《Etherbound》 A Perfect Day The shrill sound of the alarm cut through the still morning air. Rayna groggily reached out from her bed, slapping her phone to silence it. Her dark curly hair was a wild, messy halo around her head, some strands still stuck to the drool on her cheek. She squinted at the screen, barely able to focus. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s Friday,¡± she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. ¡°I¡¯ll get ready for school, just in case I don¡¯t find anything better to do.¡± She dragged herself to the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. After a quick skincare routine, she brushed through her lightly curled hair, then finished off with a swipe of lip gloss. Her mom called from downstairs, ¡°Rayna, breakfast is ready!¡± As she made her way down, her mom raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you going to school today? You know, going regularly builds discipline. You never know¡ªyou might actually learn something.¡± Rayna rolled her eyes as she sat down at the table, grabbing a forkful of pancakes. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been saying the same thing forever. As long as I get good grades, I¡¯m good, right? Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m gonna devour these pancakes. Thanks for breakfast.¡± Her mom shook her head with a smile, but didn¡¯t push further. Once she finished, Rayna grabbed her backpack¡ªpacked to the brim with who-knows-what¡ªand slung it over her shoulder. As she headed for the door, her mom called out, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your glasses!¡± Rayna hesitated. Her vision wasn¡¯t great, but it didn¡¯t bother her much¡ªeverything was still blurry enough to make do. Still, out of respect for her mom, she reached for them and slipped them on before leaving the house. Outside, she stood for a moment, contemplating what to do. Without much thought, she broke into a run, heading toward the forest. The morning air was cool, and her heartbeat quickened as she moved effortlessly through the trees, a big grin on her face. She passed by small deer grazing by the riverside, and a few beavers near their dam. Squirrels and possums scurried along the ground, all oblivious to her presence. Eventually, she stopped. Looking up, she gazed at her ¡°magnum opus¡±¡ªa treehouse. It wasn¡¯t big¡ªjust the size of a small bedroom¡ªbut it was hers. The rope ladder swayed in the breeze, and the windows, though dusty, let in enough sunlight to create a cozy atmosphere. Climbing the ladder, Rayna entered and smiled at the initials she¡¯d carved into the wood years ago. ¡°No time to get hung up on the past,¡± she muttered to herself, shaking off the nostalgia. ¡°Let¡¯s get building.¡± She dug into her backpack and pulled out a bunch of metal scraps she had scavenged from the garage. Excited, she began working on her latest project: a rotating platform that would shoot out smoke for dramatic effect. Hours passed in a blur, the platform taking shape under her focused hands. Suddenly, her phone rang, snapping her out of her concentration. ¡°Incoming call from Country Song Lover ??,¡± Rayna read aloud with a smirk before answering. ¡°Hey, Hailey, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Hailey¡¯s voice crackled through the speaker.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I¡¯m in my treehouse working on a rotating platform that spews smoke.¡± ¡°Sounds cool. Are you planning to come to school today?¡± Rayna¡¯s brow furrowed, thinking for a moment. ¡°Nah, not really. Why?¡± ¡°I dunno... I just haven¡¯t seen you around much. I miss hanging out. We could catch up at school, if you want.¡± Rayna grinned. ¡°Bet. I¡¯m always down to hang. Let me finish this, then I¡¯ll swing by.¡± ¡°Thanks, see you then!¡± Hailey hung up, and Rayna returned to her work. She completed the first part of the project¡ªthe platform now spun smoothly, just like she wanted. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough for now,¡± she said, standing up and stretching. ¡°Time to go.¡± With a burst of energy, she leaped out of the treehouse, landing with a roll and sprinted toward school. She arrived just as the bell rang, and as students poured out of the building, many waved or started chatting with her. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? The teachers keep complaining, ¡®Once again, Rayna isn¡¯t here!¡¯ It¡¯s like they have a personal vendetta,¡± one student said, rolling their eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve just been living life. You know how it is,¡± Rayna replied with a shrug. ¡°Well, we got a chemistry test back today. Guess how much you got?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s chemistry, probably an 85.¡± ¡°Ha! You got a 94. And don¡¯t guess 85 like you¡¯ve ever gotten one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten an 85 in French, so, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± As they continued their banter, Rayna spotted Hailey walking toward her, looking downcast. She broke off the conversation and approached her friend. ¡°Hey, bestie, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, concern in her voice. ¡°I got a 73 on the chemistry test,¡± Hailey mumbled, her face falling. ¡°I studied so hard, but it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Rayna reached out, pulling her into a quick hug. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Let¡¯s go home, play some games, and forget about it.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Logan?¡± ¡°His parents picked him up,¡± Rayna answered as they began walking home together. The walk was filled with easy conversation¡ªeverything from the latest episode of their favorite show to random musings about life. ¡°You have to admit,¡± Rayna said, ¡°the new character on Pocket Creatures sucks. It¡¯s way worse than before.¡± ¡°Nah, the new character¡¯s cute, and the animation¡¯s better. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll keep the same one for 30 years¡ªit¡¯s not One Place.¡± ¡°You say that like you¡¯ve actually caught up to One Place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 600 episodes in. I think that¡¯s enough to have an opinion.¡± ¡°Blah, blah, blah. No more One Place slander.¡± They arrived at Hailey¡¯s house, and Rayna waved goodbye, heading home. Once inside, she dropped her stuff and hopped on her computer, starting a call in the Dumbasses Discorp group chat. Within moments, Logan, Rein, Hailey, and Rayna were all together. Rein, his voice tired, spoke up. ¡°Y¡¯all, let¡¯s play Valorwatch. I¡¯m so close to Platinum, and I need you guys to help me avoid the incompetent teammates.¡± Logan agreed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hop on.¡± They played through the night, riding a rollercoaster of win streaks and losses, their minds slowly unraveling from the chaos. As the call ended, Rein said, ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m coming over tomorrow. I told our younger cousin it was a ¡®big people trip.¡¯¡± ¡°Aight, can¡¯t wait to see you for tubing,¡± Rayna said. Logan, sounding a little shocked, asked, ¡°We¡¯re going tubing?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s a whole gang thing, and you¡¯re coming whether you like it or not.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask my mom.¡± With that, everyone said their goodnights and signed off. Chapter 2: The last human adventure Hailey wakes up from the sound of clapping and praise. She gets out of her bed to go downstairs, where she sees her younger brother getting showered with compliments. Hailey chimes in ¡°What happened, why is he getting all this ?¡± Her father answers after having a slight change in expression upon the sight of his eldest child ¡° Well good ol micheal just got himself accepted into the sports team¡± ¡°Oh cool, what sport?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to be in judo¡± ¡°Wait when I wanted to do judo you all told me I couldn¡¯t for some random reason! Why can he do it!?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, Micheal showed interest. It¡¯s not like you really wanted to do it and I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have gotten that far anyways. Just look at you, you¡¯re too meek and quiet and don¡¯t have the same desire and attitude as your brother.¡± Hailey looks at herself slowly getting sadder and a little angrier and thinks ¡°When you get your interest shut down the moment they appear, obviously you aren¡¯t going to be the loudest. And thanks dad for commenting on my appearance, just adding onto the insecurity¡± yet even with these thoughts the only sound that came out of her mouth was a quiet uhh. Her mom takes that opportunity to tell her that she needs to go get ready if she wants to be able to go tubing with her friends. She gladly goes back to her room to get ready so that she can quickly get out of her house. At the airport, Rein has just landed and was in the lobby waiting for Rayna to come pick him up. 20 minutes go by and Rayna finally arrives. The two of them meet up, run up to each other and hug. Rayna perks up saying ¡° I almost thought you weren¡¯t coming over this summer¡± Rein states ¡°Ain¡¯t no way imma miss a summer without seeing my favorite cousin. You better not bore me!¡± ¡°When have I ever bored you?