Eash found himself standing by the bank of a river, in a silent, unfamiliar land.
The sunlight shimmered on the water's surface, and the breeze carried an unearthly fragrance.
And then-he saw her.
A girl stood on the opposite side of the river, gazing at him with a magical smile.
Suddenly-she leapt into the sky and began to fly!
Eash-or rather, Arush-watched in shock.
"How is this possible? Is she even from this world?"
A forgotten file from his father's lab suddenly flashed in his mind.
And at that moment, her voice echoed-
"Arush... come... catch me..."
With that, the girl flew off toward the forest.
Arush stood frozen.
"Is this girl insane? How am I supposed to catch her?" - he thought.
The girl looked back at him, disappointed, and floated down to the riverbank again.
She walked across the water-yes, on the water-and reached him.
She was younger than Eash, yet her eyes sparkled with the soul of someone ancient.
Arush felt slightly embarrassed.
Suddenly, she held his hand and said,
"Come, today I'll take you to my realm."
Arush hesitated, but she tugged him along.
Strangely, the river's waves had stilled-as if the water had turned to solid ground.
He quietly walked with her. They crossed the river effortlessly.
They moved into the heart of the forest-toward a mysterious "realm."
The jungle around them seemed to pull Arush into some forgotten memory of childhood.
The trees were lush green; sunlight filtered through the leaves like golden lace.
Unknown birds sang-some like whistles, some like giggling laughter from a dream.
As they walked, the scent of dew and blooming flowers floated in the air.
Dry leaves cracked softly underfoot-crunch... crunch...
Arush thought to himself,
"I remember the first day... it was terrifying. If it weren't for this girl... I don't even know where I'd be now."
Soon, they reached a giant wall of green-made entirely of leaves, vines, and flowers.
It was so tall that its top wasn't visible even when he craned his neck.
"Who could build such a wall? This can't be human-made!" - Arush thought.
The girl stepped toward the wall, and suddenly, a hidden door revealed itself-covered in leaves, carved with strange ancient symbols-flowers, fire, water, and sky all entangled.
She reached for her necklace, then paused.
"No! Did I... lose it?" - she whispered.
She began searching the area in distress.
"What happened?" - Arush asked, curious.
"Every citizen of Riyana has a locket. Without it, the door won't open... I think I lost mine!"
At her words, something sparked inside Arush.
He reached into his pocket-
"That thing... did I still keep it?"
He pulled out a thin, pink neckband with a small gem embedded in the center.
With a slight smile, he asked,
"This?"
The girl stared at it for a second, then playfully punched him on the head.
"How did you get this, huh?" - she frowned in mock anger.
She took the locket, held it near her neck, and a soft light blinked at the door-
Tok... tok... went the scanner, and the door opened in a flash.
A metallic hum filled the air, blinding lights burst forward, colorful mist rolled out, and mysterious scents and winds swept over them.
Arush flinched slightly,
"A scanner? In this world?" - He could hardly believe his eyes.
The girl looked back with a grin,
"Welcome to my place, Arush!"
And she stepped into the radiant realm.
Arush muttered,
"Hmph... what's so special? Let's go."
The girl teased,
"Ugh! You're completely a no humor person ."
And together, they stepped through the mysterious door.
It closed behind them with a deep ggrrrrhhh...
_
But...
Neither of them noticed-
someone was watching them from behind a tree.
_____
And...
Eash opened his eyes.
He was back in his bed.
His eyes read 11:47 PM.
His mother was calling from downstairs.
"Eash! How long will you sleep? Get up or you'll miss it!"
"Oh come on, Ma! I'm not going to a festival or chasing a sale... they'll come to pick me up. Just relax, uff..."
Before falling asleep, Eash had replied to the AI mail from PSTU.
He'd confirmed-he'd be picked up at midnight, from his own home.
It didn't take him long to get ready.
His mom had already packed most of it.
Just before midnight, Eash and his mother stood in the yard.
And then... it happened.
The sky shook.
The wind thickened.
A strange sound enveloped everything.
A massive airship descended above their house-
Shaped unlike any ordinary aircraft, floating with a quiet power.
On its golden hull were the words:
"Air Array of PSTU"
A staircase extended down and stopped in front of Eash.
With his digital bag in hand, he stepped on the stair-
which rose automatically.
From above, he looked down-the whole city looked like a tiny tablet beneath him.
His mother waved goodbye.
He waved back with an unseen smile.
The airship slowly rose and glided past the city's border-
and Eash disappeared into the sky, into a new chapter of his story.
______
Back home, the lights still glowed.
His mother sat at the dining table, waiting.
Ena, their cat-
hadn't touched her food.
"Ena!" - she called once, twice...
No answer.
This wasn't normal.
Ena always came when called.
Now, his mother was truly worried.
She searched the entire house.
But Ena-
was nowhere to be found.
Be Continued...