As the wind brushed by his face, his feelings of despair lingered. As they reached phenomenal speeds, his troubles faded away. He glanced back and his home city had disappeared over the horizon. Their speeds increased faster and faster. He found it difficult to believe the incredible rate at which they moved.

  “Tyr, how is it possible for us to fly this fast? Our wings are huge, but that’s all there seems to be to it. It just doesn’t seem possible.” Dante called out as they flew over a densely forested area.

  Tyr turned around to face him, flying backward while still maintaining the same speed. “So you think that our wings are what make us fly? Hehe.”

  Dante looked confused, “Well… yeah?”

  Tyr thought he was joking, “Oh… that’s silly. No, we defy every law of the ‘real’ world. Our wings are more of a cosmetic thing but they have their uses. Watch.” Tyr demonstrated her ability to hide her wings yet still fly through the air. “See?”

  “So… I could make my wings disappear like that and still fly?”

  “Yes!”

  Dante concentrated on making his wings disappear, yet again he could not.

  “Bwahaha! You are a miserable failure, Dante!” Phantasm wheezed.

  “Oh shut it!” he grumbled.

  Tyr was quiet for a moment in thought. “I suppose you are just different.”

  He wasn’t convinced of her explanation, “Different eh? I see… so what else are these wings good for besides getting in the way?”

  ”Well, they make nice weapons. I’ll have to show you just how useful they are.” She smiled, turned around, and burst forward.

  “Hey!” He shouted and took off after her, easily closing the distance, but she only responded with a sly smile before picking up speed. They played games together—races through the sky, sudden dives to see who could reach the ground fastest before pulling up at the last second. She usually won, but neither of them cared about keeping score. The thrill of the chase, the rush of the wind, and the weightless feeling of soaring together mattered most. She had a knack for aerial tricks, executing sharp turns and flipping directions, instantaneously. He tried to mimic her movements but fell short, unable to match the precision. Their laughter echoed through the open sky as they looped and spun, too caught up with each other to notice two fighter jets slice the air past them.

  One of the pilots’ voices crackled over the radio. “Did you see that?”

  The other hesitated before responding. “I... don’t even know what I saw. Some kind of drone?”

  “Drones don’t move like that. Should we call it in?”

  “And say what? That we saw two unidentified objects pulling aerial maneuvers that should be impossible?”

  “Check the radar. Are they still showing up?”

  There was a pause before the reply came. “Negative. They’re gone.”

  “Gone? How the—? Which direction were they headed?”

  “Eastbound, but at that speed…”

  “Let’s try to track them.” The jets banked hard, engines roaring as they pivoted to follow. But by the time they realigned, there was nothing but open sky.

  One of the pilots let out a low whistle. “That’s not possible. Nothing moves that fast.”

  The other pilot exhaled sharply. “I’ve seen a lot of strange things in these skies, but that... that’s something else.”

  Dante looked down mesmerized at the world below as it became a blur of shifting landscapes. The dense emerald forest stretched out before a jagged mountainside rose into view. Towering peaks rushed beneath them, gone in a flash as rivers carved deep gashes into the earth below. The arid plains east of the mountains appeared suddenly, their golden grasses and sprawling sagebrush swept like a windswept canvas. Wide rivers shone for the briefest of moments before giving way to another range—mountains sharp and imposing, their snow-capped summits catching the sunlight. Valleys and alpine lakes came and went as they sped over them, the air around them growing thinner and colder, of course, they remained unaffected. Within seconds, the range dissolved into the sprawling expanse of plains. Below, farmland stretched for miles and miles in a patchwork of green and gold, dotted with clusters of towns that looked like scattered toy blocks from their height. Massive rivers snaked through the land, their waters shimmering under the haze of a rising storm. Flashes of lightning flared in the corners of their vision, the storm clouds parted as they tore through the sky.

  A large body of water came into view. At first, Dante thought it was the ocean until he realized it was one of the Great Lakes. The skyline of a large city below vanished as quickly as it appeared. The edges blurred into hills and valleys, and another mountain range rose and fell in waves of deep green. The mountains looked soft from above, their rolling forms shrouded in wisps of cloud and mist. He caught glimpses of winding rivers cutting through the valleys, of small towns nestled in the hollows, before they were gone, replaced by the dense sprawl of the East Coast. The terrain flattened, and lights appeared in greater clusters as they sped over cities and suburbs, each bled into the next. The most massive cityscape yet. A sprawling grid of shimmering lights, skyscrapers stabbing into the darkened sky like jagged spears of glass and steel. The city stretched outward, it was a pulsing heartbeat of human life.