¡± Rein says sarcastically ¡°Neeeeveeeeerrr¡± Logan, on the phone with Makaia , a childhood friend, is getting ready for the group activity. While in the shower still on call with Makaia he starts rambling on ¡°Then the dude hit a down spike and it was probably the best thing in fighting game history¡± Her, while laying on her bed with her feet in the air listens while she smiles. Logan chimes up again ¡° Hey I think we should smash sometimes maybe tomorrow¡­¡­¡­¡­OH NO that not what I meant you know I meant like play duper smash cous ultimate¡± She laughs ¡° I know what you meant, I¡¯ll be over at your house early tomorrow¡± ¡°It''s a date¡± Filled with embarrassment for saying that out loud he immediately says bye and hangs up. Logan, Rayna and Rein arrive at the tubing lobby. As they all see each other Logan and Rein meet up. ¡°How my giant harmless bear doing¡± Logan answers ¡°I¡¯m all good my small monkey¡± And they laugh at the reunion of the two bros . Sooner than later Hailey appears and everyone goes up to her. Rein goes up and gives Hailey a hug. She smiles. ¡°Long time no see Hailey, you¡¯ve gotten into much better shape. I¡¯m proud of you 10/10 body transformation¡± Hailey unsure of how to take that takes it as a compliment.¡±Thanks¡± Rayna taking charge shouts ¡°LET''S GO TUBING¡± Logan answers¡± you better not pass out like last time¡± Rayna looks at Logan with piercing eyes ¡°Last time wasn¡¯t even my fault LOGAN, your smooth brain picked a spot where we FELL DOWN A FLIPPING WATERFALL, INTO A LAKE, where we almost DROWNED! So this time I¡¯M picking the spot. ¡°Whatever you say¡± The group gets their tickets and everyone goes their separate ways to get changed into their swimsuits. The girls go into the locker room, get undressed and get into their respective bathing suits. Rayna in a two piece while Hailey in a one piece. ¡°Rayna you look very good in that bikini¡± ¡°Thanks, I just bought it. Shit was very expensive though¡± Hailey looks at Rayna wishing that she complimented her too yet stays quiet Rayna, full of joy, starts to reminisce. ¡°This is going to be so much fun. I think the last time we were all together was last summer and that¡¯s way to much time¡± ¡°Agreed¡± ¡°Remember when all of us went hiking and Rein almost got chased down by a group of beavers¡± ¡°Yeah that was hilarious, or do you remember the time where Logan thought he could cosplay 5th GEAR. It looked so funny¡± The boys while in the locker room have the most random conversation. Rein starts off ¡°I have been learning how to crochet recently¡± ¡°You have, why?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You don''t know how boring it gets at times in my house. Like throughout the day i swear i do nothing¡± ¡°Then call me. I''m probably also not doing anything¡± ¡°Yeah I should but i saw on this podcast that calling people can give you cancer¡± ¡°Dude on the internet everything gives you cancer. I''m pretty sure if you eat enough PB&J you''ll get cancer according to the internet¡± ¡°True the internet is on some bull. Like I swear this ain¡¯t bull but the brain rot is rotting my soul. LIKE I STARTED SAYING BRAIN ROT TERMS! I hate it!¡± ¡°Preach brother, preach¡± Everyone meets up and all go to the big floaties. The instructor starts to lay off the ground rules. Completely ignoring the instructor, the 4 of them decide on what they¡¯re going to do. Rayna starts off ¡°The swim ring has 4 areas. I say we each go on a corner and spin through the whole river, so no one is in front and we all get the same experience.¡± As Rayna says all of that, Hailey hears the instructor mention that they should not spin the lifesaver. She timidly speaks up and says ¡°the instructor just said we couldn¡¯t do that cuz someone might fall off¡± Rayna simply responds with ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him that¡¯s a rule for the young small children¡± Rein quickly goes to pick the biggest water donut to fit his size. They all rush over to the river and jump all at the same time onto the buoy. Immediately water splashes all over their faces, wind blasting onto them making them feel every single drop of water on them. The cold water contrasts perfectly with the warm sun rays. The view of the water and trees is almost reminiscent of a fantasy world. The blurry view of the fish makes the riders feel a part of the water. The noise of laughter fills the air. Logan admits ¡°Not gonna lie this might be better than the time we went to my area¡± Rayna takes the opportunity to roast Logan ¡°You see what happens when a LOW LIFE doesn¡¯t pick where we go. ¡° ¡°SHUT UP, you oversized BRAIN DEAD chimpanzee ¡° They¡¯re all enjoying themselves but the spinning is starting to affect the passengers. Rein is the first one to start losing strength. Hailey¡¯s grip is starting to loosen. Rayna, being unaware of this and being the most physically gifted, moves the water donut in one quick motion which causes Hailey to fly overboard and almost toppling the lifesaver. Everyone in shock freezes as they get sweeped away. Logan is the first one to get off but is still holding onto the rubber ring. He starts swimming over to Hailey as Rayna just stands there trying to help but not really doing anything. Logan powers through the water until Rein gets off making everything a lot lighter. After that Rayna hesitantly gets off making everything easier for Logan. But her not being the best swimmer holds on to Rein as support as they all fight the current to reach Hailey. Hailey on the other hand is being moved by the river with no control of where she goes. The water was dragging her and leading to another path which was on the designated area. Her not knowing where it could lead her and not trying to find out tries her best to latch onto a thick branch, which she successfully accomplishes. The three friends are slowly making pace towards her. Rein frustrated yells ¡°GOSH, this would be SO MUCH easier without these GODDAMN LIFE JACKETS¡± The water that was once a source of joy now is a source of hardship. Everyone eventually makes it to the point where the paths diverge. Rayna screams to Hailey ¡°You have to let go, it''s the only way.¡± Hailey, hesitant to let go, has no choice but to trust in her friends. She lets go and goes forward at breakneck speed and the moment she gets close all of them catch her letting go of the floaty. Now a new problem has risen so they all have no choice but to take the rest of the path by swimming and floating thanks to their life jackets. 5 minutes go by and they finally make it to the end. All of them are exhausted but each knows what they must do. They are in a hurry to check up on Hailey. Everyone simultaneously said ¡°Are you okay?! Are you hurt?¡± Hailey, looking at Rayna getting more and more on the verge of exploding, says calmly ¡°I¡¯m fine guys, don¡¯t worry about me. We don¡¯t want to ruin the vibe right ?¡± Rayna goes and apologizes and all she sees is Hailey¡¯s smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know that would happen but on the bright side that was the best adrenaline rush¡± Rein chimes up ¡°Facts like while swimming I swear I had a fish sucking on my toes¡± Logan responds ¡°Feet fetish even goes all the way to fish. Noted.¡± ¡°You would note down feet fetish fact, for sure¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean??¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you¡¯re into feet¡± ¡°Bro out of all of us you would probably the most into feet¡± ¡°You are smoking pot but speaking of feet, how¡¯s you and Makaia doing?¡± ¡°No idea how feet go over to her but I¡¯ll tell you all during dinner cuz I am starved¡± The whole group goes to a food stall and everyone gets some hotdogs and fries. ¡°I managed to invite her on a date¡± Rayna applauded him ¡°Took your ass long enough. But knowing you, you were probably the MOST AWKWARD you¡¯ve ever been¡± ¡°AT LEAST I ASKED SOMEBODY OUT!¡± Hailey clarifies ¡°Yeah but she doesn¡¯t need to, since people usually ask her out¡± She also thinks ¡°Much to my dismay since people seem to ignore me¡± Rein interrupts, ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track. How did it happen?¡± ¡°I was on call with her this morning and getting ready and while I was in the shower I was talking about me playing smash. And you know a joke that everyone always says when they want someone to play smash. I asked her did she wanna smash¡± A brief moment of silence¡­ Then they all burst out laughing. Rein while laughing ¡°You couldn¡¯t have said that any better, straight perfection¡± Hailey is still curious about the story ¡°Ok how do you recover from that?¡± ¡°So I played it off like nothing happened. I was so nonchalant and then I just told her that she should come over at my place and that it¡¯s a date? Another moment of silence¡­ They all look at each other and laughter starts again. Rayna clarifies ¡°We all damn well know that¡¯s not at all how that happened, Mr LeTs SmAsH¡± Logan gives in ¡°Fine I was anxious and when she said yes to come over I blurted out it¡¯s a date then hung up immediately¡± Rein responds ¡° That¡¯s the Logan we know and love¡± ¡°Yeah but I think that it might be the day I try to kiss her. Have no idea how but we ball. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you 30$ if you succeed¡± They keep talking for hours until everyone needs to leave. In the car they all join a call where a conversation comes up. Rayna, out of nowhere, just asks, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t being in a fantasy world be so cool like imagine the spells and creatures we would see, it would be so hype and exciting.