Dahlia has lived in our universe as an immortal for centuries. She has a soft spot for this universe - all the good and all the bad - and has made the best of an admittedly bad situation. Her universe? It...went through some things, but who cares, w...
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Neutralis, 1691
THE SKY WAS purple tonight.
"Do you think the Nefari and Edenites will blow each other up once and for all?" Veena wanted to know from beside me.
"I hope so," I replied, turning away from the large window of our bedroom. "But they should leave us out of it."
That was impossible. Despite Neutralis being, well, neutral, we were right in the middle of the two warring realms. Inevitably, we were caught in the crossfire. When Nefari warriors crossed through our territory trying to get to Eden, and vice versa, who ended up being a casualty? Innocent Neutrali women and children minding their own business. Temporary or not, death was an irritating, inconveniencing experience. So far, I had never had the misfortune of enduring it. One of the many perks of living in the cocoon of the metropolis.
"Something feels different today. Why is the sky purple?"
I had no answer for Veena, but something did feel different. The air was thicker, and, even in our high-ceilinged bedroom, where the air was supposed to be filtered and cooled, our tunics stuck to our skin like wet paper. My curly hair hung limply down my back.
"What are you reading?"
Veena put her long, thick braids up and picked up her manuscript again. "It's a book about Reynold's travels." She fanned herself with the yellowed pages.
"Of course, it is." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Veena, the man makes traveling to different universes as boring as...as making a bed."
"Maybe so, but I enjoy reading about his adventures."
"Adventures," I echoed, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "It was incredibly adventurous of him to visit a dressmaker on Earth. The buttons, Veena. How could he contain himself at the sight of those beautiful buttons?"
"You're such a fool, Dahlia. They were made from gold." I heard the smile in Veena's voice. "Don't you want to travel, too? See other worlds? Meet different people and other creatures?"
"We will never get the chance to," I reminded her, and it was important that she understood that. "Besides, why would I want to leave this universe? Neutralis is peaceful, beautiful, and we have everything we can possibly need here. Also, we're far more advanced than any other life form in any other universe."
Veena's brow furrowed. "You sound just like our teachers."
"Well, they're right." I sat beside her on her unmade bed. Veena never managed to make it. "Do you know that on Earth, they haven't even learned anything about the other planets in their universe? They don't even know of their existence! Imagine being so inferior that you believe yourself to be the only race in your universe."
