2nd layer*
A bruised, twilight sky crackled with furious lightning. Below, in a second layer of this strange world, stood a colossal tree, its crown piercing the very atmosphere. It was the only source of light in the oppressive darkness, a beacon of luminescence against the inky black. A band of travelers, led by the determined Zelaive, journeyed towards it, their goal: to claim the tree's hidden treasures.
As they prepared to approach the glowing tree, a message was relayed to Zelaive through a masked scout, his companion. The scout urgently requested to speak with Zelaive.
The masked scout, gripping Zelaive's shoulder, spoke urgently, "I have news. Forget the main entrance. We'll be ash before we reach it. The tree has three layers of intense heat. The first is 150 million degrees Celsius, the second, 1500 million, and the third, a scorching 150,000 million degrees Celsius!"
Zelaive gazed at the lava-filled chasm surrounding the tree. "How hot is the lava?" she asked.
"Only 15 million degrees Celsius," the scout replied.
"And what's beneath the lava?" Zelaive pressed.
Her question sent a ripple of shock through her companions. A gruff Orc leader, visibly shaken, voiced his disbelief, "Something beneath the lava? Impossible!"
Zelaive's response was cold. "If you're afraid, leave. I don't need you."
The Orc leader's pride flared. "You used us to get here, then discard us? My warriors risked their lives, while yours remained untouched!"
"It's not my fault you're weak," Zelaive retorted cruelly.
The Orc leader, enraged, lunged at Zelaive, his great axe raised. Before he could strike, a colossal figure appeared, seizing the Orc leader's head and crushing it before the horrified eyes of his comrades.
The giant addressed the remaining Orcs, "Your leader is gone. What will you do?"
A half-orc, half-dwarf stepped forward, his voice trembling, "Who are you? A Nephilim?"
The giant chuckled, "I am a traveler. If you cannot lead yourselves, I will." His presence was overwhelming, his words resonating with power. The remaining Orcs fell silent, awestruck. The half-orc, half-dwarf spoke again, "If you lead us, will you promise our safety? Will you not use us as shields?"
The giant laughed, a sound that shook the very ground. "Shields? We are warriors! True strength isn't just in power, but courage and…," he placed his fist on the half-orc's chest, "...heart. Follow me, and prove yourselves true warriors. Bravery isn't measured by pride, but by deeds. Show me!"
A roar of defiance erupted from the Orcs, their hearts ignited by the giant's words.
1st Layer
Zelaive's alarm blared, a jarring 8:24 AM. School started in 36 minutes. He'd dreamt of soaring trees and molten chasms, a vivid escape from the mundane reality of exams and step-sisters. He ignored his mother's calls for breakfast, the insistent ringing of his alarm, and even his younger sister, Marisse's, increasingly frantic attempts to rouse him. Marisse, in a fit of exasperation, launched herself onto her brother, finally jolting him awake with the reminder of the impending exam.
The ensuing scramble was chaotic. Downstairs, Jazel, his stepsister, stood perfectly composed, already dressed and ready for the day. Zelaive's immediate accusation of her failure to wake him was met with a torrent of justified resentment. Jazel recounted the numerous times she'd attempted to wake him, only to be met with indifference, a pillow to the face, or even a hurled book. This time, however, Jazel's patience had snapped. She delivered a curt "I don't care anymore," followed by the aforementioned book, this time aimed directly at Zelaive's head.
Zelaive, surprisingly unfazed by the projectile, countered with a surprisingly nonchalant, "I remember you throwing a book at me last time. About a year ago. It's okay. I'll forget everything, I'll even accept your annoying voice." Jazel, however, remained unmoved, leaving Zelaive stunned by her cold indifference.
At school, his friend Kent noticed Zelaive's distracted state. The exam loomed, but Zelaive's mind remained preoccupied with Jazel's unusual behavior. Their conversation was punctuated by Kent's good-natured ribbing about Zelaive's chronic lateness.
The exam ended, and as Zelaive walked home, he spotted Jazel. She was alone, carrying a small, carefully concealed package, and her expression was unusually somber. He approached her, noting the flowers subtly peeking from her bag. His attempt to inquire about the flowers was met with a withering glare and a swift retreat. Zelaive was left baffled, muttering about Jazel's irritating behavior.
His confusion deepened. He knew Jazel. She was popular, yet fiercely independent, aloof, and seemingly incapable of forming close relationships. The image of the carefully hidden flowers gnawed at him. He couldn't reconcile the solitary Jazel he knew with the unexpected presence of flowers, and the sadness etched on her face.
The narrative then shifts to their first meeting a year prior. Their mother, visibly nervous, announced her intention to remarry. Zelaive, with uncanny insight, correctly guessed the news, shocking his mother. Marisse, though initially accepting, expressed her anger towards their absent father, Vince Mazerch. The family's initial awkward silence was broken by Zelaive and Marisse's joking threats against their father, a shared moment of dark humor that eased the tension.
A week later, on July 9th, Zelaive found himself on a train, heading to a family dinner with his mother's new partner. He noticed a wallet beneath a sleeping passenger. His attempt to return the wallet was thwarted by a well-meaning but ultimately clumsy woman who, seeing the sleeping man, tucked the wallet into her own bag. This act of misplaced kindness sparked a heated exchange between Zelaive and the woman as they debated the ethics of their actions. The train's departure sealed the encounter, leaving Zelaive to ponder the complexities of kindness and the unexpected consequences of good intentions. The incident left him questioning his own actions and the motivations behind seemingly simple acts of helpfulness. The novel concludes with Zelaive's lingering thoughts about Jazel, her hidden flowers, and the mystery surrounding her seemingly contradictory behavior, leaving the reader to anticipate further developments in their relationship.