The Infinite... Hole?

The first thing I learned about the Infinite Hole was that whoever named it was terrible at naming things.

There was no hole. There wasn't even a ceiling. Just sky. Whoever discovered these things should've called them Infinite Portals.

It stretched above us, below us, and beyond hundreds of floating islands scattered through the blue. Some were barely large enough for a tree. Others carried entire forests. Waterfalls poured from their edges and disappeared into the clouds beneath them.

Farther away, enormous white ruins floated between the islands. Towers. Bridges. Rings large enough to surround buildings, slowly rotating without touching anything.

And everywhere I looked, tiny golden lights shimmered in the distance.

Treasures. Maybe.

For two years, I'd imagined this place as a dark cave filled with ancient relics. Apparently, the universe had better taste than me.

“Wow.”

“That's all?” The girl glanced back at me from her wheelchair.

“I'm processing.”

“You were much louder outside.”

“I was also processing.”

She accepted that answer and looked ahead again.

Fortunately, the island we'd entered had something resembling a path. Smooth white stone ran between patches of strange blue flowers, and her wooden wheels moved surprisingly well across it.

We continued for a few minutes before something occurred to me.

“By the way, what's your name?”

She slowly looked back.

“You entered another dimension with me before asking my name?”

“You didn't ask mine either.”

“Claire. How about you?”

“I'm Louise. But everyone calls me Lo.”

“See? I just did.”

I stared at the back of her head. I hated that she had a point.

Mochi stretched across Claire's lap, yawned, turned around twice, and curled back into a ball. At least I already knew her name.

We kept moving.

I expected the adrenaline to wear off eventually. Instead, after what felt like twenty minutes, I noticed something strange.

I wasn't tired. At all.

I'd run through five floors of a hospital, pushed a wheelchair into another dimension, and had been walking ever since.

Nothing.

“Claire.”

“Hm?”

“Are you thirsty?”

“No.”

“Hungry?”

“No.”

“Tired?”

She paused.

“No.”

I stopped walking. Neither was I.

I opened my backpack and pulled out a water bottle. Nothing. No thirst. I checked the food. No hunger either.

“No hunger. No thirst. No fatigue...” I whispered.

Claire looked down. I followed her gaze. Mochi was asleep.

I pointed at her.

“She's sleeping.”

“Yes.”

“But you just said you're not tired.”

“I'm not.”

“I don't think we can get tired here.”

Claire scratched Mochi behind the ear.

“She likes naps.”

“That's not the point.”

“Mochi doesn't care.”

The cat purred.

I had known Mochi for less than an hour, and she was already violating the laws of another dimension.

Then someone screamed.

Claire and I looked toward the ruins. Three people burst from between two enormous pillars. A man dressed in leather, a woman carrying a wooden bow, and a boy around our age.

My heart jumped.

“People!”

Finally. Someone who might know where we were.

I raised my hand.

“Hey!”

The man saw us.

“RUN!”

My hand slowly dropped. Not the information I'd been hoping for.

The three rushed past us.

A second later, one of the pillars behind them shattered. Something stepped through the falling white stone. It looked almost human. Almost.

Its body was tall and white, crossed by thin golden lines of light. Three rings floated behind its head, slowly rotating around one another. Structures resembling wings unfolded from its back. Then six eyes opened across its otherwise featureless face.

I forgot every question I had intended to ask.

“Celestial...”

The stories were real. The creature looked toward the fleeing strangers. Then toward us. Its six eyes passed over Claire.

Nothing.

Mochi.

Nothing.

Then me.

The rings behind its head began spinning.

“Eh?”

Golden light gathered between them.

“Why did it stop on me?”

Claire looked at the creature. Then at me.

“I don't think it likes you.”

“IT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME!”

The ground exploded. I grabbed Claire's wheelchair and ran. Another blast struck behind us.

“WHY ME?!”

“I don't know!”

“DO SOMETHING!”

“I'm in a wheelchair!”

“RIGHT! SORRY!”

We raced between the ruins as the Celestial followed. Ahead, the three strangers split apart.

The woman went left. The boy right. The man continued straight.

The Celestial stopped.

Its six eyes moved between them. Then it ignored the woman. Ignored the boy. And went after the man. Something golden was clutched against his chest.

I slowed.

“What...?”

Claire noticed it too.

The Celestial could have attacked any of them. It hadn't. Just like it had looked at Claire and ignored her. Looked at Mochi and ignored her. Then looked at me and apparently decided violence was the correct response.

I glanced down. Mochi was still asleep.

“HOW IS SHE STILL SLEEPING?!”

Claire looked at her.

“She sleeps deeply.”

“THAT THING JUST TRIED TO KILL US!”

“You.”

“What?”

“It tried to kill you.”

I opened my mouth. Closed it.

Behind us, another golden explosion shook the ruins.

She was right. The Celestial wasn't attacking everyone. It was choosing. And for some reason I couldn't begin to understand...

it had chosen me.