First, there was black and silence. The world didn't exist. It stayed like this for a time, until something disrupted it. Feeling. A sensation rubbing the skin. This sensation faded in and out until it eventually stopped. From there, the blackness and lack of any senses were able to continue. Time currently didn't exist. Currently, this state of being was incomprehensible. It would stay that way until a conscious mind intervened. Suddenly, the sounds of rustling made itself known. It was loud, but then it was quiet. What sounded like a pile of rice being poured onto the floor... that is what it sounded like to Spero. Along with the sound, a glimmer of something more pierced through the veil of black... it was light. Not a normal light, though. It was too bright. It had to be artificial. Even still, there was something more to this light. It was very strong not only in its luminosity... but also with heat. This was a rare sensation for Spero. It felt incredibly nice. As the heat hugged Spero's body, the sound of rustling became louder once more. What was that noise, Spero wondered. With his conscious mind slipping back to reality, Spero gained the ability to open his eyes.

Very slowly, Spero opened his eyes. They hurt to move but he had to understand the sensations around him. Pain and a pure white entered Spero's eyes and he instinctively closed his eyes tight once more. A pain Spero had never felt lingered inside his eyes, which scared Spero. Some of the cloudiness subsided in his mind as the pain went away, and he became increasingly terrified. Spero realized he was laying on something itchy. Quickly, Spero jolted his upper body up and propped himself up with his left arm with his eyes still closed tight. For the second time, Spero attempted to open his eyes.

As his eyes opened again, the pain and white returned. Spero tried to get past this by squinting, but it wasn't helping much. He couldn't see anything. He looked around him and saw that he was laying on something yellow, and it spanned his entire vision in every direction. As time passed and Spero sat still, the white started to fade. Things instantly became clearer than before-- His sense of touch was right; he way laying on plants. These plants were about half of Spero's height and were yellow in color. They had little bristles coming off at the top. It looked almost like wheat to Spero, but not quite. With the wheat-like plants surrounding him, he attempted to stand up to get a better view of his surroundings. Grunting in pain from all over his body, Spero stood up--

"What the fuck..." Spero muttered. Plants. There were plants everywhere. The wheat=like plants spanned as far as his eyes could see in the direction that he was looking. Spero jolted his head around to see his other directions. It was still hard to see, as the plants around him were reflecting the light back into his eyes. Suddenly remembering the light and warmth, Spero attempted to spot where this artificial light was coming from. It seemed to be massive and powerful considering how far the light spanned. Spero raised his head and looked around in the sky. Before anything else, Spero noticed something extraordinary. Above him... there were barely any clouds. He could see straight through to the bright blue sky. He had only heard of such a sight in stories of the past.

There were still clouds, but even the clouds were different. There were much fewer, and they were white instead of a grey/purple. Shocked was an understatement for how he was currently feeling, The emotions boiling in him were so intense that it was numbing him.

Eventually taking his eyes off of the blue sky, he resumed his search for the warm light. As he moved his head around he easily found it. He attempted to look and see what kind of light it was, but--

"AH!"

Spero's vision went white as soon as he made contact with the light. He quickly lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hand. An imprint of the light above him was left in his vision, even with his eyes closed. Standing in the middle of fields of yellow plants, Spero rubbed his pained eyes.

What could possibly be that bright?

Spero had never seen a light be so blinding before that moment. Spero was completely overwhelmed by the new sights and smells that surrounded him. He opened his eyes and blinked, and he noticed the outline of the light blinked along with his eye lids. He was worried that it was engraved into his vision forever.

In an unfamiliar scenario, Spero had to calm down and use his head. He took some deep breaths and looked around again. Light in the city comes from the "Sun" which wasn't visible due to the clouds. Did that mean...

How does that make any sense? I entered what I assume was the entrance to the sphere... and now... where am I?

There were a few options. The first and most likely was that Spero died when he entered the thick liquid substance. That would mean that the afterlife did indeed exist. Spero never considered that idea, but it was beautiful here. Would he live the rest of eternity in this place? If it was the afterlife then why was he thirsty? Why did his head hurt and his muscles ache?

