(One hour later...)
Julian once again found himself in an abandoned alleyway, only this time, he was alongside Elizabeth.
The two stared at the brick wall, and after a few short moments, the bricks parted, revealing a long dark hallway. She led the way forward, and all the while, Julian followed closely after her.
No matter how one looked at it, he really was going inside the headquarters of the evil spirits. But then again, the alternative was working a 9 to 5.
After they reached the end of the dark hallway, Elizabeth placed her hand on the wall. Immediately, another passageway appeared.
A vast city, with a dome surrounding it. Beyond the dome was an endless ocean. Everywhere he looked, he saw flying creatures, demons, and many other evil spirits.
The buildings on the outskirts were torn and ruined, while in the center, they were modern and luxurious.
He had heard of hierarchy amongst the evil spirits, but it was his first time seeing it in person.
Elizabeth sighed, waving at him from beyond the passageway.
"Although I'd love nothing more than to welcome you with open arms... now's not the time. Come in."
Julian hesitated for a moment, then followed her through the city's ruins toward the black castle at its heart.
Though, the stares of the evil spirits along the way didn't feel very pleasant.
The miasma was particularly strong in the castle, making his head spin. But he bore through it and eventually arrived at the throne room.
"We're here. Beyond this door, you'll see many high-ranking evil spirits. Again, don't panic. Just stay calm and keep your head down... if they see weakness, they'll kill you before I can even step in."
Elizabeth's words snapped him back to his senses. He nodded his head in understanding, and when she opened the door to the throne room, his body stiffened.
The smell of the miasma that hit him wasn't anything like what he had experienced before. It wasn't ominous, but it was still extremely deadly. He knew that if he looked at the evil spirits responsible for this miasma, he would die.
Biting his lip, he straightened his back and traced Elizabeth's steps. Finally, she halted in front of the throne.
A suffocating silence ensued, which was soon broken by a screech-like voice.
"You've brought somebody... is this the kid you've been talking about throughout all these years?"
Elizabeth giggled, then puffed out her chest.
"Yep. His name's Julian. I'm going to send him into the Second Heaven, so could you prepare the gateway, like right now?"
The figure hummed in amusement, then rose from the throne, approaching Julian.
However, as he was only a step away, Elizabeth stepped in front of him, blocking the figure from reaching Julian.
"Brother... I know you're curious, but leave it," she threatened.
"..."
The figure remained silent for a few short moments, and then raised its hand. In the next instant, a black swirling mass appeared right in front of Julian's feet.
It radiated an intense amount of miasma, but for some reason, Julian felt attracted to that mass. It was almost like it was calling for him.
The figure chuckled, then said:
"He seems eager to die. This is definitely a first for me, sister."
Elizabeth pouted, stomping the ground.
"He won't die. If he does, I'll go in there and bring him back myself."
She then turned to Julian and slowly raised his chin. Her affectionate eyes were replaced by worry.
His chest tightened slightly. He wasn't even sure why. She was someone who had stalked him for years on end, and now that he was finally at a turning point in his life, he actually felt some kind of connection to her?
He really couldn't understand it. It was probably because he was tired.
"Well, dead or not, I've fulfilled your request," the figure said, sitting back down on the throne. "Whatever happens now is your responsibility, Lizbeth... but I'd recommend sending him in. The gateway is about to close."
Elizabeth flinched. "R-Right..." She met Julian's gaze. "This is the gateway to the Reverie Realm, but since you're un-awakened, you'll arrive at the Second Heaven. Find a weapon as fast as possible, f-food too... what else..."
As she began to mumble all sorts of jumbled advice, Julian suddenly placed his hand over her head, surprising both the figure on the throne and Elizabeth herself.
"If I do make it out alive, I swear I'll do my best to repay you for this kindness."
Her smile faltered, and before she could reply, the black vortex shrank, suddenly swallowing Julian whole.
At that moment, darkness descended.
***
—BOOOOOM!
Julian awoke to a loud explosion. He felt strangely groggy. Soon, the memories of what had just happened played out inside his mind. He must have passed out after the gateway swallowed him since he couldn't remember what happened afterward.
But even then, his body was energized, and his mind was clear.
Or so he had hoped, but the sight in front of him made him question himself.
He was lying atop an altar, the stone beneath him cracked and glowing faintly. Around him, a bright blue sky and a stretched landscape of ruined churches, their spires shattered, their halls burning with golden fire.
Yet, instead of ash that one would expect from a fire, white feathers drifted lazily through the air, glowing softly as they fell.
Then, from somewhere far beyond the horizon, a trumpet blared, causing the ground to shake violently as the rubble from the ruined churches fell down, threatening to crush him alive.
Julian moved instantly, kicking off the altar and just barely managing to avoid being impaled. Yet when he landed on the ground, he felt as though he had stepped into something sticky.
And when he glanced down, he saw a pool of blood, with the corpses of several people scattered around, lifeless.
A shiver ran down his spine at the realization that he was actually in a new world.
But through the panic and fear came a firework sound, followed by a barrage of pop-ups.
[Welcome to the Reverie Realm, lost one...]
[Designation: Un-Awakened.]
[You have been chosen to undergo the trial within a separate sub-section of the Reverie Realm...]
[Reverie Realm - The Second Heaven]
[Objective: Survive and find a way back to reality.]
[Difficulty Level: Impossible]