《The Greatest Fight [epic progression isekai]》 X1.1.1 - Reset
X1.1 - THE DEFAULT
X1.1.1 - Reset
One fateful evening, the kind that whispers of destiny while no one notices, a boy named Roa found himself standing on a cliff. The last rays of sunlight painted the sky a masterpiece worthy of such a moment. There, staring off the edge, he realized something profound, something that finally shattered the frail illusion that was his normal life. He realized that the Earth¡ªwas flat. The problem with his epiphany was that, although the endless void below was indeed there, Earth was not at all the place he was standing on, nor had there ever been anything ''normal'' about his life, for that matter. Deciding to leave his comfort zone would have had its consequences, after all, but this was probably not what he was expecting. At that moment, he remained unaware of the wise, unseen will of the Universe, his choice¡ªthe final link in a series of forces long in motion, come together at last, poised to set off a chain reaction like none seen before. The old woman''s eyes narrowed as she watched his bewildered reaction, hidden from behind; her mind waiting anxiously for her moment, as a smile widened on her wrinkled face. "Great Mother of Humanity," he said, as he stuck his head over the edge with trembling caution. "I should have stayed in bed today,¡± he glanced down, staring at the pink clouds floating like cotton candy in the golden heavens below. Roa looked over at his girlfriend. Eralay had a blank look in her eyes as she stood next to him. She nodded when asked whether she too saw the strange sight. "Were we roofied at the diner? I''m starting to hallucinate," he continued, as he rubbed his eyes, getting no response from his partner. "You''re not hallucinating¡ªSunflower," the old lady said, causing them to turn with a surprised jolt as she stepped out of the woods. "You''re not on Earth. This isn¡¯t your life. You''re most certainly not an accountant, considering that you hate math, and I am sure this has become apparent¡ªthings are not exactly as they seemed," she explained as her feet stepped in the field of pansies. She was a short, wide woman in her seventies, with blonde hair and an apron. She had previously served them chocolate banana pancakes at the diner, just a few hours prior. Roa stared at her with a confused look. "Why are you here, did we forget to tip or something? And how do you know my nickname?" The woman sighed, then nodded. "Looks like they scrambled you really good this time. Let''s start from the top. My name is Nirvana. Gunhand Nirvana. You''ve been living a lie. Your identity, your beliefs, your values and memories¡ªthey''re not your own. I am here to break you out." "Break me out? Of what?" "Where do you think people are broken out of?" He shrugged. "Prison! I''m breaking you out of prison, idiot," she said. "I''m not in prison though. I''m free. I''m literally outside." She looked at him, annoyed, pointing her hand towards the void below. "You think that you are Free?" she blurted back, scoffing. "Did you take your meds, lady? I am free. Unless the whole world is a prison, and everyone around me is a prisoner too," he responded in a mocking tone, shaking his head as he ridiculed the thought. "No, Roa, just you. This is your prison. The rest¡ªthey''re all part of your prison, basically." "You''ve lost your damn marbles, lady. Also, I never told you my name at the diner, how did you¡ª" He tapped his index finger on his mouth, lost in thought as he interrupted himself. "Wait a minute, I do hate math, now that I think about it," he added. "See? We''re making some small, albeit very tiny progress here. I need you to focus now because, since I am breaking you out, well¡ªthe guards are going to come soon," she said twirling her hand to keep things moving forward. "You see, you are very important, flower boy. Not because you''re talented in any considerable way, but because you know something that EVERYONE wants," she paused. "Or maybe¡ªyou knew. I''m not even sure at this point, considering the terrible state you''re in." He started laughing. "I get it. You put something in our coffees, and now you are going to rob us? Are your criminal buddies going to pop out of the woods next?" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Nirvana groaned, losing her patience. "Is the suspicious abyss next to you not enough proof that some major fuckery is afoot, genius? I swear¡ªyou do this every time." "That''s from the drugs you gave us." She sighed again, rolling her eyes as she stuck out her arm. "Then step off of it¡ªgo ahead. See if you really fall." She challenged him with a sharp rebuttal. "You''re free to walk off the edge, since you''re so convinced." The boy stood silent, his smile fading away. The elderly lady placed her hand on her forehead, taking an even deeper breath, looked at her watch, and responded with a serious tone. "Alright, we got less than fifteen minutes before the Exit appears. I''m going to try to snap you out of your reset as much as possible before it comes, or you might not be able to see it. I''ll do my best, but I''ll be honest, it''s squeezing a lot in a few minutes, so hopefully your mind doesn''t collapse in the process. No promises!" she forced a smile, as a look of concern revealed itself. He laughed at her again with a scornful tone, shaking his head. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some lose change and handed it to the stranger; she glared back at him with a fiery look. "You should do as she says. I think she might be telling the truth," said Eralay with a soft, almost resigned tone, placing her hand on his arm. The worried look in her eyes met Roa''s, causing his grin to disappear. Nirvana smiled. "Alright, let''s stop beating around the bush. I''ll show you a little trick, boy. Call it a Gift. You should recognize it, after all, the person who taught it to me, was you." His eyes widened in shock, round and unblinking like an owl¡¯s, and his mouth hung open in disbelief. The woman morphed. Her once brittle skin smoothed out, her wrinkles fading, vibrant color returning to her cheeks. Her body seemed to shed the weight of years, revealing a younger woman where she once stood. She had vibrant, pink hair that seemed to glow against the dark, sleek armor she wore¡ªa futuristic style, completely foreign to those parts. The sight made the young man stumble back in disbelief, his legs giving way as he fell to his knees with a grunt. "My head is on fire. What the hell did you drug me with? Whatever you want from us, just take it. We don''t have much anyway." Nirvana strolled closer to him. "It''s normal. Like I said, we''re pushing it a bit, given the time constraint. You still don''t recognize me, do you?" she crossed her arms and looked away, annoyed. "Ya got lucky, you know. You always do. I picked up your breadcrumbs a few years back¡ªreal cryptic, congrats. It took us exactly forever to infiltrate this forsaken place. Some of us are still looking for you, but you''re under a lot of eyes, boy,¡± she nodded. "I have no idea what you are talking about! What do you want?" "Everyone else thought of you as lost for good, GONE, irrecoverable, after so long had passed. I mean, 300 long ones have gone by¡ªbut I knew you''d turn up somewhere. You always do. I did not give up. I made sure the Exit stayed hidden until we could get you out. When we got your message last week, we knew it was time to act." "I never sent any message. I don''t even know you. You haven''t answered my question. Why are you here?" he groaned, holding his head. "Everyone''s looking for you for the same reason. I don''t know how you did it, but you did it somehow. You found the way to the Dreamer, to the Place Where All Things Meet. The Heart of Hearts¡ªthe very Core of Existence itself! Or so the rumor goes, at