Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

“I have opened a passage for you to another world that is similar to this one, but you should be aware that the world seems more real…” the stag said calmly.

Naya took a deep breath, mustered all her courage, and resolutely walked towards the dazzling white light. In that instant, two worlds that were originally unrelated merged briefly. At this moment, the illusory world instantly transformed into reality, and piles of cold code and numbers seemed to come alive, combining into vibrant flesh and blood. Naya successfully stepped into Sharp's daily life.

"Remember, once you get there, don't easily trust anyone who shows you kindness." As the stag stared intently at the girl's receding figure, its tone became unusually serious. With each passing second, the girl's figure was finally and completely swallowed by the dazzling white light.

"Whether he can change his future fate depends entirely on you." After saying these last words, its body began to gradually dissipate, its original deer form turning into specks of dust, eventually reverting to its familiar human shape. Sharp, with his short hair, stood quietly in the pool, his gaze fixed on the spot where Naya had just stood, lost in thought. He clutched a conch shell, now oxidized, tightly in his hand, as if reminiscing about someone long gone.

“You will surely bless me too, won’t you, little Na?” he murmured to himself.

......

"I mustered my courage and stood up bravely,"

"I urgently appeal to you,"

"All courage surged within my veins,"

"I am unstoppable now,"

"I just want to understand, to understand,"

"Can you love me one more time?"

The long-haired boy sat in front of a gleaming computer, pop music blaring from his headphones. He casually manipulated the mouse, as if it were his weapon in battle. He was immersed in his own world, completely oblivious to everything around him.

"Sharp! Come wash the dishes!" A woman slightly older than him stood beside him and shouted. However, the boy, wearing headphones, didn't hear her at all. He continued to focus on the game on the screen, his fingers nimbly tapping the keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen, completely unaware of the impending danger.

"Pretending not to hear, huh? I'll show you what's what—" The woman's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, tinged with anger and displeasure. She lunged forward and, with lightning speed, unplugged the computer. The screen went black instantly, and the music stopped abruptly.

The boy was startled by the sudden turn of events. He turned around abruptly, a look of astonishment on his face. When he saw his sister standing in front of him, he realized what a serious mistake he had just made.

"Wow! Sis, I'm sorry!" The boy didn't have time to get angry and quickly apologized and begged for forgiveness. He knew that if he didn't calm his sister's anger down soon, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, he obediently followed his sister into the kitchen and began a "battle" with the dishes and chopsticks.

"Sharp?" Naya stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, her body involuntarily leaning forward as if trying to break through that illusory barrier and embrace him.

"Don't get too emotional, this is just an illusion." His voice rang in her ears, like a clear spring flowing through her heart, calming her impulse slightly. "The real Him is not here."

Naya snapped out of her daze as if waking from a dream.

It turns out that Sharp has always had an older sister...

Her thoughts drifted away, the scene she had just witnessed replaying in her mind: the siblings' close bond, their playful banter; the moments they shared, the times they grew up together… What a beautiful sight! Naya stood silently, her gaze vacant and lost, a wave of sorrow washing over her. How long ago it had been that she too had a sister like that, a loved one who cared for her, loved her, and shared happy times with her…

However, reality is so cruel and merciless. Her sister has long since left her, leaving Naya alone to wander the world. At this moment, how she longs to feel that warmth again, how she yearns for someone to be by her side.

"Hahaha, look at the weird clothes he's wearing, he's such a sissy!" Accompanied by a burst of laughter, a powerful force suddenly struck Naya, slamming her to the ground without warning.

Just then, the surroundings changed instantly. Sharp was now in a predicament, surrounded by a group of menacing people. The leader of this group was particularly ruthless, roughly shoving the short Sharp to the ground.

"This freak is truly disgusting!"

"Hahaha, look! He's so scared he can't even speak!" Faced with the ridicule and insults of the crowd, Sharp's face was covered with bruises, but he did not give in. Instead, he gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet. Even so, he was quickly subdued again by the crowd and unable to move.

Seeing this, Naya's protective instincts were completely ignited. She was frantic, wanting nothing more than to rush forward and beat those people up. But when she reached out to touch Sharp, she was astonished to find that her hand passed right through his body.

They're all just illusions...

After a barrage of beatings, the group laughed wildly and left, leaving Sharp lying on the ground, covered in wounds. He endured the pain, grimacing as he clutched his numerous wounds, and stood up from the cold, hard ground.

