?It was an early mid-October morning, unseasonably cold.

  ?"Everyone got their jackets? Make sure you've got at least one bag's worth of water and emergency rations. And we have to leave the cat behind."

  ?The father barked orders, rounding everyone up in the lobby.

  ?"Tasha, be a good girl and stay put, okay?"

  ?Tasha stared silently at Letty, letting out a faint sneeze.

  ?"Are you sure you don't need to eat?"

  ?Laili asked, standing there completely empty-handed.

  ?"Yeah. We can eat when we get back. No one has an appetite at this ungodly hour anyway. Besides, aren't you all a bit underdressed? At least take some water with you."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  ?"That will not be necessary. I shall guide you alone."

  ?Her reply was dismissive, almost cold. Laili stepped forward without a hint of hesitation, clad in a thin, seamless dress made of some sturdy-looking material, and boots that looked like a sketch of soft, flexible plastic. For someone seeing this place for the first time, her gait was remarkably dignified.

  ?"Look. You can see the sun over there."

  ?The sky, veiled in clouds like draped silk, bled into shades of orange. A warm breeze began to brush against their necks as the water receded from the valley floor, as if it had dried up to the very bottom. Though the sunlight didn't reach the depths, a pale, kaleidoscopic glow spread across the heavens above. It looked like a colossal bridge stretching from one end of paradise to the other—too thick for a rainbow, with colors blended as evenly as non-woven fabric.

  ?"You see that yellow line, don't you?"

  ?Laili pointed toward a gap in the cliffs, where a thin pillar of yellow light pierced through the heavens and the earth like a needle.

  ?"A sight one could never behold from the surface."

  ?Phoebe nodded emphatically, as if witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. Unable to stand still, she rushed toward the mouth of the natural tunnel, her excitement mirroring that of a schoolchild leaping into a puddle.

  ?"Everyone, follow me."