Chapter 20 – Scattered

THERE WE SEE THE WHIRLPOOL.

AUREN: Let's jump in.

Sunny: "You go first."

Sunny: "Why should I? You're the cool one—the guy who punched that bastard!"

Auren brushed his hand through his hair and smiled softly. "You think I'm cool? Your words don't exactly make me happy."

Rose smirked. "We can see how happy you look, though."

Auren: "Still… we should all jump together."

Rose: "That's the best idea."

Sunny: "Alright. On the count of 1… 2… 3—jump!"

They soared through the air, suspended for a few magical seconds. Below them, the mountain's mist curled into the sky, a waterfall crashed into a glowing whirlpool, and clouds brushed past like silk. In midair, they grabbed each other's hands, forming a triangle—frozen in a moment they'd never forget.

SPLASH!

The whirlpool swallowed them whole. Their hands slipped apart. Darkness. Silence. Separation.

✦ Auren's POV ✦

Auren: "Where am I…? Rose? Sunny?!"

He looked around. A strange, dazzling world stretched before him. Towering buildings made of colorful, transparent material shimmered in the sunlight. The ground beneath his feet was paved with glossy black bricks.

Auren: "Is this… the Scholar's Plateau?"

He tried to recall what happened. They fell. The whirlpool. They were separated.

Mountains loomed in every direction. They must be here somewhere.

✦ Rose's POV ✦

Rose: "Gross! Gross! Why am I stuck in this shitty place?!"

She found herself in what looked like a cattle barn—filthy, noisy, and not where she expected to land. Nearby stood a strange clock tower made of colored transparent stone.

Rose: "Where the hell are Auren and that brat Sunny?"

She took a shaky breath. Why… why do I feel lonely?

Why do I see your smiling face, Auren… Why now?

She pressed her hands to her chest, eyes lowered.

Rose: "Is it because… I need it? No! No, no, no!"

She shook her head wildly, then whispered:

Rose: "Am I missing him? Already…?"

Her stomach growled.

Rose (softly): "Auren, where are you… Bring me close to your chest again. Please… be near."

She kicked a stone in frustration and began walking.

✦ Sunny's POV ✦

Sunny crashed onto a patch of grass in front of a small building.

Sunny: "Ouch! Am I dead? Is this heaven?"

He blinked around. "Wait... this doesn't look like the heaven Grandpa told me about…"

He patted himself down.

Sunny: "I'm alive! Oh, thank god—what a miracle!"

✦ Auren Again ✦

Auren (thinking): Why do I feel something here? An emotion? A connection? This land… makes me feel anxious.

Auren: "I need to find Rose."

✦ Meanwhile—Aster & Levi ✦

Aster and Levi approached the whirlpool valley.

Aster: "I can sense the boy. He's nearby… We need to find him."

✦ Sunny (again) ✦

Sunny looked around, then gasped.

Sunny: "Wait—my sister! She must be somewhere here!"

His heart pounded as he sprinted across the open streets.

Sunny: "Sakura!! Where are you?! Hey Sakura! It's me, Sunny! Your little brother! Can you hear me?!"

✦ Reunion ✦

Auren (whispering): "I hear Sunny's voice…"

Auren: "Hey Sunny! Where are you?!"

Sunny: "Auren?! I'm here!"

They turned a corner and ran into each other.

Auren: "Where's Rose?"

Sunny: "I haven't seen her. I just started looking for my sister... she has to be here somewhere. I have to find her—it's been so long."

Auren: "I understand. Let's find them both."

✦ Rose ✦

Rose: "This place feels so empty… Does anyone even live here?"

She looked around cautiously.

Rose: "Whatever… I need to find Auren."

Auren: "Let's go to that big building—it looks like the headquarters of this land."

Sunny: "Yeah! She might be there!"

Sunny's eyes lit up again—hope returned to his face.

Mission: Find Sakura.

