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“Why, of course,” Matthew answered, slightly amused. He was skeptical about the art of palmistry but was open-minded enough to see what it was all about. Leila was full of surprises. Matthew nearly melted as she scooted up next to him. Her hands softly ran along the dark grooves of his palm.

  “Your Venus mount is elevated, no wonder you are having dreams about it. Venus has to do with sensuality. Interesting, you kind of strike me as the pretty-boy-prude type,” Leila teased with a grin. Matthew would have blushed if his skin tone would have allowed it. This was not the first time he had been called a pretty-boy or a prude. Matthew's romantic passions were nonetheless deep and strong when he truly connected with someone.

  “I have no idea what you're talking about,” Matthew replied with a goofy smile, having no defense against her claims.

  “Your lifeline looks nice and strong,” she continued.

  “Well, that's good. The world certainly needs me to be around for a while,” Matthew joked. Leila smiled.

  “That line has more to do with your physical vitality than your actual life span. Your mind line arcs toward your moon mount, which means you're probably a creative and intuitive thinker. Your heart line is far enough to indicate that you're a compassionate person.” Matthew was impressed. He did not consider himself to be the most compassionate person, but the rest of her analysis seemed accurate. Matthew took the opportunity to gaze at her with an arched eyebrow. He felt comfortable enough to talk about the strange phenomenon that was trying to dig its way out of his mind.

  “You know Leila, you're really something else. When I first saw you at Clove street, I could've sworn I saw something, like lightning, around you. I know it sounds crazy.”

  “Well, maybe if you're lucky, I'll show you what that was all about,” she replied with a coy grin, not seeming surprised by Matthew's unusual comment.

  After finishing their meal, Matthew and Leila made their way to the Steam Room dance club. Leila's dance moves were impressive; she quickly pivoted her feet, moving along to the rhythm of the music perfectly. She pulled her cap down over her eyes as if to indicate that it was time to get serious on the dance floor. Matthew returned with his own array of fancy footwork and rhythmic, fluid movements. They went back and forth on the dance floor competing with one another, which served to fuel their attraction to one another. Toward the end of the night, they were dancing closely. He had adjusted to the rhythm of her rotating hips. They danced until the club closed down.

  “Are you tired or do you still want to party?” Leila asked as they arrived at the Alverez home.

  “I can go another couple of hours,” Matthew said, as he was used to many sleepless nights.

  “Okay, let's head to my room quietly. Dom and Carmen are probably sleeping.”

  Matthew's heart throbbed as he imagined where the night might be heading. They moved stealthily into Leila's room, which had multiple posters that lit up once she turned on her black light. She went into her closet and brought out a hookah which was stuffed with strange foliage that glowed neon orange in the black light.

  “You ever smoke Xero herb?” She asked, as if she already knew the answer.

  “I've smoked regular herb before. I've never even heard of Xero herb,” Matthew replied. He had occasionally used illicit substances that he considered natural. Xero herb seemed strange, but at least it grew out of the ground.

  “It only grows in Omerxeros. This can take you to wonderland. Want to take a trip with me?” she asked, smiling deviously.

  “Yes, I do,” Matthew replied enthusiastically. She lit up the Xero herb with her lighter and Matthew drew in a deep drag which caused him to cough for a few seconds. Leila chuckled, as she choked on her own deep drag. They both slowly sank into the bean-bag chairs behind them.

  “Close your eyes, and let it carry you away,” she instructed. Matthew closed his eyes. He had the sensation of being lifted up, as time seemed to slow down. After what seemed to be ages, Leila tugged at his shoulder.

  “You awake, Matt?” Leila asked. Matthew slowly opened his eyes and found himself inside of a completely different world. An enormous city with a profusion of neon lights, spilling out everywhere, was sprawled out in front of him; as far as his eyes could see. He saw Leila standing next to him, more beautiful than he had remembered. The blue highlights in her hair had turned into an ever-shifting, glittery rainbow of colors.

  “Where are we?” Matthew asked, trying not to panic.

  “Welcome to Callisto,” Leila answered with a smile.

