnections. Her power can be used for multiple purposes, and she is also the last person you'd want to tell a secret to.
My head is pounding violently. More chasms are opening up, I don't know where from. I sway from side to side, trying not to lose consciousness.
✧[Sio?]
Now he wants to speak. I can't even think properly. One more message. Just one more. Another chasm opens up, then 2 more, then 3 and 4-
✦[Get me out of he..]
✦
✦
✦
✦
✦
What in the heavens? I'm surrounded by trees, a forest perhaps? Ringing? Oh, it's my ears. I try getting up but the immense pain sends me right back down. Was I attacked? Probably, the clothes I'm wearing are bloody red.
I turn my head to see Aisvelo and Verius talking about something. More like bickering actually, as I notice Aisvelo's childish pout.
"You gu-"
I spit out blood before even speaking my second word. I quickly put my hand up to stop the two from moving closer to me, then wipe my mouth.
"What happened?"
Verius mumbles something and sighs.
"We - well - you were attacked. Me and Aisvelo simply suffered minimum damage."
"It feels like I suffered the wrath of 3 divines."
"Stop your immature whining. The situation we're in is severe."
I hear the sound of a horse and immediately turn towards it. Verius tilts his head as Aisvelo jolts up.
"Is that Nuxis?"
I nod slightly, trying to get up on my feet.
"Could be."
Verius looks at the both of us and sighs.
"Or it could just be a random mortal riding a horse."
Both me and Aisvelo turn to look at him and I shake my head.
"It has to be Nuxis."
The sounds get louder, and I stretch my back. I give Verius a certain look and he sends one back. I move towards Aisvelo and begin walking to the atheneum.
I suppose we'll be entering the book sooner than we thought.
I enter the atheneum and walk into the macrocosm. Aisvelo stops to look at the structure, and Verius checks up on the books. I rub my eyes while walking towards the glowing books.
"Let's do it."
Verius nods and Aisvelo moves closer to the books.
"What's this?"
I tap his shoulder and point towards the left book. I walk to the lectern, and Verius walks to the right.
With Nuxis and a possible army chasing us, seeking protection in the parallel seems to be the only option. I'm glad Verius was able to get the message. I would've spoken to him through mind, but my head is currently pounding, and I wouldn't want it to hurt even more.
I didn't even get to read the book, it seems like we'll have to rely on Verius to guide us through. I touch the lectern and the book on top of it begins flipping through the pages. Verius touches the large right book, or rather, sticks his hand through its pages.
Verius and I turn to look at Aisvelo, who looks away awkwardly and touches the left book. The light from the books grows brighter and I notice the macrocosm turning invisible.
✦
✦
✦
✦
✦
Oh divinity, my head. I never knew it could hurt even more. I rub my temples as I groan and sit up. After looking around, I notice the environment I'm in.
A district..with a house. Possibly multiple houses. The house behind me is wide, maybe a castle?
No, it's too small to be a castle.
I stretch to relieve my body of muscle knots, then turn towards the house. Maybe I should acknowledge the faint sound of a clock ticking.
I won't pay much attention to it, but I'll keep it in mind.
The door to the house is open - for some reason - so I walk inside it. The interior is breathtaking, it was clearly created with exquisite materials. I sigh as I allow my hand to brush against the walls.
I would love to know an architect. To be able to see their sketches and blueprints, just thinking about it excites me.
As I enter what seems to be the kitchen, I come across a somewhat tall white haired character. He seems to be decorating something. I take a step closer, only for a sword to be directly under my chin, and barely inches away from my neck.
The white haired character is gone, and is probably behind me. He doesn't speak, and doesn't move. I stand as still as possible, waiting for him to remove the sword. The character turns his head so that he can see my appearance.
"Oh, Alyc. My apologies, I didn't know it was you."
He chuckles and puts the sword on the counter. I turn, so that we're facing each other. The character's hair is messy in the front, as if he's been wearing a helmet all his life.
Are there knights in "Alice of Wonderland"?
The character picks up a cake, probably the thing he was decorating earlier. He cuts out a fairly small amount and puts it on a plate.
"You said you wanted to be the first person to taste test my new recipe, so here. I hope it's not that bad, I have doubts about some of the ingredients."
He hands me the plate and a fork, and I accept them.
"Um, thank you."
I stare at him, and he stares back, the intensity increasing by the second. Oh, he wants me to eat it right now.
I cut out a small piece of the cake and eat it. It tastes..like nothing. It doesn't taste like anything. It's like water, but for water, you can say it's refreshing. For this, you can't say anything.
"So, how does it taste?"
The character asks, a glimmer of anticipation can be seen in his eyes.
"It's good, so good that I just can't describe it."
I put on a painful smile, hoping he doesn't ask more questions. I walk around the kitchen and notice a type of embroidery on every cooking utensil.
'Alabaster'
That must be the character's name. It's fitting, his skin is as pale as snow, and his hair is white. Alabaster continuously stares at me as I walk, as if he's trying to study me. I wonder where Verius and Aisvelo are. I also wonder if Nuxis is here…and the other one.
His presence was familiar, I'm certain I've met him before. I just can't remember him. I know he's a draconian, a very powerful one too. Probably stronger than Aisvelo, could it be Xenor?
Although, from what I remember, Xenor and Nuxis aren't on talking terms.
Nuxis isn't on talking terms with anyone if I think about it. She prefers to not be disturbed, which is ironic because she disturbs everyone else.
