(My World To Live) Chapter One

The feeling of warmth and light fluttering across the face, that was what she felt first. Then, as the rest of her senses yawned open, she perceived the mild breeze, the crisp of mountain air, the scent of woodland, and the warbles of something not quite like a bird.

Her eyes flickered open at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. And her eyes, amazed, took in the sight of the grand forest towering before her. The trees were none that she had ever seen, but it was something of a deciduous forest on steroids. Her head slowly tilted upwards, becoming almost a right angle as her gaze followed the length of the lofty trees. Her eyes narrowed as she attempted to discern the depths of the forest. Trees and undergrowth stretched out as far as her vision could allow.

Looking downwards, she saw she was partially sprawled out in the tall grass as well as resting on the buttress root of some large tree. The one root she was propped up against seemed to measure three times her width. Curious, she peered upwards and was astounded at the enormous height and girth of the prodigious tree before her. Resembling that of an oak, it was more immense than any other tree in sight. It measured hundreds of feet tall and a circumference that would’ve taken dozens of human wingspans to cover. Its branches blocked out most of the sunlight in a diameter longer than its own height. How the grass below could even grow to the length of her calves was beyond her.

With a faint smile, she closed her eyes, relishing the clear scent of the forest, the clement wafts that caressed her face, and the coziness of the thick, velvety grass. Is this a dream? She wondered as her senses lulled into repose. Then it’s a beautiful dream I don’t ever want to wake up from.

Nearby movement aroused her from relaxation, and she opened her eyes and turned her attention back to the front. From the edge of the tree’s radius where the undergrowth began, glinting eyes and barely perceptible forms emerged out of the shadows. As they drew closer, the creatures’ shapes were reminiscent of antelope. Their large, sleek ears; elegant, branched horns; and supple, spindly legs; were very deer-like; however, they were unearthly with their silver eyes, light taupe hides, and white streaks across the length of their sides.

Beautiful, she thought, like the spirit deers in fantasy stories.

Soon after the appearance of the deer, more strange and beguiling creatures emerged from behind the foliage. They were not like the animals she knew on Earth. These fantastical creatures before her flaunted vivid and unnatural colors. All of their auras seemed almost spectral, luminescent even in the day. One animal appeared to be a squirrel. It had a fluffy tail and plump body, but its ears were larger and tapered into white tufts; not to mention, its fur was a deep lime green with light tawny spots. It nibbled on something resembling a chestnut before clamping the nut in its mouth and scampering away on white-tipped paws. 

Just where am I, she wondered, awestruck.

Then it dawned on her, she was not on Earth, no longer breathing the same air as the people she knew, the animals or even plants she was familiar with. Glancing down at the grass, her hands snatched a clump of blades, her brain shockingly registered the familiar feel of grass, the crunch and juice that dribbled out and left a stain on her palms. It was so shockingly real.

In a dazed, mounting understanding of the world around her, she stood up. Right foot forward. Left foot forward. Right. Left. Walking. Running. She was running, running towards the edge of the grass. Blindly she raced into the depths of the forest as some creatures scattered in fright or annoyance while others stood in shock or interest. The deeper she went, more unusual and exquisite fauna and flora appeared. The sight of the fantastical animals and otherworldly verdure both excited and alarmed her. This couldn’t be real, and yet, she could feel the air whisking about her face and the dappled light that sent flashes of warmth across her body. The scent of the forest was intoxicating. It was purer than pure, fresher than fresh, lovelier than any air she had ever breathed. It was wilderness. It was an orchard. A field of flowers. The most magnificent botanical garden set free. No whiff of decay. No sogginess in the air; no humidity.

And the best part? There were no pesky, teeny bugs slapping her face. Now don’t get her wrong, she doesn’t hate insects or anything, only the annoying ones that bite people. Now butterflies, those she liked. Ladybugs and fireflies, dragonflies, they were cute in her eyes. If there were truly no gnats or mosquitoes or ticks or god forbid, centipedes, in this place, then by golly this world was perfect.