  Chapter 2

  It took time for Matthew's eyes to adjust to his new environment. For a moment, they burned like smoke had gotten into them, and his vision was clouded by a peach-colored haze. His sight gradually returned and he saw peculiar objects all around him. He looked at his hands and noticed that his skin was wispy and drifting, yet firm and stable. His hands were nearly transparent and illuminated by a light source that seemed to originate from somewhere inside of his chest.

  He was wearing a black outfit filled with pouches that looked like military attire. He couldn't distinguish the difference between his outfit and his skin because his sense of touch was out of balance and preternaturally sensitive. Vibrations passed through his seemingly intangible body. Not only could he sense them, but when he focused on one of them, he could feel the pulse and melody of the music that the vibration carried. The air seemed to be alive as he breathed in a deep, fragrant breath of it. What!? What is this place? Am I out of my body?

  “Where are we?” Matthew asked Leila, trying not panic.

  “Welcome to Callisto,” Leila answered with a smile.

  “Did we leave our bodies?” Matthew asked frantically, trying to adjust to his new senses. Leila gently took hold of his broad shoulders, seeking to comfort him. Her grip felt like warm honey. Matthew could almost taste the sweetness of her touch.

  “Calm down, Matt. It's okay, I promise. Nobody knows for sure, but many of us, including myself, believe that we are in our spirit bodies in this place. Some people think that we're in a simulation. The only thing we know for certain is that when we leave this place, we all go right back into our normal bodies and no time elapses.” Matthew was astonished, but her words calmed his nerves.

  “How do we leave this place?”

  “If you focus on leaving, you can drop out of here at any time. Otherwise, you'll have to leave when your spirit body is out of energy. You'll be able to tell when that happens. It will feel like it does when you get exhausted in your normal body,” Leila patiently explained.

  “What's up with this outfit?” Matthew asked.

  “That outfit is actually a part of you. It's attached to your spirit body like a second skin. For whatever reason, you felt most comfortable in that outfit when you got here, so you created it with your thoughts. You can create nearly anything in Callisto if you focus enough thought into it. Try focusing your thoughts on your hoodie and you'll create one.” Matthew took her word for it and concentrated on his hoodie. A version of it formed out of nowhere, covering his back.

  “Nice,” Matthew said excitedly. He focused additional thought and created symmetric patterns on his black, newly-formed hoodie.

  “Wow. Most people that are new to Callisto aren't able to create objects so quickly,” Leila said, seemingly impressed.

  Feeling more comfortable, Matthew examined the enormous city of Callisto. His sight went much further than his eyes would normally have allowed, enabling him to view deep into the city. Many of the buildings in the city were transparent, allowing him to see through them. Callisto's architecture reflected a fusion of nearly every world culture, yet there were also districts that reflected specific cultures.

  There was a massive tower in the center of the city, surrounded by four pillars that were about half of its height. The pillars were composed of fire, electricity, water, and diamonds. The flaming pillar lit up the sunless, midnight sky as the diamond pillar reflected flickers of its light throughout the city. A golden, domed
coliseum could be seen beyond the tower. Multi-colored neon lights pierced out from underneath the roads, which looked like a series of interconnecting circuit boards.

  Callisto was bustling with activity. In various pockets of the city, Matthew saw colorfully dressed people playing sports, dancing, singing, gambling, and socializing. Everyone was having some kind of fun, and most of them appeared to be intoxicated. Some of the calmer people were playing chess; others were enthralled in augmented reality video games. There were even people selling wine, bread, and oil in exchange for coins. Matthew noticed several humanoid creatures that looked like elves, orcs, and centaurs. Maybe this is a simulation. This place looks like it could be a Celestial Warrior's zone.

  “Wow, this place is crazy,” Matthew said in amazement.

  “It's the ultimate party zone. Now, as I recall, someone wanted to get beat down on the dance floor,” Leila said, as she glided backwards and began hovering above the ground. Traces of glittery light trailed her glowing shoes as she danced atop the air. Matthew was blown away. She grabbed his hands.

  “Come on, groove with me,” Leila said, looking to share the moment with Matthew. As he held her hands, he was able to feel which vibration she was dancing to. Matthew once again adjusted to Leila's rhythm, and his feet hovered above the ground along with hers. They continued to dance in unison as the vibration carried them higher into the air. The vibration carried them through the sky toward the dance floor that it came from, like a whimsical wind. As Matthew glided through the sky, he considered it to be the most exhilarating moment of his life.

  The dance floor had laser streams pointed at multiple, mirrored disco balls, which spun the light all over the area. Giant speakers rumbled with a booming base which softly shook Matthew's body and nearly sent him into a state of euphoria. Multiple dancers spun glow sticks around in fluid motions, forming light tracers that hypnotized Matthew. Had he been in his normal body, he would have experienced sensory overload. However, in this body, Matthew could absorb it all, as light and sound seemed to blend together in a marvelous symphony of energy. After dancing for a while, Matthew got thirsty.

  “Hey, is there a place where we can get water around here?” Matthew asked, worried that Leila would not be able to hear him amid the loud music.

  “Of course,” she answered, having no difficulty hearing him. Sound propagation operated differently in Callisto. A sound that was communicated between connected parties was louder than higher decibel sound, almost as if it were telepathic. Matthew and Leila left the dance floor and entered an area filled with multiple, holographic images above them.

  “This is the Rave District. The best water is in Old Town, so let's head there,” Leila suggested.

  “I noticed that there are vendors in this place. So, there's an economy here?”

  “Yes. You need coins to purchase goods here.”

  “How do you earn coins?”

  “You can create coins through focus. Although, creating more than one coin in a single session will sap your spirit energy. Most people earn their coins by crafting. Crafters take raw materials and make bread, wine, and oil. Most goods will recover your spirit's energy. You can't use them to stay in Callisto forever though. Eventually, your mind gets exhausted and you'll be forced to exit so that you can sleep in the real world.” Matthew took a moment to concentrate, creating a glimmering, prismatic coin.

  “Can I buy water with this?” Matthew asked. Leila's eyes lit up as she examined his coin.

  “Wow. You could probably buy a hundred bottles of water with this. Some coins are rarer than others, and I've never seen a coin like this before,” Leila said, as Matthew shot a cocky grin.

  “Keep it. Buy me some water with a common coin,” Matthew said, pouring on his charm. Leila smiled and agreed. They approached Old Town and walked by a group of medieval-style buildings, as the neon orange road turned into a cobblestone path. Matthew felt refreshed after drinking the water that Leila bought him. He noticed that most of the elves, orcs, and centaurs hung out in Old Town. Some of them stood near a group of stationary bodies that glowed with a faint blue color.

  “What's up with those blue bodies over there?” Matthew asked Leila. She held both of her hands out in front of him.

  “You see how we both have light coming from within our spirit bodies? That is the light of our conscious minds. We're able to consciously experience this place, so we're 'awake' here. Those blue bodies are people whose spirit bodies are here, but their conscious minds are still in the real world, so they're 'asleep' here.”

  “Ah. What brings an asleep spirit body to this place?” Matthew asked.

  “Nobody knows for sure since we still don't even know what 'here' is.”

  “I see.”

  Matthew was thoroughly intrigued by the mysteries of Callisto. He and Leila walked through a couple of other districts. After a while, he felt as if he was in a giant amusement park; every district seemed to have its own theme. They went through the Guild District, where adventurers were bringing in grain, grapes, and olives to sell to crafters. They also went through the Merchant District, where innovative and luxury items, including vehicles, were being sold for high coin prices. Ah, the crafters are probably working to buy this stuff. As the night wore on, Matthew got tired and noticed that the light emanating from within his body was growing dimmer and dimmer.

  “Looks like you're about to exit Callisto. I'm actually getting pretty tired myself, let's exit together.” Leila said as she grabbed Matthew's hands. “Focus on my room.”

  Matthew closed his eyes and concentrated on Leila's room. Moments later, he found himself sunken into her dark-green, bean-bag chair. Leila was already alert and right next to him by the time he had gathered his bearings. What a buzz-kill. Matthew's mood lightened when Leila's pretty face drew close to his. He seized the moment and embraced her with a deep kiss. Matthew suppressed his impulse to caress her body and made his way out of the Alverez home, as Leila led him out with a goodnight kiss.

  * * *

  It was difficult for Matthew to focus over the next couple of days. His thoughts dwelt on Leila, but even more so, he thought about Callisto. He scoffed when he considered the prevailing worldview in the Unified Republics which held that reality could only be defined by what could be empirically proven and observed. Though open-minded, Matthew had leaned toward that belief system for most of his life, only to have it shattered in a single night. On the bright side, for the first time in his life, Matthew was optimistic about discovering purpose in life. How have I never heard of Callisto before? He was determined to unlock its mysteries.

  Matthew laid on his bed, obsessing over Callisto. He was suddenly startled by a low humming noise to his right. He nearly jumped when he saw a translucent, glowing oval, floating in mid-air, slowly expand next to him. As the wavy oval continued to expand, he could see Callisto inside of it. Is this a portal? Braving the potential danger of the object, Matthew moved towards it and stuck his hand through it. As he suspected, he could feel Callisto inside of the object. He stepped through the portal and found himself inside of Callisto once again. How did I get here without Xero herb? Can focused thoughts alone create portals to Callisto?

  Matthew strolled through the streets of Callisto, paying close attention to everything around him. Like the people that he had seen on his first trip, nearly everyone there seemed to be intoxicated. He was glad that he could examine the city with a sober mind this time. Matthew was approached by a number of friendly people who wanted to talk about topics that Matthew considered pointless. He was more concerned about discovering the nature of Callisto than he was about socializing or partying there. After politely exiting a conversation, he drew his hood over his head, hoping to avoid attention.

  Like before, Matthew was able to glide atop the air when he focused on a particular vibration. He noticed that every district seemed to emit its own distinct vibration, which made it easy to fly from one place to the next. I wonder if I can fly without rid
ing a vibration? Matthew nimbly scaled up a tall building, noticing that his thoughts allowed him to propel his body in a manner that would not be possible in the physical world. At the top of the building, he could feel winds brush against his face. The air had lost the fragrance it had on his first trip to Callisto. Matthew noticed that the winds themselves carried their own faint vibrations. He focused on one of them, and the wind carried him out of the city.

  It grew darker as Matthew flew farther away from Callisto's fire pillar. He could sense the vibrations of multiple winds flying in nearly every direction. He dropped from the wind that was carrying him and focused on the vibration of a different wind, changing the direction of his flight in mid-air. Matthew jumped from wind to wind, once again exhilarated by the experience of flight. As the sky grew darker and darker, Matthew got concerned. He flew toward a faint green light that he saw off in the distance.

  Matthew dropped from the wind that was carrying him and landed near the green light. He was in an area surrounded by vast fields of grain. Matthew considered all the coins that he could earn in Callisto if he figured out a way to harvest the grain, but like physical money, Matthew cared little about acquiring coins. He drew near the green light and noticed that it looked almost identical to the portal that led him to Callisto. With little concern about consequence, Matthew jumped into the green portal.

  As with his first trip to Callisto, it took a moment for Matthew's eyes to adjust to his new environment. This time, his vision was blurred by a mint-green haze. When he regained his sight, he saw thick, tropical vegetation all around him. Vines dangled from misty trees and clung to adjoining ones. Some of the trees were as tall as buildings. Matthew climbed one of the taller trees and used it as a vantage point to survey the area.

  Matthew saw various tropical birds and jungle beasts throughout the region. He also noticed snarling, seemingly hostile, humanoid creatures that could be ogres, trolls, and goblins. The area had more sleeping spirit bodies than Callisto. Matthew could not identify a single awakened spirit there. His eyes were drawn to a Neshawnian-style ziggurat with fire, electricity, water, and diamond pillars atop the four corners of its foundation. The ziggurat's fire pillar lit up the sky. Matthew rode a wind that carried him to the ziggurat.