POV Zohn:

We’ve been walking for about two months and I’m shocked by the progress we’ve made. We avoided civilization and kept to the rural countryside. Although it was a bit tedious trying to keep a walking mountain hidden, it was worth it in the end. We’ve left an actual trail of destruction in our wake, an understandable consequence. Small, crater-sized holes dot the countryside, but no one will be able to guess their origin.

Talking to Col every day has granted me a new perspective into his life. In some aspects, we’re completely different, but we have a surprising amount in common. Both of us have lived on the fringes of our respective society, although for completely different reasons. We’re uniquely connected in our circumstances, trying to overcome the loneliness that we each harbour.

We are nearing the end of civilization and our peaceful days may soon come to an end. I’m worried about what’s to come. I don’t want Col to suffer in the volcanic landscape. Our journey has brought us closer together and strengthened our bond. The sheer determination that Col has showcased these past months has pushed me towards a drastic decision; I’ll accompany Col, no matter the circumstance. He has given me a new lease on life and I’m prepared to pay that back in full, it’s the least he deserves.

I tightly grip my spear as I maintain my balance, the moss lining his body doesn’t help. The way he moves was a little disorientating at first, but I’ve grown used to it. Still, if Col was bigger, then this would be less noticeable. The changing scenery is quite beautiful for an old goliath like me. I’ve never actually left the area close to my hometown because of my obsession.

I don’t have any regrets dedicating my life to perfect the spear arts, but the beautiful landscape brings a tear to my eye. I’m still far off from perfecting my spear art, but I’ve got all the time in the world for that, thus it’s not my main concern currently. For a while, I’ll take some time off and appreciate the world around me.

POV Colossus:

Walking around, on open ground and not in the ocean, feels refreshing. I’ve spent too much time asleep, but now I can finally explore the continent. I only previously saw this continent a thousand years ago when it was still a barren wasteland, but now it’s filled with beautiful nature and boundless colours.

The gentle feeling of the soft topsoil under my feet is much better than the hard and coarse dirt of the previous continent. Zohn said that the area where we are heading to has unstable soil, I just hope it’s better than the ground around the place where I first woke up. I’ll enjoy this feeling for now, and I’ll worry about the other problems when they come around. Hopefully, the terrain stays nice just for a little while longer.

Unfortunately, my hopes are crushed in just a few minutes.

As I continue walking, the terrain keeps worsening. The wildlife is disappearing, and the small trees are becoming a rare sight. The soft soil is turning coarse with each step, and a strange feeling is welling up inside me. Why did the natural conditions change so suddenly? This shift is too sudden to be considered natural.

“Do you know why natural conditions changed so drastically?” I ask Zohn, hoping that he has an answer to this conundrum. “I did say previously that there was a reason no one wanted to live near the centre of the continent, but I’m also shocked by this drastic shift,” Zohn says in an exasperated voice.

“I’ve never left the area of the village, so I’ve never had a chance to personally witness the barren nature of the continent’s centre.” Zohn continues, and I can’t refute his observations. The surrounding landscape almost resembles a completely different world than the one I just walked through. Gone are the lush fields of grass and in their place, fields barren, black rocks have taken their place.

Grey mountains stretch out in front of us. We aren’t at the volcano yet, I’m sure of that, but this place feels different. The mountains are easily several kilometres high, even at their lowest points, making it an impossible climb. The only way through seems to be a large ravine-like crevice running through the mountain’s centre. The crevice is big enough for me to fit inside comfortably, so it shouldn’t be a big problem for us to take this route.

I carefully approach the crevice, and I notice something strange at the entrance. A weird bubble-like distortion is blocking the entrance of the crevice. If I didn’t approach carefully, then I wouldn’t have noticed it. “Do you have any idea what this is Zohn?” I ask Zohn, hoping he has an answer for this strange phenomenon.

“I have no idea Col, this is the first time that I’ve seen anything like this,” Zohn answers, sounding just as confused. “We need to find a way past this mountain, do you have any other suggestions?” I ask Zohn, in the likelihood that he has a better way past the mountains without messing with this strange crevice.

“We could go around?” Zohn suggests. “We could, but it would take too much time, even for us with the speed that we are travelling, judging by the size of the mountain ahead of us,” I reply. “Do you have any other suggestions?” I ask again, just to make sure we don’t have any better options.

“Sadly, I don’t,” Zohn replies in a small voice, knowing was his response means. “That leaves us with the only option left, and that is to go through the crevice,” I state calmly, trying to mask the excitement I felt. Looking over at Zohn standing on my shoulder, I see a mixed expression on his face. “Besides, you said that you wanted adventure and going into the unknown is only the first step” I comfort Zohn, hoping to calm his nerves.

Preparing myself, I slowly take the first step into the strange crevice. I felt a slight repulsive force as I crossed the bubble’s threshold. The world around me starts to transform and mould into a different shape. My granite mouth widens open in astonishment, and I can barely get any words out. Using all my willpower, I manage one sentence, “I think we’ve stepped into another world.”.