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MidReal Story
Secret Realm
Scenario:I discovered a magical heritage in the desert region of XinjiangIt was a scorching afternoon, and I drove alone through the desert areas of Xinjiang. Endless yellow sand shimmers with golden light under the scorching sun, and the heat waves roll as if devouring everything. I held the steering wheel tightly, and the scene before me was not only desert but also desert, but deep down in my heart, I was looking forward to an unusual encounter.Just as I was about to give up, a strange green appeared in the distance. I slowed down and as I approached, it turned out to be a lush oasis. This place forms a sharp contrast with the surrounding desert, as if it is another world. There is an ancient stone gate in the center of the oasis, engraved with symbols and words that I cannot understand.Driven by curiosity, I stopped the car and decided to explore the truth. Passing through the oasis, I arrived at Shimen. At the moment I touched the stone gate, I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, as if time and space were twisted at this moment.The next moment, I found myself in a completely different world. The sky here presents strange colors, with both the afterglow of the sunset and the brilliance of the Milky Way. On the earth, strange flowers and plants are everywhere, and some creatures I have never seen before leisurely stroll on the grassland.I looked around and there was an ancient castle not far away, surrounded by a clear stream. As I approached the castle, I saw the four characters "Fantasy Legacy Realm" carved on the city gate.I pushed open the door and walked in. The interior of the castle is even more breathtaking, with ancient murals hanging on the walls, each telling a mysterious story. In the center of the castle, there is a huge crystal ball that emits a soft light, illuminating the entire castle.Suddenly, a distant voice rang in my ear: "Welcome, brave traveler. This is a fantasy realm, a mysterious world hidden outside of reality. Being able to come here shows that your heart is full of courage and curiosity. May you find your own adventure here."After the sound disappeared, I began to explore in the castle. Every time you walk through a room, you can see a different scene. Some rooms are filled with rare gemstones, while others are filled with strange flora and fauna. I feel like I am in a dreamland full of fantasy colors.I don't know how long it took, but I returned to the oasis of the real world. The stone gate in front of me still stands quietly, as if telling a thousand year old secret. I took a deep breath and turned around to leave this mysterious oasis.On the way back, I repeatedly recalled this fantastic journey. Although I don't know if that world really exists, or if it's just my illusion, that experience will always be remembered in my heart. From then on, whenever I drive through the desert, I always look forward to encountering that mysterious oasis and fantastic castle again.
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The sweltering afternoon sun cast its harsh gaze on the barren desert region of Xinjiang, turning the landscape into an oven.
I sat in my car, driving through the yellow sand, feeling the air conditioning working its best to keep the heat at bay.
But for some reason, it was still so warm.
The air outside seemed to be distorting under the sun, creating mirages that looked like water on the road.
I squinted my eyes and focused on the road ahead, but the sight of endless yellow sand and barren mountains was too much to take in all at once.
To make matters worse, I had no one to talk to, so I turned on the radio.
It seemed that this place was too remote, and there was no signal at all.
I shut it off with a sigh and kept the air conditioning running at full power.
“Why did I get myself into this?”
I muttered under my breath.
This journey was really not easy.
I hadn’t realized that even the simple act of driving alone could be so boring.
The thought of having to endure this for a long time made me shiver.
Suddenly, I saw a mirage in the distance that really looked like water.
My eyes lit up in excitement.
As soon as I realized what it was, I immediately slowed the car down and stopped by the side of the road, taking off my seatbelt and getting out of the car.
My feet were burning from the heat when they touched the ground, but that didn’t stop me from running towards the mirage excitedly.
I had heard that there were many mirages in the desert region of Xinjiang, but it was my first time seeing one myself.
It was truly an amazing sight.
After running for a while, I realized that it was just a mirage and there was no water around.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, I turned back and walked towards my car.
After driving for a while longer, I finally saw some greenery in the distance.
As I got closer, I found that it was an oasis with many green plants.
There were even several wild camels grazing nearby.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw them.
I quickly parked my car by the side of the road and jumped out, taking out my camera from the trunk and taking pictures of them excitedly.
Even though I was born and raised in Xinjiang, I had never seen a wild camel before.
The camels seemed to sense something and ran away after a while.
I stopped taking pictures of them and decided to explore the oasis instead.
I hadn’t taken many steps before I suddenly heard someone talking behind me.
“Miss Sophia, where are you going?”
I was shocked when I heard someone calling me.
