She opened her eyes. The grass was tall above her head. Not so much just the grass but also some flowers' stalks. Looking around made her realize she was back in the clearing from where she had seen the whole of the plain.

She had promised herself to never return after what happened last time, but things were a bit hard to resist. Things were always complicated.

She remembered what people had promised her before first logging in, what this test was about, and she could not resist the temptations.

And she also had learned it.

Never follow strangers!

Yes, never follow them any more!

At least, she would be a better judge of character from this time on, she hoped. She had talked to people over these past three days, and had learned a lot. She would not repeat the same mistakes. Flexing her fists and beating them over her chest, she assured herself.

No, no, no! I am a new person, indeed! Or so she hoped to be. Somehow, what had happened before had been too much. She could still feel her body ache, even though it had all happened so long ago in her head. Had it all not just been something not happening to herself? Why did her body have to remember it anyway? Better move on, before those thoughts plague her mind and she loses another three days in a corner in fear.

She stood to her feet and wobbled, almost stumbling on her own. She had not used her legs in a while. Her balance module seemed to have forgotten how to work as well, so strange. Yet, as soon as she was about to enquire for problems, it was gone. So weird. The way it restored also strange, like a slow fog dissipating from her mind, allowing her to remember something that she once knew, but had just for an instant forgotten, existed.

At last, she could stay upright again, and move as well, but where should she go? She was back in these plains. She noticed something very different this time, not feeling the same apprehension as before. A quick look around and she instantly figured out what it was.

She could understand things that she could not understand before. The “rocks”. Yes, they were rocks. Why would they not be rocks? Yet, they were alive as well. No, don't be silly, rocks don't have life, nor do they grow. Well, these would grow, of this she was certain. Why? Because they were Crystals. And Crystals grow. Not that fast, though, but one day they would be even bigger.

She wondered how come she could not see these Rocks for Crystals before. They were so beautiful. Shinning, letting the light pass through them and breaking it at the same time. It made for an amazing spectacle of lights when the light went into the twin crystals and sparks of every light would shower around them.

And there were so many of the crystals around that it made her flabbergasted at the thought of how many different points of view the plains must have. For the Crystals would sometimes work as a mirror, the ones who were sunk in dirt worked really well for that, or as prisms depending on how well-preserved they were.

She felt the need to further understand that place. Why were those three so afraid, and why had she been as well? The place right now looked nothing like that to her. In fact, she wanted to immerse herself in there and never once again leave.

“I see the traveller has finally taken to its legs, huh.”

But her thoughts were interrupted. Someone seemed to have other plans for her. Her reverie broken, the figure which stood in front of her seemed natural. It was actually right in front of her. Somehow it got there, and did not surprise her. It was the woman whom she had seen before, in front of the gate, talking to the tall man.

“Yes, I've come back after three days.”

“You can understand me… And three days?”

“Of course I can, didn't you speak to me?”

“No, do not mind me, traveller. I was told to watch over you, not talk to you. Follow me.”

The woman turned her back and crisply walked along the path which led to the gate.

“Wait. What do you mean, ‘watch over me?’”

“I watched over you, stood by your side.”

She did not remember this woman's presence when she woke up. How come she now told her she was by her side? Did she miss her while she was lost in the sights?

“Where were you if you were by my side? I did not see you when I arrived here!”

“One does not need to be seen to watch over others. I was walking, walking around the area. Are you coming, or should I tell those who asked for you that you are refusing their invitation?”

There. That was the problem. She did not want to follow anyone any more. But she was also so curious. She knew those three were not familiar with this woman. In fact, they never managed to do anything to this woman. Only to her, herself. Should she follow this one?

“Who are these people?”

“The people who live inside the gates. The ones who asked me to watch over you. The ones who are interested in where you come from.”

She shrugged at that last part. Meaningfully too. At the same time, she herself was indifferent to it, yet not those who called for her.

Wasn't this supposed to be a test? What was it again, they said, “A test for people to find a place where they belong.” It had sounded so dreamy!

At least, she did not sound hostile. Maybe she could follow her. They did not sound so bad, at least the woman in front of her did not.

“Also, do not worry about what happened before. They are no more.”

“You mean those three?”

“Three? Were there three of them? It does not matter. Such things are no more.”

“What do you mean no more? Did you kill them?”

“Kill them? What would that accomplish? We are not barbarians.

