"Okay, where am I... Sir?" Ulah's voice quivered with urgency and desperation as he surveyed his strange surroundings. The question hung in the air, laden with unspoken fears and uncertainty.
The bunny before him, Mr. Tumi, blinked in confusion before responding, "Hm?"
"Can you just tell me where I am?" Ulah's voice wavered as he practically begged for answers, his eyes searching for any hint of familiarity in this peculiar realm.
With a polite nod, Mr. Tumi finally replied, "You're on Earth."
Ulah's words caught in his throat, and he hesitated. This couldn't be Earth, not the one he knew. The boy's brow furrowed as he tried to reconcile the fantastical surroundings with the Earth he remembered.
Seeing his turmoil, Mr. Tumi gently explained, "Yes, it is, sir?"
As Ulah tried to absorb the bizarre reality around him, he struggled to put his thoughts into words. The fantastical nature of the place overwhelmed him, and he pondered why and how such a place existed. Why had he been brought here? Was it mere chance? He continued to grapple with these questions, trying to adjust to a reality that defied his understanding.
The bunny man patiently waited as Ulah's tears flowed, recognizing the overwhelming sense of loss and confusion that had enveloped the young traveler.
Finally, Ulah managed to ask, "Is this a second Earth then?"
Mr. Tumi shook his head slightly and said, "Uhm, this is the only Earth out there." There was an air of uncertainty in his voice. "I have a question for you. What are you? Some sort of traveler?"
Ulah, still trying to make sense of the situation, answered, "Well, I am, but I don't go through portals to worlds I don't know." His words were laced with nervousness as he tried to convey that he posed no threat.
Mr. Tumi's laughter, accompanied by puffed-up cheeks, broke the tension. "What's so funny?" Ulah asked with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.
"It seems that you actually don't belong here," Mr. Tumi replied with amusement. "I suppose I'll try and explain things to you."
In the midst of this surreal conversation, another bunny with overalls and a pink bow entered, carrying a basket of apples. She seemed unfazed by the stranger's presence.
Mr. Tumi introduced her, "Ah, this is my wife. Thank you." She handed the basket to him before addressing Ulah directly.
"Want an apple?" she offered kindly.
Ulah declined, unsure of accepting strange food from another world. "What does that do? Doesn't look like anything I've taken before in my world," he inquired cautiously.
Mr. Tumi, in an effort to reassure him, explained, "Turns you into a bunny like me so you can fit into my lovely home."
Ulah's hesitation was clear. "No thanks," he replied, choosing not to partake in something so unfamiliar.
Wise words came from Mr. Tumi's wife, who had been listening quietly. "I agree; you shouldn't take anything from a stranger, especially from a different world."
Mr. Tumi, his spirits undeterred, exclaimed, "I'll see you inside!"
As she departed into their home, Ulah had a moment of clarity. He understood that he couldn't grasp the entirety of the world he'd stepped into. "Okay, let's go somewhere which is warm."
As they moved, Ulah couldn't help but observe his surroundings. The tree that had hosted the bunny's home seemed ancient, covered in patches of vegetation. Dandelions and daffodils sprouted around its base. The tree itself bore circular windows and a small red door only suitable for its bunny inhabitants.
He couldn't hide his apprehension as he watched Mr. Tumi encourage him to enter. "Ah, I don't think I can fit through the door, sir," Ulah admitted, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
"Are you sure? You haven't tried yet," Mr. Tumi insisted, his optimism unshaken.
Intrigued, Ulah knelt down and aligned his head with the door frame, pushing forward. Unfortunately, only his head managed to squeeze through, putting him in an awkward and somewhat embarrassing position.
Frustrated by the limitations, Ulah removed his head from the door, fixing his hair with a sense of relief as he addressed Mr. Tumi, "You see, Mr. Tumi, I can't fit through."
Mr. Tumi seemed unfazed by this minor setback, and with a cheerful grin, he reached for a vibrant green fruit with a minty scent. The exotic fruit intrigued Ulah, who observed it with a sense of discovery. He noticed its pomegranate-like shape, slightly larger and with a glistening, slimy appearance.
Despite his curiosity, Ulah hesitated. "What does that do? It doesn't look like anything I've seen in my world."
The bunny's response was unexpected, "Turns you into a bunny like me so you can fit into my lovely home."
Declining the offer due to the uncertainty of the situation, Ulah explained, "No thanks." He couldn't risk changing into something unknown in a strange world.
Understanding the young traveler's concern, Mr. Tumi sympathetically responded, "I agree; you shouldn't take anything from a stranger, especially from a different world."
As Mr. Tumi led Ulah to their next destination, their interaction had lightened the mood, and the boy managed a faint smile. Despite his initial fears, he thought to himself, "Everything is going to be okay."
Under Mr. Tumi's guidance, they approached a car. Observing the vehicle's design, Ulah couldn't help but express his admiration. "Interesting car," he remarked, his mind already racing with questions about the practicality of such a vehicle in a world like this.
Ulah's curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn't resist asking, "Can this car fly?"
Mr. Tumi's response provided a brief glimpse into the world they'd entered. "No...? Wh- Are you thinking about that place up there?" His tone revealed that the "place up there" held a special significance for the inhabitants of this realm.
Ulah was intrigued and couldn't resist probing further. "Yes."
The brief description piqued his interest even more. "Ah, that place is the citadel, where students would go to, and where the Seven Star Knights, The Grandmaster, and Cesella, Goddess Of Harvest would stay. No one on the surface currently has seen her before, but we worship her."
With even more questions swirling in his mind, Ulah pressed further, "Could she answer why I have this staff with me?" Unbeknownst to Ulah, the staff had detached from him and was lying in the car's trunk.
Mr. Tumi remained silent, prompting Ulah to reiterate his question, his voice now softer, his eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of desperation.
Still choosing not to reveal too much, Mr. Tumi provided a vague response. "She can't."
The conversation lapsed into silence as they continued their journey. The familiar world of trees and landscapes quickly gave way to an unfamiliar terrain.
Upon arriving at the city gates, Ulah couldn't help but look back at the floating city, a striking sight in the sky above. It was a stark reminder that he had truly entered a world beyond his comprehension.
As they approached the formidable stone wall separating the city from the outside world, Ulah studied the guards. The tension was palpable as they waited their turn to pass through the gates.
Mr. Tumi's friendliness with the guard seemed to do little to ease the situation, and Ulah couldn't help but notice the subtle hostility between them. His eyes locked with the guard's visor, a silent battle of dominance playing out.
The young traveler then relented, choosing to focus his attention on the looming gates, giving up on any hope of building a rapport with the guard.
The guards allowed them to pass through, and Ulah couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Something about the situation didn't sit right with him, and he wondered about the strange lettering that glowed on the guard's arm. He recalled seeing the same lettering next to the hospital door he had stumbled upon, further deepening his sense of unease.
As they drove deeper into the city, he pondered these mysteries. The need for answers and the desire to return home weighed heavily on him.