The moment they stepped out of the tower, the temperature shot up. They were in a desert biome.
But this desert had no creatures. Just skeletons scattered everywhere — some the size of your fist, others bigger than buildings. Despite the scorching heat, the sand was cold, with a strange kind of chill, almost pleasant. Kilometers ahead, the desert just ended, giving way to a forest biome. A forest unlike any other.
To the right, the desert ended at the tower's wall, and there was no biome beyond that. It didn't seem like there was any ground — everything was white, and you could see buildings and unknown structures below, like the ground didn't really exist. Several objects fell endlessly.
Muta watched, curious, until something passed beneath him, blocking the entire area that stretched for kilometers. A chill ran down his spine the moment he saw it — and weirdly enough, he liked the feeling.
To the left, the desert just kept going, stretching to a wall that seemed endless in every direction he looked. Behind them was a perfectly flat plain, stretching as far as the eye could see. Out of all the biomes around, that was the only one with clouds — clouds that seemed low, probably because of all the giant creatures wandering there.
There were creatures scattered all over. Wolves with horns, human-like skin texture, long teeth, two tails, and bodies covered in feathers. They were the size of houses and chased sheep the size of football stadiums. Those sheep had the softest fur you could imagine — but everyone thought they were the worst thing that ever existed. Despite the softness, their skin looked melted human skin, disgusting to look at. Just seeing them made you wanna puke. People avoided those sheep at all costs. But the few who gave them a chance discovered a whole new world.
There was also a two-headed cat, like conjoined twins stuck together. Each head seemed to have its own will, but they shared one tail — which never stopped moving, not even when they slept. Both heads controlled the tail at the same time, and the result was a tail that seemed alive. The cats' fur looked normal, soft and long. Despite all the weirdness, their behavior was just like two cats trapped in one body. They could walk on air and on the ground — some liked it, some didn't — but both hunted a school of fish. A school with fish ranging from needle size to as big as the Eiffel Tower. They acted like they were in a giant ocean, and their food was clouds — they ate clouds like fish food. To hide from the cats and birds, the fish passed through the ground without digging holes, simply going through the soil.
The birds there were actually dinosaurs. Not just the flying ones, but all dinosaurs we know were birds — they had wings and behaved like different kinds of birds. Each was the size of the bird it represented, and there were tons of them. So many T-Rexes, which stood in for chickens, that they could easily defeat a normal T-Rex. There were so many species that I could write a whole book just about them.
There was also a creature like a whale, but with skin that looked like stone. It had huge wings — each side roughly the size of the "whale" itself. Its eyes looked like snails', protruding and long. These beasts fed on the bird-dinosaurs and were the only thing keeping the explosion of those little creatures in check, which reproduced like crazy. There were several of them — enough to keep the balance between the dinosaur-birds.
The temperature there was strange. Each creature seemed to feel it differently: some had cold bodies, others were hot and sweaty to the touch. For us, though, it was the perfect climate.
Muta didn't see any of this biome — the group wouldn't let him. He probably would have fainted just from looking at all those creatures.
The group headed toward the forest. They could see it clearly. It looked close... and at the same time, very far.
They walked for 27 minutes until Muta, Zoe, and… Vênus? started whining like babies.
"I'M TIRED!! I CAN'T WALK ANYMORE" they shouted all at once.
"Come on, Edwin? Let us stay in the suitcase!" said Muta.
"Yeah, Edwin, you're mean." Zoe said, mad.
"Let me at least, Edwin! I'm hurt!" Vênus begged.
Before Edwin could answer, the ground shook. Everyone went silent. The shaking grew… until suddenly, a giant sand worm jumped out and screamed. Its scream was high-pitched and deafening, even from far away.
Muta screamed, startled: "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT??!!"
The rest of the group — except Edwin — widened their eyes and dropped their jaws. The creature turned toward them, and they all felt a chill run down their spines. Then it sank back into the sand and started moving toward the group, leaving waves on the surface as it moved.
Zoe, desperate, shook Muta while yelling: "I-I-IT'S CO-CO-CO-COMING TOOOO US!"
"RUN, DAMN IT!" Jack shouted.
Vênus transformed into a panther. The bandages dissolved in the form change, but she didn't care — she acted on pure instinct. Edwin grabbed Zoe and Muta, one under each arm, laughing nervously and in disbelief.
As they all ran, Muta yelled: "DON'T STOP, EDWIN, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!"Zoe screamed and kicked, frantic. Jack ran so fast it looked like he was about to fly.
The worm approached way too fast. Suddenly, it jumped out of the sand and landed right in front of the group, throwing a blast of sand over everyone.
The whole group froze.The creature turned its face to them,mouth open, ready to swallow them whole.
It was the end.
But then...a crack appeared in the sky, right above the worm's head.A big crack, breaking glass — loud, sharp.
A flash came from inside the crack. Even with the brightness, the glow was strong enough to be seen clearly from far away. Then, a strong wind blew up the sand, scattering it in all directions. When the dust settled, there it was: a sword stuck in the worm's mouth.
The worm died instantly.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. The group still expected death, but they were safe now. It took a few seconds for them to "wake up." Edwin set Zoe and Muta down, Vênus turned back to human form, and with her bandage, stood there, looking at the group with a hole in her face. Jack had fallen and stayed on the ground, saying: "So chilly!!" as if he hadn't almost died.
Muta tried to process everything when a voice echoed in his head. A chill ran through his belly and his whole body. It was the same man from the dream. He spoke calmly:
"Until you reach Strabevield, you MUST NOT die. Understand?"
Unlike last time, Muta felt terror hearing those words. Like a puppet, he acted against his own will and answered out loud:
"Y-Yes, sir."
The whole group stared at Muta and asked at the same time:
"What was that?"