A couple of hours later, we were still wandering around searching for the nearest exit portals after portals.

“Whaaattt is going on,” the woman whines.

“Maybe we’re trapped?” I casually say. I had somehow adapted to this strange condition.

If there is one talent that I’m best at, it’s adapting really fast. I’ve learned how to in a rather harsh way. In a strange world, the first thing one always needs to achieve is comfortability. And that comfortability can only be achieved through the acceptance of the new things and adaptation in that particular setting.

But I’m actually lying. I’m totally freaking out, but being marooned in this place with a beautiful woman is quite a comforting thought.

I suddenly feel her cold stare piercing through me; a shiver runs along my spike. “I can’t believe you’re too relaxed about this!”

She shifts to a sitting position, but still levitating. It’s freaking magic, how I wish I could do that too.

“Maybe.” I don’t want to further elaborate on that.

“Hmmmm…” She crawls towards me on all fours. Her face sticks right close towards mine. “Or you’re just totally okay because of something else that we’re both totally aware about.”

I feel the blood filling my face and ears. “Um… of course not.”

She rolls her eyes, lazily moves back and sighs. “What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

“Idiot. We’ve been trapped here for a couple of hours. At least I want to know the name of the person I’m trapped with.” She checks her watch. “That’s right… about 3 hours.”

“Jayr.”

“What a weird name. I’m Irina.”

I clear my throat. “That’s a weird name too.”

She grins. “Thanks?”

I drift my eyes around. Three hours have passed but the sun has never moved from its position since I woke up. Is there even a night here?

I glance at Irina, who lies down for a doze, her hands on head, while still levitating -of course. I made a mental note of asking her to teach me that levitation magic once she’s up.

A drifting orb passes right besides us, swiftly swerving away as Irina, with a sour face, angrily kicks it.

“Why? It was just probably curious?”

Irina snickers.

“Kicking a sentient being seems funny….” I mimic a fake laugh. “Right now, I really don’t know if I should trust you.”

She lets out an obnoxious laugh. “You’re free not to trust me… Geez, what a kid.”

“I think I’m better off on my own. I’ll follow the wind like I did earlier, and maybe something’s waiting for me somewhere in the horizon.”

Irina pops up standing, akin to a cartoon character. “Are you crazy?”

She walks closer and gives me a literal stare down, as she’s actually hovering on top of me, her naked feet a kick away from my stomach. “Oh really now, so I am wasting my time for someone not willing to be helped?”

“Sorry?” My instincts immediately warns me that I shouldn’t mess with her. I look sideways trying to find something that can stray the conversation off.

She raises her eyebrows. “Sorry what?”

“Ah... Er-- But aren’t you worried? We are stuck here you know. For someone who admonished me earlier for being too casual about it-”

“Admonish, what a big word, nerd.” She floats down matching my height, and lifts her chin. “Well--” She eyes me from head to toe, a taunt-- “just relax, my big brother will save us. He can do anything.”

“Your big brother? Is he powerful enough to rip the fabric of space and time? It might be just like that, the way I can see it.”

“You’re so full of questions, and it’s ticking me off, seriously.” She rolls her eyes. “Take a sleep, old man, that dementia might be hitting too hard huh.”

“Rude.”

“What! You piece of shit… if not for the fact that we’re trapped together, you’d only dream of talking to me. You’re way out of your league.”

“I don’t really care?” I shrug.

Ah, every attempt to talk to her always ends up like this. She’s rowdy, tomboyish and violent, not exactly a good match for my solitary nature.

“Just be thankful to whatever gods that have brought this chance on you.”

“Typical.” I silently sneer.

She ignores it and goes back to her own business. And I don't mind, it’s better this way, even though I have to stall off that plan to have her teach me flying magic.

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In searching for ways to avoid a confrontation with Irina, I start to play around with the orbs, chasing one after another, but careful not to stray too far.

I glance back at her, she’s keenly staring at her pocket watch, as she scratches her head. Seems like we’ll stay here for quite some time.

And so, I dash to another one, still curious about these gigantic orbs, minding how their bulky bodies disfigure a tiny bit as they swiftly glide around.

After several meters further, I locate one that seems to be stationary. I poke it, caress it’s supple body with my hands, and stick my face on it. But it barely moves, leading me to believe it’s dead. Yet a slight response removes that option.

Irina had told me that these magical orbs are healing orbs; but I can feel it, there’s something more awesome waiting to be discovered. Besides, I don’t know why she says it’s a healing orb. I guess people who went back in here while they were injured got healed by these giant orbs. So how did these heal--

Wait.

What is that thing? I focus my vision on a seed-like thing suspended in its center. It looks like a core… or something else? Whattt? It looks invisible one time, but distinctly visible on some- with a strong prismatic glow.

“Irina!” I call out, hardly containing my excitement, that the giant orb responds weakly. “There’s something inside these giant orbs!”

“What is it this time… Better give me a good laugh. I’m getting bored… and annoyed.” She floats towards me.

“Something’s inside. Can you see it?” I point at the object inside.

Irina squints. “No.. I can’t see anything. Look, it’s just a giant blob of healing water.”