As the sun set, its blood-red rays bathed the boy's youthful yet resolute face in a sacred glow. At the same time, that same afterglow also illuminated Naya's tear-streaked face, her tears rolling down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string.

"Sis! I got accepted!"

"I can't contain my excitement," Sharp shouted, having already graduated from high school. At this moment, he exuded a more mature aura, and his short hair had gradually grown into medium-length hair, as if to indicate that the young man's life journey had just begun.

"Haha, you silly boy! You should definitely use those flirting techniques I taught you a lot!" Xia Jie said teasingly.

Looking at Sharp before her, Naya couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion: the once naive and ignorant boy had now grown into a handsome young man. His life story unfolded before her eyes like a captivating movie. With each passing second, she gained a deeper understanding of Sharp.

Is this... the experience you never told me in person?

It was late at night, and the city was already asleep, but for Sharp, who had failed to find a job, the night seemed unusually long. Dragging his weary body, he slowly returned to his cramped little room. He plopped down on the edge of the bed, then collapsed heavily onto the hard mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling.

This young man, full of hope for the future, longed to find a satisfactory job in this bustling city. However, reality dealt him a cruel blow. For days, he traveled around, submitting resumes, but each time ended in failure. Frustration and disappointment overwhelmed him.

At this moment, Sharp could not have imagined that an unexpected journey to another world would soon completely change his destiny.

......

Gazing at the soundly sleeping Sharp, Naya was filled with countless thoughts. By the dimly lit bedside lamp, a strong urge welled up within her, a desire to kiss her lover once more.

“But there’s nothing I can do. I can’t touch him… He can’t see me or hear me.” Naya longed for the Deer God to lend a helping hand again. She hadn’t known Sharp’s identity was so special before; she thought he was just a lost traveler.

"So that's why I'm revealing the truth to you," He explained gently. "Mus didn't truly kill you. Although he destroyed your physical body, thanks to the existence of the Golden Antlers, it acts like a loyal guardian, protecting your consciousness. You still have a chance, Naya."

"What should I do?" she asked somewhat anxiously.

"I can enable you to communicate with him, which means I can let you enter his consciousness. Due to certain reasons, I can't be here often, so there are some things I need you to do, do you understand?"

“I understand.” She lowered her eyes, turned her head, and gazed at Sharp’s face, which was illuminated by the faint moonlight, as if it were a precious painting.

......

The midday hour at the Bear Ridge Timber Processing Plant is always bustling with activity.

Inside the simple tin shack were several long tables, which became the preferred dining place for the workers at the Bear Ridge lumber mill. Here, they enjoyed slightly expired beer and simple, rough meals while watching the daily events on television. Since being transferred to his new position, Sharp's diet had improved slightly; it was no longer the unpalatable boxed lunch with vegetable soup.

"Hey, Sharp!" Suddenly, a voice rang in his ear. Sharp turned around, but when he saw who it was, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Why is it him again? Why is this guy haunting me like a ghost?

The big monkey approached Sharp slowly with a mischievous grin, nudging him lightly with its nimble elbow. "What brings you here?" Despite feeling somewhat displeased, Sharp tried to control his emotions and asked calmly.

"Hehehe..." The big monkey chuckled slyly, then began to gesture the shape of a woman with his hands, while his mouth kept running: "Hey, hey, a beautiful woman is looking for you!"

Seeing the smug look on the big monkey's face and hearing his description of the woman, Sharp quickly searched his memory and soon guessed who she might be. However, he showed no interest whatsoever, instead decisively shaking his head in refusal.

“Tell her I’m sick and can’t see anyone right now.” With that, Sharp picked up the plate and walked towards a seat in the corner. That was the seat he had earned with his fists over the past few days.

As soon as Sharp walked over, the people around him made way for him as if avoiding a plague, with strange expressions on their faces.

Sharp ignored her and sat down, rummaging aimlessly through his plate for anything edible. Just then, the curtain at the cafeteria entrance was lifted slightly, and a beautiful figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

"Haven't seen you for a few days, are you planning to pretend you don't recognize me, Sharp?"

Dark sunglasses concealed her eyes, and Zhao Lin, dressed in a black leather jacket, deliberately raised her voice to draw everyone's attention to herself, as if declaring to everyone: this is a meeting that cannot be refused.

