Savin was met with an endless morning sky, its soft hues of pale blue stretching across the horizon, kissed by the golden light of a rising sun. Below it, rolling fields of lush green swayed gently in the wind, their blades catching the sunlight like rippling waves on an emerald sea. Towering mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks crowned with mist, standing like silent guardians over the untouched land. The air was crisp, pure in a way he had never known, carrying the faint scent of earth and grass.
For someone born in the slums of a post-apocalyptic, futuristic world, where the sky was often choked by smog and the ground was nothing but metal and decay, this was something beyond beauty. It was overwhelming, almost unreal, as if he had stepped into a dream of a world that had never known ruin. To him, it was like a painting touched by divinity.
'Woah! So beautiful.'
He turned his head slowly from left to right, drinking in the landscape as if trying to memorize every detail, as if afraid it might disappear the moment he blinked. The sheer vastness, the untouched beauty—this was a sight that should have only belonged to the middle and upper classes, the kind of view reserved for those who lived in luxury, far from the filth and ruin of the slums. And yet, here he was, standing in the middle of it, reveling in a beauty he had never thought he would see.
But that brought about a question.
'Where am I?'
And then another.
'How did I get here?'
'What's going on?'
'Wasn't I just in an alley and…'
The memory crashed into him like a tidal wave—the unbearable agony, the relentless tolling of the bells, the sheer, mind-breaking torment that had consumed him whole. His breath hitched as a cold shiver ran down his spine. He should be dead. No one could have survived that. If not dead, then surely broken beyond repair. And yet, here he stood.
Then, a thought struck him, simple yet chilling in its implication.
'Ah, so I'm dead. Is this where they call heaven?'
His gaze swept across the endless green fields once more.
'Why am I in a field, though?'
It wasn't what he had imagined. He had heard stories, even in the slums, of what came after death—golden gates, cities of light, warm welcomes. But here? Nothing but open land and silence. He was sure it wasn't hell.
Frowning, he cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Uh... hello?" His voice felt small against the vast emptiness, carried away by the breeze. He stood there, waiting, half-expecting something, anything, to respond.
Nothing.
He took two tentative steps forward, only to pause as the sun's light seared his just-awoken eyes. Grimacing, he raised a hand to shield them, squinting up at the sky.
'Didn't they say angels would come down to guide us?'
His lips curled into a dry smirk.
'Angels my ass.'
This place was empty. Desolate. If this was heaven, it wasn't much of one. The land stretched endlessly in every direction, fading into the horizon and far beyond. It was clear that no one was coming.
With a sigh, he set his gaze forward and started walking.
'I hope I meet someone along the way,' he thought, though he wasn't sure if he really wanted to find out who or what was waiting for him.
***
How long had Savin been walking? Minutes? Hours? Days? He had no way of knowing. The passage of time had become meaningless, lost somewhere between the breathtaking scenery and the relentless heat of the sun, which seemed intent on boiling his skull from the inside out.
His feet ached, his throat burned, and an uncomfortable dryness coated his tongue. The thirst was unbearable, a gnawing discomfort that refused to be ignored. He had seen nothing—no streams, no ponds, not even a puddle. How could there be so much endless green without a single source of water? It made no sense.
His vision blurred at times, his mind swaying on the edge of delirium, but each time, a sharp slap to his own cheek kept him tethered to reality.
He forced himself to move forward, step by agonizing step, even as exhaustion weighed him down like iron chains. Then, finally, as he reached the top of a hill, salvation appeared on the horizon.
A tree.
But not just any tree.
It was massive, towering over the land like a guardian of some forgotten world. Its trunk was thick and sturdy, its bark shimmering with a golden hue that reflected the sunlight in a way that seemed almost unnatural. Its branches stretched wide, their leaves glowing faintly, each one catching the light and casting dazzling beams that pierced the air like holy rays descending from the heavens.
And around it… floating motes of light, drifting lazily in the air like tiny embers of something ancient and mystical.
Savin's breath caught in his throat.
'What… is this place?'
The exhaustion, the heat, the thirst, none of it seemed to matter anymore. His gaze was locked onto the tree, his body moving forward instinctively. From where he stood, it almost seemed to be calling to him, whispering something just out of reach, luring him closer with its impossible beauty.
He didn't resist.
"Well, hello there," he muttered, his voice hoarse but tinged with something like reverence.
His legs felt weak, his head was spinning, but he kept walking. Step by step.
As Savin approached the tree, he could hear a sound. For the first time, he heard a sound in this place that did not come from him. It was satisfying, and he felt grateful, but what exactly was making that noise? He couldn't wait to find out.
***
After several minutes of walking, his steps growing heavier with each one, Savin finally reached the tree. Up close, it was far more massive than it had appeared from a distance, easily rivaling the towering apartment complex where he had once lived. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming, but there was no time to stand in awe.
A sound reached his ears, faint at first but growing clearer with each step. Rushing water.