I turned around and saw a man standing not far away from me with his hands crossed behind his back.
He was tall and well-built with dark hair and brown eyes.
He also had a pair of glasses on his face, which made him look gentle and nerdy.
I asked, “How do you know my name?”
The man smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker.
I’m just curious about why you’re here.”
I was surprised by his question and asked, “Who are you?”
He replied, “My name is Alex Chen.
I’m from Xinjiang University, and I study geology.”
I nodded and introduced myself, “I’m a geologist from City S.
I came here to do some fieldwork.”
Alex said with a smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Sophia.
Do you need any help?”
I shook my head and said, “It’s okay.
Thank you for your concern.”
Alex smiled and nodded, “Alright then.
I’ll leave you to it.”
After saying that, he turned around and left.
As he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel curious about him.
He looked like he was around twenty years old, and he was quite handsome as well.
But what surprised me the most was how he knew my name.
Could it be that he was also doing fieldwork here?
I quickly put away my camera and followed him in secret to see where he was going.
Alex walked for about five minutes before he stopped at a place and took out a notebook from his backpack, writing something down while looking at something in front of him.
I couldn’t see clearly what it was, so I walked closer cautiously, making sure not to make any noise.
As I got closer, I was shocked to see two huge stone gates in front of me.
They were so tall that they were almost touching the sky, with many ancient inscriptions on them.
The strange thing was…there was nothing behind them!
I quickly looked around, but there was nothing here except for some yellow sand and barren mountains.
Even the oasis that I had just seen was gone!
Was it all an illusion?
Or had I gone crazy from working too hard?
As soon as I thought of this, my head started to hurt, and I quickly went forward to ask Alex for help.
But when I got closer, I realized that he had already disappeared.
I felt a little scared, so I quickly turned around and ran back to my car, stepping on the gas pedal and driving away as fast as I could.
If there was anyone who could help me out of this, it would be Alex.
But I wasn’t sure if he would believe me if I told him what had happened.
As I drove back, I made up my mind to find him first, talk to him about what had happened, and then see if he could help me.
I had been driving for more than half an hour when I suddenly saw a strange green hue in front of me, breaking the monotony of the yellow sand around me.
I squinted my eyes in disbelief, thinking that it must be a mirage again.
But after looking at it for a while, I realized that it wasn’t a mirage at all!
Standing at the entrance of the oasis, I couldn’t believe my eyes!
The desert stretched out far and wide around me, but there was an oasis in front of me, beautiful beyond words, with green trees and clear water that seemed to stretch on forever.
This place… It really existed!
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement rising within me as I stepped out of my car and walked towards it slowly.
As I got closer, I found out that there was an ancient stone gate standing at the entrance of the oasis.
It was very tall, with no one guarding it, making it look even more mysterious than before, as if it were telling some great secret about this place…
My heart raced with a mix of fear and excitement as I walked forward, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch the rough surface of the gate, feeling a strange force coming from it…
My heart was pounding wildly as I slowly pushed open the door…
And then, I saw nothing!
I thought that I had gone crazy from not being able to sleep for so long!
As I was thinking this, I suddenly saw a huge shadow appear in front of me and I quickly turned around to see what was going on!
But before I could see anything clearly, the shadow enveloped me and I felt a great force pulling me towards the door!
“What’s going on?”
I was so scared that I screamed out loud and tried to grab onto something, but my hands were empty and I couldn’t find anything to hold onto…
In the next moment, I felt as if time and space were twisting around me, and I was completely disoriented…
In the blink of an eye, everything around me changed, and the familiar scene of the desert disappeared without a trace…
The sky was a beautiful blend of red and orange hues, with the last rays of the setting sun casting a mesmerizing glow over the land and shining on the countless stars in the distance…
There was a gentle breeze blowing in the air, and I could see the strange plants and flowers swaying in the wind!
Their colors were so bright and vibrant that they almost hurt my eyes!
I looked down at the ground and saw some strange flowers blooming at my feet.
They were different from any flowers I had ever seen before, with bright colors and strange shapes, giving off a sweet fragrance in the air!
Most importantly, there were many exotic creatures lying on the grass nearby!
I couldn’t tell what they were called, but they looked like some kind of wild beast to me…
My heart was pounding wildly as I looked around in amazement at this strange world!
It felt like I was in another world all of a sudden!
As soon as I thought of this, I looked down at myself again and realized that I was still wearing the same clothes and shoes as before.
