30th May 2019

RENEE

"Noah?! " I shrieked, as I watched his knees collapse.

What was happening to him?

Did he just faint? Or did he actually die?

But Spirits don't die, do they?

I picked Noah up before he fell to the ground, struggling to lift his lanky body. I propped his back against a tree, but he slid to the ground almost immediately. His face looked tired and pale, his hollow cheeks sunken, and his dark hair plastered across his forehead.

"Noah!" I urgently tapped on his cheek. "Wake up!"

I grabbed my water bottle, sprinkling water on his already sweaty face. Noah didn't stir, his cheeks were now cold and clammy.

What was wrong with him?

I thought about him needing energy while expanding the Shield, wondering if that could cure him. I was no expert, but something made me feel like it was the only choice I had.

I focused on his face, placing my fingers on his forehead and streaming my energy into him. I thought it would work faster on his lower back, but I'd have to flip him over, and I was already tired.

As the energy flowed through me, I sat closer to Noah, repeatedly muttering his name. I felt dizzy but I continued, sensing my heartbeat in my throat.

"Noah, come on...You can do it."

Maybe this wasn't working.

I lowered my hands, placing them on his heart, feeling his solid chest underneath. I could feel some sort of energy stirring inside him, like a tiny whirlpool of vibration, similar to the one I'd felt on his lower back earlier.

"Noah, please," I whispered, my breath on his lips, my hair falling over my face and obscuring my vision. If he woke up now, he'd shriek in fright, since I resembled a ghost.

Noah's ocean blue eyes fluttered open, his eyes widening at the sight of me hovering over him. He let out a breath, as he caught my eye, turning me a violent shade of pink.

"Renee," Noah said huskily, his eyes now trailing over every inch of my face. My hands were still on his chest, and I shivered at the proximity. Noah sat up, his face nearing mine, with an unusual expression.

"Noah, you're alright!" I grinned as my head began to spin. Was there a possibility that this could be a dream?

"Renee, stop," Noah told me softly. I stared at him, as though I were in a trance, his blue eyes mesmerizing, pulling me into a void of feelings that I'd suppressed for so long.

I didn't know a crush could make you feel this intensely. It was straight up like someone punching my heart and making my brain go haywire.

"Renee, you're losing energy," He said, gently removing my hands from his chest. His hands again moved up to my cheeks, cupping my face delicately as he forced calming energy into me.

I shut my eyes, unable to comprehend anything anymore as I let Noah do his thing. Soon I felt better, my headache disappears, although my heart still throbbed.

And I knew Noah was to blame for that.

Noah smiled at me as he removed his hands. "You really need to know your limits, Renee, you can't just give me all your energy." He shook his head.

"Says the guy who just fainted," I replied, earning a smirk from him.

"Still, if you'd lost all your energy, you can't go back to your Realm." He told me gravely.

"That's why I have my device." I looked at the meditation stimulator that was on the ground. I figured out that I didn't need to wear it in my Realm, since all the energy went to my brain anyway.

He opened his mouth then closed it. "You do have an answer for everything, don't you?"

I gave him a wan smile. "Yes, yes I do."

Noah crossed his legs, leaning his back against a tree trunk. I settled down next to him since my back was hurting too. We stayed silent for a few moments, watching the beautiful sunset transition into dusk, the inky blue sky filling up with hundreds of stars.

"It's getting dark, isn't it?" Noah noted, his voice was very close to me like he was whispering in my ear.

"Yeah," I replied, turning towards him, and felt his breath on my cheek, right after which he turned away.

Noah snapped his fingers, causing a small fire to light up in front of us. It made the place warm and cosy, and I saw Noah already roasting marshmallows on a stick.

"That was quick," I observed.

"That's how things are done in the Spirit Realm," He smiled, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Every object is merely a thought, an imprint. That's how we build houses, roads, entire cities: we imagine them."

"That's so cool," I gaped at him. "You could have everything you want in the world."

Noah shrugged. "That's why we have the ISA spying on us all the time. Imagination is restricted, and thoughts are tracked." He said darkly. "Besides, owning things promotes selfishness and pride, which are human attributes. Marshmallow?" He added as he passed me the stick.

I took a small bite, frowning because it had absolutely no taste, nor any distinct texture either.

Noah watched my face carefully, "That's the Spirit Realm for you. You can't taste food, because you don't need it."

"So where do you gain energy from?" I raised an eyebrow.

"From my surroundings, like a plant." He grimaced, now eating the empty stick that he'd roasted the marshmallows on.

"That's... Interesting." I watched him as he handed me the bag of marshmallows, which I no longer felt like eating.

"So, you told me that you had a lot to ask me," He said, probably in an attempt to change the topic.

