CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54 – THE HAND OF REALMS (PART 5)

Chapter 54 – The Hand of Realms (Part 5)

The colossal hand hovered in the sky like a divine relic, casting its overwhelming shadow across the entire marble platform. The light of the world vanished behind it, cloaking the candidates in darkness. It loomed over them, a silent titan, its sheer scale defying comprehension.

Not a soul moved. Not a scream escaped their lips—not out of courage, but because fear had swallowed their voices whole.

This was not something the human mind could process easily.

The only ones who remained steady were Fiora, her fellow knights, Zane... and Lune.

Zane’s heart thundered in his chest, but his mind remained curiously clear. His eyes scanned the hand’s features—the rough, ancient texture of its stone-like skin, the glowing veins pulsing with alien energy, and the sheer precision of its form. It looked like something carved by gods out of forgotten rock, something older than time.

’What... What is this? Why a hand?’ he wondered, eyes darting to Fiora.

She was standing calmly near the edge, arms behind her back, unbothered.

That was when it clicked.

’This is part of the process... It’s planned.’

As he looked up again, the hand moved—slowly, deliberately. Its fingers wrapped around the edges of the platform like the grasp of a sleeping giant, firm but strangely delicate. The ground shook beneath them, and finally, the silence shattered.

"W-We’re going to die!!"

"What is that thing?!"

"Oh my God, help us!!"

"I peed myself!!"

Panic erupted like a storm.

Several candidates collapsed to their knees, clutching their heads. Others turned to run, only to be pulled back by fear, uncertainty, or their fellow candidates. Screams rang through the air, raw and real.

And then—

"CALM DOWN!!"

Fiora’s voice cracked through the chaos like a whip. Everyone froze. Her tone was sharp, commanding, and absolute.

"This hand will not harm you," she said, her gaze unmoving as she stared at the stone fingers around them. "It is called The Hand of Realms. Its only task is to carry us into the portal. Now—stand still."

The effect was almost magical. Whispers replaced the screaming.

"O-Oh..."

"The... Hand of Realms?"

"It’s not attacking us?"

"It’s going to carry us?"

With awe beginning to overtake terror, they watched as the platform was gently lifted from the cliff, the immense hand raising them toward the Gate in the mountain’s heart. Some candidates sat down, clutching the edges, still afraid of sliding off into the abyss, but the hand moved smoothly—unnaturally so.

The wind roared past them as the platform ascended, the world beneath them shrinking into obscurity. The Gate loomed closer, larger than ever, its glowing patterns now vibrating in tandem with the hand’s energy.

Zane remained standing, arms slightly out for balance, eyes fixed on the radiant portal. He could barely hear Fiora over the wind.

"Brace yourselves," she shouted. "We’re about to enter the portal. Do not remove your necklaces!"

The moment the words left her lips, they passed through the Gate’s threshold.

A blinding white light engulfed them.

Zane instinctively shut his eyes. Warmth enveloped him, wrapping around his skin like a cocoon. Then—

Silence.

Not just the absence of sound, but a complete void. Even his heartbeat seemed to disappear.

Zane slowly opened his eyes.

The world was... white. Pure white.

He floated in an endless space without direction or gravity. There was no ground beneath his feet, no wind in his hair, no feeling in his limbs. And yet, he existed—drifting like a feather in an infinite sky.

’Where am I...?’

Oddly, he didn’t feel afraid. Something about this place felt safe. Eternal. Like a womb made of light. His thoughts were slow, as if time had thickened around him. Maybe minutes passed. Maybe hours. Maybe centuries. It no longer mattered.

Zane simply existed. Floating in everything and nothing. Feeling everything and nothing. It felt like a dream, a very vivid dream, and yet a dream still.

’This... is nice. Really nice.’ He whispered, a small smile creeping into his mouth.

He almost wanted to stay.

But that wish was short-lived.

Without warning, he felt a tug—something pulling at him. Gentle at first, then more insistent. His body tilted as unseen forces grabbed hold of him, dragging him toward a new direction. Faster. Stronger.

’What’s happening?!’

Before he could react, the white space tore away. The sensation of weight returned in an instant—and he was falling.

"Woah—!"

He gasped as the air screamed past him. The light vanished and gave way to darkness. The ground rushed toward him.

Acting on instinct, Zane twisted mid-air, bending his knees.

He hit the ground with a loud thud—hard, but not painful. A rough landing, but survivable.

All around him, others were falling too.

"AAAGH!!"

"My legs!!"

"Ow—my face!"

"W-What the hell was that?!"

Some slammed onto the ground awkwardly, groaning in pain. Others landed upright, panting and wide-eyed. Everyone was disoriented. Disconnected. As if pieces of themselves hadn’t caught up yet.

Zane rose slowly, brushing himself off. His legs were stable, his mind clearing.

’That... was dimensional travel?’ he thought, looking around in disbelief. ’It felt like my body didn’t belong to me. I couldn’t even think properly in there...’

"Z-Zane...?" a voice called.

He turned and saw Elizabeth stumbling toward him.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I think so. You?"

She nodded quickly. "That was insane. I—I didn’t think that was what crossing into another world would feel like."

He glanced around.

The place they landed in... didn’t resemble anything from Earth.

They stood on a wide stone path surrounded by eerie darkness. The sky above them was pitch black, scattered with what looked like stars—but larger, brighter, cosmic. The air felt both still and heavy, like it carried no wind yet bore invisible weight.

The path extended ahead, winding into the dark unknown.

"This... isn’t Earth," Elizabeth whispered. "But... it’s not a normal world either."

Zane’s brow furrowed. "Where are we?"

Before they could question further, Fiora appeared ahead of them, composed as always.

"Everyone accounted for," she said, scanning the candidates.

A hand shot up. "Miss Fiora, where are we?!"

"A good question," she said with a faint smile. "Give me a moment to explain."

She waited until the murmurs quieted and the group’s attention centered on her.

"I know most of you are disoriented. That’s natural. The first time crossing the dimensional veil is... disarming. But you all handled it well. I’m impressed."

No one replied. They were still processing.

Then, Fiora dropped the real surprise.

"However—this place is not another dimension."

The silence broke into gasps and confusion.

"What?!"

"Wait, but... I thought—"

"I thought we crossed into another world!"

"Let me finish," Fiora raised a hand. "You are not in another dimension. This location exists between dimensions. It is detached from all worlds. A place known as... a No-Dimension."

Zane blinked. ’A... No-Dimension?’

The phrase felt alien in his mind. How could something exist outside of dimensional space? Weren’t dimensions the fabric of reality itself?

Fiora noticed the confusion and nodded.

"I know it’s hard to wrap your heads around. It’s complicated to explain the ’how’ and ’why.’ All you need to know is that this place exists outside the boundaries of any known dimension—and it is where one of the many Knight Forts is stationed."

She took a step forward and extended her arms wide, her voice carrying across the quiet crowd.

"Welcome, everyone... to Knight Fort B56."