The second and more confusing option was that this was indeed the interior of the sphere. The freshness of the air did feel similar to the air from the shockwaves. How would an environment like the one before Spero exist here? The outside was barren and lifeless... it had been for centuries as far as he knew. Spero grazed his fingers across you yellow tips of the plants that surrounded him and shook his head.

This whole situation was all too confusing, and especially after waking up. Wait, thought Spero, why am I here? He didn't know where exactly "here" was, but there was another question that needed pondering. If he did truly enter the sphere then why wasn't he at the outer edge of it? He looked around and confirmed that there were no such walls anywhere to be seen.

As he was looking around once again, he noticed something peculiar. In one specific direction a line of the plants about the width of a human's torso were sunken down a bit. He took a step back and looked under his feet. Under him, the plants that he had been laying on were the same. Each strand was smashed down from the weight of his body. The line that connected to that spot was similar, but the plants had slowly began to rise a bit. It was still very noticeable.

He followed the line with his eyes as far as he could. The line of smashed wheat-like plants stretched over the horizon. Was he... dragged? While unconscious? Who would drag him for this length and for what reason? As Spero was thinking, he was snapped into reality by a cold sensation on the back of his body. It felt exactly like the fans in the Green Rooms in the pyramids. He looked but couldn't find the source of the wind. It blew his messy hair and all of the strands of plants surrounding him. The rustling noise that he heard earlier came back. It seemed to be from the plants rubbing against each other.

Spero smelled the rushing air. It was so sweet. He could immediately tell that he wouldn't need a mask here. For his entire life, wearing a mask wasn't an option when outside. The thin, musty air made sure of that. But every breathe that he'd taken here so far was full; it was even more full than a breath with a mask.

For the first time time in as long as he could remember, Spero cracked a smile. Not a fake smile that he used with his students, or one born of self pity. This smile curled more than that, and his eyes were lifted. Regardless of where he was, this was his restart. His fresh life in a new place ripe for exploring. The years of suffering could have been meaningful after all. It could have showed him the lowest of the low so he could appreciate things better.

As Spero thought, he noticed in the corner of his vision that there was something red below him. Looking, he saw that he was the source. His entire body was covered in some sort of dried red liquid... including his clothes. He lifted his hand in front of his face and tried smelling the red substance all over him,

Spero wondered where he should go. He was very thirsty, but couldn't see any water. Usually when thirsty Spero would take a drink from a public dispenser. They were scattered everywhere throughout the city. Without those Spero didn't even know where to start. Would he find something similar to water dispensers here? There was only one way to find out.

Spero began walking the path of smashed blades of tall grass. If he really was dragged here then surely following it back would lead to something of interest. Besides, he was afraid to wander in the wrong direction and get lost. At least with this clear line, he could always go back to it if he started to stray too far.

Every step proceeded a satisfying rustle noise. Spero stuck his hand out as he walked to feel the grass. Each blade tickled his fingers as they slid by. Spero was doing his best to take in everything at once. He was making sure to take deep breaths to fully enjoy the air, and looking around in every direction to see the sights (not that there was much to see). As wind blew along past Spero and the bountiful plants, he noticed that the grass in the distance looked like it was waving... similarly to the ocean when a shockwave rang out. Just thinking about the ocean made him thirstier. He of course knew that the salty ocean water wasn't safe to drink, but that didn't change the fact.

Spero realized as he walked along the path that he was still smiling. His cheek muscles were beginning to ache. He didn't care though; in fact, he liked the feeling. It was rare to feel this sort of sensation.

Spero continued his walk for minutes and minutes. He tried to not take for granted anything around him. He didn't have to try very hard. What Spero presumed to be the sun above rained heat on Spero's skin. He couldn't get over how nice it felt. In general, the outside in the city was cold. Not unbearably cold like those dreaded staircases in the pyramids, but cold nonetheless. The temperature wherever he was walking was perfect. The sun's warmth hugged his skin and wrapped around him like a blanket.