But realizing that she had no idea where she was going, her pace slowed, and she came to a leisurely plod. She stopped deep into the forest, gazing in wonder at its breathtaking splendor. She scrutinized the nearby foliage, noting the fascinating leafage and alluring blooms.

Peering down at one particular plant, she was in awe at the intricacy of its stalks and blades. The thin petioles formed lattices interweaved with adjoining mini leaves and florets. The spiderweb-like structures drooped from a sturdy stem, the entirety resembling that of weeping willow with wings. The whole plant seemed to shimmer as if it was covered in a veil of glistening water. She tentatively prodded one of the mesh structures and was surprised at its durability.

From the corner of her eye, a nearby bush on the right caught her attention. The plump berries looked almost iridescent, ranging from ultramarine blue to cyan and violet. Light orchid colored blossoms carried miniature berries in their centers; their silky petals curled slightly backwards to reveal the growing fruits. Just beyond the bush, golden leaves graced ecru dappled, caramel bark. The slender trees boasted luxuriant branches, and the sunlight coruscating through its foliage casted gold streams upon the forest floor.

In the verdant grasses that layered the ground, larger and more complex plants were scattered in between. Plants with leaves like fire wisps rose above the grass tops. Silky ferns were draped over tree roots, and wide palm plants with flowered-tipped stalks at their centers made their appearance in the near distance. Fallen logs and flat boulders peeked out from beneath the cover of rich, deep malachite green moss that was dotted with small multi-colored flowers. The edges of the moss melded into the soil beneath the bordering domain of the grass below.

She walked over to an especially large rock blanketed in moss and intermixed with milk, rose, and cerise colored baby flowers and thin, silvery grasses. The way the sunlight hit this flora-veiled boulder was distinctly striking. It was as if the light danced above it, casting flecks of light beyond the boulder’s borders. Awed, she waved her hand airily in the frolicking light, watching it coruscate. Letting her hand fall, she touched the soft blossoms and ran her fingers through the satiny grass. Instantly, the rock quivered, causing the girl to recoil backwards on her behind in surprise. Slowly, the rock emerged out of the soil and walked away, scattering downy white plant tufts in its wake.

The girl blinked. There in front of her, was a wolf. It was several times the size of ordinary wolves and had plants growing all over its silvery white fur. The wolf gazed indolently from the corners of its emerald edged, golden eyes as it ambled its way into the forest depths out of sight.

Still in shock, she sat there at the exposed mat of flattened grass where the wolf had rested. While regaining her composure, a creature flitted near her right cheek. She whipped her head in the direction of the disturbance and came face to face with a dragonfly. A real dragonfly. This was no insect, but rather, it was a small, elongated dragon with iridescent scales of jade and shamrock green. Its triangular tail blades were flashing shades of blue outlined in rich periwinkle that matched the color of its wings. The belly and head were celadon, and the creature examined the girl with curious, ocean blue eyes. As she took in the vividness of its colors, a low rumble resonated in her throat and amplified to a higher pitch as she opened her mouth.

“Aww,” she crooned, stretching out her hand to the adorable creature.

The little dragon stared at her hand for a second before seeming to smile and plop itself merrily on her palm, evoking further soft squeals of adoration from the girl. They gazed into each others eyes, the dragonfly tilting its head inquisitively at her. Their transient connection lasted a few moments before the creature fluttered away into the brush.

She missed the cute little dragon’s presence as soon as it left. Brushing herself off as she got up, she turned around in one place and peered at her surroundings again. Every plant, flower, bush and tree were uniquely different yet reminiscent of plants on Earth, but they were definitely of another species. The species of this other world.

Still standing in contemplation of this apparent fact, she wondered if this was one of those realistic dreams that fooled her into thinking she had done something when she hadn’t. But never before was she so keenly aware of every inch of her body and the space all around--not to mention, the wolf’s emergence should’ve startled her awake at least slightly if she were dreaming--nor had she ever dreamed of such a world. Her dreams consisted of a distorted reality where the surroundings shifted from place to place as opposed to palpably walking though space. It was a fictional landscape assembled from the reality of the just-lived day, and the construction of some memory from long ago, whether in real life or from a story.