least. Whatever Jumpers call it these days, you got the directions to the place where dreams come true, where any wish¡ªbecomes reality." He stared at her, a pained expression twisting his face, sweat trickling down his brow. "You''re insane. I don''t know of any¡ªdreamer or any kind of place like that, I''m nobody. Trust me, I''m just a¡ª" he was going to say "accountant," but stopped when the idea began to feel ridiculous, even before the word came out. She nodded with a grin, her eyes narrowing, as she felt the satisfaction of making some progress. "Stay focused now. The endless labyrinth¡ªthe Palace. Do you remember it? That place with infinite rooms and doors that lead to countless worlds¡ªworlds filled with strange civilizations, mythical creatures, great spirits, evil gods, and more things than any mind could ever fathom." His hands shot up to his temples, fingers digging in as if to crush the pain away, his body trembling. His jaw clenched, and his breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. His troubled state did not slow Nirvana''s words, however. "The Dreamer is said to live in the Palace, at its very top,¡± her index finger shot up to the sky. ¡°Surely you must remember something about all this!" she leaned down, smiled and eagerly nodded at him, as her head tilted to the side. "Any chance you remember the way?" Her eyes opened wide in anticipation, as one of them twitched. He did not respond, letting out a long, loud grunt instead, his hands on the ground as he began to hyperventilate. Nirvana scoffed before glancing at her watch. Her tone shifted, picking up speed, a sense of urgency creeping into her words. ¡°We are running out of time,¡± she muttered. "Listen to me, listen very well. There is a great war brewing, a most-sacred revolution that will change the fate of not only your life, but the very destiny of Existence; and you, mister nobody, are needed elsewhere, urgently, to join the Greatest Fight." "What fight? I told you, NOTHING you say is making ANY sense to me." She kneeled, her presence looming as her eyes narrowed into sharp slits. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper, heavy with passion, her words profound. "The sacred struggle born of a most righteous cause, from a most urgent of needs, in a most pivotal of times¡ªthe fight to awaken ourselves, liberate Humanity, and save Nature from destruction. The final battle against a horrible evil, a sickness, a disease like no other. One that grows and spreads from place to place, sapping each of its life. We Jumpers call this darkness the Great Death¡ªprofane child of the Old Order." She spat on the ground as she uttered those words. She opened her arms as she stood, raising her head up high to the sky. "Default World. We are inside of it as we speak! Look around with open eyes, Sunflower. Behold the enemy¡ªfor you are its prisoner. Countless more are as well, though they do not see the invisible chains that bind them." She then froze and looked around, interrupting her impassioned speech. A terrible feeling swept over her, sending a chill down her spine; a horrible, yet very familiar sensation, like that of an evil presence she once knew. ¡°What?¡± asked Roa. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± X1.1.2 - The Shadow X1.1.2 - The Shadow
Nirvana''s eyes filled with fear as they darted in all directions, searching for something. "Did you look at the two men in the diner? Were you followed here?" she screamed. Eralay froze, as the apparition materialized a few meters behind them. Towering above them stood a dark figure with his arms crossed. His feet hovered just above the ground, levitating with unsettling stillness. Menacing and silent, his height was one and a half times that of a man''s, his black mantle billowing in the wind, obscuring his form. His face was hidden behind a pearly white mask, a crescent-shaped grin etched across it with eerie perfection. "There you are," said the stranger. His young voice was calm yet cold, carrying an air of presumptive authority. As he spoke, the wind picked up, swirling around them, as the sky darkened. ¡°Hurry up and appear,¡± thought Nirvana, noticing the weather changing, as her eyes shifted around. "I had an odd feeling about today. I could not quite figure out why¡ªbut I understand now. You anomalies always find a way to disrupt the order of how things should be. It doesn''t matter how silently your auras whisper; I always get a strange feeling when you are up to no good," the masked being explained. Nirvana turned to them. Her heart was racing, and her breath was fast. She knew that she had to play her next moves correctly, or things would turn south for all of them. "Here! Take this." She placed something in Roa''s hand. When he opened it, he found a crumpled piece of paper and a small vial filled with a clear liquid. "If we get separated, you must, without ANY deviation, follow the instructions on that paper. Some of the worlds after this one are absolute death traps. It''s not the best way out, but it''s the only one we could keep hidden from them," she paused, sighed, then continued, "hopefully the directions are mostly correct, considering how much we paid for them." He shot a sharp, suspicious look at her, then placed the objects in the pouch tied to his belt. ¡°Face away from the sun¡ªflower boy,¡± Nirvana added with a smile and a nod. ¡°And don¡¯t fall¡ªor you¡¯ll fall forever.¡± His gaze then turned to the masked stranger, and something in him caused his eyebrows to furrow. "I know you. I''ve¡ªseen you before," Roa said, pointing at the dark figure. "You''re like the ones who keep showing up in my dreams¡ª" "Those were not dreams," the pink-haired girl interrupted him. Her eyes narrowed. "Those were escape attempts. Each time you wake up back in your bed to the sound of your alarm¡ªthat''s them resetting you." "How many times will you attempt to escape from us? It is futile. When will you understand that you are not leaving," the enemy proclaimed. Roa turned to Nirvana. "Who is that man? Why do I feel like I know him?" "He''s one of the Lord''s Shadows. We call him Mr. Briteside because of that stupid smile on his face,¡± she swung her index finger across her mouth, tracing an exaggerated half circle on it. "He''s one of the guards." The pink-haired girl dropped into a defensive stance, her body coiling with tension. She prepared to face the foe, every muscle primed for the fight ahead. Her breath was steady, her eyes locked onto the target. The dark figure raised his clenched fist to his forehead. With a swift motion, he extended his arm and hurled a ball of blue light away from them, leaving a faint trail of energy in its wake. Moving with such formidable speed that her own body blurred as she leaped forward, Nirvana swung her arm like a falling axe, intercepting it just in time. The blur of light vanished with a small flash, as it made contact with her hand. "Your buddies are busy; they said they can''t come," she said, her tone dead serious. The smile on the mask seemed to mock her. "It does not matter. I''m more than plenty to take care of you three," the Shadow answered back. A blinding flash erupted, blinding everyone, including the enemy. The wind shifted direction, howling with an unnatural force. Nirvana turned toward the bright light, her breath catching as she gasped, her eyes darting to the ground. She reappeared behind Eralay and Roa, her hands pressing down on their heads, tilting them toward the floor with a sharp, urgent motion. "Never look at an Exit in the eye, or it''ll disappear. Go through it! I''ll keep him busy." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Before the enemy could shift his gaze toward the source of the flash, she blasted forward with explosive speed, crashing directly into him. The impact sent them spiraling into a fierce clash, their bodies moving in rapid, fluid motions, hitting and blocking with such intensity that they resembled a cloud of punches and kicks. The massive portal loomed behind the fray, its two towering columns¡ªeach as tall as a building¡ªwere crowned by a triangular pediment. Winds spiraled into the bright, white opening, dragging wisps of clouds and loose debris within. At the top of the Exit, a giant, wide-open eye stared straight ahead with a blank gaze, unmoved by the chaos below. "This feeling¡ªI remember it. It feels so familiar, as if¡ªI''ve felt it many times before," said Roa, a genuine smile spreading across his surprised face. The enemy faded away, reappearing several times until he was far enough from his opponent. He tried glancing at the Exit again, but a blast of light hit his face. Furious, he turned towards Nirvana, blasting off in her direction. "You''re not going to do that either, Shadow," she yelled, her hand pointed towards him in the shape of a gun. She felt the energy within gathering, shifting to her arm. She closed one eye and aimed. A massive blast of light shot out of her index finger, the recoil sending her arm backwards, twisting her body as dust blew in all directions. Her foe vanished, evading it, her shot missing him by an inch. He appeared behind her, her eyes opening wide as she felt his presence next to her. He unleashed a brutal punch onto the back of her head. The force was so immense that it sent her flying across the field, causing her to hit the ground and flip repeatedly, until she crashed into a boulder. ¡°Who are these people?¡± an incredulous look appeared on Roa¡¯s face as the boulder exploded. Light flickered around Nirvana¡¯s body. She was still in one piece. She looked up, lifting her head from the ground, coughed through the dust, noticing Eralay and Roa running. "Damn it!" she said, forcing herself on her feet as Mr. Briteside materialized in front of the boy and his lover. The two froze as he towered in front, blocking their escape. The enemy''s hand shot out like a poisonous snake striking. He grabbed Roa by the neck, raising him up with unnatural ease. Gasping for air, the boy kicked and punched, but no matter how much he tried to break free, the enemy seemed to be made of steel, taking no damage. "Let him down! You''re going to suffocate him!" Eralay screamed at him. "That''s exactly the point," roared the masked man, pushing her away. "Stay out of it. Know your damn place, woman!" The dark being placed his other hand on his victim''s head, causing the boy''s eyes to roll backwards. The air began to vibrate. "Not this time." Nirvana said, making a gun with her hand again. The Shadow''s mask inched closer to the boy''s face as he spoke with an ominous, mocking tone. "Don''t worry¡ªSunflower. Tomorrow, the alarm will go off again, as it always does, and you will think this was all just another, bad, DREAM." Another blast struck the Shadow, but his body was protected by a shield that flickered around him like a cocoon of light. He released the young man¡¯s head, pointed his hand at his rival unleashing countless rays of light, as her agile flips attempted to evade the barrage of attacks. Explosions rocked the field, soon engulfing the area in a thick cloud of dust. She fired back through the smoke, in the direction of the foe. Grabbing his attention for enough time to lose his scanning eyes, she found an opening, reappearing underneath him, leaping up with the force of an exploding volcano. When her fist met his jaw, she forced him to release the grip on Roa''s neck. Mr. Briteside flew several hundred meters in the air. The boy¡¯s head tilted back, his mouth open wide in disbelief, as he followed the enemy''s body, shooting into the sky like a rocket. Nirvana''s entire body glowed with a strange light. Turning to him, she yelled. "We didn''t spend all this time just to lose you again. Jump into the Exit, NOW!" Eralay grabbed her boyfriend by the hand, pulling him up. They ran as she turned to him. "You were never meant to live like this. Your heart will never stop being free. That''s what I always loved about you." Her voice trembled, her breath coming in ragged gasps as they ran. Never give up, okay?" she smiled, a deep sadness in her eyes. Nirvana followed closely behind them, until the enemy''s strike sent her flying. She came out coughing from a small crater surrounded by a billowing cloud of dust. Her hair disheveled, limping in pain, her eyes darted around for the Shadow. ¡°Where the hell did you go, you faceless bastard,¡± she started blasting in all directions, attempting to keep the foe busy for as long as possible. "NOW! Jump, before he tries to close it!" Nirvana shouted a few meters away as she kept shooting erratically. The air moved above. Something fell at great speed straight down towards them. Nirvana turned her head and gasped, launching up in its direction to chase it, midair. The enemy was too fast, however. A violent gust passed her by, heading towards the young couple below. She had missed her shot. "No!" she backflipped in the air, pivoting, flying down at full speed towards the ground like a meteor. The boy held his breath, shut his eyes, held tightly onto his lover¡¯s hand, and sprinted as fast as he could into the bright light of the Exit. It was too late, however. Mr. Briteside appeared in front, between Roa and Eralay, just as they were crossing the threshold of the magic door. Their hands separated from the momentum, as they hit the enemy''s unmovable chest. In a last-ditch effort, Nirvana pushed off the ground, her leg springing like a coiled trap upon impact, blasting forward with tremendous force, until her shoulder crashed into the boy''s back. "Get in there!" she screamed, forcing him inside the Exit, before the Shadow could grab him. Time seemed to halt. Nirvana stared at the boy, with a satisfied look in her eyes. She smiled. The plan had worked. The Sunflower escaped. He was Free, again. However, as Roa plummeted into the abyss, Nirvana¡¯s attention caught the direction of his gaze. His eyes weren¡¯t on hers; they were locked on something else¡ªEralay. His arm stretched out desperately toward her, his fingers grasping at the ever-widening, empty space between them. Her name erupted from his throat, a raw and agonizing cry that echoed, resonating like a haunting refrain as he fell into the void. Pain shot through Nirvana''s arm, forcing her to turn her head, noticing the Shadow''s powerful grip on her wrist. Behind, past the enemy''s smiling mask, was Roa¡¯s lover. Her long, white hair jerked forward as her body''s momentum was also stopped by the enemy''s powerful grip. A tear from Eralay''s face fell into the void, twinkling as it followed the boy into the unknown. X1.1.3 - The Impossible X1.1.3 - The Impossible