But the strange thing was… My body didn’t feel hot at all!
Instead, it felt very comfortable and cool!
I reached out and touched the ground with my hand and felt the coolness of the earth beneath me…
It was as if I were really in another world!
My heart was pounding wildly as I thought of this and I quickly stood up and looked around for Alex.
But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find him anywhere!
“Alex!”
I called out nervously, but there was no response!
I was about to start panicking when a figure suddenly appeared in front of me!
I looked up and saw Alex standing in front of me with a mysterious smile on his face!
Sophia,” he said softly.
I’m here to help you.”
“Where are we?”
I asked him nervously.
Alex didn’t answer me directly and only said one sentence: “Come with me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and walked away without waiting for me to respond…
I followed him in confusion and walked forward for about 10 minutes before I finally saw something familiar in the distance!
There was an ancient castle standing tall and proud in the distance!
The castle was made entirely out of black stone and had a magnificent appearance with countless intricate carvings on its walls.
There were also many glowing lights on the castle walls, giving it a mysterious and magical appearance.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe as I looked at it, as if I were looking at a work of art that had been created by the gods themselves!
Just as I was about to walk forward to take a closer look, Alex suddenly appeared in front of me and stopped me.
“This is the ancient castle,” he said softly.
“It is the only place where you can find the answers you seek.”
I looked up at him in surprise as he spoke.
He looked at me with a mysterious smile on his face, as if he knew everything I was thinking.
“Trust me,” he said softly.
With these words, he turned around and walked towards the castle, leaving me with no choice but to follow him…
I drove for hours through the endless desert without seeing anything except for sand dunes and rocks.
The sky had already turned dark by the time I finally saw some signs of civilization in the distance.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I drove towards it, eager to find somewhere to rest for the night… But just as I was about to reach my destination, I suddenly saw something strange in front of me…
Intrigued, I slowed down and stared at it intently, trying to make out what it was…
My eyes widened in surprise when I finally saw what it was…
There was an oasis in front of me!
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, thinking that it must be some kind of mirage or hallucination…
But when I opened them again, the oasis was still there, looking as real as ever!
I couldn’t believe my eyes!
I had never seen anything like this before!
My heart began to race as I stared at the oasis, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Without thinking, I parked my car on the side of the road and got out to take a closer look.
The sand was scorching hot beneath my feet, but I ignored it as I stepped into the cool shade provided by the palm trees.
The swaying leaves rustled gently in the breeze, creating a relaxing and soothing atmosphere that put my mind at ease.
As I looked around, I realized that the oasis was much larger than it appeared to be from the road.
There were countless palm trees growing all around, with the tallest ones being over 30 meters tall.
At the center of the oasis was an enormous pool of water, with the surrounding palm trees reflecting on its surface like a perfect mirror.
The entire place was so beautiful that it almost seemed like it had come straight out of a dream…
Intrigued, I walked towards the pool to take a closer look, my heart pounding with excitement and trepidation.
As I got closer, I noticed that there was something strange about the oasis…
It was completely silent, save for the sound of rustling palm leaves and gently lapping water.
There were no birds chirping, no crickets singing, not even the sound of wind blowing through the trees.
It was as if the entire place had been frozen in time, waiting for someone to discover its secrets.
I shivered as I looked around, feeling a sense of unease creeping over me.
But my curiosity got the better of me, and I continued to move forward…
As I walked towards the pool, small ripples suddenly appeared on its surface, as if something had fallen into it.
Startled, I looked around to see what it was, but there was nothing there except for the palm trees.
Curious, I walked to the edge of the pool and looked down into the water…
There was nothing there except for my own reflection.
Frowning, I knelt down and dipped my fingers into the water, bringing them to my lips to take a sip.
The water was cool and refreshing, with an indescribable sweetness that lingered on my tongue like nectar.
It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before, and as soon as it touched my lips, I felt rejuvenated and filled with energy.
I drank greedily from the pool until I was satisfied and then stood up to wipe the water from my face.
That’s when I noticed it…
There was an ancient stone gate on the other side of the pool that I hadn’t seen before.
It was made entirely out of black stone and had countless intricate carvings on its surface that seemed to dance and flicker in the shifting light.
As soon as I saw it, I felt an inexplicable sense of fear and unease washing over me…
But at the same time, I also felt an irresistible urge to walk towards it.
