❖ Chapter 19: The First Realm
Their bodies hit the ground hard — not painfully, but like slipping out of a fast dream and landing in something warm and breathing.
Jio groaned, rubbing his side. "We didn't die, right?"
Havella rolled onto her back, eyes squinting at the glowing sky above. "Not yet. Still time."
They lay there for a moment. Just breathing. The grass underneath them felt... strange. Too soft, like laying on hair. The air was warm and full of sounds — wind, birds, water, all humming together like a song just out of rhythm.
"…Where are we?" Jio asked.
Havella sat up, brushing dirt from her sleeves. "If the jump point worked properly, we should be in the first realm of Life."
"Life?" He looked around, taking in the floating landmass they'd landed on. "Doesn't feel very alive."
"Oh, it is," she muttered. "Look closer."
The ground shimmered subtly, colors bending at the edges. Trees swayed in opposite directions from each other. There was light — but no clear sun. Shadows moved even when they didn't.
"I don't like it," Jio said, frowning.
"That means you're sane."
They didn't walk far before something shifted in the brush. Havella pulled him behind her instantly, hand raised.
But it wasn't a threat. It was… a little girl.
She was small, barefoot, wearing rough, oversized cloth wrapped around her like a coat. Her dark hair was messy, and her eyes—too big for her face—looked at them without blinking.
And right behind her—
A giant, fluffy creature.
It stood taller than a house, all fur and soft features, blinking slowly like it had just woken from a nap. Its ears flopped lazily, and when it opened its mouth, it let out a big, dopey yawn.
Havella stared. "...You've gotta be kidding."
The girl tilted her head. "You're not from here."
"No," Jio said, keeping his voice soft. "We just arrived."
The beast took a few slow steps forward, then immediately flopped to the ground with a thud that shook the island slightly. The girl didn't react.
"…Is it dangerous?" Havella asked cautiously.
"Only if I ask," the girl said.
There was a beat of silence.
"…Right," Havella muttered.
"What's your name?" Jio asked her.
"Sael." She looked at them both carefully. "You're from the Wastes?"
"Yeah," Havella answered. "Not fans of the place."
"My people lived near there," Sael said plainly. "But they're all gone now."
Jio's expression fell. "You're alone?"
She nodded. "The Wastes don't kill you. They just take everything until there's nothing left to want."
There was no sorrow in her tone — just memory. And honesty.
Havella crossed her arms. "You're awfully calm for a kid."
"You're not the first weird ones I've seen fall out of the sky."
The beast behind her let out a soft "Boof."
"What's its name?" Jio asked.
"I call him Puff. He doesn't seem to mind."
"He seems… harmless."
"He is. Mostly. He forgets what he's doing halfway through doing it."
"Relatable," Havella muttered.
Sael turned and pointed toward a hill. "You should keep moving. This place looks nice, but it gets... strange. The longer you stand still, the more you'll start hearing things that aren't there."
Jio nodded. "Thanks. You're not coming with us?"
She shook her head. "This island listens to me. The others won't."
There was a beat of hesitation, then she added:
"If you hear singing at the edge of the next island... don't follow it. Not unless you want to be eaten in a good mood."
"…Got it," Havella said with a tight smile. "Helpful."
Sael waved lazily and turned away. Puff let out another yawn and followed her like a walking pillow.
As the two disappeared into the mist, Jio looked up at the sky. It was glowing, pulsing faintly.
"Feels like something's watching."
Havella didn't answer. She was already walking toward the edge of the floating island, eyes scanning the distant horizon.
Whatever this realm was, it wasn't ruled by logic — or empires. Just the wild, the leftover, and the things that kept living because they didn't know how to stop.
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End of Chapter 19
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