Roa woke up disoriented, his head spinning, when he felt a drop fall on his face. His head was pounding, as if about to explode. When he tried to rise, his body felt as though it was weighed down by a truck, a suffocating heaviness pinning him to the ground. Then, at once, it lightened, only to grow unbearably heavy once more¡ªso heavy that he couldn¡¯t even lift his cheek an inch off the ground. To his horror, his eyes focused onto the chaos unfolding before him, a sight that filled him with dread¡ªreality was tearing itself apart. The ground was made of millions of fragments, floating in every direction. Some wobbled aimlessly, others spun at dizzying speeds, fading in and out of Existence, as if unsure whether they wanted to be there, or not. The sky warped into different, nauseating, neon hues, synced to the crack of thunder. He vomited unto the floor, his mind and body rejecting the dizzying, and unstable natural laws of that nightmarish place. The stuffy air was thick with the pungent smell of burning metal and plastic, as an incessant humming kept scratching at his ears. He felt something small hit his arm once he was able to stand. A bizarre bug caught his attention as it flickered and warped, trickling off his arm as it disintegrated. The dust transformed into a flower, growing tall and strong on the ground before rapidly decaying again. This time, a swarm of butterflies buzzed away, as the sand transformed one last time. In the distance, strange creatures flew, their noises unlike anything he had ever heard on Earth, resembling something electronic, more than anything organic. "I''m dreaming," he repeated, attempting to reassure himself, his breath speeding up, as he was about to hyperventilate. He looked around for Eralay, his head turning in every direction, his heart sinking deeper each time he saw nothing but the impossible vastness of that place. A rush of feelings overwhelmed him, like a kettle overflowing with scolding hot water. He screamed her name at the top of his lungs, but only an echo answered, repeating it over and over back to him, distorting it more each time. Her name warped in the skies above, somehow slowly transforming into a noise that resembled his weekday morning alarm. His mind escaped that living nightmare for a moment, eager to recall the mundane normality of his now previous life. That hated sound went off each morning without fail, forcing an angry groan out of him. Eralay would turn over in bed, half asleep. "Be grateful, my Sunflower. At least we are together," she would say in a gentle tone. He would put off starting his day for as long as possible, clinging to the peaceful quiet before the dreaded alarm inevitably broke the silence again. With cold persistence, it would blare its infuriating tune again, dragging him back into the reality he was trying so hard to avoid. The daily torture routine ceased only when the boy complied with its demands for blind obedience. Eralay''s hugs felt warm and comforting under those sheets, his last few moments of peace before getting up. Within that warmth was the safest place in the world, the only place where he felt alright. The gray, cold outside world stood in stark contrast to her embrace. Stress seemed to be the only thing abundantly available and free, in that place he called home. Most mornings, after enough snoozes had finally driven her insane, Eralay would leap out of bed, feigning excitement. With her fist raised in the air, she¡¯d race toward the kitchen, shouting, ¡°never give up!¡± her silliness enough to make the boy get up out of bed. Roa hated his boss with a burning passion. He wanted to strangle him, hit him over his bald head, and punch his ''professional'' attitude right out of that stupid face of his. His accounting job paid the bills, but at the cost of his mental and physical health, chipping away each day. He had few real friends, little time and even less energy to be happy. They couldn''t afford a home, and even with several university degrees, incessant attempts, and endless patience, society''s message was clear. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "You are never enough." Not rich enough, smart enough, strong enough, cool enough, good-looking enough, and so on. This cruel message was implied over and over, in many creative and subtle ways, until a part deep inside of Roa began to believe it too. The young couple reluctantly accepted the nature of their lives, as everyone else did; an uncomfortable compliance with an unjust system nobody liked. What else could they do? The young man dreamed of escaping the suffocating, unrelenting, and exhausting loop he called his life. He dreamed of what so many others secretly longed for¡ªchange. He wasn¡¯t content with a bit of it, either. No, he wanted a revolution. One that would start in the mind, and spill over onto the halls of power, like a furious tsunami, washing away some of that wretched wrong that filled so much of the world. A revolution where people would finally wake up and be honest with themselves¡ªadmitting that they didn¡¯t want to spend their one life this way¡ªand, more importantly, realize they didn¡¯t have to. However, to Roa''s daily dismay, everyone just seemed¡ªtoo busy, too selfish, or filled with oceans of apathy, deciding instead to remain fast asleep, continuing with their well-practiced, uncomfortable compliance. A perfectly nauseating, daily choreography of firm handshakes, small talk, and glaring screens, as the suffering of millions, and the galloping destruction of Nature went blissfully ignored. ¡°Business as usual.¡± ¡°It is what it is.¡± ¡°Who cares.¡± Roa remembered the blank stares of the people in the subway, wobbling back and forth like bowling pins as the train moved on his commute home. No one spoke, and not a single smile was in sight. He felt just as resigned as the other passengers must have, as the train''s brakes screeched, piercing their ears with a most unpleasant of sounds. A similar screech jolted him back to the unstable reality he had been thrust into, all thanks to Nirvana''s actions. This time, the noise didn''t come from the red line train¡ªbut from a swarm of monsters emerging from behind. They were strange, colorful creatures resembling flying stingrays, their many eyes blinking erratically, as long, whip-like tails spiraled with elegance in the air. The wings made a deafening noise as the flock passed over his head, terrifying the boy as he ducked in fear. He was standing on a floating rock the size of a house; a single light post flickered incessantly, casting erratic shapes across the ground. The creatures, now distant specks in the strangely colored sky, continued their ascent into the unknown. He glanced around, his eyes landing on a melted clock ticking backwards with great speed. Even in this warped land, he found himself tortured by ticking hands and glaring alarms. He then remembered the Jumper''s instructions, his fingers shaking as he opened the piece of paper in his pouch. ¡°JUMP 1: PRISON WORLD¡¯S EDGE NEAR FIELD OF PANSIES AT SUNSET¡± Roa looked at it confused. ¡°No, wait, I already did that one,¡± he studdered. "JUMP 2: IN THE OUTERWORKS FACE AWAY FROM THE SUN AND WALK 5 KM TO EXIT 999." The floating platform tilted as he was reading, a wave of horror warping Roa¡¯s face as he felt himself lose his balance. He scrambled for something to hold on to, but the smooth surface provided no grip. As gravity shifted and lightened, he took a desperate leap toward a much larger chunk of floating debris. Mid-jump, gravity suddenly intensified again, slamming him down onto the surface. He crashed into a rock, his knee striking it with the momentum. His body felt as if it weighed a ton, pinned under a mountain. The sharp pain shot through his leg, radiating up to his thigh, making each breath more difficult. "I am never going to get out of here," he said with a tone of resignation. Careful not to fall into the infinite void below, he crawled, climbed, and leaped from one floating rock to another, waiting for the right moments to make his move, away from the dark blue sun in the colorfully nauseating sky. Instead of falling to the ground, the rain in that place rose, vanishing into the sky above, a light drizzle turning into a full-fledged hurricane without warning. The young man clung to a rock, screaming, as violent winds battered him, shifting direction with each gust. "I want to live!" he shrieked into the storm, as he cursed Nirvana for having sent him there. Back in his old life, he had battled severe depression for years. It had driven him to the edge many times, as the thought of giving up often whispered to him the darkest of thoughts. However, in that strange and hostile place, surrounded by constant danger, that desire to die was suddenly replaced with a very vivid and determined hope to live. X1.1.4 - Who Am I? X1.1.4 - Who Am I?