The sun wasn't directly overhead, but it was nowhere near the horizon. If day and night worked the same as the city, he had plenty of time before dark. It towered over Spero, guarding his back. What am I even supposed to think right now? His mind was blanking from the excitement of it all. Everything was so beau--

"bzzzzzzzz"

A whizzing noise rushed past Spero's ear as he walked. Quickly he turned his head and furrowed his brow. It startled him, but after what he had just been through nothing could truly scare him. He scanned around him for the source of the high pitched noise but couldn't see anything.

"bzzzzzzzz"

Spero once again heard the noise, but from his other ear this time. Spero turned his head but saw nothing. Spero could tell the noise wasn't coming from right next to his ear. How could that be if he couldn't find the source? Spero's head spun around trying to find anything that would make that sort of noise.

Spero suddenly saw a little black dot wildly whiz around in front of his face. Jumping back, he put up his arms to defend his head. The dot continued to move, seemingly without pattern, around Spero. Was it... flying? Spero could think of no other explanation. The dot wouldn't slow down enough for him to see it properly. Through his eyes it was just a blurry little speck. Before he had the chance to observe it further, it flew off in a random direction until it was out of Spero's vision completely.

Okay...

Spero was confused. Was that a living creature? Something that wasn't human? Was it a... seal? Spero had always heard of "animals" in his studies of the past, but didn't know what they looked like. He had always wanted to see a seal purely because he liked the word. He also remembered that they liked water, which confirmed in Spero's mind that he was headed in the right direction.

More minutes passed and Spero still saw nothing on the horizon but the flattened line of plants. How long was he dragged? Surely whoever did it would've been exhausted. Then again, not everyone was as out of shape as Spero. The sun still shined overhead and paint-strokes of clouds slowly moved across the blue ocean above. Spero checked behind him and saw the same sight as the front. Was this what the afterlife was, perhaps? And endless, peaceful walk in a beautiful forgotten world of the past? While Spero was fine with that in that moment, he would surely get tired of it after years of walking. But he didn't have anything else to do so walking was completely fine.

Assuming I'm not dead though, I should really find some water... and food. Wait, where would I find food? Just like water, food was convenient in the city. You could use your work hours to buy whatever you wanted at any time outside work hours. Spero of course liked salted corn. There was no greater joy in that mundane life. Would he be able to find corn here? Would people be growing it here like in the city? Also, where do you get salt if there isn't an ocean right next to you? These are questions that Spero would surely have to ponder.

With every step came more and more doubt and fear about his current situation. This field of yellow seemed near never ending. Should he go off of the path before him? He still saw nothing in the other directions but there could be something just past his vision. Spero decided to leave that idea for a last resort. He was certain that the path he was following was the fastest to something worth getting to. He did his best to regain determination, and he quickened his step.

Almost immediately after, he saw something. Peering out of the distant fog was something round, green and lacking in uniform. It also seemed to be floating... unless it connected to something further back from his vision. Spero took a few more steps forward where he started to see, across his entire vision, more green appeared. The sight reminded him of Green's Gardener outfit.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Green... Spero put his head down for a second before shaking it and lifting his gaze back on the horizon. He was now seeing some progress after minutes of aimless walking. As he got closer, he noticed more details about what laid ahead. These green blobs were connected to the ground through thick brown pillars. Clearly they were a plant, similar to the grass he had been walking on. Each of these plants was vastly different from the other, as they held different shapes and sizes.

Spero recognized this concept. A large plant that covered the sky in numbers... "Tree". Spero's smile, which had slowly faded over time, was now back. In all of his years of dreaming of adventure and discovery, he never thought he would see something like this. In hindsight it wasn't that special, but stories from the City tended to exaggerate. He needed to get a closer look.

After a few more minutes of fast paced walking, he started to reach the trees in front of him. The tall grass that had surrounded him since he arrived was starting to thin a bit, revealing the dirt a bit more. Dirt was something that Spero was all too familiar with, but this dirt was much more colorful. In most ways it was the same, but it was a deeper brown here and had little specs of grey which Spero assumed were rocks. There were also rocks in the city, but they were much bigger on average.

Spero approached his first tree. He studied it before any more action. Getting his face very close, he noticed that the brown of the tree was very unorganized. Sharp slabs jutted out in flat patterns up and down the pillar. Spero could see little moving dots once again, but they weren't flying this time. They stuck to the brown. Spero could see little legs and a head attached to these dots. Spero's smile grew larger and he shook his head in disbelief.