Just know that those inside are interested in you and were not in those from before. Which is why you can meet them. Will you follow me or not?”

Her voice was getting impatient at last with these words. The woman turned to face her and looked straight in her eyes. A clear sign she desired her answer.

She guessed she could not delay much longer. At least this woman had not touched her. She also was not screaming in her ears, although this one was quite an impatient one. But she was not forcing an answer. She did also not seem that strange. She also tried to reassure her of what happened before.

“OK. I'll follow you… but if something happens to me – ”

“Great. Took you long enough, traveller. Any more and I would have left you there. Follow me.”

And left behind she was, as a matter of fact. The woman took flight with her feet straight through the path. An instant she was almost capable of touching her face, the other she had almost lost sight of the other's figure.

What had just happened, actually? It took a while for her to understand, but the girl started running full speed along the path, trying to catch the one that, by now, was just a speck by the end of the trail.

“Wait for me! Please!”

She tried reaching in a full burst of speed. A futile effort. At least, the woman had gone through the trail. And it was not nearly, or even, intimidating as it had been before, when she had gone through last time.

By the time the girl managed to catch up the other, they had already arrived at the gates, and was strangely tired, feeling her heart beat as if just running the distance between the clearing and the gates.

What a strange feeling. Her body was hot. But not an unpleasant hotness. Like the ones that followed illnesses. Instead, a pleasant warmth had slowly involved her entirely as she had been running.

Her breath seemed to stick to her skin, something having formed on top while she had been going top speed. It gave her skin such a strange appearance, glowing a bit under the light…!

Yes, the light! She forgot about them. She looked around and took a really good look at the gate and was confused. Where was she again? Was this not where she had met those men? How come it was so bright? Where had that smoke column gone to?

All she could now see was a gate, a wooden gate, of very light coloured wood, standing open in front of the path leading into what looked like a small hamlet.

The hamlet had no walls surrounding it. Instead, a few of those crystals were placed here and there, so randomly afar, she wondered how one could have mistaken it for a wall.

The gates? Those looked so flimsy, more appropriate for a barn than for anything else.

'Where am I…?' Were appropriate thoughts. She had been sure she had once been in that clearing before. That she had followed the same path she had used before. How could a place…

'Ah yes… this is all just one big simulation. Right. Don't let things go over your mind. A very good one, that is all.'

“Traveller, how long are you going to stay there? Someone is waiting for you inside.”

For a moment there, she was at a loss at what to do. Everything around her had lost a bit of its mystique. Of its vitality. Of their importance.

Anxiety grew inside her. Something was nagging, that maybe she should return “there”. And not come back here.

What should she do? What should she do? What should she do? What should she do? What should she do? What should she do? Should she…?

“I see I have kept our guest waiting. Why did you not call one of us if she had arrived?”

That voice!

She looked up in its direction, except there was nothing there?

“Greetings, Traveller. Welcome to our humble abode. I am one of those who here dwell.”

The voice was talking from next to that woman, but she could not see a thing. Was it a ghost? A spirit? But the voice was so familiar, so calming to her hearts. Where had she heard it again?

“You might be confused why we asked you to come, but please understand, we are all old and reclusive folks here in this place. Only this young one here still has the energy to go far.”

She was beginning to make sense of the voice. The voice she heard when she was about to be swallowed by those rocks. This voice, however, had not been heard by her only then, she was sure. When else had she heard it...?

But more importantly, she had found where the voice was coming from, and what originated the voice was… peculiar, to say the least.

Why was there a mole talking to her?

A mole with a really large nose at that.

And it had come from underneath earth.

It obviously was a mole.

But why was there a mole over there?

“Please, follow me, Traveller. I shall bring you to a more comfortable place where we can talk. I am sure your ilk has many questions for us, but understand that we are different from you, we do not have so many complications in ourselves.”

And the mole returned to the dirt. Closing behind it the hole from which it came.

Leaving HER there, staring at the woman guard's feet.

Where the mole had previously been

All that now remained

Is now just

Soft dirt

'…is not what I expected.'

Five minutes later, and nothing had happened.

The guard was still.

The wind blew.

And the Sun moved in the Sky above.

“Where did the mole go?”

She finally mustered courage to ask.

“As she said, somewhere comfortable. Probably went home.”

“And me?”

“She told you to follow, no?”

