No matter how many times I blinked, I still couldn't believe what I was seeing. Ignoring the strange stares from others, I walked along the wide sidewalk.
Along the way, I took in the details of my surroundings. The neatly arranged bricks along the wide sidewalk, complete with tactile tiles that had a rough texture compared to the other tiles, patterned with small circles to guide the visually impaired. Long park benches were placed under large trees planted in the middle of the sidewalk. People sat at bus stops, waiting for their next bus. Skyscrapers towered high, nearly touching the orange-tinged sky. The rays of the setting sun pierced through the clouds behind the towering buildings, blending harmoniously with the city lights that began to flicker on, one by one.
For some reason, it had been so long since I last enjoyed a late afternoon in the middle of a bustling city. I used to be indifferent to things like this. The sound of a bus honking suddenly pierced the air as a motorcycle cut across its lane. I smiled. It was strange how small things like that made me nostalgic.
If only Almira were here, she would probably be in complete shock. Her mouth would probably fall open, her jaw touching the ground. Back then, she didn't believe my story and thought I was lying. If she saw all this, I'd punch her in the stomach and say, "Feel that!"
Ah, yes.
Home.
I wanted to go home and see my family. It was quite far from here, maybe about half an hour by foot. Eliminating the option of public transportation, I had no money at all. Besides, my appearance was still that of a Haier Elvian, not the human I once was in this world.
Right.
What if I meet my parents in this form? Would they believe I am their child?
Then the main question arose... why had I returned to my original world?
No matter how hard I thought about it, no answer came to mind. It wasn't until I decided to dismiss it that a gentle breeze brushed past me, making my body shiver. A voice floated near my ear.
"So, do you prefer this city or Glafelden?"
I immediately turned my head to look behind me, where the voice had come from. But I saw nothing. Only pedestrians walking along the wide sidewalk with various expressions—some curious about my appearance, others lost in their phones or devices, and some glancing at me for a moment before walking away, indifferent. None of them seemed particularly interested in me.
I stood still for a moment.
This was a world completely different from Juiller. There shouldn't be anyone here who knew about Glafelden, a small town on the border of the Lurivia Kingdom that didn't exist on Earth.
Had someone else come here with me?
But who?
Even my friends from this world were nowhere to be found, let alone the natives of Juiller.
"If you want to know everything, follow me, Hybrid!"
That voice again. When I turned to look forward, toward where the voice came from, I saw an adult woman glance at me with a teasing smile. She was dressed like a businesswoman, wearing a black blouse and a knee-length skirt. Her short, shoulder-length hair and thin glasses gave her an elegant aura. Her style resembled that of a news anchor you might see on any television channel.
A big question mark appeared above my head. From her attire, which seemed familiar with the modern world, she should be a native of Earth. But how did she know about Glafelden?
I didn't recognize her at all. If we had met in Glafelden, I should have remembered her. Her appearance was so striking, it could make the entire world stop and stare at her. There was no way I could forget such a noticeable figure.
As I was deep in thought, the woman slowly disappeared into the crowd. I immediately ran to follow her, not wanting to lose her trail. She entered a fast-food restaurant located on the ground floor of a skyscraper. I saw a business sign above the glass double doors. HFC, a fast-food franchise with the iconic logo of an elderly white man, famous for its unparalleled fried chicken recipe. The smell of freshly cooked fried chicken suddenly made me hungry. I was so captivated by the aroma that it wafted through the cracks in the door and ventilation.
I didn't particularly like fast food before. But somehow, the smell of something I hadn't encountered in so long made me nostalgic. I stepped into the restaurant after opening the glass door.
As soon as I entered, the aroma of fried chicken became even more intense. The fragrant spices, part of the restaurant's secret recipe, were almost addictive to my sense of smell. People lined up neatly in front of the cashier, ordering their meals. The sound of carbonated soda pouring into plastic cups was music to my ears. The cold air from the air conditioning made the hairs on my arms stand up. It was a sensation I would never have found in Juiller.
Ah, I was truly in the modern world!
After ordering two sets of fried chicken with fries and a large soda, the mysterious woman invited me to sit at one of the tables in the corner. After placing the large tray on the table, she shared one of the meal sets with me. She immediately took a large bite of her fried chicken, her face lighting up with joy, like a child.
"So delicious! I never knew chicken could taste this good!" she exclaimed, her face beaming like an innocent fool.
"Uh... what exactly are you—"
"Don't talk yet, just eat!" Before I could finish my sentence, she interrupted and urged me to eat first.