Next, Spero looked directly above him at the "green" part of the tree. The pillar split out into much smaller, less organized pillars in every direction. Connected to these were green plants. There were so many... it would take him months to count each and every one of them. As wind blew, these leaves all moved at once and brushed against each other, which created a very soothing noise.

Before touching the tree, Spero took a deep breath through his nose. All sorts of unfamiliar scents registered immediately. Like so many other things that Spero was discovering, it couldn't be described with words. I guess it smells like... a tree. With a new scent from a new source, the only logical step was to associate that scent with its source and end it there. No more was needed.

Finally, Spero reached out his arm and slowly moved his fingers away from his body. His middle finger was the first to touch, and it sent a chill down Spero's spine immediately. Shortly after, his entire hand was touching the brown of the tree. He moved it up and down, and let his fingers move as they pleased. He made sure to be careful as to not crush one of the little creatures. It was extremely rough in texture and felt light.

Craving more excitement, Spero wanted to touch the abundant green plants above him. He raised his arm as high as he could go and moved to his toes, but he couldn't reach. Jumping wasn't helping much either. He looked around at the other trees to see if they had lower green plants, but they were all as tall or taller as the one in front of him.

Spero sighed and looked around at the dirt below him. He hadn't noticed this from the excitement of approaching a tree, but there were plenty of the green plants below as well. They laid flat on the dirt; Spero reached down and picked one up. Rubbing his thumb across the plant, Spero made a note of how soft it was compared to the pillar of brown. It also seemed to have veins-- similar to a human.

Spero tossed the leaf and watched as it slowly fell to the ground before landing softly below. Spero looked behind him and saw the grass blowing in the wind behind him. He looked carefully so he wouldn't look into the sun again, but it was difficult. He traced the line of crushed grass from the horizon to where he was now standing, and noticed that the trail had stopped at the tree line. There was still more grass, it just wasn't touched. Why did it stop at this spot? Was this where he arrived before being dragged?

He looked around to make sure there weren't any walls, and then looked in the sky. He was now leaning towards the idea that he was dead. With the trail starting in that spot, it would make sense that he died and fell down to where he currently stood. Who dragged him, though? Was he even dragged, or did he jump to conclusions too quickly?

Spero rubbed his temples and turned to the forest. It was very dense, with many short, spherical plants and lots of tree branches wiggling out to cover the path. Spots of shaded dirt and short grass moved without direction in response to the wind. The shadows on the ground were starting to elongate due to the sun's position. It was probably still a few hours out from dark, but Spero wanted to quickly find water while he had sunlight.

He made his first steps into the shaded forest. The novelty of the trees had quickly worn off, but Spero fell in love with how the shade looked under them. Spero looked at his arm as he passed under a tree and saw the shadows of leaves come and leave the surface of his skin as he passed.

The sounds of leaves rustling and the peaceful scenery was starting to make Spero tired. It also made him realize how physically exhausted he actually was. His legs specifically were shaky and sore, and the bottoms of his feet burned with every step. Spero took a look around him at the forest line to see if there was anything of interest further in. Not seeing anything, Spero sat down with his back to a tree.

He made the decision to take a few minute break before continuing. The tree he was leaning against was extremely uncomfortable, but that feeling was outweighed by his exhaustion. He had his legs bent and his knees up. He placed his forearms on his knees to rest them without getting dirty. Thinking of dirty, Spero observed his clothes to see the state they were in. The wet red liquid that hung to his skin and his clothes had started to dry, leaving a crusty feeling against Spero's skin. He would need new clothes as soon as possible, but he had other priorities first.

Spero looked up at the leaves and the sky above him. The sea of green swayed in the gentle winds, playing a song of peace. The sky above was as blue as it was earlier with few clouds in the sky. Lium's hair swept across his forehead and ears as the wind pushed it. It gave him some slight annoyance. He liked his hair to be exactly to his liking, and wind was the opposite of that. It did feel nice against the skin though, so he looked past the negatives.