¡± Rein agreeing ¡°Oh 1000% like just imagine all powers you can get and with fantasy worlds there are no limits. I could probably go invisible or fly or make fire balls.¡± Logan says ¡°It would definitely be amazing if I DON''T HAVE TO SPEND MY TIME WITH YOU LOW LIFE GROUND LICKING BUM. And if I can bring Makaia with me¡± Hailey after pondering for a moment replies with ¡°It would be cool but that would be leaving our family behind and starting from zero. Ignoring that though it would be very cool¡± Rayna ends the convo by saying ¡° Well guys I just arrived home so we¡¯ll talk tomorrow. Good luck on your date tomorrow idiot¡±. Logan and Hailey both say goodnight to Rayna and Rein. And the two of them go to sleep after a long day of adventuring. Chapter 3: New world? On a tranquil and cloudless hot summer afternoon, the sun was shining, birds fluttered happily in the air, singing songs that filled the surroundings with a beautiful white noise. In the middle of this wonderful, almost fantastical day, Rayna was tinkering with a gadget. She smiled with her eyes closed, laying back on her chair to appreciate the sun''s heat along with the sounds of animals around her. The gadget she was working on resembled that of a firearm. "Ahhhhhh, almost done. Only one more thing and I''ll be popping Nigga''s left, right, and center. I need to add a hammer, and I''ll be... OH COME ON-" Suddenly, the once peaceful weekend afternoon erupted into a blazing inferno of hot gas and fire, leaving behind nothing but smoke and ashes¡­ That, and a very crippled Rayna. coughs. ¡°Damn, that was one hell of an explosion. I''m shocked I didn''t feel anything. I swear that should have killed me... anyhow, it''s time to start fixing this mess before Dad gets home.¡± Rayna coils at the thought, knowing the whooping she¡¯d receive from her dad would rival that of the pain she should have felt from the explosion. Opening her eyes, she''s met by an undefinable white void and collapses, realizing that she''s no longer on her porch. "W-what, where, h-how, WHY?" She appears to be in heaven!! Or maybe somewhere in between heaven and hell. With her not being the best of souls when she was alive, the possibility of her being somewhere in between wasn¡¯t so far fetched. Suddenly, a golden light, outshining the white void, appears above her, and slowly, a small girl hovers down to her, with hair so black it looks like the void of space and flows like water in a calm stream down a mountainside. Her skin appeared to glow, even with her dark complexion. In absolute awe at this being''s appearance, Rayna blurts out. "I must be in a dream because there''s absolutely no way this can be real." The beautiful small being replies to her with a voice that could cause even the fussiest of babies to calm. ¡°Don''t worry, your mortal eyes aren''t deceiving you; I am the goddess Rethrea. I am here to escort you-" Rayna, still in shock, interrupts, amazed at the situation that she¡¯s found herself in. "A goddess?, No offense ma¡¯am you look more like a 10-year-old child than a god," Rethrea, taken aback by this sly remark and breaks character. "TEN-YEAR-OLD!!! How dare you compare me to a mere CHILD? I HAVE LIVED FAR LONGER THAN YOUR PITIFUL CIVILIZATION HAS BEEN AROUND!!¡± Rayna, a bit bewildered at the goddesses'' loss of composer. attempts to explain herself. ¡°Sorry Miss Rethrea, I didn''t mean to offend you, I swear! you just look, really young for someone of your status. But if it¡¯s not out of my place, what god are you ¡± The goddess, now feeling that she¡¯s been recognized answers enthusiastically "I the Goddess Rethrea, am the God of judgment and Reincarnation, and YOU mortal, lucky i even showed myself to you. " Rayna looks up and down to get a good look at this supposed god and comes up with an idea. With a smile, she proposes a way to prove her claim. ¡°If you''re a quote-on-quote goddess, can ya bring me to a new world, OH with all my memories intact!¡± Rethrea ponders this idea. And with her arms crossed and head held high retorts. "Why would I? The ''Goddess of Reincarnation and Judgment'', bring a 19-year-old, who to be honest, is quite a questionable person, to another world and, on top of THAT, with your memories attached?" Rayna, silenced by this, gets a little disheartened but still eager to get her way, stands her ground. ¡°Well, you make a good point. I may not be the best of people, but regardless of that fact, I still deserve this chance. My life was cut short, and I''m pretty sure that the explosion wasn''t natural. The chemicals I was using couldn¡¯t even get close to producing such a blast.¡± Feeling a bit guilty, Rethrea lowers her head. "What are you talking about? Are you trying to accuse me, a god of judgment, to have something to do with your death?" Rayna, still convinced that there was some type of other worldly influence with her death, simply stares back. After a few seconds of pure silence, Rethrea reluctantly drops her facade. ¡°Fine, I haven''t been completely honest with you." She pauses, trying to swallow her pride. Rayna squints her eyes. ¡°Elaborate." Fiddling with her fingers and looking quite embarrassed, Rethrea finally admits, "I may have been the cause of your death¡ªdealing with my other... clients.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Rayna yells, "I KNEW IT! BECAUSE THAT EXPLOSION WAS WAYYYYYYYY TOO BIG FOR A POCKET ROCKET!! but I guess it can¡¯t be helped, people tend to mess up when they''re fresh out of the box.¡± Visibly embarrassed Rethrea continues, "Moving on, you can bring three things with you to the other world, so choose wisely,¡± Rayna is thinking about what exactly she wants to bring, and after about five minutes, she finds the three perfect things to take with her. She asks, "Hey, goddess. I think I know three things that I want to bring or, to be specific, three people." The goddess''s face turns serious. " I think you might be overstepping some boundaries. The fact that you want to bring three LIVING beings with you, purely because you don''t want to be alone, is quite sick." Rayna looks down and reflects on what the goddess said. With a smile, Rayna replies, "Do you honestly think I''m afraid to be alone? I''m bringing these guys with me because I know they¡¯d love this. trust me, we¡¯ve talked about this possibility for hours. I''m doing them a favor by bringing them along.¡± Rethrea shakes her head. "What a selfish mindset. However, I will grant your wish. but remember, your friends will leave their world forever, their hopes for the future, their relationships all taken away from them because you simply want to have fun with your best friends." ¡°Are you still OK with that?¡± Rayna thinks about this, debating if this is something that she should actually do. but a flash of memories of her and the gang talking about their potential fun in a fantastical world solidifies her choice and she nods, Rethrea sighs, "Alright, then who are the souls that you¡¯re dragging with you?¡± Sparkly-eyed Rayna replies, ¡°Logan, Hailey, and Rein! Those are the three people I want to bring!¡± Shaking her head, Rethrea reluctantly draws her summoning circle. It almost resembles something out of an anime to Rayna''s excitement . Glowing a golden light, the summoning circle multiplies into the air. meanwhile Logan,the chubby tall black guy, was currently on a date with Makaia. They already played Smash and a while later Logan asked her to go out. During this date, he was planning to lean in for a kiss. He¡¯d been trying to find the perfect scenario in his head for the past few hours. "Alright, this is the day,¡± Logan thrusts in the air in his head, ¡°this is the day that I kiss Makaia!!¡± He had been trying to get with her for years and the fact he finally mustered up the courage to ask her out on this date made him hella happy. After the basically perfect date, Logan had one thing and one thing only left to do, and that was to kiss her. He waited for the day to hit the perfect romantic hour in the perfect setting. A mountain view point that captured the sun and the surrounding hilltops perfectly. Staring into the now-setting sun, he turns towards Makaia and she does the same. Logan brushes the hair covering her face and tucks it gently behind her ear. Makaia looks down, unable to make eye contact. Logan brings her closer, his hands now around her waist, their bodies pressed against each other so close he could feel her heartbeat pounding against his chest, Logan lifts her chin, brings their eyes together again, At that moment, he falls even deeper in love with the stunning woman standing in front of him. Her eyes seemed to sparkle like stars on a summer night. Her smooth hair glistened as if it were made out of obsidian. Los, lost in her beauty, slips out ¡°Makaia¡­ You look absolutely stunning.¡± He softly placed his hand on her cheek. Their eyes locked with each other, ¡°I love you, Makaia.¡± ¡°I love you, too, Lo.¡± The two close their eyes and lean into each other, and like that, they kiss. overwhelmed by the feeling of love and connection his heart rate spikes, he falls clutching his chest. Makaia tries catching him before he hits the ground Panicked, she yells out, ¡°OMG, LOGAN WHATS WRONG!