Mysterious gateways were plentiful on Theia, however, more often than not the world on the other side was often one embellished by the countless drugs peddled by the planet's residents.

As descendant of royalty, it would've been obscene for me to enter a such a place, especially in the dead of night.

"For Delta of Theia to roam the streets of Meta's Western corridor at night... Do you not fear for your life, outlaw?"

At the entrance of the club stood a monstrous figure, his outfit illuminated by neon light. The bouncer, Bixby, sported his typical wife beater and white jeans, his belt buckle just as reflective as his beaming head.

"You're paranoid, take the night off Bixby."

"P-paranoid?! How about you take your head out of your ass kid? Three years since you leveled the block, in case you-"

"Oh, how could I forget?"

"That's right, you can't. Listen, you should just kick rocks, D, I don't know what else you've been up to but it's been stirring some real nasties in this area."

"Thank you for the concern, Bixby," I replied, finally moving past him.

"You're hardly welcome!" I rolled my eyes at his comment, allowing his sentence to be concluded by the slamming of the steel door between us.

The tavern had a strong aroma, though, it wasn't one characteristic of a traditional bar. The rustic environment clashed with many of the colorful figures in the bar, namely those responsible for its upkeep.

"Solemi, you're looking... Single." I moved past some shoddy wooden furniture, sitting at one of the polished mahogany barstools.

"Yuck, I'm too old for you." Solemi did a sassy turn, sorting through several different bottles of what I assumed was alcohol, which, on Theia, varied in legality based on alcohol content.

"Bah, I'm not here for you cockmouth!" I exclaimed, half-jokingly.

"First, very judgmental today. Second, you're out of luck, Cherry just went to the bathroom. Hey, you should ask her if she'll let you watc-"

"I'm starting to see why this is your job," I made sure to interject before I could begin to imagine Solemi's sexual interests, jokingly or not. Something about his old-fashioned style grossed me out in that regard.

"Oh, Delta! Bartending is such a prison!" Solemi pretended to fall, lazily slipping beneath the counter. It was an impressive trick, one that required years of stagnation. As I went to check for him, he rose back to his feet, continuing his retort.

"You know, legally, you're 18 and I can give you anything you ask me for. I mean, for your sake, I'm gatekeeping this shit, but you can ask," Solemi smiled, a noticable colored gloss resting between many of his teeth. I wasn't accustomed to the different types of party drugs fancied by Theia's night crowd, though, this didn't stop me from inquiring.

"Well, what is it? I don't want any, but I'm curious. And why?"

"Oooh. That's a story in itself. Unfortunately I'm not even interested in sharing, not unless you go knock on that door."

"Monster! You're supposed to be my friend..."

"You're lucky I'm proud of this one, I'm a real mixologist you know."

Solemi reached into his tight lined pocket, retrieving an elongated pouch no larger than a finger. It was packed to the end with a pink dust the consistency of sand. He placed it on the table, first turning to reach for the mortar and pestle on the shelf behind him, moving it into position next to his other ingredient. The barkeep started by adding two dashes: enough to line the bottom of the mortar and pestle. He then resealed the pouch, reaching for a black vial on his belt. Solemi unscrewed the cap, pouring in a handful of clear salt-like crystals. Taking the pestle, Solemi ground both together, adding a dash of a mysterious liquid halfway. He mashed and poured until he reached a slime consistency, pushing the finished product in my direction. It was a darker pink than the original sand, though shared the same transparency as the crystals.

"That was actually really impressive... But what exactly did you just make?" I inspected the goop, rubbing a bit of the grainy solution between my fingers. Solemi looking incredibly unpleased with me putting my fingers in his mix, I pushed the bowl back over to him.

"I've been calling it 'Sarcoda.' Not as powerful as typical Stardust because, as you watched, I cut with a type of monoamine alkaloid-"

"That was the salt!"

"Yes, brainiac, the salt. It's plant derived, actually, coming from the 'sarcodactylis.' The euphoric high of your traditional Stardust is reduced, but..." Solemi trailed off as I proceeded to wipe the concoction across my gums. He stood wide-eyed for a moment, then proceeded to shake his head and take a subtle sample for himself before splitting it into various packages.

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"Go," Solemi waved me off, pretending to be more invested in his work than me.

"Right, oh-" I stood up, my body immediately becoming tingly. I moved across the bar, coming to a large wooden door parallel to where I was seated. Looking to my right, I had a full view of Solemi, who met my gaze briefly before turning his head towards the stage and whistling as if he hadn't seen me.

I knocked on the door to the bathroom, first yielding no response. Before I tried again, I ensured that the door was locked, testing the handle. Paranoid, I checked to my right again, only to see the barkeep raising his crimson brows at me. I knocked again, this time making my presence known.

"Hello? It's Delta-"

"Yeah?"

