They had trained day and night for nearly month with their new abilities, but there came a point where no amount of extra preparation could help them make the jump through to The Nether. If anything, the extra time had boosted their confidence and made the idea of leaping into what was technically another universe far less distressing than it ought to be.
Hansel spoke of it over breakfast. He was discussing a new-found theory that he had concocted regarding the possibility that an infinite number of universes existed due to new timelines being created based on every possible scenario that could or could not possibly happen in every second of every day for eternity. “I’m just saying, how much do we actually know about getting to The Nether? What if I made the jump and ended up on another planet, or landed entirely in the wrong universe? You guys understand that if all this stuff is true then we could use the Cosmic Jump to visit alternate versions of ourselves, right?”
Sam laughed and sipped her tea. “But if what you’re saying is true then it’s already happened and somewhere out in the cosmos right now there are an infinite number of you having conversations with yourself.”
Gretel found the conversation to be quite amusing, but there was only so much she could take. “Guys, stop, all this parallel universe stuff is making my head spin!”
“Okay,” said Victor, diving in on a chance to confuse Hansel a little. “So, say this multiverse of yours is real, then that would mean an infinite number of universes exist where it isn’t. You’ve got yourself a paradox right there, buddy.”
Hansel shook his head. “No, stop there. Okay, the multiverse theory doesn’t cover paradoxical situations.”
“Except in the universes where it does,” Sam added.
“Geez, you guys are impossible!” Gretel shouted.
A sudden rumble sounded outside and shook the walls. The lights flickered. Silence fell. The rumble sounded again, more ferocious this time. Gretel stood up and checked the hallway to see hunters running with all haste deeper into the tunnels. Rodrick was among them. ‘Gretel! Get the others, it’s time to go!”
“Go where?” she returned.
“Where do you think? The Nether!”
She gathered the others and they shuddered at the thought of having to leave so soon. Victor had grown accustomed to the comforting quiet of the tunnels, and part of him believed that he would never actually have to make the jump. But the reality washed over him in a wave. The time had come to leave this world – probably forever – and he had to do it now.
An explosion ripped through the main entrance of the tunnel. Smoke gathered in a thick cloud and through it stormed three large suits of armour. These hunters – though, it was a little ironic to call them such – were clad in plates of iron armour, with heavy helmets and large batons. Nothing but darkness showed in the slits of their helms. There was no monster in the world quite like them.
Gretel took her crossbow and fired a bolt at one of the attackers, but it tanged off his helmet and broke in two. She might as well have tossed a piece of paper at him.
“It’s no use!” said Hansel. “We have to find Rodrick!”
They continued running down the hallway when suddenly an arm grabbed Hansel and pulled him into a bare side-room. There stood Rodrick, and Ling and Caesar, and of course, Mr. Silver. The room was filled with incense. Mr. Silver spoke with haste. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Leave now? What about the others?”
“They know what they have to do, just as we know what we have to do. We must go to The Nether, but it has to be now, and you have to be certain.”
The sat in a circle on the floor and held hands, closing their eyes and meditating. Victor was comforted by Sam’s touch. He could feel himself drifting. “Well, it’s been nice knowing you,” he whispered with a laugh.
“Hush!” said Ling. “Concentrate.”
He began to feel numb, like pins-and-needles over his entire body, and then he felt light as air once again, and the ground drifted away as if he were rising. In a flash, he saw the blue sky and gazed down upon the city of Haswhald below. He was no longer rising, nor descending, or going in any particular direction at all. He was fading – growing thin in a way.
The physical world soon disappeared and was replaced by an eternal darkness speckled with billions of twinkling stars, shining with colours that were yet unknown to him. He was hurled about by cosmic winds, great red and blue hazes sweeping through the nothingness in waves, threatening to take him away. He focused on where he was going. The Nether. He had to think of The Nether.
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