She frowned in continued doubt about her true, living existence in this beautifully bizarre and unparalleled world. Reaching up, she tentatively pinched herself on the cheek. It sorta hurt. A flare of hope rose up in her center. She forcefully pinched herself again on the arm. A wince spasmed over her face. Too hard, that really did hurt.

Shoot, this is real, she registered. Daaamn, she smiled, biting her bottom lip.

The rising anticipation and elation soon overwhelmed her as she spun on her heel and sprinted back toward the colossal, oak-like tree from earlier. Arriving at the boundary of the encircled grass, she gazed admiringly at the splendor of the ancient tree at the center, the enormity of which made her feel both small and alive.

She was breathing deeply, but not from exhaustion. Rather, she literally didn’t even break a sweat. She had never been able to run this far and fast in years. Her body on Earth, albeit healthy, was still weaker than it should’ve been for a just turned twenty year old. She couldn’t handle strenuous exertion since the strange illness that plagued her in the early teens and had since left her feeble like an old grandma. While her body appeared to be the same, she felt inexhaustible as if she could run a week long marathon. She was exhilarated having discovered this newfound energy and stamina and tried to calm herself. 

This couldn’t be real. No, this has to be real. Is this for real? Her mind skipped from disbelief to belief and back again, not quite permitting herself to believe that this was her new reality. A reality that existed only in dreams, and a reality that had been taken away from her at a young age. It was as if two new worlds came at her at once. 

As she began to walk towards the foot of the ancient tree, she detected rapid movement accelerating at her when she reached the middle of the encircling grass. But she saw no activity in the forest behind her. Perplexed, she stared deep into the woods. Then suddenly, from behind a rustle of foliage, a small fox-like creature manifested itself, sprinting past her towards the ancient tree.

Aww, how cute, she thought, looking at the mysterious and adorable animal with large eyes and ears, a small body, short legs, and fluffy twin tails. The animal’s fur was the color of biscuit with a caramel streak running from its forehead and white-tipped tails and paws.

However, before she could question the peculiar look on its face, a gargantuan beast sprang out in pursuit from behind the brush, stopping all thought. The all-black beast seemed to be made of shadow and was several times larger than herself. It appeared to be a demonic bear with shaggy fur that tapered into wisps, and large pointed ears. As it moved, the tips of its fur dispersed into the air, leaving a trail of smoky tendrils in its wake. It tore after the fox-like creature, passing in front of the girl and paralyzing her in place as she gawked vacantly at the black tendrils left inches from her face.

The forest around was hushed, and she watched in horror as the beast chased after the fox. Although the smaller animal moved relatively fast for its size, the larger monster outpaced the fox, nearly reaching it before they arrived near the base of the tree. As soon as they reached the buttress roots, however, the smaller creature deftly evaded the bulkier monster by dipping in-between and under the roots. Frustrated, the monster jumped backwards out of the roots, and the fox, seeing an escape, leapt out. It scurried around the trunk, but the beast was ready, poised to rush at the exposed animal. Rearing up on its hind-legs, the monster lurched towards the fox with long, shadowy claws.

“Stop!”

Startled by her own voice resounding in the quiet, she gasped in trepidation, eyes widening as she saw the monster flinch and narrowly miss clipping the small animal. The fox scampered away as the beast plummeted flat on its chin and belly. The monster laid still on the roots as the girl’s thoughts went blank, and she held her breath in apprehension. 

As if cut from a horror scene, the monster’s head unnaturally whipped 180 degrees in her direction, and she felt her soul depart as the beast’s glaring, red eyes bore into her. Then just as quickly as the beast had pinpointed the girl’s position, it vaulted from the roots at its new target: her.

Every inch of her body pricked like a thousands needles, the cells themselves seeming to jumpstart in fright and flight. Her body twisted instinctively in the direction of the forest behind her. The first rule of escaping giant bears: climb a tree. However, the trees had bark too smooth to climb and were so enormously tall with no low lying branches.

