The adventure in the cat realm

Chapter 11

The hills of white are almost an hour's walk from the city. Small, white flowers pepper the ground along our route. The closer we get, the denser the flowers become, until they're like a blanket of snow.

- How beautiful. Have any of you ever been here before, I ask. Tatsuki shakes his head.

- It's far enough from the city that there's not much reason to go, Rei says.

- It's amazing, isn't it, Tama asks.

As we walk farther in, I can feel the intensity of the magic in the air.

- It's like something is crackling through my skin, I say in my head. Goosebumps raise along my arms.

The white flowers begin to grow taller, quickly stretching up to my waist.

- Alright, so what are we even looking for, Rei asks

- Something that would've been important enough to write a note about, I guess, Tama says.

- Something to defeat Yama. I'm certain there will be something powerful here, something to help us, Tatsuki says. Rei slows down, looking around.

- What is it, I ask.

- Something's strange, Rei says. After a moment, he shakes his head, shrugging.

- Let's keep going, Rei says.

As we go further in, the flowers around us suddenly begin to grow at an exponential speed.

- What's happening, I ask. I look around, eyes wide, as the flowers quickly grow over my head. Separating us from each other.

- Rei. Tatsuki. Tama, I yell.

- Kira. Where are you, Rei shouts. Rei's voice sounds far away, and I can't even determine what direction it's coming from.

- Let's just keep moving until we find each other, Tatsuki shouts. Tatsuki's voice is similarly far away, but I try to stay as calm as I can.

- Just keep moving, I whisper. I turn back, looking behind me, but the flowers have grown over my path as well. The energy of magic crackling around me has intensified.

As I continue on. I come to a fork in the path. I take the right path, which leads uphill. The trail spirals around until it reaches the very top of the hill. From the top, I'm able to see the ills all around me. But all I can see is a blanket of white stretching out in every direction.

- Where are the others, I ask in my head. I call out their names, but I can't hear anything in response.

- Have they been swallowed up by the flowers, I ask in my head. As I look around, I can see something fluttering in the corner of my eye. I turn, and a butterfly flits down, landing on my shoulder. Then the butterfly takes off, flying down the hill. Where there had been a thick wall of flowers, there's now an open path. I follow the newly opened path through the flowers, turning a corner and bumping straight into Tatsuki.

- Tatsuki, I yell.

- Kira, Tatsuki says.

- Are Tama and Rei with you, I ask. Tatsuki shakes his head.

- I'm just glad that I found you. I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you, Tatsuki says. I blush at Tatsuki's admission, surprised at the level of passion in his voice.

- Does he truly care that much for me, I ask in my head.

- Anyway, let's keep moving, Tatsuki says. He takes my hand and guides me down the path.