A laugh erupted from the whisperer. I was so tempted to turn to look at the whisperer in their face. "Arran, ignore the sounds, walk diagonally forward to the left approximately 45 degrees," she ordered. The laughter got louder to where it's piercing my ears.
I was trembling in fear, too afraid to move, I stood still. "Come on, Arran! You can do this!" my guardian angel encouraged. I took a deep breath and counted my steps after measuring approximately 45 degrees. I could hear the laughter getting further from me.
"Now Arran, face straight and run. Don't open your eyes, don't think about anything, just run as fast as you can," she instructed very carefully. I took a deep breath and started running, I could hear things dropping down heavily behind me. "Do not stop running unless you feel like you've entered another medium of air!" She yelled and her voice slowly turns back into the echoes in my head.
I kept running and running and it feels like the world is falling apart behind me and all I could ever do is just run and run. My legs feel like it's giving up on me. My breath running out and my lungs giving in. 'Keep running, just keep running,' she said in my head. Loud growls and scary maniac laughs from my back feel like they are chasing me. They are gradually getting louder and nearer. My instinct ordering me to go quicker and allowing myself to sprint faster than my initial body capacity is able to.
"My legs are getting heavier!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. It feels like rocks are sticking to my feet and monsters tugging at my ankle causing me to fall and the impact caused me to open my eyes slightly to see my hands disappeared into a liquid-like medium but look exactly like the normal world. 'Get out! quick! crawl if you have to!' my guardian angel echoes loudly, demanding me to get out quickly. I pulled myself further out of this loop into the real world. I tried getting out the moment half of my body got out of the loop.
It feels like my leg is getting pulled back into the loop. I raised my head to see Rhea. I immediately called out to her to help me out. She didn't hear me and didn't turn around. I dragged myself and held onto the ground for support. 'Come on Arran, just a little bit more, get out, get out!' she echoes, getting impatient with me getting so long to get out. "What the hell do you think I'm doing?" I asked, screaming at whatever at all that can hear.
It feels like my body is getting ripped apart with me trying to get out and the monsters trying to get me back in. I screech at the stinging pain on the lower part of my body. I dread myself further until I was able to flip myself and pull my leg out.
After a painful pull, my leg was out of that time loop trap, I gasp loudly and tried to calm my heart that is beating as fast as an express train. 'Good job, Arran. You actually got out alive without crying for your mother,' she snickers proudly. I took my water bottle out of my bag and took a long gulp. "Water has never tasted so good in my life!" I exclaimed exaggeratively after finishing every last drop of water there is in the bottle.
I looked back at the direction I came in and I saw Rhea walking towards me, still counting steps. I stood up and jogged towards her. "Hey, where have you been? I've waited for so long for you," I snorted. I've decided to not tell her about that experience because I honestly doubt she will listen and believe my words anyway. "81.....82....., Oh hi Josh..... 84.....," she greeted and continued her steps. Has she really not noticed that I've been gone for basically the whole journey?
"Hey! My name is not Josh!" I stated angrily. She just shrugged her shoulders as if it meant nothing and continues her steps. I follow every single step she took and we ended the 93rd step on one of the two ends of the Lost Path. "We made it!" She squealed in enthusiasm. I nodded along to show a similar excitement to her success. In all honestly, I'm more than happy to reach so we can go back quicker. I can't wait to leave this place.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go meet the elder guardian of the forest," I said, pushing her to go. We took a step towards the other end of the path and it seems like we have entered another dimension. A huge mansion appeared in front of us as if it was built from scratch just for us. Thousands of gentle sprites of the forest line up, paving a beautiful welcoming path for us. I saw Rhea's eyes light up like a kid in the candy store. I guess this is her childhood dream, maybe?
Sounds of birds singing in chorus and wolves howling in a melodious harmony as they serenade everyone nearby. The sounds of nature mixed with the wonderful scent of flowers and the aesthetic scent of the earth just make the ambiance of the places so relaxing and airy. "Our elder guardian has been waiting for you for a while, please step in and make yourself at home," a spirit bowed and welcomed us in.
He leads us towards the mansion where two guards open the grand door for us. I quickly thanked the guards and headed into the mansion behind Rhea and the spirit earlier. Rhea looked around the humongous room that is beautifully decorated with vibrant vines, making the room very aesthetically pleasing. The spirit showed us to a huge opening that is covered with a vine-like door further down the hallway, "He is waiting to entertain food sumptuously with the both of you."