We arrive at what looks like a resort. Think of Universal Islands of Adventure on a smaller scale mixed with the beach and you got the right idea. There was a giant roller coaster outside with a giant, blue head with a sign that says AKANE RESORT in its mouth. There were various attractions here: a Ferris Wheel, a Merry-go-round, and a giant castle with a sign of the resort on the mountain behind the resort.
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"The Akane Resort?" I say with uncertainty.
"Yeah. This is the most famous amusement park in Fiore. I'm so excited!" Millianna says like a kid in a candy store.
"Uh... Millianna-" I start to say.
"Call me Millie," She says, cutting me off.
"Right. Millie, what are we doing here?" I say confused.
Millianna looks down with sadness in her eyes. "I don't have good memories here, so I wanted to come back and make better ones," She says.
Wally and Shô leave to check in and reserve a room inside, leaving me with Millianna. Before I have time to say a word she grabs me by my arm and pulls me to the roller coaster, screaming "Let's go!" In excitement. Before I know what happened I'm in the seat next to her at the peak of the coaster. While the view was nice, there was just one problem: I have a very bad fear of heights.
Needless to say, once the ride was over, I was stiff as a board, my mouth gaping open in a scream. I shake my head and come to my senses.
"What's wrong, Zach?" Asked Millianna.
"I may have forgot to tell you that I am terrified of heights, and so roller coasters are horrific for me," I said trying to get my blood pressure back to normal.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Zach! I had no idea!" She exclaimed with sincerity.
"It's fine, Millie. Honestly, I'll be fine." I said in a reassuring voice.
Grrrrrmmmmbllle. Millieblushed and covered her stomach, "Guess I haven't eaten in a while."
I laughed out loud, "want me to get you some food?" I asked a little hungry myself.
She giggled and nodded, so I took her to a café inside the resort. If you thought the outside was impressive, the inside was way better. It was like Las Vegas squeezed inside a castle. There were bright lights everywhere, casino tables and games as far as the eye can see, and row after row of buffet tables filled with decadent pastas with sauce that seemed godly, poultry cooked to perfection, and sweets. Lots and lots of sweets. After surviving on deer for four weeks I needed a change of pace as my stomach roared for food. Millianna and I both laughed hysterically and got our food. For my plate I got pasta with a creamy sauce, tender meats, and fine spices mixed in, bread, a drink, and four chicken legs. Millianna got the same pasta as me, but had some what looked like smoked salmon on the side.
"You know, Millie, I like to cook. Pasta being my specialty," I said holding a heaping fork full of pasta in my hand. "Great! I can't wait to try it!" She said with that cat--like smile.
After three plates, I was still hungry. Even though I was buff, I still had a massive sweet tooth, so I went to the dessert line and got chocolate cake, ice cream, cookies, and whipped cream.
A few hours later sunset was coming. Millie and I played some of the casino games and I managed to win a lot of money, or Jewel, as Millie called it. I kept half of it and gave the rest to Millie. Once sunset came, we went to our room. "206, 207.... ah. Here it is, Room 208," I said, opening the door for Millianna. Wally left a note saying that he and Shô would be in the room next door. Luckily, Shô picked a room with a big bathroom, large beds, and a huge marble balcony.
"Wow!" Millianna said with stars in her eyes, "this is awesome! I feel like a kitty that just got catnip!" I assumed that was a good thing and stood on the balcony, pulling out the crystal and examining it.
"Where did you get that Lacrema?" Millianna asked sneaking up behind me. "What's a Lacrema?" I asked, my curiosity peaked. "It's a stone imbued with magic for a certain purpose for people who can't use magic. I've never seen one like that, though," she explained.
"I found it in that forest," I said. It wasn't a total lie, but I'm not sure if she'd believe if I told her the truth. Millianna yawned a cute yawn and went to bed, "goodnight," she said.
I continued to examine the crystal, no Lacrema, for a bit until it started to glow. I screamed as a bright flash filled my vision and when I could see it could tell where I was, or rather wasn't. The resort was long gone and in its place was a huge desert tundra with a single machine in front of me. It was about 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and seemed super high tech, like it was eons ahead of my world. It had an indentation in it that looked like the Lacrema I was holding.
What I was about to witness would change my world forever.