“Look closely. There’s an object inside. It’s invisible at times. And it's as large as one dinner plate! Surely, you can’t miss it.”

“I can’t see one really. So you mean we should puncture one and take it out?” She looks outright serious and curious.

“I can’t believe you are not laughing,” I say, minding her words earlier.

“Well, I have opened a book about these orbs in the Grand Library. In several of the drawings, I saw a little object drawn inside the orb. It was a book written in the local language, and I’m still learning about it. So I kinda believe you. And you have to check the library out. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something--”

“Look again! There it is!” I exclaim.

Irina quickly digs her face in.

It didn’t take a minute for her to mirror my excitement. “Hwolee Kwoww!”

“See. I told you.”

She pulls back her face, and glances at me in awe. “It’s beautiful. I can’t believe this!”

“Is there anything else that you’ve known about these orbs from the library?” I ask.

Irina shrugs. “All I know is that they are capable of healing. I saw my older brother healed himself with one inside here. He was badly injured from some monster attack. So he punctured one with a spear, water came out, and magically he was healed. But I haven’t seen anything like a core coming out.”

“So that’s what you meant by puncturing one… Well, I don’t feel like doing it.” Puncturing one would feel like stabbing a cute helpless living being.

This time I stick my ears on the body, expecting some sort of a sound. But there’s not a sound, only the hissing sound of the wind as it slips through the gaps of my ears glued at the orb’s body.

But then my heart skips a bit. It’s here. That feeling again, that pull, urging me to follow it. But this time it’s void of gentleness, rather it is just one violent pull that I slide to the side.

I peek at Irina, she did not notice it. She’s now on top of the orb, still feasting her eyes with the magical object within it.

There’s the pull again, this time some bones in my body cracking, as a cool swirling breeze forms right at my legs, and forces me out of the water.

I’m flying!

But the leisure of flying around is void, the wind starts carrying me higher up in the air.

Oh no, Irina!

I glance back. Luckily, she has noticed, and is right now on my tail, flailing her arms.

“Hey… What happened to you?! How did you do that?!” She screams at the top of her lungs.

“I can’t… I can’t stop!” I shout back. “Come, help me fast.”

“Fuck you!” She starts speeding up until we’re neck to neck.

Irina glares at me. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“I don’t know.” I turn my head sideways, for everytime I look ahead my mouth is forced open and saliva starts rolling on my cheeks.

“My brother… he’s coming!” She pulls out her pocket watch and shows it to me.

“I can’t see a thing… This is too fast.” I furrow my eyebrows, taking in the strange outline in the pocket watch.

She tries rolling towards me, but something swerves me away.

“Shit! Something’s controlling me!”

“Holy fuck… get over here right now, or else!” She reaches again, but to no avail.

“I guess we have to see where this ends?” The wind growls at my ears as I speed on forward. I feel like a jet plane, but dysfunctional.

“Are you serious?!” Irina screams angrily. “My brother, he’s coming, and we’re gonna get out of here.”

“I’m really not doing this on my own!”

“Fuck that!”

But this seems to have no end, as we were still flying an hour later. I can see Irina’s worried face as she locks her eyes with mine.

She shakes her head, and looks ahead. Her teeth bares as her mouth springs wide open. I want to ridicule her, but she starts cursing and screaming.

“Holy- What the fuck is this! What the fuck!”

She tilts her head, looks at me, and points her fingers ahead.

I turn my head.

“What the…”

“Fucking straight from a children’s book!” Irina shouts at me.

And I won’t argue with that. It’s something only conceivable in the stories.

The tree, far taller than the crumpled clouds in the firmament, and both ends of it’s horizontal diameter stretching to hundreds of kilometers-- as far as my human eyes can see, stands before us. It’s graceful gargantuan branches fanning out everywhere casting a nighttime dim underneath it. It’s roots resembles that of a mangrove tree, with stilts and wavy planky roots extending throughout the ocean. The orbs of light hanging on its foliage catches my foremost attention, bringing me realize that the giant orbs are but the tree’s fruits.

Strange, that it seems like we’re about to reach the tree, but it’s actually farther than I thought- a visual illusion perhaps, since my eyes are not used to such sights.

This very much reminds me of a Christmas tree twirled with lights from head to its base, but this is something far more magnificent. Something estranged from human perceptions. It’s majestic bearing proudly announces its dominion over the land. Its towering glory, unfathomable.

Even Irina is left speechless. Not a squeak comes out of her gawking mouth as we both contemplate such wonder.

But a sudden force pulls me faster, closer towards the tree, that I am not even steady but rolling along the air. I can only imagine myself like an erratic wheel, as my vision blurs, and my ears buzz.

Still desperate to stay away, I look around, searching for Irina. She’s nowhere. I must have sped by her.

At its brink, I try to force my consciousness awake, but a thundering voice puts me to halt, upright.

A warm feeling trickles down my legs. It’s pee.

But I don’t care, I shake my head, trying to clear that dizziness off.

Yet dreadful anticipation builds up within me. Now that Irina’s nowhere, what fate is left for me?