~ Yumeiseki Empire ~

Chapter 2: Strange Forests

(Rewritten! The pacing and some smaller stuff is different.)

Walking to our designated place, I took a moment to look around and admire the forest of the empire in awe.

The trees were a beautiful shade of green, the branches growing from the center part of the tree. Before I even realized, I was already at our meeting spot, next to the giant tree of Mysticus forest.

Socket was running a bit late (as always), he was probably sprinting here as fast as he could.
So I had to wait and find a way to  entertain myself until he comes along (as always).

I took a moment, zoning out and thinking of Alexander.

I really took him for granted, I had all the time in the world to spend with him and he'd gone missing.

If only I had kept in touch with him more...

During my thinking, I had heard a voice call out to me.

I knew not to trust this forest. It played with your mind. Mysticus forest always had a history of being odd and tormenting you psychologically. It had been mentioned in many history books. It was home to the Wyn, a species that... didn't have a good reputation.

Then again, that could genuinely be someone lost in the forest. I curse my desire to always help and go follow that damn voice.

The leaves of the forest got darker, so did the trunks of the trees. The more I entered into the forest, the more trees this forest seemed to have. How big even was this place? It looked smaller from the outside. Maybe I was hallucinating... should I turn back?

I just kept sprinting until I abruptly stopped.

I looked around, thinking if what I heard was in my head or not.
Was I even sure that voice was a person? Maybe it was a human, but not anymore. Maybe it was never a human to begin with.

I turned to look back, but I didn't remember going that way. So it couldn't have been that route.

I turned left, the trees looked the same.

I turned right, the trees looked the same there, too.

My face scrunched and my eyebrows furrowed. I felt sweat drip down my face and, for the first time in my life, dissociated from reality.

The voice got louder and louder, it felt like it was screaming right into my ear, telling me to wake up.

"Eliott, snap out of it! You're scaring me, man!"

Oh. That was probably why.

"What was that?! I thought I told you to meet up at our planned place! You know this forest is weird!" Socket hit me in the back of the head, but I understood he was just worried for me.

"Sorry, I thought I heard someone calling my name... before I knew it I was going deeper into the forest, and-"

"Doesn't matter, you're here," He grabbed my arm and tried dragging me back to our meeting spot. "Now c'mon, let's go. The deeper parts of the forest gives me the chills..."

I looked back to the place I got weirded out at and wondered why I got so confused.

One of the paths was clearly the way I came from, yet the trees all looked the same, even if I wasn't in that dissociative state anymore. This place really is dangerous as they say. I assumed it was just a myth, but...

I'll solve the mysteries of this forest some other time...

"Did you get everything, at least? Don't tell me you forgot stuff again.." I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows.

This exact situation had happened way too many times before, where he wouldn't pack anything important and I'd have to bring everything instead.

"Don't worry, I got all the essentials this time! I think.. what'd you pack?"

"Same here. Spare clothes, food, water, hair ties, inhalers, mirrors-"

"This is what you consider 'essentials'? What in Medina's name do you call going extra?"

How many times we've gone over this.. I rolled my eyes, sighing.

"Yeah, no.. we've been here, done that. We seriously don't have time for this.."
I explain, cracking my knuckles.
"-What next? Should we look for traces, ask around for clues? We don't have a plan."

"I don't know... if I knew you didn't plan anything I would've done it myself.."

Great. We didn't have a plan, either. I wasn't the best at knowing what to do, and Socket didn't come up with anything either. We'll just have to make stuff up along the way.

~

"C'mon dimwit, we have clues to look around for!" I yelled, dragging Socket by the leg.

"Let me have a break! Even 5 minutes is fine!!"

"We haven't even walked that long!"

"You know I'm weak, man! If I could fly like the other changelings then that would be-"

"Fine," I interrupted, "We can take a break. We should think of where to go next in the meantime.."

I let Socket go and sit on the ground, thinking of what we should do next. Socket laid there like a starfish, staring at the clear sky.

I got the idea to ask those close to Alexander if they were wary about anything. I mean, surely they must know something.

"Socket, does Alex have any family members around the empire?" I turn to Socket and ask him as he got up and sat next to me.

"Most of his family don't live here... not anymore at least. I do know he has a cousin that lives around Mysticus forest though. No one really knows much about her. Why'd you ask?"

"Surely she'd know something about Alexander's plans." I stated, getting up and brushing some dust off me. Socket got up and followed me, and without a word, we went walking along the forest again.

Who would live around Mysticus forest? Surely anyone who does live around here long enough would be warped beyond comprehension. What are we even doing?