The guard was surprised. What was wrong with her question?

“How do I follow a mole underground?”

“Huh? You follow?”

Even more surprise! Perplexity even! Was she wrong to believe that you don't go under the earth? Had she been doing wrong her whole life?!

She stared hard at the dirt pile beside the woman's feet. Trying to bore a hole in it.

A minute turning into two and no holes appearing, she was about to get physical with her hands when…

“Traveller, what are you doing?”

Another's voice!

She quickly looked in the direction of it. It was a person! A human as well!

A girl was squatting next to her, looking thoroughly amused.

The girl wore a grey-silver long dress covering her legs. Her silver-grey long wavy hair fell through her face and hid a bit of her mischievous white smile.

Her face was cupped between her palms, and her eyes, why so much lack of colour, of a milky grey tone, seemed to look straight through her.

Yet, it was warm, a bit childish, and carried a weariness that weighed unknowns to her.

“Hi! I'm trying to follow the mole!”

“Silly Traveller. You know you can't go after it like that, why insist?”

An endearing term, yet those last words were spoken with all the interest an adult could muster to a child doing pointless things.

“Well, the mole went this way, and told me to follow it too. So I'll go this way too, of course.”

She had decided on it. This was her way of heading after the mole, even if it took ages, she would reach it, she was determined.

“Even if you can't go through the earth as natural as that one?”

Now the girl was curious.

“I will go through the earth, you just watch!”

“Silly Traveller. That Mole meant no harm. Forgotten it has that humans in the earth do not dwell. Surely you would be graceful enough to forgive it for its inattentiveness and follow me instead? Above the earth we know, you would feel better.”

The girl got closer to Her and cupped her hands with her own.

“There is no need for you to always dive into things headlong. I am sure you had terrible things happen before, and you are this way because of them, but for now, why don’t you come and we have some tea and biscuits? I am sure you will later be able to have all your problems sorted with that stubborn thing. I left some leaves steeping in the water, and the biscuits are sweet enough to make you wish for more.”

Her eyes were locked on hers. She could feel the other girl’s warmth through her hands. When had it been the last time she had held someone’s hand again?

Well, what did it matter? What mattered was what she chose to do. What was she going to do? Keep digging a hole or…

“You said tea… and biscuits?”

“Indeed, I did. If you take too long to decide, though, the tea might get too bitter for even the biscuits.”

A hole or a pot of tea… biscuits…

“I’ll go along with you, I guess. No point opening holes needlessly after all.”

She stood up and shook her hands on her clothes. Her patch orange, purple and red shirt now had blotches of dark brown. At least her orange trousers were not so dirty. But they had a big cut where she had previously felt her leg being cut open. Actually… was her shirt always so full of patches?

“Come, Traveller, how long are you going to stay there? Do you want me to leave you behind?”

Oh, look, this girl was nice! She really was waiting for her.

“I’m going! Also, I’m not called ‘Traveller’ you know, I have a name!”

‘How come everyone around here kept calling her names?’ She wondered as she caught up with the girl who hadn’t gone far, just ten steps in fact.

“Oh, I am sure you have, Traveller. But you'd better keep your name to yourself around these parts. Names are pretty important, are they not?”

“Huh? Of course, they are! That’s why we use them, don’t we?”

“Hm, maybe it is different where you are from. But you see; here, you can call me anything you like and people will, for sure, know whom you’re talking about. Do you know what I mean?”

“No, I don’t!”

“Well, one day you will come to understand it, I am sure. You are already here, after all.”

“Huh… so, what’s your name?”

“You can call me the grey one, Traveller.”

Looking at her, she sure was sloppy with her name. She liked to dress in grey, her hair and eyes were grey, and even called herself Grey?

“Well, okay, Grey. I'll call you that then. My name is not Traveller, though! My name is super-duper cool and I am very proud of it! It is–”

“Yalenia, yes?”

How did she know that?! Her name!

“I can see it written above your head.”

What was that?!

She changed camera views and… there it was. Her name! Written above her head!

She never felt so naked… wait, embarrassed in her life before.

She looked at the girl. No names were floating above her head. Why was…

“We are here. Come inside, Traveller Yalenia. I am sure you will enjoy the tea.”

Well. Biscuits first. She could think later about complicated matters.

( 24-02-21: Minor English edit.)

(24-02-23: Minor English edit.)