  They eventually soared over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The shimmering blue ocean stretched below them, its waving surface sparkling with the rising sun. They flew down, skimmed over the surface, and blasted through waves. He stopped for a moment because something caught his eye—something strange and inexplicable. Scattered across the vast ocean and below were shimmering lights. They pulsed gently, shifting through hues of blue, green, and violet, like bioluminescent creatures dancing in the deep. But these weren’t creatures or the glimmers of the sun on water. They moved with intention, drifting in patterns too synchronized to be random.

  Dante furrowed his brow. Had they always been there? He thought of his journey so far, having flown over the entire continent in minutes. He vaguely recalled faint glows nestled in valleys, clinging to mountaintops, scattered across the continent like forgotten constellations. Not only that, but he had noticed them before but figured they were blurs due to flying so fast. But something about seeing them now, over the open ocean in broad daylight, caused him to stop to check it out.

  He hovered in place, reaching a hand toward the nearest cluster. The light passed through his fingers like mist, leaving no sensation, no resistance—just an unsettling awareness that it was real. Tyr quickly realized he was no longer behind her and flipped around to meet up with him.

  Dante turned his head sharply, his gaze locked onto the shifting currents of light below. The more he stared, the more it seemed to pulse in rhythm, as though it were responding to his presence. “What is… this light?” His voice carried an edge of unease.

  Tyr barely spared it a glance, her expression relaxed. “That? That’s just synenergy.”

  Dante frowned. “Synenergy? What is that?”

  She chuckled, stretching her wings slightly as if amused by his ignorance. “Well… it’s the material that makes up the ‘real’ world.”

  He blinked. “You mean like atoms? Molecules?”

  Tyr tilted her head, considering. “That’s what the science of your ‘real’ world says. But you’re thinking too small. Synenergy is what makes up everything. I suppose the best explanation is, it's the framework, the raw code of the world you see before you.”

  He looked back at the ocean, watching the lights swirl and thread in and out of existence. “Then why haven’t I seen this before?”

  Tyr smirked, folding her arms. “Because you were only made of a tiny amount of that material. Now that I’ve given you pure energy, you are no longer bound to this reality and can see it for the falseness that it truly is.”

  He thought for a moment, “Sounds like a movie I’ve seen…” The world around him suddenly felt thin—hollow. If this was true, what else had been hidden from him all this time?

  “That’s the thing about the mind and spirit—they’re all interconnected.” She explained, “Ideas, memories, even thoughts don’t just stay confined to one person. They mingle, and intertwine with other minds and spirits, forming a vast network. Eventually, everything converges at a single point—a nexus. And that… is the essence of the prison.”

  That sort of clicked in his head, “So whenever I felt like something copied an idea of mine… that’s why?”

  “Pretty much, yep!” She looked ahead towards their destination, “Now… can we continue or do you need more lessons on this?”

  He nodded happily, “I’m sure I’ll have more, but I’ll refrain. Let’s go!”

  He couldn’t help but wonder how such a beautiful world could ever be a prison. He thought about his life before the modulation. How much he took for granted and then how quickly he turned his back to it. The ocean below was a thing he had never seen, especially not like this. He was smitten by what he could see and saddened by how much he missed out. And it wasn’t over yet.

  It was still some time before they’d reach their destination. Which made him wonder. “How much further until we get to the Celestia?”

  She turned and smiled, “Not far. You may be familiar, we’re going to Paris.”

  Dante felt a well of excitement, “Paris!? I've always wanted to go to Paris!”

  There were many places Dante wished to see, Japan, Paris, Ireland, and the list goes on. You name it, he’s wanted to go there at some point in time. However, his inability to save money, in addition to his apathy stopped him each time. And now the modulation allowed him to see so much more than he could have ever thought possible.

  “Can we do some sightseeing? Since, ya know, it might be the last time?” He asked thoughtfully.

