Jase spend some minutes explaining to Lum everything that had happened, however ommiting the fact that Paulia almost shot them.
Then, the resistance's fighters explained to all three of them the overall situation: the different islands were gradually being conquered by the tyrannical king of the one where they currently were, the island of Inversus. They had formed a resistance but were totally incapable of fighting against the king's army and against his horrible metal bird, which hunted and devoured all the protesters.
Therefore, they had no choice but to hide in these secret underground spaces. On the brink, they had managed to find a solution: a box which once opened would apparently allow those who were nearby to meet Citura, who was known as the eagle god.
"Citura? If he's a god, he must be really powerful" Mike said.
"But is it enough to beat an army big enough to conquer all those islands?" Frey asked.
"He can" Paulia confirmed." Citura is the legendary god who created this world, and who holds our islands in place. He controls gravity, and it is said that if this island is turned over, it is a punishment given by Citura for not believing in him. Since then, even kings have worshiped him, and that is why the current king had this metal bird built, to honor our god. Currently, Citura is in its own plane of existence, above ours. The box is the only thing that can allow us to reach him."
"So why haven't you done it yet?" Frey asked. "Do you think that Citura will refuse to help you... well, help us?"
"No, Citura is a virtuous god, no doubt he will help us after seeing the king's crimes" said Jase.
"The problem is that as Paulia said, they are located in a higher plane, beyond our four-dimensional world, where poor mortals like us would simply stop existing. Our leader, Damien, said he had managed to find a relic allowing him to go there whole, but he was captured and... uh, are you okay?"
"The three friends all flinched when they heard the name, "Damien". The main character! Mike and Frey had never felt this feeling but they knew this was it. They glanced quickly at Lum, who nodded discreetly.
"What's the matter?" Jase asked, worried, while Paulia looked at them suspiciously.
"No, it's just that we heard one of the guards say that name so we were a little surprised" Mike said, saving the day.
"Oh, I see" Jase said. "Anyway, we can't really hope for miraculous help anymore, so we're just trying to gather as many forces as possible to launch a raid on the castle and free Damien"
Paulia hit Jase on the head:
"Ouch!" the latter protested. "What did I do to deserve that?"
"The plane from earlier was our best chance for the raid" Paulia said. "And now we don't have it anymore because of you"
"Hey, I had no choice, I…"
Lum intervened and cut the argument short:
"In fact, I think I have the solution" she said.
Everyone's gaze turned towards her.
"Can we know what this miracle solution is?" Paulia asked.
"It's simple, with Frey and Mike, we will enter Citura's realm and convince them to join us"
Everyone was shocked, including Frey and Mike themselves:
"Didn't you hear what I said? Even if you're a fairy, you'll disappear if you do that!" Jase said.
It was then that Lum concentrated and, under the amazed gaze of the resistance fighters, her torn wing began to grow back, until it became intact again.
"How…" Jase began, but he was lost for words in the face of this miracle.
"This is the power of Imagination" Lum said. "With this same power, my friends will be able to survive in the world of Citora, she said. Then they will just have to ask him to arrest the king and free Damien"
"You… are you sure?" Paulia asked.
"Totally," Lum replied despite the worried looks her companions gave her.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we need to talk a little alone with my friends before we get started"
Paulia seemed about to say something, but finally gave in:
"Okay, but be quick"
Lum nodded and went to a secluded corner with Mike and Frey to talk:
"Lum, I trust your judgement, I believe in you and all that, but are you sure it's going to be okay?" Mike asked. "I mean, I know you use Imagination really well, but are you sure you can protect all three of us?"
"Who are you talking about ? You're the ones going to go, I probably couldn't do it myself anyway" Lum said.
"What!?" Frey yelled. "Are you asking us to do something that even you couldn't do?!"
"Well, Frey, don't you remember? On the Ark, you create the environment around you" Lum reminded him. "It is a characteristic specific to humans of the Primary World, which allows them to unconsciously adapt to the environment or to adapt it to them with the Imagination. It allows you to survive in the void or in areas with more than three or four dimensions, and it also works outside the Ark"
"Really ? Well, it does come in handy I guess" Frey said.
"Wait, more than three or four dimensions?" Mike noticed. "Is it possible ?"
"Of course, you didn't hear what Jase said? A higher plane that transcends time and space is at least five dimensions" Lum said. "It's not that rare actually: I've seen stories with more than that"
SSeeing their shocked gaze, she felt the need to be more precise:
"I just avoid going in there" she clarified. "It's crazy how much humans in the Primary world like to imagine themselves as all-powerful creatures. Some would surely make this Citura look like nothing much. Moreover, the adaptation also acts as an automatic translator, which explains how you can speak to these people without problem"
They thought about these revelations for a moment before Frey decided to return to the main topic:
"I see, and so you want us to take the opportunity to ask them to take care of the black creature?" Frey asked.
"No, I was thinking of asking them to deal with the destroyer that chased us earlier" Lum replied.
"Was it a different one?" Frey asked.
eYes, this attack doesn't seem to be their style, and given that this Thing poses a threat to the entire Platonic Sea, I don't think we could have escaped it if she had attacked us"
"So if I understand correctly, even with the help of this Citura, we wouldn't be able to get rid of it?" Mike asked.
"Probably not" Lum admitted. "But hey, most destroyers can't do anything against higher creatures, fictional or not, so that should be enough for whoever's chasing us. Those who can would surely not be interested in us, except maybe Inf…"
But Lum stopped abruptly.
"Except maybe who?" Mike asked.
"Forget it, we haven't seen him for decades, he's probably dead" Lum said. "Citura will be more than enough"
"Perfect, so shall we go now?" Frey suggested.
"Yes, I'm going to go tell Paulia and the others that you're ready"
Lum went to talk to them for a while then came back with Jase, and especially Paulia, who was holding the little box in her hands. Before their eyes, she opened the box and gave it to Frey:
"From now on, the box will emit light for five minutes, then it will stop and people within two meters will be sucked in, Paulia says. We'll have to let you handle this alone, good luck, Paulia said as she left."
"Hey…come back safe and sound, ok?" Jase said looking at them, full of worry.
He also ended up going away, leaving only Lum, Frey and Mike.
"Be careful friends" Lum said. "Even when you can survive in their dimension, it would probably be enough for this Citura to snap their fingers- or rather to swing their wings here- to turn you to atoms"
"What ?" Mike exclaimed.
"Nothing, nothing, forget it" Lum corrected herself. "Good luck both of you, don't get hurt"
She moved aside to join the resistance fighters and a few seconds later, Mike and Frey disappeared.
"Stay alive, both of you" she said, walking towards the resistance fighters, but still with enough distance so none of them could hear her whispering.
Then she added:
"Please come back. I don't want to be alone anymore"