His body moved before his mind could process it, his legs carrying him toward the source. It was coming from behind the tree.
He rounded the trunk, expecting a stream or a small waterfall, but what he found instead was something… strange.
At the base of the tree was a wide, shallow hole filled with crystal-clear water. Above it, embedded in the tree's golden bark, was a hollow where water flowed out in a steady, endless stream. The water fell into the pool below, yet despite its constant flow, the pool never overflowed. There was no visible drainage, no cracks or openings in the ground where the water could escape. It simply remained—full, pristine, untouched by the laws of nature.
But the strangest thing? The pool wasn't formed from dirt or stone. It was molded from concrete.
'Concrete?'
A flash of confusion passed through his mind, but it was fleeting. He was far too thirsty to care.
Without hesitation, Savin dropped to his knees and plunged his hands into the cool water. He scooped up a handful and brought it to his lips, drinking greedily.
The moment the water touched his tongue, he froze.
It was sweet.
Not just refreshing, not just pure—but sweet, like spring nectar drawn straight from a flower.
He drank more, gulping it down in desperation, feeling its soothing chill spread through his body. Every sip chased away the fatigue, the dizziness, the burning in his throat. His aching muscles relaxed, his pounding head grew lighter, and for the first time since waking up in this strange world, he felt truly alive.
Why was the water sweet? Why was it so impossibly clean? Why was there a concrete basin in the middle of nowhere?
Savin didn't care.
All that mattered was that he had found water. And for now, that was enough.
After finishing his drink, Savin leaned back against the golden bark of the tree, letting the cool shade of its shimmering leaves offer him respite from the relentless sun. He exhaled slowly, his body finally relaxing after what felt like an eternity of exhaustion and thirst. But even as comfort settled over him, his mind refused to rest.
This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. How else could he have woken up in an unfamiliar land and sat beneath a massive golden tree, drinking from an impossibly pure water source? None of it made sense.
'What did they call these again? Lucid dreams?'
If that was the case, all he had to do was wait.
'I'll just sit here until I wake up.'
Yet as time stretched on, nearly two hours passing with no sign of change, doubt crept in. His limbs ached from the long walk, his eyelids felt heavier, and a dull fatigue pressed against his thoughts.
'Should I sleep? Maybe that'll wake me up.'
It was a simple idea, but it made sense. If this truly was a dream, then drifting off might return him to reality. And even if it didn't, he was too tired to care. The exhaustion in his bones was real enough.
He scoffed at the thought, but before he could finish the gesture, a yawn forced its way out.
'Can dreams really make someone this exhausted?'
'Whatever. It doesn't matter.'
With a quiet sigh, he lowered himself onto the grass. The soft blades cradled him, cool and soothing against his skin, a stark contrast to the heat that had plagued him moments ago. A strange sense of calm settled over him, lulling him deeper into rest.
'Feels nice...'
His thoughts drifted, fading into the silence. Before he could think any further, his body surrendered, and soon, sleep took him.
***
Savin opened his eyes once more, his vision still hazy from the lingering fog of sleep. The first thing he noticed was the feel of soft grass beneath him, cool and damp from the night air. Behind him, the massive golden tree loomed, its towering trunk stretching high into the sky. Its leaves shimmered faintly, casting a dim glow over the land beneath its shade.
The world beyond the tree, however, was different. He expected the familiar warmth of daylight, but instead, there was only a muted glow—far softer than the sun's radiance. The thick canopy above obscured much of the sky, but through gaps in the sprawling branches, he glimpsed a vast expanse of darkness speckled with stars. A night sky, breathtaking and unfamiliar.
'So I couldn't wake up… what the hell?'
Savin groaned, rubbing his eyes before sitting up. His body felt well-rested, almost too well-rested, as if the exhaustion from his long trek earlier had been completely erased. But the confusion in his mind only deepened.
'If sleeping didn't work, then how do I wake up?'
'This is bothersome.'
His feet carried him in slow circles beneath the golden canopy, the soft grass cushioning each step. The stillness of the night was oddly peaceful, the distant twinkling of stars casting an ethereal glow across the vast fields beyond the tree's shade.
His sister, Robin, had always talked about something called "moon bathing." He never really understood what purpose it served, but she had sworn by its effects, claiming it was one of the most enjoyable things in the world.
'Maybe now's the perfect time to try it out… even if this is just a dream, right?'
A small, amused smile crept onto his face as he stepped out from under the tree's protective shade, allowing the soft night light to wash over him. He looked up at the sky to view the beautiful moon but then... He froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
His entire body went still as his gaze locked onto the second glowing sphere hanging in the heavens and for a moment, his mind refused to process what he was seeing.
The world around him, the vast expanse of stars, the quiet hum of the night—all of it faded into the background as a terrifying realization settled in.
He may have dropped out of school at an early age, but even he knew what he was seeing. This was no moon, it was...
"Earth?"