As the gentle breeze gave sound to the leaves overhead, Spero's eyes started to close and his mind began to drift. His head started to fall to the side. Recognizing this, Spero lifted his head back up and opened his eyes wide. He couldn't sleep yet, especially while the light was still out. Lium was looking forward to seeing the sunset in a few hours. He had, of course, never seen one. And then after that, the sun would rise to signal the start of a new beginning.

That's enough rest. He had to find some sort of shelter. The base of the tree he sat against was nice, but he doubted it would protect him from animals of the night. In class, students learned about many animals. Some of those animals were friendly, but others meant to harm humans. Those animals chose to hunt us at night to ensure an easy kill. Since his new location resembled a lot of his old school's teachings, he had to assume there were animals. Spero thought of the little flying creature from earlier in the vast field. It meant no harm to Spero, so he drew the conclusion that whatever creature it was== it isn't dangerous.

The sound of leaves brushed by Spero's ears as his mind swam through his current happenings. Thoughts began to become more spaced out and incoherent. His eyes began to close, and his limbs went limp. His head fell to his shoulder as Spero fell asleep at the base of the tree.

...

Subtle flashes of images flooded the sleeping mind of Spero as he laid dormant. A tree. In fact, it was the very tree he was laying under. The tree was alone in a sea of green grass fields, but it didn't mind. The crisp air and the warm air's embrace was enough. As light winds brushed past, the leaves danced a chaotic dance. The grass surrounding the tree followed the movements as well. When the wind stopped and the foliage halted, there was silence. This silence was full and plentiful, like nature herself. Slowly, as the tree and the grass sat still waiting for the next blows of air, everything faded to white. All that remained was the blinding emptiness.

In this white space, a single black dot whizzed around freely. It had all the space in the world, and it took advantage of that. With no pattern or order, the black dot explored the vastness of the white playground it found itself in. It was clear and visible with the contrasting colors conflicting. Black and white, light and dark. It seemed to be searching for something. As the black dot would soon find out, there was nothing to be found. The dot suddenly stopped its flying and landed on the white floor beneath. It turned its body in every direction; it was clearly looking for something. What would that be? What does a black dot need in this white space? As the small creature searched, it quickly and violently lifted itself off of the ground and flew away. It was gone. All that remained was the pure white nothing-- until another color appeared. Red. A dark red liquid crawled across the white ground, staining it and making a puddle. Following the direction it came from... revealed a human body oozing--

Spero's whole body jolted as he quickly sat upright. Looking around, he was in the same place that he was before. Above him was a large tree, directly in front was a vast field of yellow, and behind was a forest-- now dark.

"Shit," Spero muttered to himself. He must had fallen asleep, The surroundings were becoming dark with a blue haze. He could see some light on the horizon in front of him, which he assumed to be the sun setting. He had missed his first sunset. After rubbing his eyes with his palms, Spero used the bark of the tree to stand himself up. His legs still ached, but it was manageable. He immediately noticed that he was very hungry. What's wrong with you? Spero was beating himself up for falling asleep. How could he do such a stupid thing in such a vital time in his life?

The sun was down so it would be nearly impossible to find food, and night animals might have been out. He thought about going back to sleep, but he could feel that option wasn't viable. He needed food and water. Walking a few steps away from his tree, he looked around. Going into the forest scared him. It was dark and silent. Going back the way he came was an option, but there was nothing out there. If it were light, he would look for the trail again, but he couldn't do that either. The only option was the forest.

Spero turned to the dark forest. He silently scanned around to see if there was any movement. Any sort of anomaly and he would run. Slowly and quietly, Spero took his first steps and started his walk through the woods. The ground was bumpy and uneven with dead leaves scattered everywhere, so silence wasn't an option. Still, he did his best. Every step brought too much noise for his liking, so he slowed down. His heart started beating faster and his breathing hastened.

All Spero could hear was his breath as he slowly inched further into the forest. As the sun's light neared its full exit, he couldn't see anything clearly. He could make out silhouettes of tree trunks close to him, but behind that was void. Spero found a rhythm with his steps, and his eyes found a pattern to search in front of him. Spero made sure not to touch anything as he couldn't see what he was touching. To hear if anything else was around him, Spero stopped his movements and sat still. Listening, he heard nothing but the occasional cool breeze and some sort of quiet chirping. Concluding that he was safe, he continued moving.