  Tyr smiled and laughed, “We really should be on our way. We can sight-see after going to the Celestia, how’s that sound?”

  Dante nodded, “Yes, I would like that.”

  The land was finally on the horizon. A few flat land changes, and cities later, a familiar structure came into sight. His sense of wonder grew. The metropolis ahead was bathed in lights of all kinds. More so than usual given that it was not quite nighttime because the sun had not fallen through the horizon in the west. He now knew it was just synenergy.

  “So… no one else can see it, right? The light. Like… even with fancy high-tech gear? Still nothing?”

  Tyr chuckled at his cluelessness, though it wasn’t his fault. “Nope. Just us.”

  Dante squinted at the glowing strands drifting around them. “So, what, am I just supposed to pretend this isn’t weird?”

  Tyr grinned. “You’ll get used to it.”

  He sighed. “Great. I find out reality’s a lie, and I can see invisible space glitter. Just another normal day.”

  “Give over, Dante. You will accept things better that way. Glad to see that I’m not the only one that despises repeating information!” Phantasm sneered.

  He waved a hand through the glowing energy, watching it swirl and fade. As bizarre as it was, he had bigger things to worry about. Get Phantasm home, survive, and maybe—just maybe—figure out what to do with himself afterward.

  Eventually, Tyr led him to the familiar structure, the Eiffel Tower. “We made it. This is the spot,” Tyr said as they hovered above it. She floated down, Dante joined her, and they stood at the very top. The city was massive and stretched quite a distance, of course, their eyes could see further than that. Tyr looked on unimpressed, she had seen cities much larger than Paris. Cities that were much more massive than the largest city on Earth. This was just one of many. Cities all meld together in her mind. She does admit that cities typically have one difference, their architecture.

  Dante, however, was beyond impressed. He saw a massive river bending around the city laden with several bridges, he could see large buildings in the distance. His eyes, like telescopes, allowed him to see within the windows of those buildings. He could see hundreds of people going about their lives. They didn’t seem like prisoners to him, they seemed happy to have their purpose. He then looked down and listened for a moment. “Hey… I don’t even know French, yet I can understand every word!”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Tyr giggled as she took a seat on the ledge, “Yes, we’re all super polyglots, languages are just another—“

  Dante cut her off, “Part of the prison. Got it, reality is a prison.” He sighed and then sat next to her.

  “Hehe, you’ve learned!” She tilted her head back giggling maniacally. That’s the thing about Tyr that Dante couldn’t quite figure out. For as beautiful as she was, she was equally crazy, almost to the point of annoying if she wasn’t so adorable.

  She then placed her hands behind her back and leaned. “Isn’t this so lovely? You and I, sitting here on top of the tower that humans think is the most romantic place ever?”

  Dante peered around the ground level. Though many parts were peaceful and happy. There were still many parts that were sad and depressing. A family digging through a dumpster, trash littering the ground, multiple cities of tents nearby, and heavy traffic with people screaming in their cars. Worst of all, people of all ages were on some kind of screen, passing each other by without as much as a casual smile. They ignored each other, glued to the monotony of their tech that Dante knew all too well. The sad faces outweighed the happy ones. He thought that perhaps a world like his could be a prison for some, but not for all. Depending on their circumstances, or what they were willing to do and change. How far they were willing to go. Not everyone but many people had choices, many could choose to live in desolation or live differently altogether.

  Dante thought he didn’t have a choice. It was made for him before he was ever born, by the thing living inside of him. That’s when he knew that he had to do something. He couldn’t go on living with Phantasm within. He thought he could plan out what he’d do after getting it home if there was an after. But then again, there was so much he could do to change the world. And with the power he had, anything was possible. He glanced at Tyr’s smiling face and smiled back.

  “Guess so,” he said, leaning back with her.

  For a moment, silence settled between them. He gazed up at the sky, his eyes drifting further and further into the vastness above. At first, there was nothing—just blue, clouds, and a falling sun. But as he focused, a faint light emerged. The more he concentrated, the brighter it became, expanding rapidly into a long, tubular glow across the sky.

  He stared in shock at the strange object in the sky. “Tyr… what is that? It looks like a tube.”

  Tyr followed his gaze and nodded. “That?” She pointed toward the glowing structure. “That’s part of the Subnet.”

