Chapter 62 – The City Between Worlds
The journey lasted three days.
Or perhaps three minutes.
No one could tell.
The path Kai followed didn't obey normal time.
Sometimes they would walk for hours without seeing anything.
Other times, a single step carried them across an entire universe.
At first, everyone was amazed.
By the second day, they had stopped asking how it worked.
Kai simply smiled whenever someone looked confused.
"You'll get used to it."
Eventually, the glowing road ended.
Ahead of them stood a massive city unlike anything they had ever seen.
Floating islands surrounded it.
Rivers flowed upward into the sky before turning into clouds.
Buildings of glass, stone, crystal, and living trees stood side by side.
People from countless worlds walked through its streets.
Some looked human.
Some had glowing skin.
Others had wings, horns, tails, or features no one could describe.
Yet nobody stared at anyone else.
Everyone belonged.
Evetyl's eyes widened.
"This place..."
Kai smiled.
"Welcome to Crosshaven."
"The City Between Worlds."
The huge gates slowly opened on their own.
Instead of guards, an old woman sat beside the entrance, reading a book.
She looked up as the group approached.
"Oh."
"Kai."
"You're late."
Kai rubbed the back of his head.
"I know."
"There were... a few universe-ending problems."
The old woman laughed.
"Again?"
"Again."
She closed her book and looked at the newcomers.
"So these are your new friends."
Kai nodded proudly.
"They're good people."
The old woman smiled warmly.
"Then they're welcome here."
She waved her hand.
The giant gates opened completely.
As they entered, Evetyl noticed something strange.
Nobody seemed worried.
Children ran through the streets laughing.
Shopkeepers chatted with travelers.
Musicians played cheerful songs in the town square.
For the first time in her life...
She saw a city where nobody was preparing for war.
"This place feels peaceful," she whispered.
Kai nodded.
"That's why I like coming here."
Cr-Hook sniffed the air.
"I don't sense any curse energy."
The Warden looked around.
"I don't sense any prisons."
The Outer King smiled.
"I don't sense anyone demanding authority."
The Eye quietly floated above them.
"I don't sense anyone hiding."
The First Thought added,
"I detect extremely low hostility."
Kai laughed.
"Exactly."
As they walked deeper into the city, people greeted Kai everywhere.
"Welcome back!"
"Hey, Kai!"
"You finally returned!"
A little girl ran across the street and hugged him tightly.
"You disappeared again!"
Kai laughed and picked her up.
"Sorry."
"I got busy."
The girl noticed the others.
"Are they your team?"
Kai smiled.
"They're my friends."
The girl waved enthusiastically.
"Hi!"
Everyone awkwardly waved back.
Even the First Thought raised one hand.
The little girl giggled.
"You all look serious."
Evetyl couldn't help smiling.
"We've had a complicated week."
"I can imagine."
The girl jumped down and ran back to her parents.
As the group continued walking, they reached the center of the city.
A giant tree stood there.
Its branches stretched into the sky, glowing with thousands of golden leaves.
Kai placed his hand on its trunk.
"I'm home."
The tree glowed softly.
Then something incredible happened.
The leaves shimmered.
One by one, they began showing memories.
Not just Kai's.
Everyone's.
Evetyl saw herself meeting the First Thing.
The Warden saw the day it chose mercy over punishment.
The Outer King saw the moment he removed his crown.
Cr-Hook saw the first time someone trusted him.
The Eye saw its first sunrise.
The First Thought saw the moment it chose uncertainty.
Nobody spoke.
The tree wasn't judging them.
It was reminding them how far they had come.
Kai turned toward the group.
"This tree has one rule."
"What rule?" Evetyl asked.
He smiled.
"It only remembers moments that changed someone's heart."
Silence filled the square.
Then the First Thing's tiny white flower, still tucked into Evetyl's pocket, began glowing softly.
Kai noticed.
"It misses you already."
Evetyl gently touched the flower.
"We'll visit soon."
A warm breeze passed through the branches.
High above the city, bells began ringing.
The old woman from the gate looked toward the sky.
"Oh..."
"Looks like new travelers are arriving."
Kai looked up.
"So soon?"
The smile on his face slowly disappeared.
Far above Crosshaven...
A second path between worlds had just opened.
But unlike Kai's peaceful road...
This one was black.
And something was walking toward the city.z