In distress, she glanced behind her and seeing the monster a few bounds away from her, she felt as if her soul had left her once more. The demonic bear had crossed the distance between them in mere seconds, and she was stuck on the ground like a lame duck. Sensing capture, the beast hurtled at her at a frightening acceleration. There was no means of escape. The girl’s heart dropped.

I thought this was a beautiful dream, but it became a nightmare instead?! Her thoughts shrieked. I’m not even here ten minutes and I’m going to die?! What the heck?! I don’t want to die young~!!!

The demonic bear loomed over her, crashing down upon--

…

Asdfjkl;?!?!!!

I’m alive?!!

The girl inhaled sharply. Transparent lavender sheets glimmered in alignment between her forearm and the bear’s forepaw. It was a translucent barrier.

Did I just create that?

Just as that thought passed her mind in astonishment, the demon-bear was unexpectedly flung backward, upheaving grass shoots and dirt in its wake. The wall had not only protected her, it shoved her attacker back by an intense invisible force. As the bear staggered up from the ground, the girl noticed glinting lavender flecks surrounding it. She wondered if those particles of light were connected to the transparent shield that appeared a second before. Still astounded by the turn of events, she stared dazedly at her right arm where the pale purple shield had been centered around. Slowly, her mind pieced the events together,  and she gripped her fist, willing the shield to appear again. This spurred a faint warmth that began flooding her entire arm.

However, before she could process this reaction, the monster bellowed its ire with glowing red eyes more hostile than ever. Trepidation arose in her gut, but as if it was the most natural action to do in the world, she intuitively directed her hand at the monster, releasing a flurry of lavender light streaking towards its chest. A glimmer of panic flared in the beast’s eyes before the light struck it dead on, singeing its chest fur and causing it to crumple inwards. The monster made a strangled, sputtering sound, as if knocked out of air. It glowered at the gaping girl and took a step back. The black tendrils arising from its body grew larger and more numerous. They circled the body in agitation. The monster’s eyes radiated a garish scarlet, the color leaking out in tendrils just like its shaggy fur. It was as if the beast was creating a black tornado with trailing threads of blood. 

Despite seeing the coming storm, the girl felt strangely calm. Everything clicked. She was no longer in the earthly world. She was in an ancient woodland with soaring trees, spirits and demons. She had magical power. A monster stood before her. A furious monster.

She smirked.

Ha.

The beast charged forward, and the girl swiped her hand in the air across its incoming, barreling body. An inscrutable expression suffused her face as vivid, lavender light like a knife sprang centimeters from her palm straight toward the demon. It slashed the monstrous bear, leaving a horizontal slit that glowed blood red. Its body was cut, and yet despite the cut’s red color, it didn’t bleed. Even so, the attack was obviously felt as the demon roared in pain and rage.

Pondering upon this, the girl deduced that the biology of this world was different. The injury was simple and neat, nothing messy like spilled blood or ripped flesh. Just like a video game…? She wondered. Would it be the same for me? She lightly shook her head. Now was not the time to think about this. She had a monster to beat. Usually she hated hurting any kind of creature--except some certain, previously named bugs--but this beast was the exception. It was no animal; more than a monster, it was a demon. This, she was sure.

Flexing her wrist, she forcefully waved her hand several times, creating waves of arcs directed at the demon. It tried to dodge them, but even with its incredible speed, the large beast wasn’t agile enough to escape every one. In every direction it dodged, the girl sent another curve of magic careening towards the demon. But despite the obstruction and pain, the demon kept racing towards her.

Determining that this method of attack wasn’t going to beat the beast in the few seconds she had left before it reached her, the girl stopped her onslaught. Focusing her mind, she gathered power in her hand. She could just shove some massive amount of magical energy at the demon while covering herself with a barrier, but she wondered if she could shape the magic into another form. With her eyes focused on the demon, she readied her body and felt the magic take form in her palm. Just before the demon reached a few meters away, the magic form finalized. She leapt forward, a sword of lavender light firmly grasped in her right hand, the point extended at the demon’s heart. The force of the sword splitting into the demon almost unbalanced her. Instead of cutting hard flesh as expected, the blade sunk easily into the body, causing black mass to come hurtling at her face. She dug her boots into the ground, dragging the sword leftward and up across the body before leaping backwards to avoid collision. She wasn’t ready to know firsthand just what made up a demon body.