  The term caught him off guard. “Subnet? What’s that?”

  “It’s part of what makes reality a prison,” she explained. “You’ve seen the synenergy flowing around, right? That energy gets drawn into the Subnet and dispersed elsewhere. It’s a subnetwork of reality. It also allows us to travel through your reality with ease.”

  He frowned at the familiar-sounding term. “Subnet… interesting choice of words.” The concept reminded him of computer networking, and oddly enough, it made a semblance of sense. Still, he pushed the thought aside—there were more important things to focus on. “Is that where the Celestia is?”

  “That’s right,” she confirmed, her gaze drifting toward the sky. “The Subnet is quite the place, I might add.”

  “A place?” His brow furrowed.

  “Yes, a vast network connecting many worlds, galaxies… even universes.”

  His eyes widened. “Universes? How is that even… possible? No, never mind—don’t answer that.”

  Tyr laughed at his reaction. “It’s beautiful. And dangerous. But don’t worry, the Celestia is completely safe. You’ll see.”

  Dante sat up and tugged at her arm. “So what are we waiting for? Can’t we just fly in and find the Celestia?”

  She gently eased him back down. “Patience. It’ll be here soon. Besides, you wouldn’t want to travel the Subnet without it. The Celestia is the safest way in and out.”

  He sighed and glanced back at the glowing structure. “I see… Still, for such an advanced spaceship, it sure is taking its time.” Everything he knew about reality was unraveling, reshaped by rules beyond human knowledge. It should have been overwhelming, instead, it was liberating.

  She shrugged her shoulders adorably, “Just relax with me. It’ll be here soon.” She then lay back and Dante joined her. She scooted herself closer to him. They stayed there in silence for about an hour.

  He looked around, impatience growing profusely, “Are you sure this is the right spot?” He asked with a squint into the sky. “I don’t see anything.”

  Tyr, with a playful smile, replied, “It’s the right spot. I have a feeling that my sister is mad at me. What else is new.” She shrugged, sighed, and laid her head on Dante’s shoulder.

  “Does your sister get mad easily or something?” He felt a bit nervous, if she was anything like Tyr – anger issues would be a problem.

  “You could say that, yes,” she shrugged.

  “Dangerous even?”

  “Rightly so. She once struck me so hard that I flew through multiple trees.”

  His eyes widened, “Whoa… That sounds horrible. How do you live with someone so abusive?”

  “She is truly dreadful but what can I say, she’s my sister and I love her anyway.”

  Dante looked on and dreaded who he was meeting for the first time, “Anything else I should know?”

  Tyr looked on thoughtfully, “Um, she hates being interrupted. Told what to do. Controlled in any way. And screams – a lot.”

  Another hour went by. The silence grew increasingly awkward, “You’re sure it’s coming?”

  She gently elbowed him in the side, “You’re so impatient! Lay here and enjoy this moment with me. We have eternity.”

  “What’s the rush, Dante? Don’t you think we owe it to her to spend this time? You should be thanking her! Not being impatient and impudent!” Phantasm couldn’t help itself, it just had to add its two cents on the matter.

  “You’re right, I’m sorry.” He then caressed the side of her cheek. It was softer than skin could ever be. Then he ran his fingers through her ruby hair. Again, softer than hair could ever feel. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth and affection of her. A feeling that he has never shared with anyone like her. He wasn’t sure if it was love or just a spell, but something about her seduced him.

  Another hour went by.

  Their sweet moment was interrupted by a shimmering object that materialized above them and then a colossal spacecraft pierced through the shimmering object, it resembled a portal in the sky. It pointed straight down towards the surface. The Celestia was massive and resembled a dragon’s head with menacing teeth. It was long and sleek as it maneuvered out of the portal and into a horizontal position above them.

  Dante’s eyes widened. “That’s… the Celestia? It just came out of the sky like that… That’s how the subnet works for it?”

  Tyr laughed, her amusement clear. “The Celestia has a knack for making an entrance. It’s designed to be both awe-inspiring and intimidating.”

  Surprisingly, the Celestia was silent. It floated ominously over the city. Dante could hear the people below gathering and taking pictures and videos of the monster that appeared above them.

  “Time to go.” Tyr sighed, nudging Dante to stand with her.

