Chapter 11: The Garden of Timelessness
As Nathan and Emily stepped out of the Tunnel of Trials, they turned to watch the entrance behind them. To their astonishment, the tunnel shimmered and collapsed inward, shrinking like a portal until it vanished completely, leaving no trace of its existence. They exchanged a glance, a mix of awe and uncertainty flickering in their eyes, before turning their attention to the dazzling scene before them.
A bright sun bathed the area in golden light, illuminating a sprawling park filled with vibrant flowers, towering trees, and groups of people scattered about, laughing, talking, and playing. It was a stark contrast to the mathematical harmony of the tunnel, and for a moment, they stood in stunned silence.
"What... is this place?" Emily whispered.
Before Nathan could reply, three girls, around their age, came running by. "Excuse me!" Nathan called out, stepping forward. "Where are we?"
The girls stopped, their faces lighting up with amused smiles. "You're in the Forgotten Realm, of course," one said, flipping her long, wavy blonde hair over her shoulder. "The fact you're asking that must mean you're very new here."
"We are," Emily admitted, taking a cautious step closer. "Can you help us? We've been trying to figure out how this place works."
The tallest of the three girls, with dark brown eyes and curly hair tied in a messy ponytail, grinned. "We can, but first, we get to ask the questions. That's the rule."
Nathan exchanged a look with Emily, then shrugged. "Fair enough."
"What's your story?" asked the third girl, who had short black hair and a sharp, curious gaze. "Where are you from?"
Nathan and Emily hesitated, but the girls waited patiently, their curiosity genuine. Finally, Emily spoke. "We're orphans. I'm Emily and He is Nathan, or Nate for short. We grew up in the same orphanage home and have been best friends for as long as we can remember."
The girls' expressions softened. The blonde spoke first. "I'm Lily." She gestured to the tallest girl. "That's Mia, and the quiet one is Zara."
Emily tilted her head. "How long have you all been here?"
"Oh, ages," Lily said with a laugh. "The last thing I remember was getting a jab for COVID-19. That must've been... I don't know, a couple of years ago?"
"A couple of years?" Mia scoffed. "Try a couple of centuries. The last thing I remember is watching the first moon landing on Jupiter."
Zara, silent until now, crossed her arms. "I've been here since 1066. Battle of Hastings. Not that I'm counting."
Nathan's jaw dropped. "How do you stay sane after all that time?"
The girls burst out laughing. "This place," Mia said, gesturing to the park around them, "it's never boring. There's so much to learn and explore. A hundred years feels like an hour here, and you never age."
"But what about going back?"
Lily shrugged. "It's different for everyone. Some people say it depends on completing their purpose here. Others think it's random. But don't worry—time doesn't pass the same way in the real world. A thousand years here feels like a day there."
Emily nodded slowly, processing this information. "And what happens when people go back?"
"It's as if they never left," Mia said. "No memory of this place, no sign they were ever here."
"That's... unsettling," Nathan muttered.
Lily leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "For you two to be here, you must already know a fair bit about the Creator, as only those who earnestly seek The Cause enter this realm. Some of those here have a theory that you enter here in your sleep. That's why, when you leave, you can never return, as you can never have the same dream twice. Having a yearning to know The Cause enables our dream to open a portal into the Forgotten Realm."
Nathan and Emily exchanged glances. "We were mentored by some of the elders at the orphanage," Emily explained. "They taught us about the Cause and the importance of seeking truth."
The girls seemed impressed. "Have you met the Order of the Skeptics yet?" Zara asked.
"Yes," Nathan replied. "But who are they, exactly?"
"Some say they're against the Cause," Lily said, twirling a strand of hair. "Others think they're part of it, testing people's knowledge and beliefs. We don't really know for sure."
Before Nathan could ask more, a soft chime echoed in his mind. He blinked, startled, as a faint system notification appeared before him:
"Party slots temporarily filled: 3 companions. Companions are unlinked from the system but can contribute towards XP and quests."
Nathan frowned and whispered to Emily, "Did you just see that?"
"See what?" Emily asked, confused.
"Never mind." Nathan shook his head and looked at the girls. "Would you like to join us? We're trying to figure out more about this place, and you seem like you know your way around."
The girls lit up. "Of course!" Mia said.
As the group started walking, Emily broke the silence. "So, do you know anything about a system or something like that?"
Lily raised an eyebrow. "A system? Oh, everyone here has one. We believe it's a gift from the Cause to help us on our journeys."
Emily blinked. "Everyone? How do you deal with seeing each other's systems? It must make you crazy!"
Mia nodded. "Well, systems are personal. They're not linked to more than one person. You can sometimes see notifications from your party, but that's about it."
Nathan hesitated. "What about us? How come we can see the same system and share the same user interface?"
The girls looked at each other, then back at him. "You mean, like you're sharing a system?" Lily asked, her tone incredulous.
Nathan nodded.
"That's... not normal," Zara said. "I've never heard of that. If anyone knows, it might be Old Man Reggie. He runs the local Guild Center. We were heading there anyway—we'll take you with us."
At that moment, a notification appeared before Nathan:
"Mia, Lily, and Zara have joined your party."
Nathan glanced at the system and saw that while his and Emily's icons were still grayed out, the three new slots now had colorful pictures of the girls. As he hovered over Mia's icon, a prompt appeared:
"Do you want to remove Mia from your party?"
Curious, Nathan hesitated, then selected yes.
"Guys?" Mia called, stopping a few meters behind. "You removed me from the party!"
Nathan blustered. "Oh, sorry! I'm still figuring this thing out!"
He quickly re-added her, and Mia dashed to catch up, shaking her head with a laugh.
Zara smirked. "Don't worry. At the Guild, they can set you up with the tutorial module. You clearly need it."
Nathan chuckled nervously as the group continued toward the Guild Center, his mind racing with possibilities. A tutorial module?