"Only fools who want to die pass through here," said an ominous voice, startling the boy as he walked along the treacherous path. The traveler froze, as a humanoid figure loomed above him, sitting high upon a rock, its presence both surreal and unsettling. Hours had slipped by since Roa had found himself torn from his old life, and cast into this impossibly strange land. The figure was clad in a yellow suit, its skin an unnerving shade of pink, and its bare feet resting lightly on the ground. It wiggled its toes. Thick smoke billowed in front of it from a wide, bronze container filled with sweet-smelling incense, obscuring its face and body in a haze of mystery. It held out a large, ancient scale. On its left side, was a small cage that contained a hamster running tirelessly on a wheel. On its right, was an open birdcage. A yellow and brown bird took flight, singing as it fluttered away, only to explode into a burst of fireworks in the sky. The boy ducked, his eyes opened wide, reflecting the colorful explosion as they blinked. "The bird cannot go back inside, once it is free," the being warned, as the young man ran away in fear of the apparition. The dark blue sun remained in its place, stuck in the heavens without budging. Unable to gauge the passage of time, the Sunflower walked for several hours when the sky turned dark at once, as if someone had turned off the lights. The traveler''s breath quickened as darkness enveloped him, and the strange noises of that place ceased. Complete silence. He could hear the faint ringing in his ears. He sat down next to a large boulder, placing his face in his palms. An overwhelming feeling of anger began to build up as he remembered Nirvana''s words. "You''ve been living a lie. Your memories¡ªthey''re not your own." Exasperated, he yelled at the top of his lungs, letting out some of the frustration. He did not care what monster might hear him. "Who am? Why am I here?" he asked with a resigned tone after some time. When he opened his eyes, he noticed a swirling galaxy lighting up the darkness above, and a sense of awe overtook him, quelling his anger. "You are the Universe." The silence was shattered by an unexpected answer. The thundering voice startled him, freezing him in place. It seemed to echo from every direction, carrying the tone of a sweet old woman, though no one was visible, no one was lurking in the darkness. "Hello?" he asked, afraid but curious. After a long pause, the voice answered again. "You are the Living Universe." He thought of a question, but couldn''t come up with anything useful. "What does that mean?" Again, after another long pause, a response came. "You are the Universe experiencing Itself as a Human." Roa grew angry again, standing up, he shrieked. "I mean who the hell am I? My whole life is a LIE!" A long, agonizing pause stretched on, the silence thick and suffocating. Every second felt like an hour, and the young man¡¯s frustration grew with each passing moment. His patience was running thin, his fingers twitching with the urge to scream again. Finally, a response came, flowing like a slow, calm and deliberate stream of words. "You are the Universe that has become conscious of Itself." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The boy sighed, his shoulders dropping as he unclenched his fists. He plopped himself back down, dropping his face back in the palms of his hands. "That''s not what I meant¡­" "But that is what you are..." the mysterious voice answered one last time. The sky turned bright again, blinding the boy, as the very short night ended with no rhyme or reason. The boy''s heart churned with a raging storm of emotions, as usual. The young man had always felt everything intensely, as if living had been cranked up to the absolute max. The good felt great, and the bad felt horrible. A life-long rollercoaster between heaven and hell. As a result, he felt the pain of others as if it were his own, cultivating in him an unresolved desire to make the world better, at all costs. Eralay loved that about him deeply, for it resembled the nature of her own soul, almost as clearly, as a mirror reflects an image. "Who¡ªam I?" he murmured to himself, sitting there alone in silence, as the voice in the sky had long abandoned him. He remembered when he had asked his lover the same question, during one of the moments when his heart''s rollercoaster dove down. "Who are you? You are my Sunflower. You are unique. You are justice, you are truth, you are courage, you are change. You are you, imperfect, stubborn and Free, just the way I like it," she answered, a warm smile on her face, trying to encourage him to feel better. He did not believe her, but he forced out a smile regardless. He remembered a plane flying above them, listening to its engines roar, as they sat in a park. Roa snapped back to the present, his gaze fixed onto the neon sky. The air suddenly shifted, violently, as though something massive had just passed overhead. A look of terror twisted his face when he noticed not an airplane, but a creature in the heavens above. It was the size of a killer whale, but it appeared far more menacing than its oceanic counterpart. Its body bristled with hundreds of teeth, an unsettling number of eyes, and countless arms and hands flailing chaotically in the air. He stood up with a jolt. It was coming straight for him. The monster dove and the boy scrambled for cover, breath racing in panic. His heart filled with relief when he noticed a tight crevice under a large boulder. He crawled, squeezing through the hole, like a mouse escaping a hawk, his shaking fingers scratching and grabbing the rocky ground, scraping his skin as he forced himself inside. The beast screeched, forcing him to cover his ears. Its long arms reached inside, as they tried to grab hold of him. Luck was on his side, however. The fissure''s depth was enough to avoid being dragged out to his death. At that moment, that damp, uncomfortable hole felt like the safest place in the Universe for the boy. After the screaming ceased and the dust settled, Roa laid there for more than an hour, immobile. He was even afraid of breathing too loudly. When enough time had passed frozen in silence, he gathered the courage to crawl out. The creature was gone, but the encounter left him on edge. A few more hours must have passed when another apparition stood in his way. The boy froze, his hands trembling as he feared another dangerous encounter. Appearing before him was a man, floating vertically upside down, bound from head to toe by a long, tight bandage. The white cloth began to unravel, piling up on the ground as it revealed his face. His eyes were sown shut, and his ears were plugged by two corks, and as he parted his dry, cracked lips, ugly, stained, and misshapen teeth emerged. A foul stench reached the traveler¡¯s nostrils, forcing him to gag and hold his breath. The disconcerting apparition then warned him. "It was safer in the cage, not to know, not to act, and to just¡ªknow your place, instead." The boy ran away as fast as he could for the encounter terrified him. "Now you are free, but at what cost?" the being screamed, its angry, raspy voice cutting through the air. A chill ran down the boy¡¯s spine, as the piercing words burrowed into his deepest fears. His stomach sank as he felt himself fall towards the abyss. His foot slipped off the edge. His fingers grasped at the ground, his arms scratching against the rocks. His flailing hands managed to grab hold of something at the very last moment; a single, twisted root, sticking off the edge of the floating island. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. He then glanced below and saw the void. The sky turned yellow, green, then pink; swarms of beasts glided through the endless expanse of floating rocks. His stomach dropped at the sight. It just went on, forever, as far as the eyes could see. There was no end to it. He struggled to pull himself up, fighting against the shifting gravity as it began to change once more. When the force became unbearably strong, and his body felt like it was being dragged down by the anchor of a ship, he clung to the tree with both hands, gripping tight for what seemed like an eternity. He didn¡¯t want to die; not like this, in this place, alone. His fingers burned, as he hoped that the little root would hold. Then, his body lightened once more. This was his chance. With nearly no strength left, the desperate will to survive surged within, pushing him to muster the last bit of energy needed. He pulled himself up, reaching for the trunk of the tree, collapsing onto the safe ground above with a thud. His cheek pressed against the floor, dust swirling around his face with every labored breath, he closed his eyes in exhausted relief. Once again, he evaded death''s grasp. He lifted his head, his gaze landing on the olive tree. A soft chuckle escaped his lips¡ªpart disbelief, part triumph¡ªas the respite of safety settled over him. "Thank you." The bark, dry and filled with ancient ripples, felt rough on his fingers, as he dragged his hand across it. He felt tired, both physically and emotionally. Most of all, he felt alone. He sat next to his green savior, leaning his back on it, as minutes turned into hours. X1.1.5 - The Light Post X1.1.4 - The Light Post
"Want to hear a sad story?" Roa said, breaking the silence, as he looked over at the inanimate tree. "There was a time, back in the day, when I would have gladly jumped off the cliff myself. I''m serious,¡± he chuckled, quickly growing serious again. ¡°One night, I was standing on one of the bridges in my city, the rain was pouring down, and the traffic had disappeared. I was drenched from head to toe. I didn¡¯t care. Nothing mattered anymore at that moment. I stood in front of the edge for what seemed like an eternity, my head filled with the darkest thoughts, and my heart with a despair the size of an ocean. I felt hopeless, trapped, with no solution in sight. I was filled with pain, regret, and anger. There was only one thing I didn''t feel that night. Fear. Can you believe it?" The olive tree''s branches swayed in the wind, as if it were nodding. "Death seemed like a relief to me in that abyss of grief. I climbed onto the ledge and looked down. My shaking hand gripped a light post. The rain was so thick that I couldn¡¯t see below, when a rush of terrible feelings overwhelmed me, and I began to cry." The boy was lost in thought for a moment, as his mind lingered on those hard times. His sadness changed to reverence when he recalled what happened next, his tone changing to a deeper one. "My tears mixed with the raindrops, which fell into the river, which made their way to the sea, and became the clouds¡ª" He paused, as the words from the poetic voice in the sky that had previously spoken to him, began to make some sense. "¡ªRight when the agony peaked, something snapped me out of it. You''ll never believe what it was." He glanced over at his silent companion and smiled. "The light post. It flickered¡ªthen turned off. To anyone else, it would have meant nothing at all; just a faulty, electrical issue. But, to me, having lived my whole life seeing light posts flicker above my head, that strange, unexpected sight meant something. I''m still not sure what, exactly, but as I glanced at the row of lights to my left and to my right, standing under the only one that went dark¡ªsomething inside me told me to stop. I thought of Eralay¡¯s warm hugs and longed for one with all my heart. The rain suddenly felt cold, and I noticed that I was shivering. A rush of hope took over, and I shouted into the storm." He placed his hand on the bark, as if patting a good friend on the back. "I screamed ''I want to live!'' That¡¯s what I said.¡± He nodded, as he glanced at the sky. He took a deep sigh. "I did not jump that night; I went home. Water dripped everywhere onto the clean, wooden floors of our apartment, as my soggy socks left footprints all the way to the kitchen. I kneeled, without saying a word, and placed my head on her lap, as she was sitting at the table. I broke down. I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. I couldn¡¯t keep living like that. ''I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me,'' I said. She stared at me with wide-open eyes, then smiled and nodded, running her fingers through my wet hair." He sighed again, this time his voice began to quiver. ¡°She said to me¡ª ''There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You are who you are, my Sunflower. Nothing in this, or any other world, will ever change that. If they haven¡¯t changed you by now, they never will. You are invincible in this regard. You just don¡¯t know it yet.'' I remember how warm her hands felt on my face." He said as his breath began to shake. "She put her hand on my shoulder, leaned in and told me with those big eyes of hers, ''I know you¡¯re tired. I know it¡¯s hard, and I know you want it to stop. You don¡¯t really want to die; you just want some relief. So, do something about it then. Change your life, if you hate it so much. Stop talking about it, stop dreaming about it, and do it.'' ¡ªWell¡ªwant to know what I did, my leafy friend?¡± The boy''s face lit up with a smile. "I did something about it." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He stood up, a surge of energy rushing through his body. He told the rest of the story with a hint of excitement in his voice, as he paced back and forth next to the plant. "The next day, the alarm went off, but I didn¡¯t snooze it. No, I just got up this time, without complaint. I murmured incessantly to myself as she looked at me confused. ¡®I want to live,¡¯ I repeated over and over under my breath, as I packed my bags. When she asked what I was doing, I answered, ''I''m doing something about it. We are leaving. Pack your bags, let''s go. Life is too short to be unhappy.'' She froze, unable to say anything. I told her ''I either give up on myself, or I give up on my current life. I need to choose one¡ªand I choose the latter.'' She sat there, and gave me a warm smile. She agreed, but on one condition. We would leave on Monday, ''and don''t ask me why; I just got a feeling that''s going to be our day'' she said." His eyes lit up, as he remembered the rush of leaving everything behind. "I was confused, but at least she was on board. I trusted her more than I trusted myself. I didn¡¯t pack much, but there was one thing I couldn¡¯t part with¡ªthe pouch she had given me for my birthday. In it, we kept the seeds we would plant in the many colorful, differently shaped pots that filled our little home. Buried among the seeds was something else, however¡ªsomething very special, a secret Eralay didn¡¯t know about. A gift. One I had waited so long to give her." His shoulders dropped, and his heart filled with fear at the thought of never seeing her again. He pressed on regardless, wanting to finish the story. "Monday arrived. We left. No plan, no notice¡ªwe said, ''screw it,'' locked the door, and threw away the keys to make sure we wouldn¡¯t go back so easily. I followed her down to the basement of our building instead of through the front door, and out of a small window in the laundry room. When I asked what we were doing, she answered that we were avoiding the landlord. When I asked whose car we were getting into, she answered her friend''s. We got on the road and left, just like that. She didn''t say a word the whole time. She seemed distant, as if something were bothering her. I guess it''s not easy to make such a jump. We eventually reached the diner, where we met the old lady. ¡®Love¡¯s Diner.