I hesitated, wanting to get some answers from her. But seeing her so absorbed in her own world, eating fast food, I couldn't help but follow her lead. The first bite was truly delicious. The crispy exterior, soft on the inside, made me sink into its pleasures. The spices were perfectly balanced, and I was sure I was making a foolish face like the woman in front of me.
This was truly delicious! I almost regretted not eating fast food more often.
After a few minutes, we both finished the meal, including the fries and the sauce.
Taking the last sip from her soda, the woman leaned back on the soft sofa, gazing up at the ceiling with an expression of satisfaction. "So good! Really, this is the most delicious meal I've ever had. Praise Sergeant Sanders for creating this fried chicken recipe."
"It really is delicious! But eating too much fast food isn't good for your health."
"Is there any other delicious food I should try?"
"You might want to try pizza."
"Oh, pizza. How good is it?"
"As an Italian food lover, pizza is food from heaven."
"In that case, we have to try it!" she exclaimed, slapping the table, her face filled with excitement.
"Hah, did you forget? We just ate! I'm already full."
To remind her, I patted my stomach, which was full. For me, who always ate in small portions, one fried chicken set with rice, fries, and a large soda was enough to satisfy my hunger. I wouldn't be able to eat more food consecutively. But the woman in front of me seemed to have an endless stomach, able to devour multiple meals in one sitting.
"Ah, don't worry about that!"
She snapped her fingers, and the sound echoed through the room. At the same time, the fullness in my stomach suddenly disappeared, replaced by hunger, as if I hadn't eaten anything at all. The mere aroma of food was enough to make me salivate.
I froze, staring at my stomach, which had suddenly deflated. Before I could process this strange feeling, the woman stood up, grabbed my wrist, and tried to pull me somewhere.
"Next, let's go to the pizza restaurant!" she said with a wide grin.
I almost got dragged along without fully understanding what was happening. I stood up and stopped, making her question my sudden hesitation.
"W-What did you just do? Why suddenly... is my stomach... empty?" I stuttered, failing to comprehend this bizarre situation.
"Oh, don't think about it! I removed your fullness, so now we can go eat pizza. In fact, if you want, we can eat all the food in the world right now. After all, this is an illusionary world," she replied, laughing lightly.
"Hah, what!? AN ILLUSIONARY WORLD!!!?"
Without realizing it, my voice rose, filling the entire room. Almost every customer who was eating turned their heads to look at me. I immediately covered my mouth and lowered my head a few times in apology. I didn't mean to disrupt the comfort of the restaurant's patrons. It was just that the crazy woman in front of me had said something so insane it was driving me crazy.
"Alright, I'll explain it to you like this." The woman smiled and then took off her glasses.
The moment she did, I felt the logic of my surroundings begin to warp. The quiet restaurant began to distort, slowly but surely, until it vanished completely. The people eating, the cashier counter, and the kitchen staff preparing orders disappeared without a trace.
In the next instant, I realized I was in a place that seemed oddly familiar. As I looked around carefully, I immediately recognized where I was. I had visited this place not long ago. What struck me first was the altar with the owl statue on a podium.
Yes, this was the underground altar I had visited while searching for the Soul Crystal. But this place was different from what I remembered. The altar was no longer underground, but rather floating in the sky. As far as my eyes could see, there was nothing but a sea of clouds and mountain peaks poking through the floating white cotton. The wind blew strongly outside the altar, yet inside, it felt still, as if something were holding it back. The structure here was also much more magnificent. The stone-paved pathways were flawless, not damaged at any corner. The stone pillars stood majestically along the path. A fountain gleamed with pristine water, surrounded by trees and bushes, giving the altar a vibrant appearance, much more colorful than I remembered.
"Where is this?" I asked, intrigued.
"This is part of the Land Above the Clouds. The children of the Gods down there call it the Realm of the Gods."
The woman's voice came again from behind me. When I turned around, I was taken aback by her appearance. The person before me was no longer the mature adult woman I had seen earlier, but rather a teenage girl, perhaps around my age. Her silver hair cascaded down to her back. Her height was now shorter than mine, though it had previously been the same. Her appearance was no longer that of a businesswoman, but instead, she wore a long white gown adorned with royal accessories, resembling the attire of ancient Roman royalty. I was stunned when I saw a pair of white wings, like those of a dove, protruding from her back. The only thing that hadn't changed was her timelessly beautiful face.
"Who are you?" I asked, my mind reeling.
The woman gazed at me intently, then gave a faint smile.
"My name is Allina, the Goddess of Weather. I am also the wielder of the Wind Soul Crystal, Vitruj."