Lanark didn't understand what was happening, he tried to push the wave, but he couldn't. Winston has his eyes closed and floating in the air.

A wave of air starts gathering around him, and he opens his eyes.

"This is not possible. You can't possibly do that. You can't have control over the air" Lanark shouted in rage and shock.

Winston looked at Frank. He was still chained with the waves, Winston raised his hand and separated the waves from him, and pulled him closer in the air.

Lanark created a bigger wave and threw it towards them. But Winston created a shield of air around them and held it between Lanark and Winston. Lanark with his other hand opens the portal, there was a big fire on the other side.

He pulled that fire and threw it towards Winston and Frank. But the shield was too strong for both the fire and the water to break it. It was a great view for Frank. Fire and water fighting with the air.

They were between the storm of water, fire and air, blowing from all the sides like a thunderstorm, throwing fireballs instead of ice. Lanark couldn't believe what was happening, but he still has his last trick to play.

So he opened the portal and threw it towards them, it went straight towards Winston and Frank. And to avoid falling into that trap, Winston also opens the portal, but until then the portal has come too close to them, and as he opens it both the portals clash with each other.

A big blast happens, and everything gets thrown away, as both of the portals get interconnected, it creates a huge amount of energy which spreads throughout the river that they were fighting.

And before they could know they got sucked into it and thrown to the different dimensions.

Everything was dark for a while. Frank and Winston were on the ground coughing with pain. They were at some deteriorated fort, most of the walls fell to the ground while some were still standing. Without a roof, it looks like a giant maze from above.

Frank and Winston stand on their feet and take a look at the walls, it has a picture of a snake craving them all over. Frank looked at that picture with wide-open eyes and said,

"Fuck. This cannot happen"

Winston looked at him and walking towards him while limping a little, said,

"What do you mean? Where are we?"

Frank looked at him with worry in his eyes, and said,

"We are in the fucking hell of hell"

***

Silvia was practising near the waterfall with her bow and arrow. She aimed for a particular leaf on the neem tree, but every time she tried to hit that leaf with an arrow, it blew a few more leaves along with it.

The tree was shivering with the touch of wind, and the leaves on it were continuously flickering with it, dancing along with it. Which makes her job even more difficult. But that's about her, she likes it because it's difficult.

She was the kind of person who looks for a challenge. Some people seek a settlement, while some strive to grow. And the one who wants to grow like challenges, because this challenge makes them push their boundaries, and find a newer version of themselves.

She was feeling disappointed with her failed attempt. A lot was going through her mind. Love and anger were fighting inside her heart. What is love anyway? it is only how we define it. Is it me expecting too much? Is he pretending that night? Questions and questions.

But that kiss doesn't feel fake. It was real, so real that she can still feel it on her lips. Remembering it just makes her crave more and more for it. She wanted to love him, she wanted to believe him.

But is it ever easy to believe anyone? Perhaps not. People don't even believe in God wholeheartedly, they just keep their beliefs only if he acts according to them.

Just like at this moment. Silvia expected Winston to be some kind of person; she created his image in her mind, but Winston turned out to be a different person. Now her mind is struggling between what she wanted him to be? and who he is?

Is the usual conflict in everyone's life, a pleasurable illusion or dark truth? While she was conflicted between her inner feelings. She shot another arrow at the leaf, which was waving with the wind, and as the arrow came nearer, the wind pushed the whole bunch of leaves in the other direction. She missed it again.

A wave of disappointment curled around her heart. She pulled out another arrow and aimed again on a single leaf. Suddenly, someone came from behind, placed a hand on her shoulder. Silvia looked behind, it was Maria.

"You don't aim your eyes, but with a mind. And to aim with your mind you need it clear to focus on what you are aiming for" Maria said while her right hand was on her right shoulder.

Silvia was still holding the arrow in the direction of the leaf. Maria comes even closer to her until her thighs touch her hips. Silvia was feeling Maria's breath on her neck, it was warm, like a tea in the winter's morning. Her heart was pounding like a frog in the puddle.

"Relax, and feel the air moving around. See how it's flowing. Talk to it. Talk to it with your breath. And let it carry your arrow to that leaf", Maria whispered in her ear, and Silvia felt her words striking in her ear, with a warm breath.

For a moment she felt extremely focused, she couldn't see anything but that leaf and wind that was playing with it. She shoots her arrow through the thick layer of air. And the arrow went through everything that came in its way and pulled out the single leaf from the branch without even touching another one.

Silvia felt the sigh in her heart. Maria smiled softly at her, pulling slowly herself away from silvia. Silvia felt the pressure on her back slowly decreasing as Maria pulled her breast away from her back. Even though now they are not there, her mind still remembers its weight on her back.

Both of them were silent for a few seconds, Silvia was still looking at the tree and Maria at her.

" You seem very good at this," Silvia said, turning towards Maria.

"Good at what?" Maria said, not being sure if it was sarcasm or she was saying it.

"Making people do what you want," Silvia said looking into her eyes.

Maria chuckled, understanding her sarcasm, and said,

"I don't decide anything for others. But yeah sometimes I help people to make up their minds"

Silvia didn't say anything for a while but kept staring at Maria. And then she takes her eyes off her and says, turning towards where she was looking before.

"You seem good at archery too. Where did you learn it?"

"An old friend of mine taught me to fight," Maria said looking towards Silvia while Silvia put another arrow in her bow, and aimed towards the leaf. This time she seems confident and has a clear mind. She shot an arrow and a single leaf flew in the air.

"First time it's lucky, but if you hit the second time, it's good to aim," Silvia said, turning back towards Maria.

They both start walking along with each other.

"You like Winston?" Maria asked, turning her eyes towards Silvia while walking on her right side. Silvia looked at her, there was little pain in her eyes and Maria noticed it.

"He has something that makes people like him," Silvia said, pulling her eyes away from her eyes.

"Yes, he has, but so do you," Maria said which gave Silvia a little smile on her face which stayed there for a moment and vanished the next like it's never been there.