¡¯ We approached the lonely building in the middle of the tall, green forest on the outskirts of town. ''Stop here, I''m hungry,'' she said." He spaced out for a moment, his face growing serious, his tone somber. "Everything was going well¡ªuntil we decided to stop at that damn place. We should have just kept going. If we did¡ªmaybe, I wouldn''t have ended up here." He looked up, realizing he had been talking to himself for a while now. He suddenly felt stupid. He felt lost, and he felt alone. "What in the hell am I doing¡ªtalking to a damn tree." He walked away, shaking his head, the weight of hopelessness pressing on his heart, again. More hours passed when he eventually reached a large, flat plain. Dust swirled and danced, as the wind blew. "Thank goodness, this must be it. There are no more rocks I can leap onto after this big one." He looked back at the dark blue sun, recognizing some of the places he had passed through. "Should be about five kilometers." A single, dead tree stuck out of the plain, like a frail hand reaching out to the sky. His eyes scanned the dead plant, noticing something etched onto the wood. A message. " XOXO TRUST IN THE PROCESS OF LIFE." He decided to rest under it and wait for the portal to appear. A large silhouette flashed on the ground, jolting Roa awake, as he realized that he had fallen asleep out of exhaustion. Terror struck him like a runaway train when he looked up, noticing the monstrosity from before, circling in the sky. He was in trouble. He had nowhere to hide this time. The creature locked its many eyes onto him and dove down, ready for a second chance to catch its shivering prey. The boy used the tree to his advantage, as the creature flew back up and down several times, swooping in for the catch. Unable to grab him as he shielded himself behind the wooden obstacle, the beast screeched a deafening scream. The boy did not notice that the winds had begun to shift erratically; he was too focused on not becoming lunch for that horrid spawn of hideousness. A flash blinded him. ¡°The Exit!¡± he said, as his wide-open eyes shifted to the ground, remembering Nirvana¡¯s warning. This portal was smaller, about the size of a street sign, yet it retained the same eerie eye at its top, its blank stare gazing into the distance. The monster circled above and then swooped down again for the kill. The Sunflower¡¯s chest burned with fear but, reaching deep within, he found enough courage to move. He pushed himself forward, away from the safety of the dead tree. Between him and the Exit was the creature, now flying straight down like a falling airplane. The monster''s many hands reached out like talons eager to snatch their prize. Barely evading death, the young man slid on the ground, lifting a cloud of dust in his wake. The beast crashed onto the hard surface, letting out a blood curdling scream, as it flipped several times. "Ha!" he exclaimed, smiling as he got back on his feet. His grin did not last long, however, vanishing when the monster began galloping behind him. He glanced down, ran with all his strength, and repeated Eralay''s words. "Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!" He pushed himself to his limit. His body burned, a fiery surge coursing through him¡ªwhether fueled by adrenaline or some untapped power, he ran. His legs churned beneath him, faster than they ever had before. The fear of death was swept away by hope, as the threshold of the portal blurred beneath his feet. "I want to live!" Roa screamed as he jumped into the Exit, to safety and into the unknown again. He turned and saw the monster disappear, as the light turned to darkness, enveloping him; a proud smile was on his tired face, as he lost consciousness once again. X1.1.6 - Bus Stop to Nowhere X1.1.6 - Bus Stop to Nowhere
"I don''t want to go to work." Roa complained, scratching his head as he sat up. He found himself in the middle of a cold road, surrounded by an endless expanse of gray sand. He stared at the sky and jolted up. Sitting with his mouth open, he marveled in awe at the spectacular sight of thousands of shooting stars. His heart sank, however, when he realized that he wasn''t home. It resembled Earth''s moon, that place, except he had no trouble breathing the brisk air that entered his lungs. He stood and moved his arms around. Things felt different. The gravity was light but stable, the colors and hues of everything were much less vivid compared to the previous world. He waited a moment, expecting some strange shift in the sky or gravity, but, to his great relief, nothing changed. A nauseating churn twisted in his stomach, rising sharply with an unbearable heaviness that spilled over. He stared at his last meal, splotched onto the street. "Chocolate banana pancakes. Well, at least this reality isn''t tearing itself apart" he said, looking around. He had successfully survived his jump to the next world. He sighed and sat back down, placing his head between his knees. He began to cry. The many strange, reality-shattering events he had gone through finally caught up to him, all at once. His heart overflowed with a cascade of feelings rushing through him, filling his chest. A million thoughts ran through his head, saturating him with doubt. He looked around; nothing but empty vastness, in every direction. He felt infinitely far away from home. "What if I never make it back?" Sniffling, he opened Nirvana''s instructions, which read: "JUMP 3: BOOTH 42, GIVE VIAL TO WAITRESS. TAKE BUS. GET OFF AT STOP AND WAIT". The last word was underlined and circled several times. Roa squinted his eyes, noticing something in the distance. Dragging his feet, he made his way in that direction. "I could have just minded my own damn business. Not have asked so many questions" he shook his head, kicking a pebble off the road. He reached what looked like a restaurant. It had no walls or roof, just two long rows of red booths. There wasn''t even a floor, for that matter, as the gray sands filled every nook and cranny of the place. The air hung still. The silence was suffocating. Roa''s heartbeat quickened, the only sound in the heavy stillness, as he approached the entrance. There stood the strange host, dressed in a crisp white suit, cradling a menu against its chest. Its head was a skull, cold and empty. It turned slowly, its hollow gaze locking with Roa¡¯s as he stepped inside. The boy¡¯s eyes opened wide, fixed on the unsettling figure. With a fluid motion, the host extended its left arm wide, a strange, welcoming gesture, as if greeting the unlikely, confused guest. The establishment was empty, no customers or staff anywhere. The boy followed Nirvana''s instructions, and a waitress, one almost as weird as the host, showed up out of nowhere with some food. He hadn''t ordered anything but since the menu was a series of blank pages, he did not dare ask for recommendations. He pulled out the vial and handed it to her. She looked Human, except her skin was bright purple, and sticking out of her forehead was a single, straight horn. The loud, annoying sound of her chewing gum with her mouth open, suddenly stopped, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the flask. Her hand snatched it from his, like the tail of a scorpion, striking and recoiling. "Bus 1, all the way to the end." She dropped the food carelessly onto the table, causing the plate to wobble and sauce to spill, then walked away. Not seeing a kitchen anywhere, the boy stared until she made a left onto the road and continued somewhere. He leaned down and sniffed the meal. He had no idea what it was, but it smelled like lasagna. It looked like some sort of hamburger, except the bread was spongy and soggy, while the meat was bright green and crunchy¡ªand triangular. ¡°I better eat. Who knows where I¡¯ll end up next,¡± he said, as he sighed, sinking his head into his palms again, his cold fingers massaging his temples. The clanking of the spoon as it swirled in his cup of