we begin your training.”
Chapter Four
Lesson
“Alex, if yo u will,” Emeric said.
The blond man, Alex, strode swiftly across the room. He walked directly at Callie, pinning her with a steady stare. She was tempted to take a step backwards, away from his intimidating figure, but forced herself to hold her ground.
Suddenly, he reached forwards with a swiftness that stole her breath, grabbing her arms with a threat on his face. She put her hands up to push him away, and in that instant, she felt herself disappear again.
She opened her eyes. No longer did she stand in the room she had been in a moment ago.
Now, she was standing on a smooth, grey surface, looking out into the forest from—what? Where was she, exactly? She stepped forwards, looking at the silver arch which fed out into the rainforest, and realized that she was looking out from the mouth of a cave. It was carved from the same smooth stone which ran below her feet, and, as she looked out over these rocks, she realized that it was settled into a plateau several stories above the forest floor.
“Wow,” she breathed, taking in the view. For miles, the rainforest protruded outwards. A collage of spindling tree trunks resembling knotted cords hung down from the sky, their branches rubbing against the clouds above her head. Pale green leaves adorned their branches, like ornaments perched upon withered bark. Everything she could see was covered with some form of life, vibrant with it. Even the sky seemed to move as flocks of birds soared across it, out to an unseen destination.
A crash sounded. Callie turned to her left to see where it was coming from, and realized there was another opening. She crossed the small cave and stopped in its other mouth, gazing outwards. She caught her breath at the beauty of the waterfall that greeted her. Far above her, the waterfall crested in a stony divot, dropping the legions of water down for miles until, just below, they splashed against a small, perfectly round pond. She saw that the pond then trickled off into a river, lazily flowing through the forest, disappearing into the trees.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Callista?”
Callie was startled, and looked around inside the cave. Emeric’s voice seemed to echo between the stones. “Callista, can you hear me?”
“Where are you?” she asked, walking back into the cave. She looked around the sunny space, but all she could see were the smooth walls of rock.
“You are in a memory right now,” he replied, his bodiless voice drifting towards her. Callie looked back over her shoulder, wondering if he was outside. She walked out onto the rocky ledge just outside of the second mouth, looking for him.
She halted, startled to find that Alex, not Emeric, was seated on the ledge, staring out over the fountains. She knelt down beside him, looking at the side of his face. He didn’t seem to sense her presence. She waved a hand in front of his face, feeling foolish, unsure why he didn’t notice her.
“Why can’t he see me?” she asked, hoping that Emeric could hear her.
He did. “In a memory, the characters you meet are unable to experience your presence. Callista, can you find your way out of this memory?” he called.
Callie looked around, unsure what she was supposed to find. She stood again, and walked back into the cave. But all she saw, of course, were the two cave mouths. She couldn’t exit through either of them; they both stood atop significant drops.
“No,” she called back. “It just looks like real life. I
Chapter Four
Lesson
“Alex, if yo u will,” Emeric said.
The blond man, Alex, strode swiftly across the room. He walked directly at Callie, pinning her with a steady stare. She was tempted to take a step backwards, away from his intimidating figure, but forced herself to hold her ground.
Suddenly, he reached forwards with a swiftness that stole her breath, grabbing her arms with a threat on his face. She put her hands up to push him away, and in that instant, she felt herself disappear again.
She opened her eyes. No longer did she stand in the room she had been in a moment ago.
Now, she was standing on a smooth, grey surface, looking out into the forest from—what? Where was she, exactly? She stepped forwards, looking at the silver arch which fed out into the rainforest, and realized that she was looking out from the mouth of a cave. It was carved from the same smooth stone which ran below her feet, and, as she looked out over these rocks, she realized that it was settled into a plateau several stories above the forest floor.
“Wow,” she breathed, taking in the view. For miles, the rainforest protruded outwards. A collage of spindling tree trunks resembling knotted cords hung down from the sky, their branches rubbing against the clouds above her head. Pale green leaves adorned their branches, like ornaments perched upon withered bark. Everything she could see was covered with some form of life, vibrant with it. Even the sky seemed to move as flocks of birds soared across it, out to an unseen destination.
A crash sounded. Callie turned to her left to see where it was coming from, and realized there was another opening. She crossed the small cave and stopped in its other mouth, gazing outwards. She caught her breath at the beauty of the waterfall that greeted her. Far above her, the waterfall crested in a stony divot, dropping the legions of water down for miles until, just below, they splashed against a small, perfectly round pond. She saw that the pond then trickled off into a river, lazily flowing through the forest, disappearing into the trees.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Callista?”
Callie was startled, and looked around inside the cave. Emeric’s voice seemed to echo between the stones. “Callista, can you hear me?”
“Where are you?” she asked, walking back into the cave. She looked around the sunny space, but all she could see were the smooth walls of rock.
“You are in a memory right now,” he replied, his bodiless voice drifting towards her. Callie looked back over her shoulder, wondering if he was outside. She walked out onto the rocky ledge just outside of the second mouth, looking for him.
She halted, startled to find that Alex, not Emeric, was seated on the ledge, staring out over the fountains. She knelt down beside him, looking at the side of his face. He didn’t seem to sense her presence. She waved a hand in front of his face, feeling foolish, unsure why he didn’t notice her.
“Why can’t he see me?” she asked, hoping that Emeric could hear her.
He did. “In a memory, the characters you meet are unable to experience your presence. Callista, can you find your way out of this memory?” he called.
Callie looked around, unsure what she was supposed to find. She stood again, and walked back into the cave. But all she saw, of course, were the two cave mouths. She couldn’t exit through either of them; they both stood atop significant drops.
“No,” she called back. “It just looks like real life. I
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