A deafening roar reverberated through the vast space between two enormous floating worlds. Louder than thunder and more terrifying than a collapsing mountain, this sound vibrated between the worlds, scattering a fierce sea of flames and thick smoke that enveloped the mythical tree of Atlantis. The tranquility maintained by the “Silent Wall” was abruptly shattered. This startling noise jolted Lucretia and her companions from their brief rest.
Shirley immediately sprang up, eyes darting to the source of the sound. “What just blew up? What caused that massive noise?”
“Over there!” Nina pointed upwards toward a colossal floating desert island at the edge of a glowing protective barrier. “There’s been a huge explosion in that direction!”
Following Nina’s gesture, Shirley looked on in astonishment.
She observed a violent storm raging on the island, with thick clouds shifting wildly and light flashing, each burst echoing between the worlds before the clouds regrouped, moving towards a brighter center.
The flashes sent debris scattering between the worlds. Sand and particles hung above Atlantis, forming eerie streams of sand and swirling dust clouds.
The convergence of these two worlds seemed suspended as if frozen by an external force, yet debris continued to be ejected, forming expansive “cloud formations.”
“We can’t stay here,” Morris declared gravely. “Something might’ve happened to Vanna—she’s been unreachable since this began.”
“Should we go up there?” Shirley motioned toward the floating island. “I’m up for it, but how do we get there? Lucretia’s origami boat was destroyed earlier…”
Before Shirley could finish, Lucretia presented a fresh sheet of white paper to the group. “I have more sheets. I can make another boat.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Shirley, slightly irritated, retorted, “Are we seriously still relying on paper crafts? Don’t we have something sturdier?”
Lucretia, pausing thoughtfully, took another sheet from her clothing, “I can use double layers.”
Despite her reservations about the paper boat, Shirley watched as Lucretia expertly folded a new boat, which she launched past the mystical barrier. The boat transformed mid-air into a pristine white vessel, hovering like a delicate cloud.
Nina, amazed, exclaimed, “That’s incredible! How did you do that? Can you teach me?”
Lucretia smiled mysteriously, “This craft is known only to witches. It’s best not to delve too deeply into it,” she advised, then added, “For now, focus on mastering the basic sciences,” before moving towards the barrier, leaving a wistful Nina behind.
Nina looked disappointed as she surveyed the strange new landscape beyond the barrier, taking a deep breath. She and Shirley then silently paid their respects to the small tree that supported the Silent Wall.
The intricately folded paper boat then began its ascent, carrying the group from the scorched ground below towards the inverted world above.
As they ascended, Shirley couldn’t help but look down. She saw the forest below gradually engulfed by shadows and thick smoke. The luminous, cone-shaped barrier they had left was slowly consumed by the dense haze. After several bright flashes, it completely disappeared from view. Overcome with emotion, Shirley softly asked, “Do you think we’ll ever see that tree again?”
Lucretia replied, with a tone of rationality and detachment, “No, we won’t. Everything we see here is destined to disappear. It’s a necessary sacrifice for the well-being of the real world.” She continued, her voice deepening, “This world is just an echo of the elves’ collective memories. The places and beings here—Atlantis, Shireen, Saslokha—they all perished eons ago.”
A bit annoyed, Shirley responded, “I’m well aware of that. There was no need to be so blunt. I was just indulging in a moment of sentimentality.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Ignoring Shirley’s slight outburst, Lucretia focused on navigating their paper vessel. She alternated her gaze between the diminishing forest below and the looming World Tree ahead.
Despite the pause in the merging of the two worlds, Atlantis continued to decay. The vast canopy that once shielded the skies was now reduced to ashes, engulfed in flames. The remaining flames clung to the tree’s sprawling branches, which resembled serpentine mountain ranges.
The flames that had begun to encroach upon the desert world were halted as if an invisible barrier prevented them from advancing further. They flickered tantalizingly close, yet remained unable to cross a certain threshold.
Suddenly, thunderous sounds resembling celestial drums boomed from the ruins of Atlantis, heralding the imminent collapse of the World Tree.
