Realm of Noah

Chapter 2

4th November 2019

RENEE

Okay, Renee. You've got this.

Placing my meditation stimulator upon my head, I cranked up the dial to the highest current possible, since nothing else seemed to work. Desperation shot through me at my futile efforts, and yet it didn't weaken my resolve. I had to find Noah, I really had to... Even if no one would help me.

I closed my eyes, feeling the electricity pulsating through my brain, the waves weirdly palpable and slightly mesmerizing. Sinking into the rhythm, I slowly tried to visualize the place that had been a haven for me four months ago.

The Before Realm.

That's where the Astrascends resided, and they were the only ones powerful enough to hide me from the ISA. Not to mention the fact that it was where my brother Mike was, along with his LOLtube buddies.

If only I could reach them in the first place.

I swallowed hard, feeling my forehead throb with the surging heat, and I tried to imagine the beautiful place I had no memory of.

Mountains of ice rose smoothly like waves in the sea, breaking into jagged cliffs that added a variety to the landscape. The sky overhead peered deeper into space than the Earthly Realm ever could, with thousands of stars and rotating galaxies and brilliant nebulae, wonders that you could stare at for hours.

I don't see it.

My vivid imagination fails to bring me to the place I've been craving to go, and hopelessness floods through me like lead in my veins, that sinking feeling in my chest nothing could dissolve.

No. I'm not going to give up.

Inhaling deeply, I crank up my meditation stimulator to the maximum limit near the danger zone. My heart rattled with fear, and I chose to ignore it, only focusing on how I wanted to see Noah again.

Yes, just focus on him, Ren.

I used up every ounce of my concentration, trying to turn the meaningless black voids before my eyes into a solid reality. The darkness remained as vague as ever, cold and unyielding as I fought to bring my imagination to life.

Was that a silhouette? I focused on a thin, grey line against the black, hoping it wasn't some stupid trick my eyes seemed to play on me. Could it be the mountains that rolled over the Before Realm? Or the faint horizon of the star-filled skies?

A smile popped onto my face, maybe I was finally going to reach them. After months of searching, I grew with the hope that it wasn't all in vain...

"OH MY GOD, RENEE!!!" Came her hideous shriek.

I forced my eyes open, to see my mom standing at the doorway, her mouth gaping in horror at the halo of electricity around my head. Except that it wasn't a halo today, it had grown exponentially in size, filling nearly a quarter of my room. It was a wonder that it hadn't touched a single object or set anything fragile to fire.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mom's voice rose with panic, as I immediately switched it off, and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Nothing, it's just maintenance-"

"Renee Everlyn Durvont, don't you dare lie to me," Mom breathed down my neck like a raging rhinoceros, and I tried not to flinch at her proximity. "I thought you were never going to use this machine ever again!!!"

"No, I'm not! It's just, you know mom, like-"

"Clover told me what you're up to," Her grey eyes had a steely glint to them. "And she told me how dangerous it could be... You could die-"