Alabaster sighs loudly, so I guess he's trying to get my attention.
"Yes?"
"Have you forgotten about the academy?"
"What academy?"
"The academy you're enrolled in."
"It must've slipped my mind."
What academy is he babbling about? I don't remember there being an academy in Alice in Wonderland. Ah right, I didn't read the book.
"You should get ready and leave in about 5 minutes."
Oh.
What does a student need for an academy? Food of course, but they most likely serve luncheon there. Uniform, whatever I'm wearing feels tight, so I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that I'm already wearing it.
I touch my hair, and it seems to be combed, so I'll leave it. I walk into the sitting room, grab the nearest bag I see and walk out.
I can hear the birds chirping when I walk outside. Their chirps are oddly louder than Alabaster's yells, which makes a good excuse if he ever asks me why I didn't turn back. The scenery is breathtaking, it reminds me of Arcadian Elysian.
I would be lying if I said I didn't miss my home, but I also would be lying if I said I wanted to go back. I'd probably be chased out if I go back, the thought of it makes me chuckle.
The scenery around me is now that of a forest. I stop walking and look around. I hope I'm not lost. There's no one around to ask for help. I sigh and continue walking. I hear even more yells in the distance. Whatever Alabaster wants to tell me must be important.
I turn around and see Alabaster panting. He puts his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. During that time, I walk into the forest. The trees shield me from anyone's view as I walk. Alabaster yells again, so I walk a bit faster.
Wait, what if he was trying to tell me I was going the wrong direction? It doesn't matter now, I'm far too deep into the forest to try and find my way out. I continue walking, and eventually come across a croquet field.
Ah..all of a sudden, I'm having a migraine.
There is an abundance of flamingos, many of them seem to be distorted in a way. Half of them are pink, and the other half are white. I stop walking as I feel something spongy beneath my feet, and I look down to see a hedgehog.
It's a shame, I prefer cats. I pick up the hedgehog and stare at it. It stares back at me, and bites my finger. I impulsively throw it as I check the bite. I wince as I look around for the hedgehog.
Hedgehogs usually don't bite people right? The hedgehog is nowhere in sight, so I get up and continue walking. I notice a stack of large cards in front of me, and look around it.
They have arms and legs. Are they not alive? I look at where their heads should be, and find out that they don't have heads. Something red spills out of their incredibly thin necks.
The consistency is too thick to be blood, is it paint? The red paint changes the color of the white roses on the grass.
I feel something on my hands so I look down to see red paint also spilling out of my hands. It starts from the bite I got from the hedgehog. Why does such a small bite spill out so much blood, or rather, paint?
I press down against the bite with another finger as I walk past the dead cards. I notice smoke coming from within the trees and I follow it.
The smoke leads me to a large mushroom. I try to put my hand on it, but red paint spills from the bite. I immediately place my finger back on it. Someone on top of the mushroom walks to the edge and stares at me.
He has dark hair that briefly reaches his shoulder and curls at the end. He's wearing a hat that looks like an upside down trapezoid. He opens his mouth and smoke comes out of it. He then jumps from the mushroom and approaches me.
"Why hello there."
He smiles and I return the smile with a frown. He reminds me of Verius with that cheeky grin of his.
"Hello."
"May I ask why you're wandering in these parts?"
"Do you own the forest?"
"I suppose not."
The man hums as he glances at me. I stare at him and notice his facial structure is just like Verius. I step a bit closer and tilt my head. They're practically identical.
"Verius?"
"What?"
The man's eyes widen and he smiles.
"Sio?"
"Oh thank the heavens."
I let out a sigh I didn't even know I was holding. I walk closer to Verius and look around.
"How long have you been here?"
"Not sure, but I met Aisvelo."
"Oh? Where is he?"
"We separated a few minutes ago, he went south."
I begin to rub my temples.
"Why would the both of you not stay together?"
"If I stayed with him any longer, I would've killed him."
I stay quiet for a while before patting Verius's shoulder and looking around. Verius stares at me before looking up. The forest is quiet, and it seems to be morning. I glance back at Verius and notice that his eyes are closed.
I tap his shoulder, then shake him, but his eyes don't open. I turn and stare at the direction his eyes face, and see someone staring at me through a hole in the sky. His eyes are white, but he blinks, and his eyes change color.
"Hi, hello."
I continue staring at him, and he does the same. He slightly smiles as he looks at me.
"Don't you look interesting? Sio is your name if I'm not mistaken?"
So he's been here long enough to hear me and Verius speaking. I nod and walk closer to him.
"And what is yours?"
"You can call me Vay."
We continue to stare at each other.
"Why are you in a hole?"
"So I can enter and leave at will."
Vay grins as he looks at Verius, then looks back at me.
"Must you be so hostile? You opened up to that guy instantly."
"That's because I know him."
"You know me too."
It's a sentence with no threat, but he said it with hostility. If things get bad, I'd have to run, leaving Verius alone. It's best to play it nice.
"Oh? Where did we meet?"
"In a forest. I'm not sure if you can remember, but I was in a hole."
Oh for heaven's sake. I roll my eyes and walk past Vay. Verius will be fine. The parallel of death is life, so you can never die in a parallel.
Although, if you follow that logic, wouldn't we all be dead since we're living?
As I walk, I hear the sound of a clock ticking, then a ding. I stand still, against my will. When I turn my head, a wide grin without a face is in front of me.
"Is it not a shame? I thought you preferred cats."