"Ah, my dear student, you've returned," his professor gleamed joyfully, basking in the sunlight as he patted the empty spot next to him. He beckoned Ezra over with a casual wave.
Ezra's knees were weak from the climb, and his clothes were covered in mud, but he still trudged over, determined to finish this. With a grunt, he dropped the heavy backpack and its contents onto the floor. He threw the fruits at his professor, who skillfully caught one before taking a large bite, munching on it with satisfaction.
"You know what to do, don't you?" the professor said, reaching for his second fruit.
He took a deep breath and positioned himself beneath the relentless stream, allowing the water to pound against his skin. His body shivered, but he steeled himself against the cold, trying to push through the discomfort.
He closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on blocking out everything around him. The freezing water, the bitter wind, the sounds of the forest—all faded away. In their place, he focused inward, trying to tap into the core of his resonance. The world became a blur, and all he could feel was the pulse of his own energy, resonating deep within him.
"Okay, cool. We're getting there," he thought, keeping his excitement in check so it wouldn't break his concentration. Slowly, the energy within him began to draw him in, tugging gently at his soul.
Suddenly, the world around him shifted. The water, the cold, the sounds—all vanished. He found himself in a dark, empty plane, surrounded only by water.
'Wait, I know this place,' Ezra thought, confusion mixing with recognition. He glanced down at the water, his reflection staring back at him.
But something was different. He wasn't the scrawny kid he had been before. He was taller, more muscular, and his hair had grown longer, falling past the tips of his ears. He stood there, waiting for his reflection to do something—anything—but it remained still, just staring back at him.
The silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive, until he heard the sound of water sloshing behind him. It was growing louder, closer, and before he could even turn around, he was thrown to the floor.
Something large, heavy, and furry pressed down on him, pinning him in place.
Ezra struggled beneath the weight, his heart pounding as the pressure increased.
His breath quickened, but before panic could fully take hold, he felt a familiar, wet sensation on his face. Slobbery licks made him laugh despite the overwhelming situation.
"Sol," he mumbled, his voice light with relief.
The large, furry creature nuzzled him, purring as she rubbed herself against him. Ezra ruffled her fur, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the weight of the tension still lingering in his body.
"I was looking for you, you know," he muttered, inhaling the familiar scent of her fur, which offered him a strange sense of comfort amidst the disorienting experience. Sol continued to nuzzle him, her presence grounding him more than he'd ever expected.
"How do I get you out of here?" Ezra asked, mostly to himself, as he scanned the endless chasm around him. No answers came. The void stretched out in every direction, an expanse of nothingness that made him feel even more lost.
Sol stayed by his side for a moment, but as Ezra took a step forward, she silently trailed behind, her soft paws padding against the waterlogged ground. He glanced down at her, trying to muster some clarity in the chaos of his thoughts.
'Where do I go? Where am I? How should I leave?'
Desperation started creeping in as he raised his hands, ready to summon his flames—the power that had always been his anchor. But nothing happened. No fire, no spark. The familiar warmth he had come to rely on didn't respond.
"That's weird," he muttered aloud, glancing down at his hands, confused. Nothing.
He waited for Sol to nudge his leg like she usually did. But there was no brush of fur, no comforting presence by his side.
Confused and frustrated, Ezra turned around—and Sol was gone.
"What!" His heart raced as panic began to rise within him. "Where did you go?" he called, his voice echoing through the empty chasm. His breath came quicker, his anxiety growing. He spun in circles, frantically searching for any sign of her. "Sol? Sol, where are you?"
The calm water, once a comforting presence, began to turn against him. It churned violently, crashing against the edges of the chasm as though it was rejecting his presence. Waves lashed at him, the force almost tangible. It wasn't just the water that had changed—the very atmosphere around him seemed to shift.
The dark expanse that had once felt like a sanctuary now felt like a prison.
Ezra's pulse quickened, his panic escalating.
He was trapped. The water surged around him, forming powerful waves that pulled him deeper into the chasm. His breath became shallow, his lungs burning as the force of the currents intensified. He tried to keep his footing, but the swirling vortex was relentless. Every step he took only dragged him further into the chaos.
The water rose higher, engulfing him as he struggled to stay above the surface. His heart pounded in his chest as the coldness seeped into his bones. He flailed helplessly, grasping at the water, but it felt like it was closing in on him from every direction. The whirlpool spun faster, threatening to swallow him whole.
"Sol!" he gasped, his voice barely rising above the roar of the water. But there was no response. Nothing but the furious crashing around him.
His vision blurred, and he could feel the water pulling him down, drowning him in the darkness. His body went limp as the waves took control, spinning him around, dragging him deeper into the endless void.