"Yes. Can you start with the basics? I know that there are five main Realms, but..." I trailed off and I saw Noah sitting up eagerly as though he were telling me a story.

"First off, every living thing has a Spirit. And every Spirit starts existing from the first dimension." Noah explained.

"The first dimension?" I asked.

"Yes. A spiritual dimension is the state of reality that a being can comprehend. There are ten dimensions in total, according to the ISA."

"So, this isn't related to the physics concept of dimension, is it?" I questioned, and I saw the corners of his mouth turn up.

"No, this is entirely different. It's not related to the string theory and the spatial dimensions of length, breadth and height." Noah answered. "This depends on your mind."

"Okay." I nodded, noting that Noah seemed to know his physics quite well.

"Humans mostly belong to the third dimension, while Spirits belong to the fifth dimension. And higher Spirits belong to higher dimensions."

"So, which dimension do I belong to?" I asked him.

Noah grinned at me. "You, Renee, are an exception. I thought you were going to die, and I gave your mind access to the fifth dimension."

"I thought you gave me access to the Spirit Realm? " I asked him, puzzled.

"The Spirit Realm comprises of the fifth dimension. Wait, I'll show you," Noah said, as he pulls a piece of paper from his pocket. "There are five main Realms-"

"Before, Earthly, Spirit, After and White," I recited, and Noah looks impressed.

"I see you've done your homework." He smiled appreciatively, now writing down the names of the Realms.

"So, the Before Realm has beings of the first two dimensions." He wrote the dimensions next to it and continued writing until his sheet looked like this.

Before Realm: 1st and 2nd Dimensions
Earthly Realm: 3rd and 4th Dimensions
Spirit Realm: 5th, 6th and 7th Dimensions
After Realm: 8th and 9th Dimensions
White Realm: 10th Dimension

"Depending on the dimension, the being is sorted into the Realm." He explained.

"So, me being in the fifth dimension, I belong to the Spirit Realm?" I asked, as I leaned closer and peered into the paper.

"As I said, you are an exception. But it explains why you kept drifting into the Spirit Realm in your sleep. In a way, you belong to both the Realms, Renee. Which is why, to find stability, you need a Realm of your own."

"This Realm." I looked around, gesturing towards the trees.

"Yeah," Noah answered. "The Realm of Renee. And since you made it, this Realm is in the fifth dimension, on the same astral plane as the Spirit Realm."

"What are astral planes now?" I questioned.

"They are spiritual planes which contain the Realms and correspond to dimensions. The Before Realm is present on the first two astral planes, the Earthly Realm is present on the third, and so on." Noah made gestures with his hands, like the steps of a ladder. "They lie one above the other, with the Before Realm at the lowest point."

"Alright..." I trailed off, and Noah shook his head at my confusion. "Don't worry about it, it's not important."

I nodded and glanced at his paper. "What about the fourth dimension?"

"Yeah right. The fourth dimension is a part of the Earthly Realm. It makes up your thoughts, dreams and memories." Noah told me slowly.

"So, is that how I came to the Spirit Realm during my dreams?" I questioned. "Through the fourth dimension."

"Exactly. That's also how you can reach this Realm through your thoughts. Your thoughts form a direct link to your Realm, from the third to the fifth dimension."

"This makes so much sense," I glanced at the paper again. "What's the After Realm?"

"It's a place for Higher Spirits. The ISA doesn't tell us much." He shrugged.

"What about the White Realm?" I asked, and Noah's laugh was humourless.

"That's the place the ISA obsess over. The reason why we have to follow so many rules." Noah massaged his temple and frowned, "Reaching the White Realm is the ultimate goal of all the Beings, especially the Spirits."

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because it is the place where you gain the ultimate knowledge. You are all-knowing and omnipotent."

"Like God?" I asked.

"Somewhat. Except that anyone can reach the White Realm if they reach the tenth dimension."

"So, why do you hate it so much?" I asked Noah. "It seems like a wonderful goal."

Noah smiled at me, his hand reaching out to brush the hair on my forehead. "Because the ISA made it a scam. No one has reached the White Realm in nearly four hundred years. Well, except one person."

"And who is that?" I leaned towards him, his hand still on my face.

Noah's blue eyes darkened, his mouth was set in a grim line as he pulled his hand away. And when he spoke, the hate in his tone was evident.

"Who else but the Head Spirit, Lord Augustus."

*****

(A/N: This chapter is important with regards to the Realms and Dimensions and forms the basis of the story. I'm leaving this chart here for those who'd like to refer to it.

The numbers on the right correspond to the dimensions, and the Realms are on the left.
Feel free to ask me any doubts!)