Chapter 15: Millions of Light Years Away

I didn't feel like sleeping that night for obvious reasons. It felt like a gamble anytime I was unconscious. My time was well-spent stargazing. For some reason, I was fascinated with the night sky and couldn't keep my eyes away.

"Suit yourself," Sothis answered, heading to bed on the white mat. 

Sothis was always laid-back but could also be strict as hell. I could never tell what he was thinking, but he was chill. 

After the sun rose and Sothis woke up, we both did our usual hygiene and headed out to an open area in the plains. 

I thought of working out a little, but I decided not to and opted to stretch for now. 

"Alright! It's time to finally head out!" Sothis exclaimed, turning around to face me ecstatically. 

I wondered why we stopped at a random spot but soon discovered why. 

"This specific window will help lead us to Celeste," Sothis explained while physically picking up a sizable window from its roots and hoisting it to stand on the ground. 

The water did not spill out, only rippling as the mirror swayed. Our reflections refracted from the mirror, reminding me how you'd see yourself in a mirror maze or lake. 

"I could make a portal myself, but I feel this is more efficient- oh! Also, I'll need to make a barrier to surround you just in case," Sothis went on, "It could be under intense pressure and other harsh conditions. It could also help with entering Celeste." 

"Celeste's atmosphere is harsh like Earth's, right?" I asked, finishing stretching my legs. 

"Oh, of course it is! It's worse than Earth's by a huge percentage, and it's much more aggressive, which makes you feel it's alive." Sothis explained. 

Makes sense.

"Also, we gotta add in that Celeste is enormous. Maybe a little larger than Jupiter." 

Larger than Jupiter!? How did Sothis find the entrance to the core so fast??

Curious, I asked, "How close is it to its star?"

Sothis looked up, thought for a second, and answered, "Maybe roughly the distance of Mars from the Sun."

Wouldn't that be way too close for there to be life on it? 

"Wouldn't that be too close for life?"

"Different parts of the universe sometimes have different laws. The size is one thing, and despite the distance, the planet is actually pretty cold compared to Earth." 

Sothis points his finger like a gun and shoots a small yellow orb at the mirror. As soon as the orb makes contact with the water, it splashes, spilling water out. The result is a glowing, swirling portal that mixes blue, black, and white. It looks otherworldly. It reminds me of looking into the water running from a faucet from below. 

"Amazing-lookin', right?" Sothis asked.

"Yeah… It's hard to look away." 

Admittedly, I might've looked unenthusiastic, but that was out of my control. 

"Anyways, now that it's open, we'll be sent directly to Celeste's atmosphere, where its gravitational pull will do the rest of the work."

Sothis walked up to me, placing his hand on my forehead. His hand formed a purple-ish aura that covered my entire body like a bubble shield. It soon disappeared.

"This will shield you from traveling there, especially the atmosphere. Don't worry; it's still there, just not visible," Sothis explained, taking his hand away, "We could just teleport there. Still, right now, something is blocking me from even attempting, so we'll just have to bust in!"

With that done, all that was left was to finally head out. Sothis entered first, and I followed soon after. As soon as I entered, a blinding light was all that could be seen. Not too long after, I was floating, or rather, gliding through a giant mystical swirling blue aura. A bright white point was far in the distance, along with Sothis, who was freely gliding. 

"WOOHOO!" Sothis yelled, swaying from side to side, performing tricks like he was underwater. 

"C'mon, Comet! Ain't this fun?" 

"Of course!" I responded, gaining speed.

"That expression says the opposite!" Sothis retorted, becoming much faster and zooming away until he could no longer be seen. 

Sothis urged me telepathically, "Comet! We're almost there. Soon, you'll enter the atmosphere, and from here, you'll land in Pagonias city capital."

"Remember, I can't be by your side all the time, so we'll speak telepathically. But remember, find Halley Pagetonas!"

Determined to move on, I nodded and braced myself as the swirling aura collapsed in on itself and revealed an enormous planet that covered my entire field of view. You know that feeling of horror when you suddenly see something so much larger than you; put an exponent of ten on that feeling. Not to mention, it had gone entirely silent as soon as the portal collapsed. I was released in a section of the planet that wasn't facing its star. Most of my vision was an immense black; only the dots of lights glowed, showing me my path.

Sothis was nowhere to be found; now, I was alone.

I could feel the gravitational pull start to pull me in. The gravity was strong, even at this distance.

A pit in my heart sent warnings, and a small pain in my chest grew. Goosebumps grew. The feeling of being watched grew even more intense. My head felt heavy. 

I remember saying to myself repeatedly that I've always felt like I was being watched and that I didn't want to find out what it was. 

Maybe the answer will come eventually, but even so, that's not my goal right now. 

I'm Ready.

Let's go!