Huge sections of the scorched canopy began to break off, falling like entire cities from the sky, crushing mountains beneath their weight. These events created large gaps in the land, filled with the debris and ashes of the once majestic tree. The clear skies were now obscured by a thick curtain of dust and debris, recalling the initial chaotic appearance of Atlantis when Nina and Morris first saw it.
Their small paper vessel carefully approached the nebulous boundary separating the two contrasting worlds.
Aware of the potential dangers, Morris urgently warned, “All hands on deck! Brace yourselves, we might experience a sudden gravitational overturn. Stay calm and hold onto the ship’s framework.”
Without hesitation, Nina and Shirley tightly gripped the boat’s edges while Dog, using his canine abilities, anchored himself firmly by digging his paws into the intricate folds of the paper.
Lucretia, an adept pilot, mentally and physically prepared for any gravitational anomalies while expertly steering their fragile vessel upwards.
However, just as the group braced for expected challenges, Lucretia felt an intense premonition of danger.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})An ambush!
No sooner had she realized this than she instinctively swerved the boat in a desperate attempt to evade the imminent threat. Her quick reflexes, however, were not quick enough. A luminous, arrow-like beam of light appeared from nowhere, grazing their boat’s edge and instantly setting it aflame.
Suddenly, they were engulfed by a blinding array of radiant beams. This luminous barrier, hidden between the worlds, revealed its majestic yet menacing presence to any perceived threats approaching the desert realm. This radiant meshwork, as bright as the sun, radiated ominous heat and a malevolent aura.
This shimmering curtain of light undulated in the sky, and from its fringes, molten streams cascaded down like a fiery deluge, threatening their already damaged paper vessel.
Caught in this cataclysm of flames and blinding light, both Shirley and Dog exclaimed in shock, “What in the heavens is happening?!”
As she sensed a familiar yet forbidden aura among the shifting beams of light, Lucretia declared, “This is the power of the Black Sun! Just as I feared… the Sun Offspring have infiltrated this place. They’ve sealed off the heavens!”
Her statement was cut short when a radiant bolt of energy whizzed by, narrowly missing their boat but delivering enough force to nearly destroy it.
Their now severely damaged craft began an uncontrollable descent towards the vast expanse below.
In a moment of sheer terror, Shirley instinctively tightened her grip around Dog’s sturdy neck, her voice shaking as she exclaimed, “I can’t fly!”
Her cry echoed across the vast sky, a stark reminder of their desperate situation. However, her scream was suddenly drowned out by a supernatural symphony of tearing sounds and booming echoes that seemed to come from far away.
This dissonant melody was so overpowering that it momentarily silenced the surrounding chaos, bringing an eerie stillness.
Inside the failing paper vessel, Lucretia looked even more shocked. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she focused on the source of the disturbing noise.
The heart of Atlantis, its massive trunk, was the center of this tumult.
From deep within its base, a sound like the earth tearing apart roared.
As if echoing the tree’s pain, the ground shook. The immense trunk, towering like a mountain, began to crack visibly from their distance. Suddenly, these cracks widened rapidly, and from them, a virulent green flame exploded with intense ferocity!
In the midst of these spectral flames, a colossal silhouette began to emerge from the trunk of Atlantis. First, the grand prow of a ship appeared, soon followed by towering masts topped with ghostly sails that shimmered with an ethereal light. The ship’s vast deck came into view next, along with rows of cannon ports in precise alignment and its imposing stern.
This was no ordinary ship – it was the legendary Vanished, now transformed into a pure ethereal entity. It forcefully broke free from the remnants of Atlantis, appearing to be reborn from the roots of the World Tree itself.
Once liberated from its earthly confines, the phantom ship began its ascent. It gracefully sailed over lands scarred by fire and remnants of what were once lush forests, navigating through the fragmented and foreign landscape as it continuously rose.
This spectral behemoth cast an immense shadow as it moved, illuminated by the dying embers of a world on the brink of destruction.
Trailing the ship were ghostly flames resembling the whitecaps of a turbulent sea, continually rippling and expanding. These flames merged with the inferno already devouring Atlantis, creating the impression that they were intent on reigniting the world.
