The music was everywhere. Sara hadn't realized it before, but it had been brought with her, shining ever so dimly ahead. It was just enough to show the semblance of a path winding down. All the Princess needed was to remember it was there and venture forwards.
That's so simple, remember. Look, and remember something so powerful, something so special: this song coming from her. It was a kind thing. It didn't pressure her, it didn't hate her, it only lit the way, encouraging her to go further.
The path was a dangerous path, filled with all manner of terrors and yet, it was mocking her, daring her to do something extraordinary.
How far will you go? It seemed to ask the woman.
Sara gulped. She didn't know and that scared her; extremely, but that didn't stop it from showing the way. The melody couldn't make what lay ahead, but it could help guide people past as safely as possible. Sometimes, the path went through was much more dangerous and traveling.
"Why would it misguide me like that?" Sara asked. "What kind of creature was it?"
As the melody warmed her skin, she yelped in pain as the windy rain hammered down on her while accidentally stepping into a thornbush. It was barely useful.
"I can see just fine without it," noted Sara. "Why is it even here? It just taunts me and gets in my way."
However, she thanked it and kept going. Sometimes the way was easy with a simple trail, beach, or neighborhood. She waved to other passersby and they were kind enough to give her some of their music. They taught her how to sing on her own. She could only make more for others or brighten her own. These new melodies took her to better new routes. However at times, she took the safe route instead of the best one. While better, some dangerous paths would be better for getting to the destination.
Other people were around her. Some were way better equipped than those around them on this journey. Their supplies were vast and new as they were clearly ready to take on any threat ahead. The Ocean Princess envied them as she rested in some thorns. While having her own supplies, her pack was extremely heavy.
"How I wish I could take mine off," she said. "Those people don't have heavy packs. Alas, there is nothing I can do about it. It carried my supplies. I was given these at the beginning of this adventure."
It was called Yume Sekai Trail. Among Legend, its name was Life. No end destination traveled the same as someone else's. This unique one of a kind hike was a scientific phenomenon.
Some routes were popular enough to have names. There was Emerald City of Oz Reef for the scenic route. Mineminemine Mines for wealthy dumbasses immersed themselves in Rockstar Games' controlled VR Grand Theft Auto game in a middle aged woman's basement you were sold to for her 30ish year old son simping for you over the voicecomm. For couples, there's Basic Bridge for the most romantic scenery with such beauty one wouldn't notice the large glass dome above their head playing subliminal messages of how much you love doing nothing and never needing anything better. There was also an Iron Rod Cave for the religious with Jesus Wheeltake Trail for the laziest. You could also enjoy LostUwU iBoy Park for a simulation, Chosheep Dune (for the conventional, Breaking News Falls for audio telenovelas, and Once Upon A Trail for the extreme.
All Sara Osheena could do was envy those around her.
"Lucky bitches," she said. "It isn't fair, my route is completely different from others. It wouldn't surprise me if I perished on this trip. There are many cliffs and all I have are my gloves and boots to traverse these deadly landscapes."
Still, the song remained. In the cold nights, it kept her as warm as it could and shone on the spaces to step. Tired, dehydrated, and hungry, Sara would often sing the song, Hallelujah, I'm not dead!
The further she traveled, the better lit things became. She saw many people, some with fancy tools, others with similar gear. Each person she talked to gave a symphony to help and they became fast friends. Despite how many fancy tools some had, many people were troubled and struggling. Several times she tried to help, but was rejected.
They said with frustration in their voices, "We deem you too slow."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
With only the music for company, Sara Osheena sat alone as usual, feeling useless. "These people I had tried to help had gone far further than I ever have. They had seen and done so much. Why can't I do that? Why am I so slow and weak? It is very hard to go on through rough terrains. Those people did it so easily."
"What leaves me curious is why were they so angry?" She wondered. "Why were they so mean? They do not seem to care for what they have and only want more shiny tools and comfortable material."
However, just sometimes one of them would come to visit and hand her a song.
"Thank you for the song you made," they said.