My mind was filled with questions and doubts, but my body moved forward on its own…
As I got closer to the stone gate, I noticed that it was much larger than it appeared to be from afar.
The entire structure was over one hundred meters tall and almost fifty meters wide.
It looked like it had been standing there for thousands of years, with no signs of decay or damage anywhere on its surface.
The carvings on the stone gate also became clearer, and I could see that they were some sort of ancient script, with strange symbols and words that I couldn’t understand.
I approached the stone gate with cautious reverence, my hand outstretched as if to touch it.
The carvings on its surface seemed to swirl and dance in the shifting light, as if they were alive and trying to tell me something.
My hand was only inches away from the stone when a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, and the world around me began to blur and twist.
It felt like I was being pulled through some sort of invisible barrier, my body and mind being stretched and compressed in ways that should have been impossible.
In that moment, I was consumed by fear and panic, as my senses were overwhelmed by an indescribable sensation of movement and disorientation.
But just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in an entirely different place…
I stood there in stunned silence, looking around at my new surroundings with wide eyes.
The sky above me was like nothing I had ever seen before, with swirling colors that blended together in a breathtaking display of beauty.
I could see shades of pink, purple, blue, and orange all mingling together like a thousand sunsets painting the heavens with their vibrant hues.
The sky also seemed much closer than it should have been, with the soft glow of stars twinkling faintly in the distance as if they were just within reach.
The ground beneath my feet was no longer sand but a carpet of lush green grass that stretched out as far as the eye could see, dotted with flowers that bloomed in shades that I had never seen before.
The air was cool and fragrant, carrying with it the scents of a hundred different worlds all blended together into one harmonious bouquet that made my head spin with delight.
I stood there, utterly transfixed by the beauty and wonder of this new realm, my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to make sense of what was happening.
This was no desert oasis; this was something altogether different, something out of a dream or a fairy tale.
But even as my mind struggled to comprehend this impossible reality, my heart knew that it was true.
Somehow, against all odds, I had crossed not only the threshold of that ancient stone gate but also the boundaries of reality itself.
And as I looked around at this new world that stretched out before me, I knew that my life would never be the same again…
As I looked around, trying to make sense of my new surroundings, I realized that they were no longer familiar.
Gone were the swaying palm trees and sparkling pool, replaced instead by an otherworldly landscape that defied all logic and reason.
The only sign that remained of my previous location was the ancient stone gate, which now stood behind me like a silent sentinel.
I was standing at its threshold, on the verge of two worlds, and it felt as though I was caught between them, suspended in time and space like some sort of cosmic vagabond.
My heart was pounding with excitement and fear as I took in my new surroundings, and for a long moment, I could do nothing but stand there and gape like an idiot.
The colors and scents and sounds were so different from anything I had ever experienced that it was almost overwhelming.
The sky above me was like a painting, with swirling hues of pink and purple and blue that blended together like watercolors on a canvas.
It was so close that I felt like I could almost reach out and touch it, and the stars twinkled faintly overhead as if they were just within arm's reach.
The ground beneath me was soft and green, no longer sand but lush grass that stretched out in all directions like an emerald sea.
It was dotted with flowers that bloomed in shades I had never seen before, their petals casting off an otherworldly glow that illuminated my surroundings with an ethereal light.
The air was cool and fragrant, carrying with it hints of jasmine and honeysuckle and other unfamiliar scents that made my head spin with delight.
As I stood there, utterly transfixed by this new and fantastical realm, I knew that I had to be dreaming.
There was simply no other way to explain what I was seeing and experiencing; it was all too bizarre and surreal to be real.
But even as I tried to convince myself that this was all just some elaborate fantasy conjured up by my overactive imagination, I knew deep down that it wasn't true.
This was real, or as real as anything could be, and somehow I had found my way here.
Somehow I had crossed over into this otherworldly realm and left my old life behind.
Somehow I had gone through that ancient gate and passed into something far beyond my wildest dreams.
And as I stood there, looking around at this new world that stretched out before me, I realized that I had no idea what to do next.
No idea where to go or what to see or how to even begin.
I was lost and alone in this strange new place, with no idea how to find my way back home.
A voice whispered in my ear, so close that it made me jump and spin around in surprise.
It was a strange language that I somehow understood without really understanding how or why, and as the words echoed through my mind, they filled me with a sense of purpose and direction that I hadn't felt before.
"Welcome," the voice said, its tone warm and welcoming.
