"What's so special about me?" I asked curiously.
"I know I said that I'd have an answer to most of your questions, but there are some that I really couldn't tell you. A lot's been blocked from my memory, my bad…" Sothis said, wearing a bittersweet smile.
"I won't bash you for something like that," I reassured him, finishing the last hot chocolate.
"Thanks, but I do know that we're in similar boats. We're both cursed and in one way or another, our mission is to clean up our mess." Sothis explained, sitting back down.
"Reality, as we know, is an utter mess right now, and it's our job to fix it. The first step is what we'll do shortly, and that's to reawaken you," Sothis continued, "More specifically, we have to purify reality to bring balance. This could range from celestial objects to different dimensions as a whole." Sothis illustrated this by using hand gestures to represent what he mentioned.
He drew a circle representing reality and dots representing dimensions and celestial objects.
An average person hearing all of this would think he was:
1. Schizophrenic
2. On drugs
3. Crazy
4. Into way too many comics, or
5. All of the above
There was no in-between. It would most likely be 'All of the above.'
Surprisingly, I took it all rationally, if you could even call it rational. I'd been calm and not surprised at all. In fact, I felt disappointed, not at anyone specifically, but in general. What the future held was not something worth looking forward to.
"You know, I honestly expected you to call me a crazed schizophrenic who'd been drugged and was into way too many comics," Sothis exclaimed with a slightly shocked, slightly pleased expression.
"Can you seriously read minds!?" I blurted out in shock.
"Haha! Nah, we've known each other for so long that I can read your mind!" Sothis chuckled, almost falling from his chair.
"Well, anyway, I get the feeling that I'm already used to this," I responded.
"This time, though, we will succeed. Ain't that right?" Sothis announced, reaching his fist for a fist bump. Of course, I couldn't leave him hanging.
We sat in silence for a few moments. The air had a chill that I couldn't shake off. It was strange; just a moment ago, it was normal.
"Let's head out; the view is otherworldly," Sothis suggested, walking to the broken door.
"Yeah, might as well." I agreed and stepped outside, to my awe.
"Woah…" I muttered in utter amazement.
"I know, right." Sothis agreed.
In front of us was a sizable crystal-clear river with stones you could use to get across. It could've maybe been around twenty-five meters wide. The water was so clean that you could see fish swimming alone or in schools.
We crossed the river, which gave me a better view of what was behind the tiny home. A large forest that seemed to stretch endlessly covered the entirety of the backside and pulled closer to the river, albeit with only a handful of trees. The forest had openings separating different trees, although they weren't even. It made it look more natural than artificial.
In the direction we'd been heading down was a vast and expansive plain; it looked more like something you'd see someone make their PC wallpaper. It was nothing short of breathtaking. Minor bumps to large hills abundantly filled the landscape. The most interesting part was the "windows" scattered throughout the plain. Sothis explained that they were like mirrors but were just water reflecting the sky.
"Don't go through them, though; some act like portals. I'm not entirely sure which ones, though." Sothis warned, traversing through the plain.
The sky complimented the scenery with an array of clouds in the bright blue sky. It was one of the most gorgeous sights I've ever witnessed. It felt like a haven you'd find in a dream.
In the distance, a massive tree rivaled skyscrapers. Its roots appeared to have grown from the ground and spread all over the plain. I could only imagine how old it was.
Most of the walk to the tree was spent in silence. Both Sothis and I hiked up hills and through the roots and windows. Along with the view, the breeze and atmosphere made me forget why we were here. It soothed my worries, and I'm sure Sothis was feeling similarly.
Eventually, we made it to the large tree.
"Here we are! This is Mother." Sothis declared, crossing his arms.