"But why?" she thought. "What was so special about a song? They didn't help much. They only provided warmth to make it through cold nights and some guidance in darkness. They didn't help cut the branches of the thick trees, climb the windy ice caps, or safely travel volcanic landscapes, sizzling with lava. If only I had what those people had. I would give anything for those."
As the days went by it got darker and darker, but enough to see ahead. The trail got narrow and high. Many people without songs grew angry and tried to cling onto others who had songs for help. Some were able to take others' songs by force while others shared with kindness.
The Ocean Princess herself helped others, but she could never do enough. She was always grateful when she could and even got to see old friends from whom she had given a musical to long ago before making it through. Sara held in her backpack the symphony they made for her. Many people were too stubborn to use music. They found them easily breakable, useless, or targeted them for thieves. A Lot of music was dropped. Some people fell into the darkness.
It was painfully chaotic as she saw people get their music stolen. Eventually, even who got it stolen would fall to their eternal demise.
After many hours, the princess reached the end of the cliffs. It was hard to see. Many songless had given up and walked ahead into the darkness never to be seen again. These people could see little despite having gear that would greatly help them along.
"A good amount of people have gotten used to the darkness. I feel sorry for them, but no matter how badly I want to give them my songs, I need them myself. I need my own song. If I tried to, they would steal some and never help in return. If that kept up, I would lose all my songs."
"One more person," she said. "I want to help one more person."
She found an older gentleman. He was happy and she greatly enjoyed his company. As they went on, the man taught her many things and she learned a great deal by his intelligence and lifestyle. She was fascinated. He was unlike anyone she had known before. No matter how hard she tried however, she could give him no music because he would always overuse it.
He would get angry, impatient, and criticize her for the lack of material she owned oftentimes. "You have a heavy backpack and little experience compared to my own. Many times, he would promise they would go to tales of paradise as they passed through other beautiful lands he had seen. "Soon," he promised. "Soon."
But it never came.
After many nights, an old song turned on. It floated to an easy safe path, Sara had not seen in months. "We will go together." They promised each other."
When the morning arrived to do so, he did not show up. "I will follow," she remembered him telling her as she ventured out into the area.
The music was right. This was easier and the music had become quite the bright one indeed! While the trail was hard, it was much easier compared to what she had done before. Encouraged by this music, she took out more, and more, and more, and more.
"Together, it is so warm. I am warmer than I have ever been," rejoiced Sara. "I cannot believe my eyes. I can clearly see ahead a whole field of music, and more! Have I, myself, gotten so many melodies throughout this journey? Why in the world would so many people give these to me?"
"You have gone far," played the music. "And you will go further. You can go anywhere you desire and although we cannot do much, we can be here to support you in any way we can. We were given to you in trust you would use us well as you have. You have kept us safe from danger, and did not overuse us to the point we went out. You gave your own melody to those who needed it, so they could see for themselves what they had been missing even though they did not appreciate it. The road ahead will be dangerous, but you will see where you are going unlike so many no matter how much fancy gear they have. We will show you things they can never witness. Remember we are here and we will guide the way. We will not always be here but you will always be able to see, for you have been given more music than many others."
She stood in awe at the sight. Although dangerous at times, the view was beautiful unlike anything she had ever seen. No fancy tool could experience this even with any kind of better materials. The music was beyond bountiful. It shined so heavenly. Who she was at the start of the journey would envy who she became, for the beauty she would see and the warmth she would feel.
"Each person who gave me their music believes in me," said Sara. "The road is scary, but their music would guide me, as would mine own. This is special, and I will forever cherish it even though others will not."
The music she had found so little was now so big. "It is the most important thing in the world. Maybe others would be able to enjoy this preciousness as much as I have. I have to keep it safe.
It would not be wise to easily give it away to others who would not appreciate, overuse, break, or lose it. It lit up her way. In that moment she knew with it, she could go anywhere she wanted. This music was her greatest treasure. It would help guide her way into the unseen beauty of the rest of this world.
"So that's why they called it the Yuher Sekai Trail," she said." This really was a Dream World."
"The End."