Eznar, momentarily distracted by the sudden departure of Suria and Riang, continued his aerial battle with Zirko.
His eyes narrowed in frustration as he followed the icy moose darting and weaving through the air. Zirko, sensing the completion of his task, transformed back into his standard form and landed gracefully beside Purnama.
"You can fight without worry now?" Eznar taunted, landing in front of Purnama with a confident smirk. "Looks like someone is brave enough to stay. Or maybe just foolish."
Eznar sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You know, only weaklings go to Rona. Different look, with neither power nor identity... the truly powerful are here to stay!!"
With a sweeping gesture, Eznar unleashed a tempest of wind, creating a swirling vortex that trapped them within the cirque. The tornado roared around them, a furious barrier of snow and ice that cut them off from the outside world. Nothing could enter, and nothing could escape.
"This guy is too powerful," Zirko growled, his icy fur bristling with defiance. "Let's take him down together, Purnama!"
Purnama nodded, his eyes narrowed with focus.
In a display of unwavering loyalty, Zirko channeled his Shakti into Purnama, enveloping his master in a protective aura that materialized as a magnificent pair of moose antlers. Their icy points gleamed with an otherworldly light, radiating a silent threat.
A surge of raw power erupted from Purnama, crackling with untamed energy. The air around him shimmered and distorted, bending to the immense force he unleashed.
"Hahaha!" Eznar boomed, his laughter a raucous torrent that ripped through the whirlwind. "I was starting to think the stories about your strength were empty boasts!"
His dark red eyes blazed with predatory excitement, burning like molten fire as he savored the anticipation of the coming fight.
Meanwhile, Suria and Riang hurtled through the portal in another dimension, tumbling through a vast, kaleidoscopic void.
Swirling patterns of light and color enveloped them, creating a dizzying display. They slid down a rainbow-colored slope, whooping and giggling as they went. The hill seemed to go on forever, twisting and turning like a rollercoaster.
"Wheeeeee!" Riang squealed, her laughter echoing through the void. "This is amazing! It's like a giant slide!"
"Hold on tight, Riang!" Suria shouted, her voice filled with excitement. "This is quite a ride!" Her wool cloak billowed behind her as they slid down the colorful slope.
A shimmering, translucent mirror loomed at the bottom of the slope, seemingly blocking their path.
"Whoa! What is that?!" Riang exclaimed, her laughter dying as a flicker of worry crossed her face. We're going to crash into the mirror! We're going to crash, Suria!"
"Damn it!" Suria cried, her eyes widening as they hurtled towards the mirror.
"Hold my hand, Riang!" Suria yelled, reaching out with fierce determination. "We can't risk getting separated here!" She tightened her grip, a surge of fear pulsing through her.
With a resounding splash, they collided with the mirror-like surface. Instead of shattering, it rippled like water, enveloping them in a cool embrace that pulsed with a gentle rhythm—almost like a heartbeat.
They sank deeper into the liquid light, a tingling sensation spreading through their bodies as if every cell was being rearranged. Brilliant colors flickered and intertwined, their identities twisting and merging in shifting forms.
Then—everything went blank.
A moment later, Suria's eyes fluttered open. Her vision, initially blurred, gradually sharpened, revealing the breathtaking landscape.
The vibrant hues of the clouds, the sweet scent of candy floss in the air, the lush meadows stretching into the distance—it was all just as she had imagined from the stories. A soft, melodic hum vibrated through the air, a welcoming lullaby that soothed her anxieties.
This was Rona-or, as the Atman on Earth called it, the realm of the Bunian-a world, unlike anything she had ever seen, a place of wonder and awe.
"Uh... uh... am I dead?" Suria mumbled, her voice echoing strangely. Panic surged beneath her disbelief. "Are you okay, Riang?"
Frantically, she looked around for her companion, but her gaze fell upon her own hands, and a gasp escaped her lips. Her skin, once a light cream, was now a vibrant orange, chitinous and segmented.
She had transformed into a two-foot-tall ant soldier with a red beret perched jauntily on her head and a gummy sword strapped to her thorax with a leather harness. A miniature leather bumbag hung awkwardly around her ant-like waist.
"Waarggghhh!!" She shrieked, a mix of shock and disbelief in her voice.
"What in heaven's name have I BECOME?!" Suria examined her new form with shock and fascination, her ant-like legs twitching nervously.
Just then, a cheerful, familiar sound reached her ears, drawing her attention. She followed it instinctively, her legs carrying her swiftly across the strange terrain.
On the opposite side of a calm lake beneath a lemon tree with withered leaves, she spotted Riang.
But Riang was... different.
The lower half of her body resembled a deer's, complete with delicate hooves and a twitching fishtail. Her upper body was an unusual blend: the furry torso of a caveman, a donkey's head, and a reddish, braided beard.
The creature hopped around the tree, singing a lively jazz tune, seemingly oblivious to its absurdity.
"MEEEEHEEEEE!! Hey! Is that you, Suria?! Are you awake?!" Riang brayed, her voice a jarring blend of donkey and human. "Look how cool I am now!"
Suria stared at Riang, utterly speechless. The sheer absurdity of her companion's new avatar was almost too much to bear. What kind of transformation is this?
"Meeeeheeee, meeeeheee!" Riang continued, her braying echoing through the tranquil landscape, filling the air with an odd mix of amusement and annoyance.
Suria felt an unexpected surge of gratitude for her relatively standard ant form. She shook her head in disbelief. At least I'm not that.
"Riang..." she said, her voice firm, "the only thing that's changed is our appearance. Stop making that annoying sound! Time is different here, and we need to go. We have to find the motel Purnama mentioned. Thank goodness you got the leggy form. Come here, my ug... um, lovely ride!"
Rona, a realm of second chances, beckoned to those who had lost hope. It offered a sanctuary, a place to begin anew, free from the burdens of the past. Every soul passing from the outer realm was reborn in Rona with a new physical form, their identities stripped away like autumn leaves in the wind.
Time flowed differently here, a single day stretching into a month in the outside world as if Rona held magic that slowed the relentless march of time.
The entrances to this hidden dimension were scattered across the Earth, appearing and disappearing without warning. They could be found in the most unexpected places: the peak of a volcano, a shifting dune, the heart of an ancient forest, between the alley in the city, or the ocean's depths.
Even within Rona, the gateways were fickle, their locations shifting like grains of sand in the wind. One might enter through the edge of a hill and exit in the middle of a beach.
Entry was granted only by invitation from an enigmatic Invator or by consuming a Dykin seed within a shimmering gateway. Upon crossing the dimensional portal, one's physical form transformed, shifting randomly through a medley of appearances.
The possibilities were as boundless as the dreams that led them here.