Sleepily slumbering in bed, Alex suddenly jolted awake. The very next moment, he vanished abruptly without a trace.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
Head hurts!
On the crimson earth, Alex opened his eyes in agony, with a bewildered look on his face, yet he soon regained his bearings amidst the expanse blanketed in scarlet magic lilies. The red magic lilies emitted a faint glow, creating the illusion at first glance that the earth had been draped in a vast red carpet. Looking up, towering trees stretching a hundred metres high and several metres wide stretched beyond the horizon, their tops invisible. One couldn't help but wonder if these giants had been growing since the Jurassic period.
A gentle breeze swept through, petals dancing in the air, trailing shimmering crimson dust, as if one had stepped into a fairy tale.
Yet this enchanting scene was soon shattered by a cacophony of angry shouts.
Bloody hell, where am I? I've barely got my trousers up after a wee, and now I'm stuck in this bloody hellhole!
A middle-aged bloke crouched on the ground, cursing.
'Mate, could you pull your trousers up first?' someone nearby kindly suggested.
'Idiot!' exclaimed a woman who witnessed the scene with utter contempt.
A middle-aged man in a suit, looking thoroughly reliable, said in a low voice, 'None of that matters now. The most important thing is to figure out where we are.' 'So group time travel is the trend these days...' muttered a red-haired youth. Alex glanced around and noticed quite a few people nearby, all adults by the looks of them. He forced himself to stay calm, observing his surroundings without disturbing a blade of grass or a twig. Five minutes later, the cacophony of curses and chatter gradually subsided. Everyone began nervously surveying their surroundings, yet no one dared to move freely.
Not far off, six or seven individuals appeared to have agreed among themselves and began moving forward in a group. As one took the lead, the entire party of dozens cautiously followed suit.
'This place is so weird; I hope there aren't any dangers lurking about?'
'I reckon it might be dangerous; it's probably best to stick with the main group.'
Many offered this advice, clearly out of apprehension. Hardly anyone wished to linger here any longer; seeing someone take the lead, they all followed in a rush.
This expanse of land was composed entirely of deep black soil and gravel, devoid of any vegetation save for towering trees and red magic lilies. After walking but a few minutes, someone exclaimed in surprise, 'There's a strangely shaped stone monument up ahead!' 'It bears markings and patterns!' added another who had drawn nearer.
The crowd gathered around the colossal stone monument, standing over ten metres tall. Three huge patterns were clearly visible, intricately carved into the stone. Each design was remarkably simple, rendered with just a few strokes, yet exuded an air of profound mystery.
The first design depicts a red magic lily, precisely the flower beneath the feet of the crowd.
The second design portrays a peculiar creature, somewhat resembling an ox, yet bearing disproportionately large, sharp horns.
The third design is even more puzzling, consisting merely of a few lines and spirals.
Beneath each of the three patterns lay several lines of small characters, not resembling any writing from any period on Earth. Yet somehow, upon seeing them, one instantly understood their meaning, as if they were imprinted directly upon the mind.
Cycle 9: Inner Light
Red Soul Flower, spirit plant, primary ingredient.
Shattered Horn, corrupted, its horn extracted.
Ghost Fish, bizarre, its ashes gathered.
This flower is called the Red Soul Flower... Is this some sort of supernatural means?
Alex recalled the characters etched in his mind, pondering a certain possibility.
Many young people, seeing the stone tablet, had a gleam in their eyes; some even plucked a red flower from the ground and tucked it into their pockets.
'Mate, won't you take one? This stone engraves knowledge straight into our minds. It must be some sort of magic potion recorded upon it. If you brew it by the formula and drink it, you might gain supernatural powers!' whispered a youth beside Alex.
Alex shot him a surprised look: 'No need. I've no pockets, and it's best not to pick flowers here. If this really involves some sort of superpower, these flowers won't be simple either...'
The man glanced at Alex in his bear-print pyjamas, a coat draped over his shoulders—indeed, the coat had no pockets. He smiled but said nothing, nor did he discard the red flower.
Alex paid him no further heed. He'd already warned him; if anything went wrong, he'd have no one to blame but himself. Even if the formula turned out to be a potion, with all these flowers here, it wouldn't be too late to come back and gather them later.
Though the stone monument offered a sense of security, lingering here indefinitely was no solution. The group pressed onwards once more, the initial seven still leading the way while the larger band of over a dozen followed behind. Alex found himself sandwiched within the throng; at this stage, only a fool would stray from the group.
After wandering aimlessly for over an hour, the cacophony of curses and chatter grew louder once more. They glanced around, or gazed at the unchanging landscape in the distance, their expressions grim.
Alex knew this anxiety well. At times like this, walking on without purpose only deepened their fear, and fear laid bare the full complexity of human nature...
Suddenly, a burly fellow strode forward, halting the procession with a curse:
'Bloody hell, come on, come on! Have you no end to this? Do you intend to march on indefinitely? How can you be certain we're not straying deeper into danger? If we proceed, each of us will see the end of our days!'
'Well then, what do you suggest? Do you have a better plan to get us out of here?' retorted a fashionably dressed woman from the leading group.
Just as the two were about to start arguing, a middle-aged man from the front cleared his throat and called out loudly:
Listen, this is no time for infighting. For the foreseeable future, we'll be facing danger together. Though we may not know each other, we're likely the only humans left in this place.
Right then, let the introductions begin. I'm with the FBI, though I shan't divulge my exact position. The colleagues beside me are quite the characters themselves—among them are the nation's foremost biologists, geographers, botanists, medical specialists...
'Doesn't that sound rather extraordinary? I wonder if you've noticed that each of us possesses exceptional expertise in our respective fields. Don't be too quick to dismiss it—that's simply the reality. The individuals beside me here are those I've come to know through prior discussions. Their specialised knowledge may well be our only hope for survival in this world.'
Upon hearing this, everyone paused in surprise, beginning to ask those beside them what they did for a living.
'What do you do, mate?'
'I'm a university professor, supervising PhD students on a daily basis,' replied the middle-aged man beside him with a kind smile. 'Which university?'
'Harvard.'
'I run a detective agency myself, with a bit of a reputation...'
'And what do you do, girl?' A lady enquired of her companion.
'Well. Nothing special... Captain of a first-place team in a shootout game...'
The burly man blocking their path froze. He was this year's boxing championship winner. If boxing counted as a talent, then he was indeed a skilled individual...
'Let's have a proper discussion about this. Pressing on without pause isn't the wisest course.' The burly man frowned, then voiced the question on everyone's lips.
'I'll take that.' A poised woman in a white long-sleeved top and green suit trousers stepped forward.
She folded her hands over her chest and said,
'The first step we must take is to search for water—the very foundation of survival. It is now certain we are no longer on Earth. Our methods for locating water based on weather patterns or plant distribution are no longer applicable here. We can only rely on the terrain. Though we appear to be travelling across level ground, we are in fact steadily proceeding towards lower elevations.
'What? We're in a basin?' Whispers rippled through the crowd. Others remained silent...