  They stood to their feet and watched as the Celestia slowly descended towards them, its size became larger as it approached. Whoever piloted the ship excelled at maneuvering such a large vessel that avoided buildings. Soon the ship was at eye level, and Dante scanned from left to right. The Celestia was impressively long from one end to another. It was impossibly advanced and floated silently. Dante looked at Tyr, she stood taciturnly, as if she knew what was coming next, and waited patiently.

  He was not so patient. Probably since police sirens could be heard approaching nearby and a helicopter’s blades shredding through the air towards them.

  A moment later, a crack in the siding appeared. The crack quickly whirred open like a spiral orifice. Revealing a sleek, glowing interior within. They ascended and entered the passage.

  He was greeted by an interior that defied earthly conventions. The walls were pristine white, interspersed with shifting lights and holographic displays that came alive when he passed by. One thing was certain, he could not see through the walls as normal. This structure was beyond his ability.

  “This is unbelievable,” Dante said, his voice echoing softly. “It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen, not even in movies.”

  Tyr led him through the corridor. “You’ll get used to it. Keep in mind the Celestia is more than a ship.”

  He thought for a moment about what that could mean, “What is it, exactly?”

  Tyr smiled, “It’s an interdimensional being. This ship is alive, Dante. It was created a long time ago.”

  He looked around and admired the skilled craftsmanship of the owner of such a living vessel. After another moment of thought, he was shocked that other powerful beings existed, “By whom?”

  Tyr smirked and laughed, “By interdimensional beings, duh.” She then reached for his hand and led him through the long corridor.

  “How about a tour?” She suggested.

  He looked around excitedly, “Splendid idea! Okay.”

  She pulled him along until they paused at a large door, “This door leads to the bridge. We’ll come back here later,” she explained. They kept going, “This door leads to various rooms which we don’t use since we don’t sleep or eat. The Celestia had other uses until we commandeered it.”

  His eyebrow raised, “Commandeered? You mean you stole this?”

  “Stole is such a harsh word, more like borrowed. It used to belong to our people, they didn’t need it anymore. Remember I mentioned them?” Tyr chuckled and then pulled him along again. Many doors led to unused rooms. Seems like the Celestia was a passenger vehicle or a mobile housing complex at one time. Amazing indeed. He thought about who could have resided in such a thing. Either way, it was quite convoluted for such a diminutive crew.

  The long corridor was built in a spiral that went around and around with doors along the way until it reached a massive door, unlike any other door he had seen thus far. The construction slid open, revealing a very spacious room with modules. So many in fact that they littered the floor in massive piles. There were shelves, boxes, and crates overflowing with modules. Dante was stunned by the sheer amount of piles of modules everywhere. There was also a pillar that stood in the middle of the room. It was highly advanced, even more so than the rest of the ship.

  Tyr was not shocked, “This is our module collection room. The modules are created with this device here.” She pointed at the pillar. “It may look like a mess… but at least it isn’t as bad as your old apartment, right?” She giggled.

  He rolled his eyes, “Why are there so many? What are they made of?” he asked curiously.

  Her eyes shifted, “The God Module creates them, and they’re made of pure energy. We were actually on our way to drop off a shipment of them to our people, but we got a little… distracted.”

  “I see, so, you seem to have a lot of jobs,” Dante commented.

  She looked at her hand as though she were checking a watch, “Oh would you look at that, time to see my sister!”

  “Wait… what?” He was confident that she was NOT telling him everything. However, there was no time to think about it as she rapidly pulled him along. They left the module room and headed to the bridge entrance path.

  Tyr hesitated before the doorway, “Dante… I must warn you. Whatever happens… know that I meant everything that I said. Okay? Promise me that you won’t hate me. No matter what… okay?”

  “Um… alright.” He responded apprehensively.

  They passed through the first door, walked through the short hallway, and then were at the door to the bridge. There was a raised voice, it sounded like it was groaning with severe rage, a deep tension emanating from within.

  The bridge door slid open to reveal a towering figure draped in dark, imposing cybernetic armor. Big black wings and ram-like horns gave an air of formidable potency. The person in front turned to face them. A cold and unyielding demeanor, a voice harsh and laden with rage. She was however strangely beautiful despite the menacing crimson eyes and streaks on her face. She, too, held a module in her chest.