¡± Struggling to talk back Logan grabs her hand, trying to put on a smile to give her some type of comfort, and very faintly say¡¯s, ¡°it¡¯ll be okay, it¡¯s just a bit of heartburn I swear¡± a sharp pain shoots through his chest, Logan clenches his teeth trying hard not to show face. Makaia, not falling for his facade, pulls out her phone to call the police. Logan¡¯s hearing slowly fades no longer being able to hear even the faintest sounds Back in the light dimension Logan is met with Rayna with a smile on her face. The emotions leave Logan¡¯s face, leaving him with a blank expression. "Logan, you finally kissed her, Goodjob¡± Ignoring the remark, Logan just stares at her. Not a word came out of his mouth. He looks around the new environment, sees the goddess and looks back at Rayna. He takes a deep breath and, in a frustrated tone, says, ¡°Imma say this as calmly as possible. Where am I, Rayna?¡± Afterwards, Hailey is spending time with her family. Hailey''s mom gets up from the dinner table with a wine glass in hand. ¡°Family, I have an announcement! So as we all know, in the past Hailey has been a bit of a¡­ slacker per se. But these two years she¡¯s really made up for himself, she took life seriously for once. She did what it took to make it through high school with a decent GPA. She spent hours on end studying and reviewing just so she could get all A''s in her classes. I''m proud to say that. My daughter Hailey has gotten a full-ride scholarship to Georgia Tech!!! Everyone jumps out of their chairs and raises their cups. The father comes up and pats Hailey on the back. ¡°That¡¯s my girl! I knew you would get somewhere.¡± Hailey smiles at this statement. Giving a nervous chuckle. The night goes by swimmingly; everyone is stuffed and happy. Hailey is lying in bed basking in her efforts. She finally believes that her life has a purpose, an actual future. Imagining what was up to come, she thinks that it would be a nice time to reward herself. Getting out of bed, she heads to her mini-fridge to grab a soda. pops it open and takes a sip, but suddenly she feels dizzy and falls to the ground foaming from the mouth. Her brother walks into the room and finds Hailey laid back in her chair, foaming out of her mouth; instead of helping, he says with disgust, "lol that''s a skill issue, MOM HAILEY¡¯S FOAMING OUT THE MOUTH!!¡±leaving Hailey on the floor dead. Opening her eyes, Hailey is blinded by the white void. ¡°Why is it so bright. hey bro mind turning it off for me, I¡¯m trying to sle-¡± With her eyes finally adjusting to the light, she is faced with not his brother but her best friends Rayna and Logan, and with a shocked stare, she looks at her surroundings, confused on where she is, but before she has time to speak, Rein appears in front of them. Rein, an average skinny black guy, is taking a late evening stroll walking down a beach when suddenly, a bunch of girls in bikinis jump all over his face. You would think that the impact of having 16 girls jump on him at the same time would be the cause of his death, but weirdly enough, no, it wasn''t. The cause of his death, for some illogical and unknown reason, he started having the biggest erection ever, sucking up all of the blood in his body. Of course, since there wasn''t any blood going to his brain, heart, lungs, or any body parts, he passed out. After suffering such gruesome deaths, the three of them woke up in this heavenly void where all you could see was just white, and with Rayna facing the three of them, and with excitement in her voice, Rayna announces, "Welcome to the New World, Dumbasses." Chapter 4: Separation Rein is still processing what''s happening, exclaims. "I¡¯m¡­ Am I in heaven?" A brief look at Rayna, immediately disproves that statement. "NOPE, I''m in hell." An awkward silence fills the room. Rayna, being the person who started all of this, tries to break the ice and walks over to the gang. She explains the whole situation on how Rethrea killed her and so Rayna decided to bring her friends along "So yeah, we''re all dead because of miss goddesses mistakes." After a good minute of processing what Rayna just said, Rein is the first to speak. "So, you''re telling me that you KILLED us. Brought us to this infinite void. And this twelve-year-old is sending us to some random world because you wanted to?" Rayna interrupts. "Correction, she''s actually ¡°older than humanity." Rein, getting a bit irritated, snaps back, "Yeah, that really doesn''t matter; what matters is that you killed us without consulting with us. That''s pretty messed up, Rayna." Rayna, confused about why Rein seems so upset, says, "I''m a bit confused about why you''re mad Rein. I gave you the opportunity to go to a world that I''m sure all of you wanted. Our old world was boring, basic, and mundane. Plus you all said it would be fun and cool¡± ¡°Those all basically mean the same thing,¡± Rein interrupts. Shrugging off Rein''s comment.Rayna continues, ¡°We all basically had a planned-out path in front of us. It was either you succeed and live a rich lifestyle until you get old and die, or you fail and constantly struggle to make ends meet. But that¡¯s beside the point because guess what! None of that matters anyway, bud. I already killed you; and your past lives are most likely gone forever. Right, Rethrea?" Being met with silence, Rayna repeats herself. "Right¡­¡­. Rethrea?" Hailey, shaking from the experience, finally musters enough courage to say something, "Wait, so there''s a way back!?" Overwhelmed by joy, she falls to her knees. ¡°Thank God." Rethrea walks over to Hailey and, in a sweet, calming voice, "Aww, that¡¯s sweet of you, but no, y''all are dead dead. Like, what did you think this was, mortal? A vacation? Once you die, you go to the place you humans call heaven or, if you''re unfortunate enough, to what you call hell. And if by some chance you''re lucky, like your friend pocket rocket over there," she lets out a deep sigh, "you get to go to another world." After hearing all of this, Hailey falls silent. Feeling that the room''s atmosphere has taken a major shift, Rayna walks over to Hailey and puts her hand on her shoulder. "Hey bestie, you¡¯ll be okay. After all, you got everything you¡¯ve always asked for! I could have picked anyone else, but I picked you. Not only because you¡¯re one of my closest friends, but because I know how much you always yearned for a second chance, so cheer up!¡± Hailey, unmoved by Rayna¡¯s attempt to cheer her up, punches her square in the face. Her eyes filled with rage and despair, she tackles Rayna onto the ground and starts to throw a barrage of punches. ¡°CHEER UP?! YOU SERIOUSLY WANT ME TO CHEER UP!? RAYNA, YOU''VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME IF YOU EXPECT ME TO BE HAPPY. I WORKED MY ABSOLUTE ASS OFF TO SUCCEED! LIKE, OH MY GOD, RAYNA. WHY DO YOU CONSTANTLY MESS WITH PEOPLE''S LIVES? REIN DIDN''T WANT THIS.LOGAN HAD A DATE TODAY AND I KNOW IT WENT WELL WE DIDN''T WANT THIS. I HAVE A FAMILY THAT FINALLY ACCEPTED ME, RAYNA, FOR GOD''S SAKE, A BROTHER TO TAKE CARE OF. A LIFE AHEAD OF ME THAT I ACTUALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO. YOU HAD A LIFE AHEAD OF YOU, YOU ALWAYS HAD EVERYTHING, THE LOOKS, THE HEIGHT, THE STRENGTH, A LOVING FAMILY, YOU NEVER HAD TO FIGHT FOR ANYTHING.JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE BORED DOESN''T ALLOW YOU TO DRAG US DOWN WITH YOU¡± Logan and Rein just watch as Hailey rages on Rayna. Rein, being somewhat unfazed about her actions, gives out a sigh and looks away. Logan just stands there, looking at the two fighting it out, walks over to the goddess, and asks for a sandwich since he hasn¡¯t eaten yet. Rethrea obliges and provides him with a double-stacked turkey sandwich. while she summons a bucket of popcorn to watch the fight. After a good 10 seconds of straight punching, Hailey breaks into tears. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Why, Rayna, why are you so damn selfish¡­? why don¡¯t you realize how much pain you cause us? You''re always doing this, dragging people into your crazy adventures without asking them first. Yeah, most of them were fun, but this is too far." Going in for another punch, she gets interrupted by the goddess, "Alright, that''s enough; this fight was fun at first. but continue your bickering elsewhere." Rethrea raises her arms, and a blinding light engulfed the room. "See y''all whenever," And as suddenly as they arrived, they vanished. Once the flash of light subsided, Rayna was met with a gust of wind. Struggling to open her eyes, she sees a seemingly endless lush forest, towering snow-covered mountains stretching into the horizon, roaring waterfalls cascading down vine-covered cliffsides into winding rivers that reached further than the eye could see,and streams that glistened like a thousand shining stars. Seeing all this almost made Rayna forget that she was thousands of feet in the air and falling. "HOLY SHIT!" Panicking, she flailed around, trying to grab anything to stop herself from falling but failing horribly. The fact she was 1000 feet in the air had yet to completely register. redirecting her attention to finding a way not to die. She noticed her outfit had changed. Instead of her casual clothes from home¡ªa black hoodie and navy jeans¡ªshe now wore a long sleeve blouse, with a brown corset (to be later worked on) "Oh shit, miss goddess went all out on this.