"You are a brave traveler indeed.
This is a place of magic and mystery, a world beyond your wildest dreams.
You have been chosen to explore its wonders.
Go forth and seek your destiny." The words echoed through my mind like some sort of cosmic prophecy, and for a long moment, I simply stood there and let them wash over me.
The voice was no longer speaking, but its words lingered on like the fading notes of an ethereal melody.
And as they swirled around inside my head like leaves caught in a whirlwind, they filled me with a sense of peace and purpose that I had never felt before.
With those words echoing in my mind, I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders.
Then, without another thought, I set off into the unknown, leaving all thoughts of fear and uncertainty behind.
I ventured deeper into the oasis, allowing my curiosity to overcome any lingering sense of caution.
The landscape around me was like a paradise, so lush and green that it seemed to defy all logic and reason.
The sun, now nothing more than a distant orb hanging low on the horizon, cast its gentle glow over everything, filling the air with a warm light that was more than just light.
As I walked, the grass beneath my feet whispered secrets that I couldn't quite hear, and the flowers nodded their colorful heads in silent greeting.
It was as if they were welcoming me to their world, inviting me to explore its hidden wonders.
In the distance, I could see what appeared to be an ancient stone gate, similar to the one that had brought me here.
It stood as a sentinel at the center of the oasis, its surface adorned with strange symbols and patterns that seemed to shift and change with every step I took.
A sense of foreboding washed over me at the sight of it, but it was quickly replaced by an overwhelming urge to explore.
Without hesitating or stopping to think about what I was doing, I set off towards the gate, drawn by an invisible force that seemed to emanate from its very core.
The closer I got, the faster my heart raced and the more my skin prickled with goosebumps.
I knew that what lay beyond that threshold was something far more extraordinary than I could ever have imagined.
As I approached the gate, a chill ran up my spine and I shivered involuntarily.
My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it reverberating through every bone and muscle of my body.
I was close now, so close I could see the ancient stone up close, almost reach out and touch the intricate symbols etched into its surface.
But the closer I got, the more they seemed to blur and shift before my eyes, twisting and turning like living things as if they were trying to warn me away.
I swallowed hard and tried to ignore the voice inside of me that was screaming at me to turn back, to flee this place before it was too late.
But no matter how hard I tried to steel myself against it, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled deep in the pit of my stomach like a heavy stone.
For a long moment, I stood there and wavered on the edge of the unknown, trying to decide what to do next.
But then I heard the voice again, whispering inside of me like a ghostly echo of a long-forgotten dream.
"Welcome," it murmured, its tone soft and gentle like a mother's lullaby.
In that moment, all of my fears melted away, replaced by a sense of calm determination that filled me with a new kind of strength.
Squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath to steady myself, I reached out with a trembling hand and touched the rough surface of the gate.
It was solid and cool against my skin, just as I had expected it to be.
For a long moment, I stood there with my hand pressed against the stone, waiting for… something to happen.
But when nothing did, I let out a slow breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding and slowly opened my eyes.
The symbols on the gate seemed to be glowing faintly now, casting eerie shadows on the ground beneath me as if they were giving off their own source of light.
In that moment, I knew without a doubt that this was no ordinary gateway.
Whatever lay beyond this threshold was far beyond anything I could ever hope to understand.
Raising my other hand to join the first, I pressed my palms flat against the gate and leaned in to examine the symbols more closely.
They seemed to hum with a strange energy that sent shivers running down my spine and goosebumps breaking out over my skin once again.
It was a sound that I could feel in my bones more than hear with my ears, and the more I listened to it the more certain I became that it was calling out to me in some way that was beyond my comprehension.
With a sudden rush of excitement that made my heart beat faster than ever before, I realized what I had to do next and pushed forward with all of the strength that I could muster – every muscle in my body straining and aching as if I were trying to push through a thick layer of jelly that was trying to hold me back.
At first nothing happened.
The symbols on the gate continued to glow and hum as before, but the stone itself remained as solid and unmoving as ever beneath my hands.
I pressed forward again, harder this time, and let out an involuntary grunt as the muscles in my arms and shoulders screamed in protest at the effort of keeping me upright against the unyielding surface of the gate.
But then, just as I was about to give up all hope of ever making it through… it happened.
There was a sudden flash of blinding white light that filled my vision and left me seeing stars even as it faded away into darkness once again – replaced by a whole new world around me.
