Lana's beginning

If God gave her a vocal cord that's 10 times bigger than a normal human's, Lana would let this whole realm hear her scream. She never got into a situation like this before, and she was sure that nobody was this unlucky like her. Following Blue's invitation, Lana has considered whether she should leave her old world to come look for the Utopia creator. But again, her regular overthinking habits led to a terrible meeting when Lana heard a loud collapsing sound from the upper floor and got scared that the ceiling would also collapse on their heads. She screamed out of surprise, and the whole faction turned their heads to look at her. In that moment, Lana wishes for an infinite black hole for her to fall into and never return to this cruel world again. After the meeting ends, people try to comfort her, saying that they won't mind that and that her mental illness is something out of control. But Lana didn't trust them; she doesn't have mental illnesses! It's just a little anxiety, and she feels like they're having pity on her. She returns to her room and stays there for the next day. That's when Blue's messages pop up.

- Do you know what Utopia is?

- I know. So what?

- Do you want to enter a place like that?

- Uh… yeah? But what are you up to? Did you smoke weed again?

- Hey girl, that's rude, but I'm just asking. We're in a beautiful place like that, a world where you won't be pressured like in the old world. I just want to know if you also want to come here.

- Huh?

Lana thinks twice about this. She's so overthinking, and so countless terrible forecast situations pop up inside her head about tomorrow. Girls were famous because of their iconic hobbies, like paying attention to small details, gossiping, or wanting to lower someone else's reputation. There are also good women everywhere, but Lana couldn't clear her mind to think about them. Her face turned red slowly; she felt like fire burning inside of her, even though this is Lana's room and nobody could be here to laugh at her face. She covers her face; she doesn't want to get out of the room tomorrow. But she has work. If the amazing world Blue listed has no work, she will totally agree to go there. And most of all, there will be no one who comes to judge and laugh behind her for this shameful moment.

She stayed in the organization for the next few days, mainly peeping around corners to eavesdrop on the girls' conversations. She wants to know if anyone is still interested on that day. Lana is not a person who often makes mistakes, so there's not much chance for people who dislike her to dig in and find something to laugh their ass at with it. Now they have. She stopped by the main hallway; there's the voice of at least two people talking on the other end of it. They were making fun of her. This is enough; it can't be saved. With rage, embarrassment, and sadness boiling inside her, Lana turned her back and walked away in tears. Why would people often overlook others' success but will mostly focus on their own mistakes? The thoughts grow to many branches, and before she could realize it, Lana was already holding a knife, standing in the middle of her room.

- "What is this clownish shit? I look like a wretched, heartbroken teenager. If I ever get out of the room looking like this, they'll be making fun of me for the rest of my life."

She thought while putting the knife back into the holder, then sighed. This girl was too nervous to spend much time talking or working; instead, she watched a movie. She wishes she could have enough power and confidence as one of the main female characters to go take sweet revenge. But life is not a dream. Lana locked herself inside her dorm and called Blue.

- Blue, where did you go?

- Lexington? I didn't expect you'd call me back. I'm in another universe.

- What? Then how did you answer the phone?

- This is not a normal dial. I connected it through a multiverse vessel to create a tunnel that allows us to talk. I don't have much time, so what's it?

- I want to go with you. You said it's an important mission, and you guys need help, right?

- Yes, of course! If you ca-

- I'll go, but I don't know how.

- Do you have epilepsy?

- No, why?

- All is well. I'll cut the call now to merge the energy to create a tunnel that delivers physical objects. Prepare yourself.

- Wait!

But Lana doesn't have much time to react. She felt a sudden, strong breeze blow her hair to the side, as strong as it could even lift her. In panic, she grabs the bookshelf edges, the only thing that's heavy enough to stand. A gate with dull colors opened; inside, it looked like a waterslide. But it's much bigger. Its existence is not stable, for the gate has been dramatically resized to be bigger or smaller, and the energy that sustains it is not really strong. Lana hesitated. Should she leave this world just because of a small mistake like that? Then what would people say about her disappearance? They will surely say things like, "Oh, this girl is so weak that just accidentally screaming in the middle of a meeting can leave her broken." or "I'd love to see where they find her corpse; that baby might have committed suicide!". All of those cruel words fill her brain. And she knows clearly the consequences of traveling through universes. What if it fails? Will she forever get lost in time and space? That thought scared her. Lana looks so pale, her wide eyes open, glued onto the fainting tunnel gate. But then, all of those words will not be important and will not be heard by her; those cannot hurt her feelings when she is already not in this world. Blue seems to be struggling to keep the gate open, so she shouldn't waste the chance.

When Lana opened her eyes, she found herself in a very colorful place. It seems energetic, with lots of moving shapes everywhere. She has no idea what she's going to do. Where is Blue? Is this the place she should arrive, or... Her thought fell into a creepy theory: she might end up in another universe while using the tunnel. She can't call Blue; there's no sign of a signal here, not even a normal or multiverse one. But before Lana could fret, some lights flickered in her sight, and when she tried to look closer, they seemed like earthly scenery. Futuristic fantasy cities, forests, and beautiful seashores—all of them appeared at once. She doesn't know which one Blue is in. Why that girl doesn't give any further information? She hesitated again. Where is the most safe place to stay? Where can she find her friends? Lana stopped in front of the flickering landscapes to think, but then she heard a loud sound aggressively closing in. She doesn't know what it is, but she can sense something dangerous. Lana immediately knows she shouldn't stay in this place for too long.

- Argh, fuck it! I'll give it my all!

She yelled, then raised her hand to touch a random scene: a sea of water. Water everywhere, with faint images of mangroves afar.

- "Damn it, I will drown! Oh god, I can't switch to my ship form in this world; I can't feel the energy! Urgh, god saves my life; I need to swim."

She only had 3 seconds to curse her thoughts before getting dropped from 10 meters high into the water. At least she got some surviving skill of not letting her head meet the water surface, or at least not trying to outstretch her limbs. But with those, the fall still makes her body hurt, but she doesn't have the time to let it sit. Lana's brain started up and worked much faster while she was submerged in cold water. She rips off her dress buttons and tries to get out of it. The clothes got much heavier, and it made her limbs busy. While she stops swimming, Lana starts to drown. She drinks quite a lot of water while trying to raise her head above the water surface and breathe using her mouth. As panic sets in, Lana's movements become more frantic. She kicks her legs and flails her arms, desperately trying to stay afloat. The weight of her soaked dress drags her down further, making it harder for her to keep her head above water. Lana's vision starts to blur as water fills her lungs, and her desperate gasps for air become futile. She realizes that unless someone comes to her rescue soon, this may be her final breath.

But luckily, as soon as she passed out, a strong and solid hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the water. Her dress got totally washed out, and now everything she has on her body is cleavage. The winds hit her soaked body, and Lana has a sneeze. Through her blurred vision, she saw her "savior," a snake woman. That wicked brown eye stares up at her face—the eyes of a predator.