coffee, or whatever it was that he was drinking, reminded him of the diner back home. He was lost in thought for some time again as he rested on the soft, cushioned seat of booth 42. He remembered a raccoon chasing a fox crossing the street, as he and Eralay entered the lonely establishment that afternoon. It had a bright yellow sign that read ¡®LOVE''S DINER¡¯ glowing in the darkness of the tall, rustling trees above. A bell rang as the door swung open, revealing a well-lit room filled with tables, as the greasy smell of fried food greeted them. Two customers, sitting at the last table lifted their heads above their newspapers, their eyes narrowing as the two came in. They sat at the bar, glancing at the menu¡¯s many colorful pictures and dishes. The sounds in the kitchen stopped. Two cooks popped their heads out of the kitchen door, glanced at each other, and disappeared, as the clanking of pots and pans resumed. The old lady finally came out, wobbling back and forth like a penguin as she approached the bar. Roa remembered a strange feeling seeing her for the first time, as if his heart had skipped a beat, for some mysterious reason. She gave them both a thorough look and smiled. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Whatcha having, kids?" ¡°Go ahead and order, babe, I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± he said, standing up. The old lady¡¯s eyes narrowed, following the boy. As Roa whistled in the stall, his eyes caught something on the walls. Graffiti sprawled everywhere¡ªmost of it nothing more than nonsense and obscenities; some of it, however, stirred a strange, familiar curiosity in him. "FREE YOUR MIND" read one. "XOXOXO WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE" read another, followed by a series of random numbers and ¡®Xs.¡¯ A sharp pain shot through his head, followed by a wave of lightheadedness. "WANT OUT? SEE THE PANSIES." He paused at the threshold, taking a moment to regain his balance. That last piece of graffiti lingered in his mind. He turned to the old lady for directions, but before he could even utter a word, the proprietor cut him off. She gazed straight into his eyes with a suspicious look. "You want to go see the waterfalls, huh? They sure are beautiful! Tourists love them. Let me draw you a map..." The boy looked at her confused. On the sheet of paper, however, she began writing something that made Roa''s eyes open wide. "YOU ARE IN DANGER. DON''T TURN AROUND! The men behind are looking for you. Go to the field of pansies. Follow the road, pass the gas station, west into the woods, all the way to freedom, to the X." The last letter was large, taking up half of the page, and circled repeatedly. She then took the note to the kitchen where she burned it on the stove. The two lovers followed the old lady''s advice until they reached the field. With no plan, her advice seemed like a good start. Roa remembered standing there, frozen at the impossible sight of the edge where the land ended, and the infinite sky began. A loud slam brought Roa back to booth 42, and to the present moment. The waitress'' hand slamming onto the table caused his spoon to fall off. "We''re closing in five minutes," she turned around, popping a bubble as she chewed on her bubble gum. Roa sighed and eventually stood up. He walked out as the host bowed at him, its skull falling on the ground, plopping onto the gray sand in the process. At the nearby bus stop, stood another strange character. He wore a brown hat and a long, brown trench coat, his hand on a brown briefcase. He looked Human, no odd features becoming apparent as the boy stared. His posture was straight, and he glanced at his watch often. Excited to see someone normal there, Roa began to ask some questions. The man, however, calmly looked at him without responding, turning back to look at his watch. His shoulders slouching forward, the boy sighed, awkwardly standing there next to him, waiting for his ride to who-knows-where. "I''m waiting for bus number 1. How about you?" he tried again. The stranger turned and finally spoke. "Bus 777." A long bout of silence followed. "How long have you been waiting?" "Around 2000 years, but it should be here any minute now. That''s what the sign says, and the sign¡ªis always right,¡± he said, pointing up. The young man raised an eyebrow and turned, his gaze fixed on the confusing jumble of words and numbers on the sign above the bus stop, searching in vain for Bus 777. "I''ve been waiting for the bus after my father waited for the bus, after his father waited for the bus, after his..." the man went on and on through countless generations, until the boy eventually tuned out his words. After several hours, Roa grew impatient, then worried, then scared that he too would be stuck there for a long time. After all, he didn''t really know Nirvana''s motivations. What if she lied? What if she got him stuck there, on purpose? After all, it was her fault he had gotten separated from Eralay. After a few more hours, around the time that he had driven himself insane with doubt, a bus finally pulled up. "And he waited for the bus, as his father waited for the bus," continued the man. "But, you''ll see, in my lifetime, the bus will come for sure, and that will fix EVERYTHING!" he paused, nodded vigorously and smiled, "it is written on the sign." Then, he continued listing the remaining ancestors that had waited for the damn bus. The driver, a heavyset man with neon green skin and large bags under his eyes, swung the door open violently, causing the vehicle to wobble. He looked exhausted, his oversized belly pressing against the steering wheel, spilling out of a uniform that was clearly too small for his frame. "Bus 1?" The driver groaned. "Does no one read these days?" he said, pointing up to the big red, flashing number above. The boy from Earth stared out of the window, his body swaying with the motion of the vehicle. A concerned expression reflected in the glass, catching his eye. The annoying man in the coat, with his high-pitched, overly friendly voice, faded into the distance, much to the boy''s relief. The road stretched straight ahead, as the flat landscape was punctuated by the occasional crater. A large planet with colorful swirls appeared in the black sky, rising slowly from below the curved horizon. "Definitely not Earth," he huffed, as his eyes began to grow heavy. Suddenly, the bus jolted to a stop as the driver slammed on the brakes. "Last stop. Get out!" He woke up disoriented, pain pulsing in his forehead where it had slammed against the back of the plastic seat in front of him. For a moment, he thought he was on his usual commute home from work. However, as his eyes caught sight of the strange green man and the odd, unfamiliar landscape outside, a wave of sadness washed over him. He stepped off, finding himself once again in the same surreal landscape that had greeted him after his jump into this world. The large, colorful planet now hung on the opposite side of the sky. Roa surveyed his surroundings, he noticed faint lights flickering in the distance, frustration bubbling up as he squinted his eyes. "Did we circumnavigate the whole planet? That''s that damn restaurant from before! It would have taken me less time walking. What kind of directions are these?" he said shaking the piece of paper. His anger grew for the pink-haired girl, the source of so much of his troubles, until a familiar sight calmed him. A small Exit, the size of a normal door, stood in the distance, away from the road in the empty, silent wilderness. He walked briskly, hoping with all his heart that the next place would lead him back home. However, while he had no clue what was waiting for him on the other side, he did not want to risk spending two thousand years there, waiting for the solution to come to him; so, he closed his eyes, and jumped.