0 0 2 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹: 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙶𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚄𝚙

"I like the new look." Diane smiled once her eyes rested on her daughter. Sarah sheepishly returned the smile as she joined her mother by her side.

Diane's assistant had led Sarah to a hallway that stretched on forever. To her left, a row of large rectangular windows reached from the floor to the ceiling fifteen feet above them. The light pouring in filled the space with a warm glow that made Sarah's pale skin shine. And to her right, a crimson wall the same color as her room followed the endless hallway, with stone pillars rising from the floor every twenty feet. Between the pillars, large, intricate landscapes hung in golden frames with breath-taking scenes of waterfalls, mountains, islands, and forests. These paintings were different from the ones Sarah had seen in her room, however. As she passed them, she noticed a translucent opal sheen that rippled across the canvas and made the painting underneath look like it was moving.

Diane caught Sarah's confused gaze and began to explain. "These paintings aren't paintings, but rooms."

Sarah's head quickly jerked from the painting of a golden savannah she had been studying to look at Diane. "Rooms?"

"Yes," Diane smiled. "They were created by a Helian named Adam and I often use them to meet with others since they transcend the boundaries of time and space."

Just then, they passed by a landscape that looked very familiar to Sarah. Multi-colored flowers swayed in a lazy breeze, stretching up towards a hidden sun. "That's where we met," Sarah realized. Diane nodded her head. A memory of something that James had told her before their fight suddenly flashed at the forefront of Sarah's mind. "Wait, did the person who created these also create the Upside Down?"

"No," Diane answered. "These paintings are not quite as complex as a whole world. If you wander too far within them, they begin to blur and fade into nothingness."

"Then who created the Upside Down?" Sarah asked.

A pearly smile erupted on Diane's face. "You always were a very inquisitive child. Unfortunately, I can't give you all the answers right now, but they will come with time. In the meanwhile, would you like to meet the Helian who created these?"