But as soon as the sword left the demon’s upper chest, the beast froze in position, its teeth still bared, a wide diagonal red gash across its underbelly. Confused, the girl watched its body disperse into drifting black billows. As the smoky clouds began dissipating into the air, a low voice rumbled from the receding demon.

“Sal myo.”

The girl wrinkled her face in perplexity. This was a different language, even from Earth. Perhaps it was one of the demons. She hoped it wasn’t the language of this world for that would be rather vexing while exploring it. Even so, she wondered what the demon had said.

As the black masses finally disappeared, something which was also black caught her eye in the grass. It was a large claw, possibly leftover from the beast demon. She picked it up and rotated it with her fingers; it was nearly the size of her palm. She was puzzled why it hadn’t dissipated like the rest of the body. Regardless, she decided to keep it and put it in her back pocket. The event had happened so suddenly and finished so quickly that she felt she had imagined it. But this claw was physical proof that it had indeed occurred.

But surely even then, everything here must still be her imagination. She took a sharp breath and gripped her hand in resolution, staring at her fist. No. This wasn’t her imagination. She opened her fist, releasing a ball of magic whirring in the air above her palm. She tossed it lightly in the air, passed it between her hands, encircled and rubbed it in her palms like a fortune teller’s magic ball. It was as light as air and shouldn’t have been slung around so casually and easily as a ball with weight.

Some form of gravity existed here, that was apparent by her as well as the fauna and flora remaining firmly on the ground. But, the magic ball deceived all laws of physics. Surely, this world was governed by some natural law or order. Or was magic simply an exception? Or perhaps it was the law…

As she mused upon this, she was suddenly struck by a crazy scheme. If the magic ball she created could defy physics, couldn’t she? Grinning giddily to herself, she ceased the magic flow from her hands. The ball disappeared, and locating the closest tree, she sprinted towards it. When she reached a few paces from the tree’s base, she shifted as much power into her legs as possible and leapt into the air. Half in disbelief and wonderment, she was vaulted into the air at an inhuman height. The bark of the tree came within arms distance, and extending a foot out, she sprung off the trunk, flying… backwards?!

Panicking, the girl whipped her head backwards to see the ground. Hair strands momentarily obscured her vision as she steadied her body. She was no cat, yet somehow, twisting her body in the air was effortless. She landed soundly, knees bent with one hand lightly on the ground steadying her, no sprained limbs or broken bones. The adrenaline soared in her head. She wasn’t sure if it was the blood rushing down from her head when she fell backwards and landed upright, or if it was the realization that shoot, she was superhuman. This world was superhuman.

…Just like a video game. The thought greatly amused her. She remembered all the video games she had played so often as a kid and on occasion would indulge in as an adult. As a child, they were merely games of the generation. As an adult, they were an escape from responsibility. Or rather, a return to her childhood, to a place where her decisions were of her own accord, where time was timeless, where she was free to create her own destiny. Hope was real, and the future seemed full of endless possibilities. It was every kid’s dream to be an astronaut, a singer, a firefighter, an artist, an engineer, a detective, a teacher, a movie star, a doctor, an athlete, a scientist, a police officer, a veterinarian, a writer. The hero.

The heroine.

But time wears on, and reality roots in. Soon enough, children find themselves adults, carrying on with life repeating continuously with few interludes. The day that used to be full of adventure and exploration has become ordinary and monotonous. The wonder of the world is gone; expectations lower; it becomes a cycle. No matter what changes may occur, faithfully, the cycle restores itself in a new, but insipid, familiar form. 

This is not that world.