¡± Checking the pockets, she found a note from Rethrea that read, "Hope you enjoy the clothes, dingus." Rayna, chuckled at the note, and put it away, trying to focus on the main task at hand: not falling to her death. She looked around the landscape, spotting a lake not too far away. seeing that this is her only chance of survival begrudgingly she braced herself for the plunge repeating ¡°please, don''t be too deep,¡± as she furled towards the body of water. SPLASH!!! She landed smack dab in the middle of the lake. Now submerged, she rushes to the surface refusing to open her eyes. The lack of air in her lungs caused her to stiffen, unable to effectively swim to the top, her chest grew heavier, her throat tightened. ¡±I''m gonna die.¡± The thought echoed in her mind as she swam harder. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die, please not like this,¡± her arms now feeling weaker. Rayna opens her eyes desperate to know how much farther she must swim up for air. ¡°I''m almost, just a little farther¡± she motivates herself. her head pounding in pain from the lack of oxygen, She reaches her hand out towards the surface, just moments from reaching the top, her vision slowly fading. she bites her lip desperately trying to hold on her ever fading conscience, ¡°help.¡± the sinking feeling of hopelessness consumes her. ¡°Logan, Rein, Hailey¡±. she closed her eyes, and with one more thrust. She makes it. Gasping for air, the feeling of her chest filling up with air brought her immense relief. savoring every following breath like there would never be another. ¡°I HATE water,¡± she said, exhausted. However, unable to catch a break, a Frog the size of a house lunges out of the water and lets out an earth-shattering blech. Looking up at the monstrous sized frog, Rayna ,exhausted and frozen by fear, floats hopelessly in front of the giant beast ¡°Rayna!¡± A familiar voice echoed above her, snapping Rayna out of trance, her face lighting up upon seeing her beloved friend. ¡°LOGAN!!!!¡± Although happy to see her friend, she was quickly reminded of the dire situation she found herself in. Panicking, she yelled out to Logan . ¡°Logan, watch out! There''s a frog in the water! You''ve got to fall somewhere¡ª¡± In mid-air, Logan pulled a sword and plunged it into the frog''s head, driving the sword deep into its skull. Blood sprayed from the beast leaking into the lake, turning the surface into a murky blood-red. Rayna was left completely shocked, floating in front of a dead Frog 6 times her size. Logan, standing triumphantly on top of the giant beast, let out a furious scream about his first Monster kill. Rayna, still shocked at this feat, stared in awe at the massive frog her friend was standing on top of. Her face brimming with anticipation, she climbed it to join him. ¡°Omg you saved me back there! if it weren¡¯t for you, i don¡¯t know where¡¯d be right now.¡± Rayna said enthusiastically, ¡°Probably in this thing¡¯s stomach¡± Logan says kicking a horn off the beast, Laying down Rayna takes a moment to catch her breath, reflecting on the heart wrenching experience that happened almost moments ago. ¡°You know Logan, it¡¯s crazy how I almost died. TWICE! like one by drowning, and the other time by this gian fish. Speaking of which, how¡¯d you manage to kill this thing ?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just stabbed it in the head,¡± Logan replied nonchalantly. Rayna, annoyed with his nonchalance, punched his arm. ¡°Logan, I know you stabbed it. I¡¯m asking how the hell YOU kill THIS, ITS HUGE.¡± ¡°I saw you looking like a worthless summer ant that needed saving, so I fucking ground slammed this sword into its head. Maybe if you weren¡¯t such a bitch, you¡¯d be able to as well.¡± ¡°What was I supposed to do? I was in the water!¡± ¡°Sounds like a skill issue to me, dog.¡± Rayna stopped talking and pushed Logan into the water, flipping him off as he swam back up to the surface. ¡°WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, ¡°dog.¡± ¡± Rayna says sarcastically, ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DON¡¯T KNOW? YOU PUSHED ME!¡± Rayna smirked, ¡°If you know what I did, why are you asking?¡± ¡°Because that was uncalled for! Now I¡¯m all wet!¡± ¡°Oh, my bad. I forgot you MONKEYS are afraid of water.¡± ¡°DOG, YOU¡¯RE A MONKEY TOO!!¡± ¡°Nah, I''m just tanned.¡± Visibly annoyed, Logan swam ashore, leaving Rayna on top of the monster. ¡°Whatever, call your mom,¡± Logan yelled back. ¡°How? I''m dead, dumbass!¡± Rayna, now alone, examined the head. A feeling of joy rushed through her body as she said to herself, ¡°Now this is a new world!¡± Chapter 5: Lost. Ashore, Logan and Rayna ventured into the forest, hoping to find some form of civilization. After what felt like hours of walking, Rayna collapsed next to a tree, exhaustion etched across her face. ¡°Lo, it seems like we¡¯re lost. We¡¯ve been walking for hours and haven¡¯t even found a path. The sun¡¯s starting to go down,¡± she said, her voice tinged with frustration. Her stomach growled loudly, echoing in the quiet forest. ¡°That... and I¡¯m starting to get pretty hungry...¡± A long silence fell between them. Rayna turned her gaze to Logan, who was on his knees, head hanging low. ¡°I have a question... for God...¡± he muttered darkly. Rayna tensed, bracing herself. Was Logan losing it? ¡°Lo, everything¡¯s gonna be al¡ª¡± ¡°WHY?!¡± Logan¡¯s sudden yell reverberated through the forest, shaking the trees. Rayna placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression softening with compassion. ¡°Logan...¡± He lifted his face to meet her gaze. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s being a worthless little summer ant,¡± she teased gently. A single tear rolled down Logan¡¯s cheek. His expression turned blank as he stared up at the sky. ¡°Welp, you¡¯re gone,¡± he muttered. Rayna retreated to her tree, leaving Logan on his knees, lost in thought. In that moment, he took in the serene beauty of the forest¡ªthe sunlight filtering through the leaves, the gentle breeze brushing his face. The tranquility was brief. Rayna¡¯s stomach let out another thunderous growl, shattering the peace. ¡°Lo,¡± she called, her voice tinged with embarrassment. Logan, still in the same position, turned his eyes toward her. ¡°Yeah?¡± Twiddling her fingers nervously, Rayna asked, ¡°Remember a couple of years ago when I argued about what to do if you were stuck in the woods hungry?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Logan replied, his tone flat. Rayna¡¯s gaze drifted upward to the vibrant green leaves above. Her mouth watered. ¡°Those leaves look kind of tasty,¡± she muttered. Logan blinked, puzzled. ¡°Rayna...¡± Her impatience boiled over. ¡°Logan... I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Rayna, please, just be quiet,¡± he sighed. ¡°Okay,¡± she muttered, dejectedly leaning back against the tree. Her eyes stayed fixed on the leaves, her imagination running wild with thoughts of food. Minutes passed in silence before her stomach erupted again. She scooted closer to Logan, tugging at his shirt. ¡°Logan...¡± ¡°Go to sleep,¡± he insisted. ¡°Okay...¡± Logan found a tree nearby and quickly drifted off to sleep. His dreams were filled with visions of cities and magical wonders. But his rest was short-lived, interrupted by the crackling of wood and the bubbling of water. ¡°Rayna?¡± he called groggily, opening his eyes to see her with a boiling pot. ¡°Rayna, where did you find a pot?¡± She shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I got bored and went exploring. I heard a metallic bang and found this random pot stuck in a tree. It must¡¯ve fallen from the sky or something. There¡¯s this cool orange crystal thingy at the bottom that heats the pot on its own¡ªmust be this world¡¯s form of magic.¡± Logan blinked, trying to process her explanation. ¡°Okay, but what are you cooking?¡± Rayna hesitated, her cheeks flushing as she stirred the pot. ¡°Nothing. Just... stuff.¡± Logan walked over and peered into the pot, his curiosity piqued. ¡°Rayna... are those leaves?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± she snapped defensively. ¡°Why are you boiling leaves?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Because I needed something to chew on!¡± Logan burst into laughter, falling to the ground. ¡°Rayna, leaves won¡¯t satisfy your hunger!¡± ¡°I know!¡± she shot back, poking the soggy mess with a stick. ¡°Then why?¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Because of the flavor, Logan! We¡¯ve been drinking nothing but monster-infused water. I wanted soup... I just wanted soup!¡± Rayna collapsed onto the ground, sobbing as her stomach rumbled. ¡°Damn, Rayna, you must be starving,¡± Logan said, wiping his eyes from laughter. ¡°Yeah...¡± she whispered. Suddenly, the ground trembled with a deep, rhythmic thudding. The trees shook violently, and a brilliant blue blast of water tore through the forest, obliterating Rayna¡¯s pot and scattering the leaves. ¡°NOOO!¡± she cried, falling to her knees. Logan scrambled to her side. ¡°Rayna, are you okay!?¡± ¡°My... my soup...¡± she whimpered. Another roar echoed through the forest as a massive figure emerged¡ªa dark frog-like creature with a single, sword-like horn towering above the trees. ¡°Rayna, we need to go!¡± Logan shouted. But Rayna didn¡¯t budge. Drawing her sword, she turned to face the beast. ¡°No. I can¡¯t run. Not when that creature had the audacity to spill my soup. I won¡¯t stand for it,¡± she declared, pointing dramatically at the soggy ground. ¡°Rayna, this isn¡¯t the time for¡ª¡± She silenced him with a finger to his lips. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Logan groaned. ¡°You¡¯re going to get yourself killed.¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯d win,¡± Rayna retorted with a smirk, readying her stance. With fearless determination, she charged the massive frog beast, weaving through its blasts with uncanny agility. Reaching its thick, slimy leg, she pulled back her arm, readying a powerful punch. As her fist connected, it sank into the creature¡¯s rubbery flesh¡ªonly to send her hurtling backward from the sheer recoil. Sliding across the ground, she grit her teeth and scrambled to her feet. Drawing her sword, she bolted toward the beast once more, fire in her eyes. Taking a striking stance, she swung with all her might at the creature¡¯s leg. The blade struck its skin with a sharp clang, only to bounce off harmlessly. The force of the impact sent the sword flying from her grip, leaving her stunned and vulnerable. ¡°Ahhh, dang it,¡± Rayna muttered as the enormous frog-like creature let out a guttural roar, raising one of its massive, slimy legs to crush her. She rolled away just in time, her heart pounding in her chest. ¡°Logan, RUN!¡± Rayna bolted toward their campsite, the beast bounding after her with thunderous hops. Trees splintered and toppled in its wake as its long, clawed tongue lashed out, narrowly missing her with each strike. ¡°Logan, where are you?!¡± she screamed, panic creeping into her voice. Suddenly, Logan burst from the bushes, grabbing her arm with urgency. ¡°This way!¡± Together, they sprinted through the dense forest, weaving between trees as the frog-beast¡¯s croaks reverberated behind them. They reached a massive cave entrance, it''s dark maw gaping like a safe haven¡ªor a trap. ¡°IN THERE!¡± Logan shouted, dragging her toward it. ¡°I¡¯m not going in there!¡± Rayna protested, digging her heels into the dirt. Without hesitation, Logan shoved her inside. A gust of hot air rushed past them, carrying with it the heavy scent of earth and something metallic. From the shadows emerged a colossal bear-like creature, its fur streaked with fiery red markings that pulsed like embers. Its frilled nose glowed ominously, radiating intense heat. The bear unleashed a searing blast of fire at the approaching frog monster, the flames illuminating the forest in a hellish glow. The frog retaliated with a powerful stream of water, creating a violent hiss as steam erupted where the two attacks collided. Rayna and Logan huddled deeper into the cave, their breaths shallow as they watched the two titans clash just outside. The ground trembled beneath them, and the night air was alive with the sound of roars, crashes, and explosions of elemental fury. As the moon climbed higher in the sky, its silver light bathed the entrance to the cave, casting long shadows that flickered and danced against the stone walls. Logan and Rayna lay deep within the caverns, the distant echoes of battle slowly fading into the night. Logan, still rattled by the intensity of their escape, leaned against the cool stone, staring blankly at the cavern¡¯s ceiling. His thoughts swirled, lost in the chaos of what had just transpired. Rayna, unable to sit still, her heart still racing from the adrenaline of their ordeal, suddenly burst out, "THAT WAS A HELL OF A DAY, RIGHT LOGAN?!" She slapped Logan on the back with a grin, though her eyes still carried the wild spark of their recent encounter. Logan, too tired to react with much enthusiasm, just nodded and muttered, ¡°Yeah¡­ a hell of a day.¡± He got up, found a corner away from the cave entrance, and pulled his jacket tightly around himself. ¡°We should sleep. Who knows when we¡¯ll get another chance like this,¡± he said, settling onto the stone floor and closing his eyes. Rayna watched him drift off, her fidgeting hands betraying the energy still coursing through her. Sitting still wasn¡¯t an option. The cave felt suffocating, and the night outside called to her. Without a second thought, she wandered out into the moonlit forest, her steps growing faster as awe overtook her. The aftermath of the battle lay around her, but it wasn¡¯t the destruction that caught her eye¡ªit was the strange beauty of this world. Mushrooms as tall as trees stretched toward the sky, their luminescent caps glowing faintly in the darkness. Massive insects, their bodies glittering like polished stone, flitted through the air, leaving trails of light in their wake. A beetle the size of a dog scuttled past her, its shell gleaming with iridescent colors. Rayna¡¯s heart swelled with excitement, her pulse quickening to match her pace. ¡°This place¡­ it¡¯s incredible!¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible as she jogged through the towering flora, her eyes wide with wonder. Every step brought new marvels¡ªthings she¡¯d never imagined before. Her breath caught when she found herself back at the site where everything had begun. The remnants of their first encounter with this world lay scattered¡ªmost notably, the splattered remnants of her soup, its mess still staining the forest floor. Amidst the debris, something glinted faintly under the moon¡¯s glow. Bending down, Rayna spotted a fragment of the crystal from her pot, still faintly glowing. She hesitated before picking it up. It was surprisingly warm to the touch, as if some strange energy lingered within. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she examined the shard, running her fingers over its smooth surface. What could it mean? What power did it still hold? With a shrug, she slipped it into her pocket. ¡°Might be useful,¡± she whispered to herself, her mind already racing with the possibilities. After casting one last glance around the captivating forest, she headed back to the cave. Finally allowing herself a moment of rest, Rayna closed her eyes and let the white noise of the cave envelope her thoughts, lulling her peacefully to sleep. Chapter 6: An Eerie discovery Early in the morning, Rayna woke to the crisp air, the coolness of the cave now a distant memory. She knew neither of them had eaten much since they arrived here. With a determined look, she decided to find something edible, hoping to surprise Logan with a meal. As she ventured out, she found an abundance of plants and mushrooms near the cave entrance. Yet, none looked appetizing or safe to eat, especially without proper tools to cook them. Frustrated but resolute, Rayna made her way deeper into the forest, hoping to find something that had fallen from a tree or been injured during the monstrous battle the night before. To her surprise, the forest seemed to have almost completely repaired itself, with only fallen trees and scratched rocks to prove that the battle had even happened. She acknowledged the regeneration and pulled out the glowing orange gem, brainstorming how the magic in this place could be used. Maybe she had some of this magic inside her. The thought echoed in her mind. Fire? Water? Earth? Wind? Were those even the elements here? Did magic work that way? Would she have one or all of them? Theories and possible techniques danced in her mind as she tracked her way through the forest. But a snapped twig pulled her focus back to reality. Looking to her left, she spotted a spotted beetle, similar to the one she saw the night before. It was small, roughly the size of a medium-sized dog. Seeing this as a very low-tier find, she didn¡¯t need to worry about it getting away¡ªmaking it the perfect opportunity to experiment. Assuming she had magic, she attempted to cast a spell. ¡°FIREBALL!¡± ¡­Nothing. ¡°BALL OF FIRE!¡± ¡­Still nothing. ¡°FIRE BLAST!¡± ¡­Silence. She sighed. ¡°Amaterasu,¡± she muttered, chuckling to herself. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t work. All that screaming made the beetle fly away, leaving Rayna looking at her hand dejected. ¡°Yelling out the attack didn¡¯t work. Of course, it didn¡¯t. It always seemed so stupid in shows anyway.¡± Maybe she needed to act like the beast that used those blasts. Why try to come up with something new when nature had been doing it for eons? Rayna imagined the bear. She needed to become the bear. Sitting on the forest floor, she closed her eyes. I am the bear¡­ I¡­ AM¡­ BEAR! She thought about the blast that came out of its mouth, the fire building up inside, the heat surging through its body, then expelling it all out¡ªreleasing itself from that heat. With all of this in mind, Rayna opened her mouth, letting out a roar and releasing¡­ a burp. Rayna sat there, stone-faced, as reality sank in. Her stomach growled, mocking her efforts. ¡°Great. I¡¯m a starving bear,¡± she muttered. Magic wasn¡¯t working. Not yet, at least. Maybe she needed a weapon instead. A bow would be perfect. Going deeper into the forest, she stumbled upon a weirdly shaped lump covered in overgrowth. Her focus shifted. What could it be? Uncovering the overgrowth, she found something that blew her mind. It looked like a mech of some sort¡ªcorroded metal with circuitry engraved into it. Gliding her hand over it, Rayna could imagine the power that once resided in this glorious machine. It sat at least twenty feet tall. She climbed on top of it, seeing a glass cockpit with a hole blasted through it. Wiping away some dust, she revealed symbols she couldn¡¯t understand. Taking note of them, she examined the hole in the glass. It was melted rather than shattered¡ªmeaning the hole was formed by a beam or something that moved so fast it vaporized the material on impact. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A creeping fear climbed up her spine. The mech looked like it had been here for hundreds of years. The possibility that civilization had fought itself to extinction was a very real thought. What would Logan and she do? In an unknown world, this was the worst-case scenario. Should she tell Logan? She shook off the thought. It would be better to keep this to herself for now. Moving on, she searched for anything salvageable. After a while, she found a long pistol-like weapon¡ªthough to her, it could be considered a rifle¡ªwith a port that held a gem. Unlike hers, however, this one lacked any power or glow. She also found a bundle of stretchy wire or rope, and lastly, a knife so massive it could be considered a greatsword for her, with another port and gem embedded in it, solidifying her theory that these gems were a way to power objects. As she examined her findings, a faint growling and the sound of heavy stomping reached her ears. Quickly, she climbed a nearby tree, staying out of sight. The beast drew nearer, and Rayna¡¯s eyes widened as she recognized it¡ªit was the monster from the night before. But this time, it didn¡¯t sound furious. In fact, it sounded weary. The beast limped heavily, a massive gash scaling its side, still bleeding. The injury was so severe that Rayna couldn¡¯t help but cringe. She wondered how it had managed to survive such a deep wound. She made a mental note: never cross that other creature again, and if she did, run as far as she could. Returning her focus to the injured beast, Rayna saw an opportunity¡ªa meal. It was a golden chance, one she might never get again if she let it slip away. She followed the bear from the treetops, staying as quiet and invisible as possible. Her mind was razor-sharp, every step calculated. The bear grew weaker as time passed, its wound pouring blood like a leaky faucet. Now, Rayna was faced with a choice: let the beast succumb to its wounds or finish it off herself. Her stomach ached, demanding that she take action. It was a hunger that made her muscles tense, her palms sweaty, and her mouth water. She needed to eat. She wanted to eat. But she also knew she had to wait. A premature attack could seal her fate. Taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, Rayna held perfectly still, observing the creature. The bear¡¯s dark brown fur was streaked with red markings that steamed from its nose to midsection. Its forelegs were massive, supporting the creature¡¯s weight with ease, while its hind legs looked stocky yet powerful. And the claws¡ªrazor-sharp, ready to tear through anything that came too close. Rayna took mental notes. All these details would be critical when the time came to strike. Suddenly, the bear sniffed the air and changed direction. Rayna followed at a careful distance. Her heart rate increased as the bear¡¯s path grew closer to the cave. She began to sweat. The bear was heading straight for Logan. He could be in danger. Chapter 7: SteamPunk Brahm Flashing back to the white void, Rethrea''s rustiness when it comes to reincarnating people causes a malfunction. In a blast of blue light Rein and Hailey aren''t teleported with the others but thankfully unlike Logan and Rayna they aren''t teleported high in the sky. They are teleported in the middle of a street. They both hear screams and things breaking but the two are in awe at the architecture and the colors in display. Tall buildings covered with huge panes of glass towering over the sky. In the sky, small blimps hover in the thick humid air. Steam valves protruding out of every machine. Bright orange lights, mixed with vibrant metallic walls surrounding them give a cozy atmosphere. The warm colors contrasting with the night sky, the smell of gunpowder being omnipresent, and the sound of gears turning make a constant background noise. After observing their entourage the loud sound of a gunshot wakes both of them up. Rein turns around while Hailey decides not to look, hoping the sound wasn''t actually a gun yet fearing the possibility. Rein sees a decrepit old man hunched over and robbed with nothing but a piece of cloth on. ¡°Give me all that you have!¡± the old man screams at a polite looking young mistress. Not a single person seems to want to help. Everyone stays in their own corners. The woman slowly pulls out a bag of black coins and gives them over while trembling. The elderly swiftly grabs onto the bag and walks away and just as he is about to leave he turns around and shoots an energy bullet at the cashier. The bullet makes a loud explosion sound that can be heard by everyone. Rein sees this and runs to tackle the man after the shot has already been fired. Rein pins the old man that was surprisingly even shorter than Rein was and holds him down. ¡°Get the authorities!¡± Rein shouts. He didn''t realize that his face was being brightened by a blue light. He looks to his side where he sees dim blue light appear but it wasn''t just light it was a force field protecting the girl. Hailey, now back to her senses, goes to help the distressed employee. The shield slowly disintegrates and Hailey asks ¡°Ma''am are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes I am fine. Are you the one who protected me?¡± ¡° No we don''t know where that came fro¨C¡± Before she could even finish her sentence a stream of blue light rushes through and captures the old man and just disappears. Rein goes to Hailey and with excitement ¡°Did you see that?!¡± Hailey relatively as excited says ¡°Well I didn''t see anything besides a blue light but I think I know what that means, THERE''S MAGIC IN THIS WORLD¡± ¡°Or just high tech sci-fi but no matter what it is it''s a 10/10¡± ¡°This place is definitely more steampunk than cyberpunk so I''m calling magic¡¯¡¯ As the two geek out about the new circumstances that they find themselves in, a streak of blue comes back and this time stops at the entrance of the shop. A tall girl decked out in leather clothes, goggles and very bright dyed blue hair appears floating on some jetpack shoes. She talks in a fast and high pitched voice. ¡°Hi guys! How are you?! I¡¯m good! You guys were a real help, even though you technically didn''t do anything I appreciate the attempt! My name is Veek!. What are your names?!Oh I want to take you somewhere!¡± Without even letting the two even say a word, she attaches a soft metal chain on both of their waist and flies off. The wind gets blown on their faces as if they were on a rollercoaster. Their screams were so loud the pain of screaming was starting to kick in. Veek is taking sharp turns where they almost hit buildings every 2 seconds. After their wild ride, they end up in her house. It''s a complete mess. Books everywhere on the floor, clothes too and some things the two don''t even want to think about what they could be ¡°Ignore my mess of a house, I promise there''s a structure but you wouldn''t understand but I came here to bring you to my basement.¡± Rein and Hailey look at each other and both say ¡°Are we getting kidnapped?¡± Without an answer, a trapped door opens under them. ¡°It''s time for another rollercoaster experience¡± Rein thinks Rein who is wearing jeans is getting his butt literally set on fire thanks to the friction of the tube . At the end they see a bunch of small blue elephant machines everywhere. They seem to be just for decorations. After all of this Rein stops all her shenanigans and screams ¡°Veek or whatever get down here and explain what the hell is going on and can I get a new pair of pants cuz they are so bloody burnt so bad.¡± Veek appears behind him, scaring the young boy. ¡°What do you wanna know? I love talking to friends !¡± Rein whispers under his breath ¡°I can tell you like talking¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing. But where are we?¡± ¡°In my house¡± ¡°Ok but like be less specific like the city or country or anything¡± ¡°Oh you''re in the city of Limburg and the country of Brahm. Now my turn to ask questions who are you and where are you from¡± ¡°One question at a time. My name is Rein¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hailey. Could you please tell us why you brought us here¡± ¡°Because you feel different, I thought maybe you could be elves or beasts in disguise¡± Rein shocked questions ¡°Beasts and elves?¡± ¡°Yeah so my turn where are you from?¡± Before either of them answer the two huddle up and talk to each other ¡°Rein, we can''t just tell her where we came from,can we?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right but we aren''t familiar enough with this world to lie about it so lets be extremely vague¡± Rein turns around and answers ¡°We are from a land far far away. Beyond your wildest comprehension¡± ¡°That¡¯s too vague, plus I can understand anything.I''m really smart. I was answering you guys truthfully and honestly.¡± Hailey goes up to her and says ¡°We¡¯re sorry but we can''t just tell you everything about us we just met you¡± Veek perks up ¡°You''re right you did just meet me but you guys are special. I should bring you to the Rex¡± ¡°The Rex?