Dimensions

Chapter 23: Where did everybody go?

Written by pen-to-the-paper

Carina

I open my eyes.

The world spins around me.

I see faces, Carina, Dylan, Ember.

My eyes don't focus.

I'm blind to my surroundings as I flicker in and out of consciousness.

Voices begin to form around me "Carina, what's happening?" "Can you see me?" "Are you alright?" "Carina?" "It's all my fault," "Carina, can you hear us?" "Carina?" "Carina?"

Once again I black out.

My thoughts wander aimlessly into a cloudy abyss.

Am I hallucinating?

***

For days I am in this state where my brain feels like jelly, though maybe it's only hours. Needless to say, every beat of my uneven heart seems like an hour apart.

As the time goes by, I remember things. Coughing blood. Going to the human world. Then I heard Ember whisper my name and everything went black, like falling asleep, only darker, and falling into an endless well of thoughts.

I manage to regain a little control of myself.

I can only stay still while I open my eyes. Three faces peer down at me; Clara, Dylan, and - Ember?

Moving my eyes is like moving a rusty door, locked for decades, but I see part human world, part Deviann.

I'm stuck between the dimensions.

"Carina, can you hear me?"

It's Clara.

"We have to travel soon, please, try to get through this. I need to take control of the throne and access to the Kingdom's computing system. I should be able to get information. Dylan and I have been thinking about this for weeks. We have to do it as quickly as possible. Do this for us. For all of us."

I pull in all the memories with them all, both human and Deviann, and will all the power into me so I can open my lips. "Knife." my whisper is barely audible, yet I hope she gets my message.

Thankfully, she does and comes back. "Carina, what do I do with it?"

"Heart." I whisper weekly, my vision blackening at the edges.

"Carina, I can't! Not to you!" She protests.

"Now" I whisper and fall into darkness, followed my a stabbing pain in my heart.

It burns and freezes me; icy fire. My whole body feels like it's going up in flames, yet I feel frozen, shivering through the immense heart. The ice burns so hot, someone could be bathing me in cool acid and I wouldn't know the difference.

And all of a sudden it stops. And I open my eyes.

Everything seems normal. I clench and unclench my fists, they seem to be working alright, and I wiggle my toes. Perfectly fine.

I punch myself up, expecting at least a little nausea. But I don't feel anything.

I look around; I'm in the human world, but no one is there. I walk downstairs, empty. Everywhere is deserted. Where did everybody go?

I wander outside, onto the wasteland, still empty. I spot a single house fairly close by.

It looks - new?

Nothing's ever new anymore. It's surprising to see something so shiny and not caked in black dust.

I knock on the door and no one answers. I push it open and wander inside. It turns out it's not a house at all, just a large room, with a large computer in the centre.

I tap on the screen and, after a millisecond, a weird character appears on the screen.

"Hello Carina," it says.

I'm astounded. Firstly, everyone disappears, now there's this weird computer robot stalking me.

"What are you?" I ask cautiously.

"I am Holorina. I'm a computer hologram. And I'm here to tell you that you're not normal.
"In fact, you're special. I assume that you've noticed that you have been switching between dimensions; Deviann and human. It's because you're part Deviann. That made your family split the Dimensions, and you, Carina, have to pull them together yourself, before it's too late.
"The human race will die out, but if it doesn't quickly, a large comet will hit the Earth and destroy it. It's whatever happens first; end of humanity, or the comet. Anyhow, it's the end of the world. You must use the power of the obsidian comet to realign the worlds.
"I will stay with you along your journey, you may find signs of me, but rarely will you see me.
"And why am I here? I'm here to tell you that your ancestor made me to help you realign the Dimensions. She taught me everything. And I must teach you everything. I knew I must come at this time, and let me tell you that I am the most intelligent thing ever made. You should be proud. I came at the right time, as I will do all whenever you need me truly.
"Where did everybody go? Let me give you a clue; the world is changing, Carina, and through this sort-of quest you will find many obstacles, it is your mission, but remember that you are never truly alone. Your friends are close to you, but they were forced to leave. They're heading to the Kingdom. Don't go after them. Let them be alone, they've been worrying about you for days, you really haven't realised, they like each other quite a lot. Let them be for a couple of days, then go chase them.
"Farewell, descendant of Julia the human, and Grave the Deviann. Good luck, the whole human and Deviann race is relying on you. It's all up to you."