A Key To Another World

Chapter twenty-two

Have you ever wanted to know what nothing feels like? Like literally nothing? Well, it's an infinite black void with nothing whatsoever. No thoughts, no feelings, no sounds, not even a single soul except the person experiencing it, in this case a young man named Michael. How long had he been in this nothingness? No one could tell, not even himself, since he lacked the ability to do so. His mind slowly regained its sense and he felt himself floating through space.

Suddenly, a voice called out to him.

???: "Michael."

It was that deep female voice again, as if from an older person. Michael could swear he had heard that voice before, but where exactly was it coming from again?

Zahra: "Michael, it's me, Zahra."

Now Michael remembered. It was this strange older woman who had spoken to him once, even before he had discovered this strange world called Xenonan. She also spoke to him a second time when he was in a dark void, just as he was now, and explained that he was in a place called Limbo, a place between life and death.

Was he there again, in limbo, just like the last time? Was he? Was he going to die? So many questions ran through his mind and he wanted to ask them to Zahra. But no sound came from him.

Zahra: "We don't have much time left. I know you have many questions, but I'm afraid I can't answer them all. Therefore, I will tell you only what is necessary."

She appeared before Michael's eyes. He could now see her for the first time. She looked very much like Zoe, a humanoid vixen who wore tribal clothing, and she also had the same fur pattern with color.

Zahra: "You are indeed in limbo. In fact, you were there all the time. For a whole week."

Michael could not process her statement. It did not make any sense. How could he have been in limbo for a whole week? He remembered challenging General Bigclaw, and it seemed like only a few minutes ago. Surely that wasn't a week ago...? Or maybe it was. He couldn't remember the fight itself or what happened afterwards. Had he received too much power from the crimson pearl and gone into a coma? Did he lose the fight and get beaten up pretty badly? Did he even win? He couldn't tell.

Zahra: "I wanted to thank you personally, Michael. Thank you for coming to our magical world and siding with the good people, thank you for saving this world by defeating the corrupted, and finally, thank you for protecting my precious little girl."

A small white square appeared behind her and grew larger and larger. When it was large enough to pass through, it stopped growing. Zahra sighed sadly and looked at the white passage.

Zahra: "I wish I could do more, but this is it. This is where I get off. Goodbye, Michael."

She walked through without looking back, and the white square shrank before disappearing comepletely.

Suddenly, pain filled Michael's body and he felt himself regaining his senses. A smell of alcohol and other drugs filled his nose as if he were in a hospital.

Where am I? I can't open my eyes. I can't move. Everything hurts so much. The pain is the worst I have experienced so far. What exactly is happening? Why do I hear beeping sounds?

???: "He's regaining consciousness, Doctor Harrold. He's finally waking up."

Michael finally opened his eyes and immediately closed them again. The light above him was too bright. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the brightness. He could make out a white hospital room and four people surrounding his hospital bed. Two of them were his parents and the other two were doctors, a woman and a man.