Hulio didn't know why he spent a few seconds looking up at the sky, the dark cloud passing beneath the red moon entrancing him, but a cold breeze blew past him, and his eyes immediately fell down.
Turning around, all Hulio's eyes passed over was an expanse of grass.
He stood on a narrow paved road stretching forward and backward to infinity, and on the side of the road was a field of grass that went on forever.
There was not a single tree in sight, and while Hulio studied his surroundings, he found himself taking deep, pleasurable breaths.
For a moment, his eyes closed, then they snapped open. "Why do I feel so calm?"
The second his location changed, Hulio should have gone on full alert, ready for any possibility, but he felt at peace, and most importantly, his body seemed to be in perfect health. The ache in his left shoulder and the pain from the damages wrought within him were no more.
Hulio felt great, but this feeling didn't please him; he immediately moved his essence, seeking to detect any foreign influence within him.
"Nothing."
A lack of evidence was not proof of absence, and going against the desire of his body, Hulio tightened his expression.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at the grass plains, looking for any irregularities, and then after several minutes, he released his intent.
The cool wind, which had been blowing around, fractured, pressure exerting from his body and stretching for meters.
Hulio reached for his back but then paused; he didn't have the white scroll strapped on.
His hand came down to his side and then began slowly moving, choosing to move forward on the paved road.
While walking, Hulio tried to remember any mention from his teacher or the several books he had read about his current location but came up blank.
Minutes passed, Hulio estimating it was close to an hour, and he came to a stop.
He had long since cancelled his sword intent; the mental strain and essence consumption were not something he could be lax with.
Hulio had covered more than 200 meters, yet there was no change to the scenery.
The grass plain and paved road were all he could see, and in need of change, he cautiously stepped onto the grass and began traveling on the plants.
Hulio walked for several minutes, then he turned, and a sigh left his lips, a thought confirmed.
He had moved some distance across the plains, but past around 10 meters, the distance between him and the paved road did not increase.
With his eyes on the paved road, he moved backward, his feet walking atop the grass, crossing distance, but with his eyes, he saw that the distance from the road did not change.
Hulio tried a few other things, touching the ground and grass, even tasting them, then he returned to the paved road. "Fuck," he cursed in his head.
If everything around him was real, Hulio was sure that he had been trapped in some sort of subspace, and he had no idea how to get out.
"An attack, maybe?" Not hesitating, Hulio's one good arm flew forward and quickly began weaving through hand signs. He thrust two fingers forward, and from the tip, a fireball exploded.
Keeping the attack compact for lasting power, Hulio watched as it shot through the air, flying over the grass, traveling for dozens of meters until it became faint and then crashed into the ground.
It let out a small explosion, and Hulio, stepping on the grass, took a few steps and came before the site of the crash.
"Which idiot did this to me?" he cursed in his head.
His expression calm, Hulio rubbed his chin, observing the burning pit.
More minutes passed, and soon he was seated, cross-legged, trying to keep watch, waiting and expecting a change.
Multiple hours passed, then change came.
On the horizon, the sun appeared, its red light casting a particular atmosphere around Hulio.
The cold wind gradually disappeared, and soon Hulio was under the heat of the bare sun.
No shelter in sight, all he could do was remain seated.
Bits of sweat formed on his face, but luckily the sun didn't get too hot even at its peak.
Hulio checked for differences in his surroundings under the rays of the sun but found none. Eventually, the sun set, darkness settling back once more.
Roughly a full day had passed, and Hulio's thoughts now centered on how long he would be staying in the subspace. Seated, he persevered through the night, the sun returning, but this time when it reached its peak, his mind began waning.
Hulio held out until evening and then fell into a deep sleep. His body lying down, Hulio's eyes snapped open when his consciousness returned, and hurriedly, he stood up.
He had hope, but disappointment filled him when green strokes of grass filled his vision.
Having no idea where he was, Hulio was in a constant state of alert, and it put a burden on his mind.
Occasionally he heard voices and whispers, mirages appearing around him, and to abate the effects, Hulio began going through light routine exercises.
More days passed, a week going by, then another and another.
Staring at the sun, lost in thoughts, hope the only thing he had going for him, suddenly the world with a screaming rip tore in two, the two halves flying apart, and in a blink, Hulio found himself back in the medical room, lying on the bed, tubes attached to his body.
Eyes wide open, Hulio lay frozen, the turn of events was completely unexpected.
It was the sound of a door closing and the clack of heels that brought him out of his shock, and immediately, his face transformed, a bored look claiming his features.
"You're awake quite fast," a blonde woman said, walking up to Hulio, a kind smile on her red lips, her huge breasts bouncing with each step.