And maybe… find themselves, too

Scene: Streets of the Scholar's Plateau—Late Afternoon

Auren and Sunny walk through the strange glowing streets, surrounded by towering structures of crystal and metal.

Narration: Cyber signals began to flicker through the air as mechanical lions lined up near the sidewalk, waiting for travelers.

Sunny: "Whoa… cyber lions?" Auren nods. "Let's take one. It'll be faster."

They both hop onto the back of a cyber lion, and it lets out a soft mechanical purr before launching forward with a smooth hiss. The city whirls past them—holograms, glowing trees, and floating market stalls.

Narration: They headed toward the center of the Scholar's Plateau—toward the heart of it all. A massive structure emerged ahead: a palace carved from shimmering crystal, like a dream painted into reality. Elegant. Luxurious. Alive with power.

Sunny: eyes lighting up "Finally! People! There are people here!"

They jumped off the lion and rushed toward the crystalline gates. Tall guards in sleek armor stood on both sides, staffs glowing in their hands.

Auren: calm but urgent "Excuse me… Have you seen a girl wearing a blue skirt? She has a blue flower in her hair."

Guard: shakes head "No. We haven't seen anyone like that."

Sunny stepped forward, his voice trembling with hope and pain.

Sunny: "Hey… guard, where is Sakura? The elite mage who was appointed protector here..."

His eyes filled with tears, but he kept speaking, wiping his face roughly.

Sunny: "She's my sister. Please… please tell me where she is!"

He grabbed the guard's collar desperately.

Sunny: "Please… I need to know!"

Guard: firm but understanding. "Let me go inside and ask. Wait here."

As the guard walked away, Auren turned to Sunny.

Auren: "Sunny… I think I should go. I need to keep searching for Rose."

Sunny bows deeply, filled with emotion. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me. It means a lot."

Sunny: "Take the cyber lion with you. He'll help. And when you find her… just toss him into water. He'll vanish."

Auren gave a small smile and nodded before disappearing into the city.

Moments later, the guard returned.

Guard: "You may enter. They've accepted your request."

But Auren was already gone.

Inside the Royal Palace of the Plateau

Sunny stepped through the gate, and for a moment, his feet froze. 

This place didn't feel real. 

Huge crystal towers stretched into the sky as if they had grown, not been built. Light passed through him, splitting into colors that danced on the stone ground. The walls were visualized; some looked like glass, while others resembled frozen clouds, but all of it felt alive. It was as if the whole palace was breathing. 

The floor beneath his boots wasn't just stone. It was smooth and black like polished night, with little silver lines running through it, glowing faintly—almost like stars trapped under glass. 

In the middle of the great hall, there was a tree. 

Yeah, a tree. 

But not a normal one. Its trunk resembled silver wire wrapped with glowing veins, and its leaves flickered like candle flames. It wasn't warm, yet Sunny felt calm just standing near it. 

He took a slow breath. The air smelled clean, not like outside. It smelled like magic or something ancient. 

Above him, the ceiling wasn't flat. It arched like a dome, showing slow-moving pictures. People fought monsters and flew on giant birds, and mages stood in front of exploding skies. The images moved and shifted like memories frozen in light. 

Guards stood nearby. Their armor didn't clank; it hummed—smooth, quiet, glowing at the edges. 

Sunny didn't say anything. His throat felt dry—not from fear, but from something larger. 

This place wasn't just rich or royal. 

It was history. It was power. It was the kind of place where you didn't raise your voice unless you were ready to change something.

Sunny thinking: "Today… I'll finally meet my sister. I wonder what she'll say. Will she hug me? Will she even remember me…?"

He shook his head hard.

Sunny thinking: "No. She wouldn't forget me. Not a chance."

He burst into a run through the palace halls, shouting with all his heart.

Sunny: "Sister!! Where are you?! I'm here! It's me—Sunny!!"

While Auren worried about Rose...

And that's how this chapter ends...