4 Chapter One End || Determination

Panicking, the girl whipped her head backwards to see the ground. Hair strands momentarily obscured her vision as she steadied her body. She was no cat, yet somehow, twisting her body in the air was effortless.

She landed soundly, knees bent with one hand lightly on the ground, no sprained limbs or broken bones. The adrenaline soared in her head. She wasn't sure if it was the blood rushing down from her head when she fell backwards and landed upright, or if it was the realization that shoot, she was superhuman.

This world was superhuman.

'…Just like a video game.' The thought greatly amused her. She remembered all the video games she had played so often as a kid and on occasion would indulge in as an adult.

As a child, they were merely games of the generation. As an adult, they were an escape from responsibility. Or rather, a return to her childhood, to a place where her decisions were of her own accord, where time was timeless, where she was free to create her own destiny. Hope was real, and the future seemed full of endless possibilities.

It was every kid's dream to be an astronaut, a singer, a firefighter, an artist, an engineer, a detective, a teacher, a movie star, a doctor, an athlete, a scientist, a police officer, a veterinarian, a writer. The hero.

The heroine.

But time wears on, and reality roots in. Soon enough, children find themselves adults, carrying on with life repeating continuously with few interludes.

The day that used to be full of adventure and exploration has become ordinary and monotonous. The wonder of the world is gone; expectations lower; it becomes a cycle.

No matter what changes may occur, faithfully, the cycle restores itself in a new, but insipid, familiar form.

This is not that world.

The girl peered up at the colossal tree. Steadily she strode towards it. Her heart beat fast; her mind stirred turbulently.

Reaching a stride from the base of the tree, she exerted force onto the ground while stepping on her right foot. This simple action—mixed with a touch of magic—boosted her body several stories into the air, and she reached about a third up the tree's trunk.

As soon her front sole landed on the bark, she jumped to a higher point on the trunk, repeating until she landed on the lowest bough. From there on she jumped from bough to bough to branch to branch towards the top.

Meanwhile, images of her former life whirred throughout her head—the smiling faces of her family and friends coaxing her to return, the cutest little mutt grinning up from chocolate blue eyes, the last tasks that needed finishing lying forlornly on her desk, the fluffy bed and king-sized pillows in the room and house she had known since birth.

[ "Mom, I'm home!" I shouted, slinging my backpack off onto a chair.

"Welcome back, how was school today?" my mom asked warmly, giving me a hug.

"Just the usual," I replied.

"What's the usual?" she chuckled as we walked though the living room.

"Nothing really happened today except oh, I got my finance test back and I got a 98," I smiled softly.

"Oh that's great, good job!" she exclaimed.

I laughed. "It's not too bad. How was your day?" ]

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.