  “Where have you been?” Sophitia demanded, her voice echoing vehemently as she approached Tyr’s face.

  Tyr’s expression remained calm. “Dante will help us to get the amulet as long as–” She grasped Dante’s shoulder.

  Sophitia’s gaze never shifted to acknowledge Dante. Her glaring attention was solely focused on Tyr. “We don’t need any more help! You were supposed to be locating the amulet!”

  Tyr’s eyes lit up, “Oh, but I found it, my sister. It’s not exactly easy to get to… I need more time and I also need Dante to–”

  Sophitia’s fury erupted like a violent storm. “Gahhhhh! You’re worthless! Must I do everything myself!?” she bellowed, her voice reverberating through the bridge.

  She whipped around, her piercing gaze drilling into Tyr. “How many times must I clean up after your failures? Do you ever think before you act? Or do you just stumble through existence, expecting others to fix your messes?”

  Her monstrous fingers curled into fists before slamming against the nearest console, sending a sharp metallic echo across the chamber. “You had one job! One! And yet, here you are, fumbling like a blind fool in the dark! I should have known you’d be this inept, I should’ve handled things myself from the start!”

  Sophitia scoffed in disgust, her glowing eyes burning with unchecked wrath. “Pathetic. Utterly pathetic.”

  So far, the Kaleidoscopians were proving to be far from welcoming hosts. Dante thought as he remained silent, watching Tyr stay motionless under the verbal assault. Then, Sophitia gestured sharply toward the corner of the bridge, drawing Dante’s attention to another sister—a figure with small white wings, clad in glowing cybernetic robes. She stood quietly at a console, her expression unreadable.

  Huh, she’s smaller than the others. I wonder how many more there are? He thought as he studied the smaller sister. She had an expression of quiet sadness. She looked on at the madness that ensued. Likewise, she nodded and began a sequence to maneuver the ship out of Earth’s orbit. Dante felt a subtle shift as the Celestia ascended.

  As the ship climbed through the atmosphere and exited into space, Dante felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. “What happens next?”

  Sophitia turned her back to him, Tyr looked on, not surprised by her sister's brutal reaction. Dante looked for her eyes, but they were not there for him. He shifted uncomfortably as the entire interaction had an awkward silence, but he steadied himself, the anger and turmoil around him intensified. He reached out his hand to Tyr’s shoulder but was interrupted by a banshee-like screech that pierced the air. The screech was followed by a violent force as Sophitia turned back around and threw Tyr to the floor, her rage pressurized the room and the tremor could be felt all around. Dante instinctively tensed, his energy surged within him. He was ready to fight if necessary.

  Sophitia’s red eyes flashed with an intimidating fury as she could feel the presence of Dante’s surging energy. She stopped berating her sister and side-eyed Dante. She looked at him up and down in disgust. “You think you have what it takes to stop me?” she thundered, her voice echoing through the ship.

  “Just stop hurting her, she’s your sister… isn’t she?” The tension continued to build.

  “Why are you poking her!?” Phantasm screeched.

  Sophitia fumed, “And what would you know of that!? Do not think just because you were given a module and told you have some sort of special purpose that it means you are one of us!”

  Tyr lay on the ground and reached up to her dark sister, “Sophie… he is one of us… I feel it. Deep inside… it’s there.”

  Sophitia glared down and shrieked at Tyr, “What do you mean it is there!? I don’t feel anything! Only outrage that you waste MY time with your silly… SIDE PROJECTS!”

  “But Sophie, he said he’d help us with the amulet. Remember the last time?”

  “OH, DO NOT REMIND ME!” She screamed and proceeded to slam the floor next to Tyr’s face. “This time, we’ll make good and sure HE doesn’t get away!”

  Tyr’s face dropped, “Surely you don’t mean to do that again, do you?”

  “SHUT UP! I MAKE THE DECISIONS HERE! Now… hehe...” She went from outrage to chuckling menacingly as she stood to her feet, adjusted her suit, and stepped in front of a massive section of the bridge that looked similar to a window. “SYLVAYA! Maneuver us around and open the eyes!”

  Sylvaya sadly responded, “Yes, milady.”

  Sophitia, the Goddess of Hatred, laughed maniacally as Celestia’s eyes opened.