Astral Flow

Chapter 18

Nothingness.

That was the only way Lily could describe what she was feeling currently.

A strange emptiness that embraced her the deeper she drifted into this dream.

She couldn't feel a single thing.

No pain.

No fear.

Not even an ounce of regret.

Yet no joy filled her heart either.

It was simply... nothing.

This feeling of oblivion should've terrified her, yet it didn't.

It felt... natural, as if it'd been part of her all this time.

As if this was just another home to her.

Ever so slowly floating down into this unknown place, a feeling of warmth envelops her. Slowly making her open her eyes as she finally reaches the ground.

With her feet safely on the floor she looks around, unsure of what to think of the sights before her... or rather lack thereof.

She expected something like the last False Zone, buildings, an underwater city, cloudy skies... yet there was nothing.

All that stood before her was an infinite unending gray void.

The ground beneath her made a glass like echo as she walked forward, looking for any kind of answer as to what this was.

She walked for what felt like hours or even days without tiring out, or even getting bored.

Curious of the time she looked at the time at the top of her hud, only now noticing it hadn't been moving at all.

It was frozen at 18:45 exactly, and no matter what it wouldn't move.

It remained on that time for hours as she walked aimlessly amid the never ending void.

Questions running rampant in her mind, yet all fading away with each step.

Only one remained in her mind.

[Will I ever see anyone again?]

Images played in her mind so vividly as she listened to the echoes of her own footfalls.

Scenes of the various VR worlds she traveled through.

The friends she'd made along the way.

All the stories she'd experienced.

Her hospital room and her father smiling while presenting her with a new book or game.

The birds that would fly through the clear skies when she was a child.

She couldn't stop the flow of memories, a dozen feelings welling up inside her as the tears began to fall.

Would she never get to share those memories with anyone? Would she be stuck here forever? Just for making one wrong choice?

As she fell to her knees, unable to stop the tears, suddenly a voice called out.

A voice soft and sweet, caring and kind, one that just felt like home in her mind.

"This is a surprise, I never see others passing through here... tell me traveler, what brought you to tears?" his voice filled the void, causing her to look up in surprise.

Standing there was an oddity, a man who looked like Yuria.

Long and fluffy snow white hair tied up into a high ponytail reaching down to his shoulder blades.