When I came to, I was standing inside a vast chamber within an ancient castle of some kind.
Luminous green moss covered the stone floor, while walls adorned with intricate murals towered all around me like ancient guardians.
The murals themselves were masterpieces in their own right – each one seeming to tell a different story from a bygone age.
Some depicted epic battles between warriors and monsters, while others were peaceful scenes of everyday life in a world that I would have thought was too far removed from our own for such similarities to exist.
There were mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes, some of which I recognized from legends of old while others were entirely new to me, but every single one of them looked as if it had been brought to life from the canvas in front of me.
The colors were so vivid that they almost seemed to be moving – changing and shifting before my eyes as I walked past each painting, half-expecting to see the figures within start to move or for the landscapes to change in some way at any moment.
Even when they didn’t, there was a feeling of life and energy in the air around me that was unlike anything that I had ever experienced before in even the finest art gallery this world had to offer.
It felt as if history itself were the artist of this gallery, and I nothing more than a humble visitor who had been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore its wonders for myself.
“Come closer,” a voice called out to me from far in the distance.
There was a slight echo to it, but I could still tell that it was coming from directly ahead of me – somewhere beyond the final mural on this side of the chamber’s square shape.
I turned my head towards it and saw that I could just about make out a small flicker of light dancing in the air in front of a stone staircase that spiraled upwards into darkness – but I couldn’t see any more than that from where I was standing.
“Who’s there?”
I called out into the chamber, but my voice didn’t seem to carry very far and I got no reply.
Deciding to investigate further, I walked towards the staircase with my eyes fixed on the light at its center and my heart pounding in time with my footsteps.
The staircase was made from the same stone that lined the walls of the chamber, and was supported by a thick pillar that ran through the center of the room with irregular gaps between each step that allowed the murals to continue on uninterrupted – although they were much smaller here than they were on the walls.
I glanced back at them for a moment and saw that they looked almost like windows into some other world when viewed from this close up – perfectly preserved and untouched by the passage of time, but without any real sense of life or energy trapped within them either.
I turned my attention back to the staircase and saw that the light was growing brighter the closer I got to it, as if it were calling out to me and willing me onwards instead of waiting for me to arrive of my own volition.
There was something strangely ethereal about it that made my skin tingle with goosebumps all over again, but also calmed my racing heart and soothed my frayed nerves at the same time.
I continued to climb, my breaths coming in shallow gasps now, but the light kept calling out to me, guiding my way and providing enough illumination for me to see where I was stepping even when I had to shield my eyes from it with a hand to avoid being blinded by its brilliance.
I was so caught up in the light, and in trying to keep my footing on the stairs, that I almost forgot to look where I was going altogether – but then I heard a strange noise and saw a small flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye.
I turned towards it to see what it was, and almost lost my balance in shock when I realized that I had reached the top of the stairs, and was now standing in a room with walls made entirely of crystal – glassy white and completely transparent, with shelves full of gemstones of every shape, size, and color imaginable seemingly growing from them in all directions.
The walls of the chamber glowed from within, reflecting the colors of their contents like a giant kaleidoscope that twisted and danced with every step I took.
The crystal ceiling was lit from above by an even bigger gemstone than any on the shelves – a large crystal ball about the size of a fruit bowl set into the exact center, which glowed brightly enough to illuminate the room without any extra help from the walls at all.
It cast an odd light over everything, turning everything in the chamber into a weird half-shadow of itself that made it seem as though it were floating somewhere between reality and some other realm entirely.
Feeling strangely entranced by it all, I took my first steps onto the crystal floor, which was hard enough to make me think that it might actually be made out of solid ice instead, when I saw something flicker in the corners of my vision once again – this time, in front of me.
I turned towards it as quickly as I could without losing my balance, but saw nothing there except for the endless expanse of crystal walls stretching out in front of me in all direction.
I was completely alone.
Except that I wasn’t.
“Welcome to the ancient castle,” the voice said once more from behind me.
I spun around to see who it belonged to, but found no one there – just the same empty staircase leading downwards into the darkness from which I had come.
The voice chuckled softly at my obvious confusion – not quite a laugh, but close enough that I could tell they were amused by my reaction.
“You won’t find me there,” it told me, “Or anywhere at all in this place.”
I turned back to face it – or him?
– once more and saw a tall figure standing in front of the entrance to the chamber with his arms folded across his chest in what I could only assume was a gesture of silent greeting.
