Albert almost blacked out from the fall.
No—he had blacked out, if only for a few seconds.
The sensation of dropping from such a height was far too terrifying, far too long—so long that Albert felt as though he had lived an entire lifetime in midair.
But why was there a place this high?
A water droplet, no larger than a bean, fell from directly above. Plap. It struck his smooth forehead and jolted his dazed mind back into focus.
He lifted a hand to rub his eyes, but the small movement caused his entire body to shift—and suddenly, he was falling again.
Startled, Albert looked around and realized that he was actually hanging from a mass of vines suspended in midair.
"Ah—"
He didn't even have time to cry out before he slipped from the vine and dropped onto an enormous leaf, wider than a yoga mat.
The leaf clearly couldn't bear his weight. Its tip dipped downward, flinging him like a relay baton to somewhere even lower.
"…Thump!"