I froze up. I didn't necessarily have a plan and Solemi's idea was far too crude to have any actual merit. I simply knocked again, catching a glimpse of Solemi stifling a laugh in my peripheral. I turned to him, his eyes seeming to widen. Before I could comprehend his reaction, I was pulled into the dimly lit lavatory, face to face with my reflection. As I looked over my shoulder in the mirror, my eyes met with those of the rockstar. I turned quickly, feeling smaller than the woman who stood a full head beneath me.

"You're early today, huh?" Cherry Noir spoke, her short dark bob cut shining with a crimson glow. She wore an outfit decorated with different wine imagery that contrasted against her pale skin and matched her eyes.

"Well I was hoping to get some time to talk before you went on today."

"Oh... Really? That's cool, yeah, we don't get to really talk much huh?"

"Well it's fine, I like to hear you sing anyway. You know, I bet this bathroom has great acoustics."

"Yeah? Hm..." Cherry began to let out a serene hum. I instinctively closed my eyes, allowing the rhythm to make its way down my face and to my shoulders. Cherry's hand coming down to my newly exposed chest. As her hand hovered over my heart, my eyes jutted open, my gaze shifting away from her.

"Cherry, where does that door lead? It's not an exit, is it?" I wasn't sure if the drug that Solemi made before me was beginning to take effect, but there was an odd wooden door that matched the decorum, standing parallel to the entrance. It was as if the bathroom was a train car leading to the next.

"Must be new. Like, new new..." Cherry quickly moved away, examining the door. I was too eager to chase after, abandoning my outerwear on the grimy floor.

"You mean it wasn't here a moment ago, right?"

"An invitation, no?"

I carefully placed my hand on metal handle, expecting it to be warmer than it was. Any attempt to wiggle the handle just enough or peer through was futile.

"Oh come on. Like this, Delta of Theia," Cherry's hand enveloped mine, forcing the handle down and sending us flying through it.

The door slammed behind us, revealing the landscape: we stood suspended within the vast expanse of space. Above us, the sky was a breathtaking canvas of swirling colors and twinkling stars, casting a mesmerizing glow across the reflective surface beneath our feet. Wisps of cosmic dust danced in the air, creating an ethereal ambiance that seemed to transcend time and space. As I peered into the infinite expanse, I made out a figure that forced me to neglect the fact that the door had vanished behind us. With overwhelming confidence, I took Cherry's hand and began my approach. Each step was smooth, as if we were walking on sand that refused to mold to our movements.

"Oh, wow. You guys made it in time for 'The Recital.' Yo, come sit," The male figure was engulfed in shadow, but his presence was welcoming. Cherry and I took a few more steps before realizing that we weren't making much progress, finally taking a seat and gazing up. The shadow's presence was much closer, even if we hadn't moved.

Had we moved? Had there been progress unbeknownst to the physical? My brain began to process information even before Zagan, the shadowy figure, had spoke. I reciprocated the firm grip on my left hand and took a moment to look at Cherry. Her eyes were fixed on the sky above.

"Good, we're acquaintances now. We don't have time, look," Zagan's voice was now projected from my right side, my eyes trailing his dark arm as he pointed to the celestial bodies moving in patterns across the sky.

"I'm kinda glad I have people to share this with," Zagan said, a flash of light highlighting his dark body. There were various runes and markings strewn across him.

As Cherry and I watched in awe, the stars began to stir, each one pulsating with its own rhythm. Slowly at first, then with increasing fervor, the stars started to dance across the sky, their movements synchronized in a celestial ballet unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Some stars twirled gracefully, leaving streaks of light in their wake, while others pirouetted in elegant arcs, painting the sky with vibrant hues.

As the symphony of light died down, we moved passionately close, sharing a warm embrace that I thought I'd never experience. After cherishing the moment, we stood to match the angel that had blessed us.

"Your pupils are huge. Anyway, that's that, I'm gonna drop you two off then head home. You don't mind the train, right?" Unable to truly process the meaning behind his words, I instinctively nodded. Zagan flashed us a quick smile, his bright teeth glowing against his dark figure. Within the blink of an eye, the scenery around us had completely changed. No longer did the ground shine as brightly as the stars above. The only light present within the vast subterranean complex was artificially supplied by the overhead decor. It was a place I had assumed only existed within memory, and the sight of it caused all feeling to escape my body.

"Delta... You know this place?" Cherry inspected her surroundings, her gaze shifting between every visible evenly spaced door. The tunnel was lined with them, each one sporting a unique design and symbol.

"I do..." The environment had remained unchanged from my first visit, though, the symbols had far more meaning than they once had. It was as if I had some degree of understanding of the absurdity it once presented.

"I do. This is 'The Nexus'. I was here once. I'm pretty sure it's somewhere different. Like, outside everything, you know? Like, anywhere, everything, but it all meets here..." I looked around once again, the greater multiverse developing and becoming more apparent with each glance.

"Wow... And you're okay with that? Just knowin' all that?"

"Well... Not much I can do, right?" Both of us acknowledging the complexity and uncertainty of her question, we began to traverse the infinite expanse, our feet reverberating against the asphalt with each step.