He was almost hidden in the shadows cast by the staircase behind him, but I could still make out his silhouette – which was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline that looked as though they had been carved from stone.
I took a cautious step towards him and saw a pair of dark brown eyes watching me, which seemed to glow with an odd light that I couldn’t quite place, and a smile that seemed almost too big for his face that made him look like he was hiding a secret.
“Who are you?”
I found myself asking in a hushed voice, as though I was afraid that he might disappear if I spoke too loudly.
“You can call me Alex,” he told me with a small nod, as though it was obvious, “I’m a guide here – and I’ll be the one showing you around.”
I took a step back – or at least, I think I did; it was hard to tell with all of the strange lights – and swallowed hard before finding my voice again.
“Did you bring me here?”
“Is this all your doing?”
He shook his head, “I did not,” he told me, “You came here on your own, by your own power – but I am the one who called you here, as I have with many other travelers before you.”
“I don’t understand,” I said in a small voice, looking around as though I expected to find an answer scrawled on one of the walls in the same mysterious language that had called out to me earlier, “Why am I here?”
Alex chuckled softly and unfolded his arms, offering me a small bow as he did so.
“For adventure, of course,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “And for knowledge.”
He paused for a moment and took a careful step towards me, as though he were afraid that I might break if he moved too quickly, and offered me an outstretched hand.
“Will you come with me?”
he asked, the smile on his face growing wider as he did so, “Will you join me on this journey and see what awaits us together?”
I took a step back and opened my mouth to ask him what he meant by that when I felt something tickle against my skin – my hair must have fallen out of its bun while I wasn’t looking, because my ponytail was now lying against my neck and my long hair was trailing down my back in a long curtain that stretched almost all the way to my waist.
It felt oddly freeing to have it loose like that after having it tied up for so long, so I didn’t stop to fix it – but instead tried to push it away from my face and nodded.
“Yes,” I told him without hesitation, “I’ll come.”
And as I did, I felt something inside of me settle down; a strange, restless part of my heart that had been howling at me to go back outside and keep driving until I found some other place where the sun wasn’t so bright and the sky wasn’t so empty and the wind wasn’t so hot – and maybe even a few more mirages, just for good measure – suddenly relaxed and stopped shouting at me to leave, and instead fell silent once and for all, as though it had finally gotten what it wanted all along and was more than happy to let me go now that I had.
A moment later, Alex smiled at me and took my hand in his own as we started up the staircase together, and I felt as though he had just passed some sort of invisible test that I hadn’t even known I was taking.
His smile seemed to say as much, and I found that I was smiling back at him without even meaning to; as though I had just passed a test of my own, and he was the one who was congratulating me on it now instead of the other way around.
The staircase took us up three floors before it finally stopped, winding its way through a series of twisting corridors and narrow passageways all the while, until we finally stepped out into another room that was just as big as the one down below; only this time, instead of being filled with gemstones, it was filled with plants.
All kinds of plants; some that I recognized, but most that I didn’t; all stretching out towards the sky as far as they could reach, until they looked as though they were about to outgrow their pots entirely and start devouring each other instead.
The room was filled with the scent of them; a sort of sweet, spicy smell that was almost strong enough to make my head hurt, but not quite; only strong enough to make my head spin a little bit instead, so that when Alex let go of my hand, I stumbled a little bit and had to reach out to brace myself against one of the tables in the center of the room to keep from falling over entirely.
“Sorry,” he said when he saw me do it, “I should have warned you; this room can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to it.”
I shook my head to tell him that it was fine and took a careful step closer to one of the plants to get a better look at it.
It was filled with tiny red flowers that were glowing in a way that made it seem as though they were made out of light instead of anything else – but when I reached out to touch them, they felt perfectly solid underneath my fingers, and when I looked closely at them, I saw that they were covered in tiny hairs; like the ones on Alex’s arms, only much smaller.
I glanced back at him in confusion when I saw this; but before I could ask him what was going on or why they were there, he spoke again.
“All of the plants here are like this,” he said softly, “The ones you’re used to seeing in your world don’t have hair like them because there’s no reason for them to grow any; but these ones are different…”
He hesitated for a moment, as though he were trying to think of a way to explain it, and then finally shook his head and stepped closer to me so that he could take my hand in his own once again.
“Never mind,” he said, “It doesn’t matter right now.
There will be time for questions later; but for now, we should keep moving, if you want to see everything that there is to see.”