The girl peered up at the colossal tree. Steadily she strode towards it. Her heart beat fast; her mind stirred turbulently. Reaching a stride from the base of the tree, she exerted force onto the ground while stepping on her right foot. The simple action--mixed with a touch of magic--boosted her body several stories into the air, and she reached about a third up the tree’s trunk. As soon her front sole landed on the bark, she jumped to a higher point on the trunk, repeating until she landed on the lowest bough. From there on she jumped from bough to bough to branch to branch towards the top.

Meanwhile, images of her former life whirred throughout her head--the smiling faces of her family and friends coaxing her to return, the cutest little mutt grinning up from chocolate blue eyes, the last tasks that needed finishing lying forlornly on her desk, the fluffy bed and king-sized pillows in the room and house she had known since birth.

“Mom, I’m home!” I shouted, slinging my backpack off onto a chair.

“Welcome back, how was school today?” my mom asked warmly, giving me a hug.

“Just the usual,” I replied.

“What’s the usual?” she chuckled as we walked though the living room.

“Nothing really happened today except oh, I got my finance test back and I got a 98,” I smiled softly.

“Oh that’s great, good job Sairyn!” she exclaimed.

I laughed. “It’s not too bad. How was your day?”

Blue skies started peeking through the branches as the girl reached the top of the tree, and the sunlight poured in through the last treetop layer.

“Are you okay?” my mom asked with concerned eyes.

“I’m fine, just a little tired. It’s hard to motivate myself these days; the classes are tedious,” I imparted, flopping down on the living room couch.

“Is school boring for you?”

“Yeah, a little, but it’s okay. I’m almost done with the semester.” I assured.

The girl lightly padded her way to the fringe of the uppermost branch, parting the branches aside and lifting her head above the leaves.

“Mom, I wish I was done with college already,” I sighed.

“Do you want to drop out Essairyn?” she queried softly.

“No, I’m going to get my degree and a good job. …It’ll be all over soon.”

She squinted in the bright light as the world came into focus. Her lavender eyes widened as she took in rolling grasslands, country roads, quaint towns, rustic farms, scattered woods, and misty mountains. A brusque breeze billowed through her ebony locks as she discerned distant villages dotting the background along raggedy roads marked by large cities like some crude game of connect the dots. A glowing metropolis spanned the horizon on the right while a gleaming ice fog enveloped the horizon on the left. The whole landscape seemed to come straight out of a fairytale, to a time when green expanses were plentiful and life was still charming.

Turning on her heel, she peered backwards and was met with sweeping woodland. Despite her tall perch, which was unquestionably the tallest point in the extensive forest, the sheer height of all the trees covered almost her entire vision. The only other detail she could make out was a circular formation near the left horizon. It looked to be some kind of megacity, but the dense mist shrouding it prevented further examination.

Whatever world this was, it was real and right before her. A sense of exploration welled up inside her, and she drew in a deep breath of the invigorating air. Could she give up her past life in return for this new world? All her attachments to everyone and everything she had ever known--it couldn’t be easy abandoning your entire life. It was like dying and being reborn with all your memories. Could one survive such a wistful experience peacefully, happily? The scenery before her only existed in daydreams. But here she was, standing in that fantasy, alive and breathing, conscious and feeling. Right now, she had to make the choice whether to live in it, or to look for a way home.

She exhaled slowly, relinquishing the lingering thoughts of her former reality. Her mind was clear. The answer was clear.

Essairyn determined to live a new existence.

Author's Note

This was originally accompanied by an illustrated story version on Webtoons.
There's a lot of imagery in the beginning as it's the focus of world creation and important to the main character. However, there are more action scenes, actually, starting right after this chapter one excerpt. ;)
To pick up where this leaves off, read Chapter Two.
https://www.wattpad.com/661495362-my-world-to-live-chapter-two-1-8

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[Chryiss]

NOTICE:

I moved the story for lack of an audience on Wattpad to Webnovel.com and RoyalRoad.com~ There are almost "book pages" worth of reading, so hop on over if you're interested in continuing the story! Just searched up the same title name and author name~! (: