Jack Danger glanced back up at Cory. His dark, scribbly eyes pointed back at the book boy like a knife.

Fweeesktch.

And so did some black, zebra-like stripes on his face. It glared right back at Cory.

"Jack Danger," Cory wanted to exclaim. "I pray you explain the sudden scars upon your facial complexion."

"I don't know." Jack Danger didn't even reach for his face. To Cory, he was being dramatic. Because as soon as Jack Danger glanced down at his reflection through his schucks, there was nothing to be found.

Actually, there really was nothing to be found. It was just Jack Danger's dark skin and eyes and singular rectangular pupil glistening back at him, the "mirror" framed in inky blood.

He raised his eyebrow at Cory, who was still clutching Makii tightly.

"Let's just go look for Skyler, okay?"

Cory nodded and added, "With vivacity. We must also resume our probe for the brethren of mine, King Treit."

Jack Danger sighed as they resumed their probe for Skyler...and King Treit. "I literally forgot that's the reason I brought you guys along."

And in the Sin La Llama, they continued to wander. It should've been easy for either of them to spot anything. To add on to that, they should've found Skyler ages ago. The horizon touched the ground in a unanimous color, as if they were like the tall fences inside the World of the Kingdom of Sero. Or the clear fences that leaked sunlight from the outside. But Cory could hardly imagine how this was the sunlight those clear fences had snatched, for his kingdom inside.

Everything was white.

He was lucky that he could at least see his steps this time. Cory despised the dark. But somehow, this gave the same feeling. Almost. In an eerie way. All he could hear were his black galoshes pounding the floor and Makii's light breathing–he wasn't even sure of the latter. Jack Danger's steps were silent and he clutched tightly on his schucks.

Cory glanced up at what was supposed to be the sky. In the World of the Kingdom of Sero, he could make out its smoky black color, and near the edges it always seemed to touch the tall fences. King Treit and he would engage in light chatter and jubilant observations, calling the fences "sky-reaching" because they were.

But to Cory, he only realized now that there were no fences that touched the "sky". Everything was wide open. There were no dark alleyways and everything was white.

Cory squeezed Makii. Around this dark–or light–hour I humbly request for your soothing touch of kindness and–dare I say–emotional affection displayed in a physical manner.

A wave of warmth flowed into Cory's bones.

It is relieving that you are still alive, my good friend.

And his arms lightened. Or was it the weight?

"Cory...let go of me..."

Jack Danger continued to pace, and so did Cory.

And in the silence of Sin La Llama, a scream filled the air.

"I order you, Prince Cory Elcidelibro! Release me!"

Makii wringed out of Cory's arms, shaking her head. She swayed slightly as she flew away from Cory's gloved hands.

Jack Danger turned around and furrowed his brows. Looks like she's awake now...Finally.

"Makii, the current fettle of your physical corse is less than exceptional. It would be advisable if you are cognizant and permit strict recuperation towards your being."

Makii shook her head.

What reason is plausible to explain her pertinacious behavior? This action befogs me.

"No...No...I should be alright now." Makii says.

"I mean yea...It doesn't look like she's sick now or anything like that."

"I am still concerned about the condition of your physical body, Miss. For you could barely stay afloat just earlier, and now you are expressing fervid pleas to fly independently.

"Excuse me for being concerned, but I have a presentiment that you may faint again."

Then, Jack Danger took a few steps back to examine Cory and Makii. Mostly Makii, if anything. "She's no longer sick, Cory. And besides, we can't slow down now, especially since King Treit and Skyler are right around the corner."

"I suppose."

Sighing slightly, Cory beckoned Makii as she hovered over, her rectangular sparkles gradually increasing in opacity. From waned grays they reverted back to their light blue and light purple sparkles–with a silvery touch.

They continued to saunter in the Sin La Llama.

And Makii glanced down at one of her hands. Thoughtlessly, she glided her thumb along her small fingers.

Whispering in her ear, she heard a sound so faint it was nearly confused for silence.

Fweeesktch.

#

"There!"

Fweeesktch.

Fweeesktch.

Fweeesktch.

Jack Danger and Cory's eyes followed Makii's voice as she hovered, pointing towards a figure. From where they stood, the tailed man was displayed as nothing more than a small pixel.

"Then we will follow your direction, Miss." Cory said as he and Jack Danger first walked to the little dot in the distance. Their feet, picking up like speed, started dashing to the small dot in the distance. Makii's little rectangular sparkles trailed behind her as she sped, dashing this way and that. Diagonally. This way, that way.

Squinting her eyes, she spotted the figure. Running, running. Turning her head, Makii examined Cory and Jack Danger before flying to them.

Diving she went, only a second before somersaulting and turning into a unicorn. Her white horse skin blended with the ground below them, and her mismatched light blue and purple twin loops shook as she beckoned her head to her back where a saddle may have been.

"Oh my." Cory said.

Jack Danger pulled Cory onto Makii's unicorn back and hopped behind. His schucks hung in the air, from his back as he clung its metal ends. Makii stood still as Cory adjusted in his seat, fixing his gray robe and cardboard colored belt–and with Jack Danger's eye rolls behind him.

Finally, Cory seated himself, and off! Makii went. From trotting to galloping, her hooves slammed against the blank floor with a short, sharp pound!

It left no space for an echo. Her legs blurred as her pace accelerated, and Cory gripped on her long neck. Her hooves–mismatched in light blues and purples once again–clapped.

Patter patter patter patter. Patter patter patter patter.

Her paper-braid tail swished. Her horn pointed directly forward as she continued to gallop, with a whoosh! that left ink and doors behind them like a dot.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Past another mile of the blank void.

Whoosh!

Past another mile of that white wall and white floor beneath them. Cory only looked down for a second as the white floor became a blur with Makii's hooves.

Whoosh!

Past another mile, where a massive mountain of paper stood. Veering around the sky-reaching structure, Cory could've sworn that he could pick out every piece of paper as if he knew what was inside. Various textures piled in flat sheets–lined, origami, cardstock, even. Heaps of tissue papers were sandwiched against bits of shredded paper like sedimentary rocks, and around its misshapen perimeter were colored sheets beside blank, white printer paper.

Veering again. Cory couldn't even see the entire mountain from one angle. The sheets appeared so tightly squashed against each other. And yet, with a single blow, Cory hypothesized that it could be blown away just as fast.

His eyes even looked for the summit. He couldn't find it...It was as if the rain was covering it.

Cory tilted his head. His mouth gaped in such a small shape. But he didn't need his monocle to perceive what was on top of the big mountain.

Those drops falling on the mountain weren't raindrops.

They were paper.

#

Makii's steps slowed into a trot. Cory could see everything much more clearly now, and he loosened his grip and straightened his back.

"You could've just taken the mountain. I think I saw the person there." Jack Danger grunted. In response, Makii simply shook her head.

And with her horn she pointed it like a finger.

And in front of them, there he was. The person they had been chasing in the empty plane the entire time.