4 Chapter One End || Determination (2/2)

Blue skies started peeking through the branches as the girl reached the top of the tree, and the sunlight poured in through the last treetop layer.

[ ”Are you okay?” my mom asked with concerned eyes.

”I'm fine, just a little tired. It's hard to motivate myself these days; the classes are tedious,” I imparted, flopping down on the living room couch.

”Is school boring for you?”

”Yeah, a little, but it's okay. I'm almost done with the semester.” I assured. ]

The girl lightly padded her way to the fringe of the uppermost branch, parting the branches aside and lifting her head above the leaves.

[ ”Mom, I wish I was done with college already,” I sighed.

”Do you want to drop out?” she queried softly.

”No, I'm going to get my degree and a good job. …It'll be all over soon.” ]

She squinted in the bright light as the world came into focus. Her lavender eyes widened as she took in rolling grasslands, country roads, quaint towns, rustic farms, scattered woods, and misty mountains.

A brusque breeze billowed through her ebony locks as she discerned distant villages dotting the background along raggedy roads marked by large cities like some crude game of connect the dots.

A glowing metropolis spanned the horizon on the right while a gleaming ice fog enveloped the horizon on the left. The whole landscape seemed to come straight out of a fairytale, to a time when green expanses were plentiful and life was still charming.

Turning on her heel, she peered backwards and was met with sweeping woodland.

Despite her tall perch, which was unquestionably the tallest point in the extensive forest, the sheer height of all the trees covered almost her entire vision.

The only other detail she could make out was a circular formation near the left horizon. It looked to be some kind of megacity, but the dense mist shrouding it prevented further examination.

Whatever world this was, it was real and right before her. A sense of exploration welled up inside her, and she drew in a deep breath of the invigorating air.

Could she give up her past life in return for this new world? All her attachments to everyone and everything she had ever known—it couldn't be easy abandoning your entire life.

It was like dying and being reborn with all your memories. Could one survive such a wistful experience peacefully, happily? The scenery before her only existed in daydreams.

But here she was, standing in that fantasy, alive and breathing, conscious and feeling. Right now, she had to make the choice whether to live in it, or to look for a way home.

She exhaled slowly, relinquishing the lingering thoughts of her former reality. Her mind was clear. The answer was clear.

Essairyn determined to live a new existence.