At this moment, Sharp was incredibly embarrassed and awkward. He held the spoon that had just been filled with mashed potatoes, unsure whether to put it down or continue eating, and could only look at the other person helplessly and in surprise.

Zhao Lin's gaze was like a sharp sword, easily piercing through all of Sharp's pretenses. He helplessly put down the spoon in his hand, secretly lamenting his predicament, and forced himself to leave this place full of disputes with her.

"Can we chat?" Zhao Lin's tone wasn't happy, but she still tried her best to sound gentle. "I'm very good at finding people like you who love to disappear."

Sharp wasn't stupid, and he could tell she was still angry.

Outside the lumberyard, numerous idle machines were scattered around. The two walked silently across the barren land that had been completely cleared of trees.

This time, her long hair, which cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, was not tied up as usual, but instead swayed naturally in the breeze.

“I shouldn’t have run around like that, especially in this situation…” A strong sense of inferiority welled up inside him, as if countless eyes were watching him from behind, mocking his incompetence and stupidity. Accompanying this was the anger and guilt that had been lingering in his mind for the past few days.

“Now that it has happened, and no one expected it—” After a few seconds, Zhao Lin stopped and stood quietly in front of a felled tree. She slowly bent down and gently stroked the wound made by the chainsaw, feeling the pain of life slipping away.

"Stop thinking about it, you need to pull yourself together."

Perhaps due to the loneliness of the past few days, Sharp suddenly felt uncomfortable with the situation and became taciturn, which made him, who was not good at socializing, feel even worse.

I'm confused, what should I do?

Seeing that he hadn't responded to her for a long time, Zhao Lin finally couldn't bear the suffocating silence any longer. She suddenly stood up, walked quickly to Sharp, and her eyes revealed an indescribable emotion.

"I'm going back to Shenzhen." Her voice was soft, yet firm. "My vacation is over, the daily newspaper is short-staffed, and the boss is urging me to go back to work."

"When are you leaving?" Sharp asked, though he already had a general idea in mind, but he couldn't help but confirm it again.

"Tickets for the day after tomorrow." The other person answered quickly, as if they had prepared this answer in advance.

For a moment, both of them fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

After a while, Sharp finally spoke again: "..."

However, he hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to say. After a long pause, he could only manage to utter, "I will pay back the medical bills I owe you, but it may take some time..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin felt a surge of anger. She glared at Sharp and then interrupted him without hesitation: "You don't need to pay me back. I said, you don't need to!"

Her voice carried a hint of annoyance and disappointment, as if she were deeply dissatisfied with Sharp's attitude. She resented that he hadn't understood what she meant at all, and she hated even more his behavior of shirking responsibility.

Then, her tense expression instantly relaxed, and she became much more relaxed, as if she had put down a heavy burden.

“I know you must be very upset right now, but you can’t let yourself be trapped in this place forever because of Naya and unable to move forward.” After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Lin finally decided to extend an olive branch to him. “Actually, if you really want to pay back the money, perhaps there are better options than being a lumberjack… I’m currently lacking a work partner.” With that, Zhao Lin took out a pre-prepared letter of recommendation from her bag and gently handed it to Sharp. The name “Zhao Lin” was prominently displayed in the recommender’s section on the envelope.

At this moment, Zhao Lin stood quietly in front of him, silently waiting for Sharp's response. However, Sharp only swallowed hard; his hands felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and he couldn't lift them at all.

Will you seize this opportunity, Sharp?

Looking at the man in front of her, Zhao Lin couldn't help but sigh: Is this still the Sharp she knew? He used to be so confident and decisive, but now he has become so indecisive.

"I'm probably not your top choice, am I?" he asked, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Zhao Lin didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she walked to his side, gently patted his shoulder, and said, "You are..."

Upon hearing this, Sharp did not show much surprise or joy. Instead, he lowered his head and casually stared at the trampled grass under his feet.

After a while, he slowly said, "Could you give me a little more time? Half a day will do, I want to see her again..."

"You can stay as long as you want."

At the same time, a gust of wind blew by, bringing a touch of coolness. It ruffled Zhao Lin's loose hair, the silky strands dancing in the wind, and the scent of shampoo wafted to Sharp's nose.

The wildflowers on the grass, already withered, swayed in the wind, making their final struggle. These wildflowers had once been so vibrant, but now they had faded, relegated to a forgotten corner by time.