Spero turned his head around to see behind him, and the vast field was covered by the dark silhouettes of trees. He needed to keep track of that direction in case he needed to run from something. So far though, nothing was attempting to confront Spero as he ventured further. With some of the anxiety wearing off, Spero's breathing became more steady. Maybe there weren't animals in the forest. He still didn't know where exactly he was. The hunger and thirst as well as his aching muscled made him believe that his wasn't some sort of afterlife. If that were the case, then he could only be inside the sphere. Why would it look like it did? It didn't make sense to Spero. Until he learned more, he would try and put a cap on it. There were more pressing matters.

Spero could feel his stomach begging him for food, and his mouth was dry. He needed to find something. So far, it was just trees and dead, crusty leaves. Spero quickened his steps. The worry of the unknown in the forest was faded, and worries of dehydration and starvation were settling in. Still, he made sure to scan in front of him at all times. In the silence of the night, Spero began to think more about his situation,

How will I even find food without it being handed to me? People used to eat animals, but I haven't seen many. I could try eating those little crawly things on the trees... but that's a last resort. Spero became increasingly worried with his food situation. Naturally, he had no experience getting his own food. He had never killed anything before... at least until--

Before his train of thought could continue, Spero stopped in his tracks and looked directly in front of him. In the distance, behind many trees was a blue light. It wasn't very bright, as it only lit up some surrounding tree trunks. Stepping, to the side a few steps, he tried to see the source, but couldn't make it out. He would have to get closer to see. Spero took a long breath and looked behind him. There was nothing but black. Spero's heart began to race once more. He didn't want to go to the light... but would he have a choice? It could have been something to help him. He didn't know how a light could do that, but he didn't have much else around there.

Mustering up the courage to continue, Spero began walking towards the dim blue light. As he got closer, it wasn't becoming clear what the source was. There were still some trees in the way. Spero began circling the source from a distance, trying to see what it was. There were no noises, and he didn't smell anything beyond the fresh forest air. He would have to get to touching distance to see what it was, he decided. As he approached, he looked around to see if there was anything beyond the light. He saw nothing. Finally, the blue light touched Spero's skin and dirty clothing. The light was dim, but with the dark he was in it made his eyes burn a bit.

The blue light was radiating from the base of a tree. Still, this close, he couldn't see what it was. What would give off that color light? He stepped closer and closer until it was in arms reach. He kneeled down at the base of the tree and squinted. He saw nothing but light. Was it even a physical object, or just pure light? Would that even be possible? Spero, enchanted by the beautiful blue, reached his hand out to touch the light. As his fingers made contact, he felt a shiver run from his finger throughout his body. The source of the light was smooth and cold to the touch. He could feel that whatever it was, it wasn't very large. Maybe the size of a thumb.

With his fingers, Spero gently lifted the light source off of the dirt. It bathed his entire body in a soothing blue. Still squinting, Spero brought the light closer to his face and used his other hand to move the object in his fingers. At closer inspection, it looked like some sort of stone. There were no scratches or imperfections. The light it omitted hid any potential imperfections.

What was this? As soon as Spero touched it, he felt something enter his body, as if the light itself pierced through his skin and muscle. He didn't know if it was just coincidence, but his aching muscles had ceased to hurt. Spero slowly straightened his legs and moved the rock away from his face. Since seeing it, he hadn't once taken his eyes off of it. It was purely magical. Letting the rock sit in his palm, Spero thought about what to do next.

Could he eat it? It seemed very hard and robust... and he felt like eating it would be putting something useful to waste. Like the little crawlies, he would save this as a last resort. At the very least, it was a nice light to traverse the forest. Sighing after a job well done, Spero, with the glowing rock still in his palm, turned around. He took his eyes off of the rock and in front of him where he saw--

A lone hooded figure stood directly in front of Spero. Before he had time to react, a hand rose in front of Spero's face. Without warning, Spero collapsed unconscious. The rock fell from his hand and back on the dirt.