¡± ¡°Yeah he''s the most trustworthy person in the whole world¡± Once again a metal chain gets attached to their waists and they three fly out one of the tubes. As they fly they can spot a giant building with a giant swirl symbol on it. Getting used to the feeling of all this turbulence Rein and Hailey discuss in the back what they should do Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Hailey, I think we''ll need to tell this Rex the truth, he seems really important¡± ¡°I agree, but let¡¯s try to only answer what they ask.¡± A short journey later, they fly through a window and enter a room. Well kept and with more machines than you can even imagine. Veek softly speaks as blue magic words appear. (Divide it into another chapter, too long) Rex regum descende Those words fly onto the wall where a timer appears saying 5 minutes. During the count down everyone is quiet, not a word spoken. Rein¡¯s ADHD and hatred of silence tries to talk and stir up conversation, but before he could even open his mouth Veek puts her hand over his mouth making sure he won¡¯t speak. Unfortunately, the slight noise by Rein attempting to speak was enough to trigger the magical effect of the room. The environment starts getting filled with black smoke filling the air. Rein¡¯s the first to faint, then Veek and finally Hailey whose eyes slowly shut down and the last thing she sees is the countdown to a bright scarlet red. As Hailey woke, she found herself back home. The familiar warmth of the house wrapped around her, and a sense of relief washed over her. They were about to celebrate her brother¡¯s birthday. Smiling brightly, she approached him and said, ¡°Happy birthday!¡± She sat down, savoring the moment. But then the faces around her began to melt. Skin and smiles dissolved into thick black goo. Her mother¡¯s distorted, melted visage glared at her. ¡°You abandoned us,¡± she spat, her voice venomous. ¡°Left us for dead. We were finally a happy family, and you walked away!¡± Hailey stumbled backward, her heart pounding. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my choice! I didn¡¯t want to leave¡ªI swear!¡± Her father¡¯s voice joined the chorus, booming like thunder. ¡°FAILURE! How could you do this to us?¡± Backing into the wall, Hailey¡¯s knees buckled. The heat in her head was unbearable now, her thoughts spinning wildly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she cried. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again! It wasn¡¯t my fault¡ªI wanted to come home! Please, believe me!¡± ¡°LIAR!¡± her father bellowed, his face twisting grotesquely. ¡°You hate us! You left because you think we¡¯re bad parents!¡± ¡°No! No!¡± Hailey choked, tears streaming. ¡°You¡¯re wonderful parents! I¡¯m grateful for everything you¡¯ve done¡ªplease, I¡¯ll be better! I promise I won¡¯t leave again! I¡¯ll take school online, anything!¡± Then her brother stepped forward. His movements were slow, mechanical, like a marionette on frayed strings. Hailey¡¯s breath hitched. Something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°Are... you okay, bro?¡± she whispered, her voice trembling. He didn¡¯t respond. His arms reached out, fingers dangling lifelessly, black goo dripping from his hands. Panic rooted Hailey in place, her legs like lead. The hug came suddenly, his cold arms wrapping around her. Fear gripped her, but as she felt him trembling, she hesitated. Was he scared too? Maybe he understood. She relaxed slightly, hugging him back. Tears welled in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to leave,¡± she whispered, clinging to him. ¡°I wanted to come back. Mom and Dad don¡¯t understand, but maybe you do...¡± His grip tightened. A weak, ghastly voice rasped from him: ¡°You betrayed me... You left me with them. Why did you leave me with them?¡± Shock stabbed through her. ¡°No!¡± she gasped, pushing against him, but his hold was unyielding. Her feet sank into the black goo spreading beneath her. Panic surged as she struggled, clawing and screaming. ¡°Get off me!¡± The darkness rose, swallowing her inch by inch. She took one last, desperate breath as the blackness consumed her entirely. , A gasp of air was taken and Hailey was sweating and visibly disturbed. Freaking out she looks around and sees Rein awake with a stern and emotionless face meanwhile Veek is flailing around in seeming agony. Hailey looks up and sees a man sitting on a golden throne. With a loud yet gentle tone she asks ¡°Sir, do you mind telling me where I am and who you are ?¡± The man gets up, illuminated by a giant golden light source behind him. He slowly walks down as his imposing figure starts to truly show. Once down the flight of stairs he goes up to Hailey kneels on one knee and his black eyes stabbing daggers into her, his beard showing a frown and not a hint of joy comes off from this man. Yet he starts smiling at her. ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m the Rex of this country. You can just call me Druk. I rule over this section and you my dear are quite impressive. You did far better with that test of will then I thought a normal human would. What is your name?¡± ¡°My name is Hailey and I would like to know what was that vision and dream all about please¡± ¡°Those were our K-Mon. They activate upon the slightest sound made by people. It¡¯s to make sure no other races like those horrid elves come and try to assassinate me. The rule of no talking is only known here. Which is why I''m curious how come you guys didn¡¯t know the rule¡± ¡°We are not from around here, Sir¡± ¡°Then where are you from ?¡± With a slight pause she reflects on what Rein and her said. She ask ¡°Is anyone else listening or here besides us 4¡± ¡°No, no one else is present during Rexly meeting¡± ¡°You may not believe of but we are from a place called Earth and it doesn¡¯t seem a part of your world¡± ¡°My world? What do you mean by that¡± ¡°My world earth is a lot different, for example we don¡¯t have elves in my world. Well not true, people have thought of the concept but no elf existed. And we didn¡¯t have this steampunk aesthetic.¡± Suddenly Rein gets up panting exhausted. He looks at the king looking fella. ¡°What¡¯s happening? GET AWAY FROM HER!¡±t Hailey looking at Rein reassures him ¡°Rein, it¡¯s okay, he¡¯s not a bad guy. I think?¡± ¡°Then who is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone. This girl was much nicer than your oafish behavior. Though I will still comply. I am Druk and I¡¯m the Rex of Brahm. I¡¯m assuming you also come from another world¡± Rein looking at Hailey ¡°You told him?!¡± ¡°I had to plus he¡¯s really scary¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± Changing his attention to the leader of Brahm ¡°What do you want from us ?¡± With a very confused face Druk proclaims ¡° You guys order a meeting with me. Did the fumes affect you that much cuz you sound like you smoked something before coming here¡± Rein stunned nods because he makes a fair point. Veek wakes up and happily starts jumping around and speaks quickly. ¡°Hey Rex look what I found. Aren¡¯t they super interesting? I think I did a good job. So what will you do with them?¡± ¡°Well first let''s ask them. Do you have any plans now that you are in this new world¡± Rein looks at Hailey and goes up to her. ¡°I don''t think we have any plans. I was going to say go find Rayna and Logan but they could be anywhere.¡± ¡°Agreed and no matter how much I¡¯m mad at Rayna right now I know she''s going to be looking for us or at least traveling so if we stay here she''ll eventually catch up to us¡± Rein declare to Druk ¡°We have no plans but we would like to learn as much about this world as we can¡± ¡°That is a valid answer. I will put you guys to work directly under my commands and I have just the best missions for you. That will be for another day. I hope you guys can find a hotel to stay at. Veek, you are their temporary supervisor. Since you found them you''ll take care of them. Is that clear ?¡± ¡°Rex, yes, Rex¡± They all stand up after the ropes that were holding them disappear. As they get up the three let out a long sigh of relief after being stuck there for god knows how long. This time Veek calmly walks and escorts them out, which seems surprising for someone of her personality. Hailey slowly walks up to Rein and tells him ¡°I don''t know about all this. He said he had missions for us but we don''t know anything about this world, we have no money, we aren¡¯t¡­or at least I don''t think I''m qualified for this much importance¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, we got this. Just think about how life could be much worse. We could have encountered a giant frog instead, or a bear. It¡¯ll be great.¡± She softly smiles even though that did not quench her worries at all. Veek brings them to a small yet cozy hotel room. Veek speaking fast as always ¡°Okay this is where you''ll be sleeping, I don''t know for how long but I hope you''ll like it. If you want, I have places to sleep at my house but I don''t think you want to hear my experiment hehehehe. So goodnight, have a nice nap or sleep I guess, don''t let the S-groks bite.¡± Hailey smiles, ¡°Thank you for all your help.¡± Veek nods and zooms away on her jet shoes. ¡°You know she didn¡¯t do anything, right? And good lord, I will get a headache from her speaking too much . Does she ever breathe?¡± Both of them look at their respective beds covered in pillows and they look at each other. Instantly they jump on their beds and have a pillow fight till they get exhausted and both go to their beds to sleep.