Something a little special, another chapter in the same day! I spent my entire free day to work on this- I'm gonna take a well deserved break.

(Chapter Twenty Eight: Puzzling realms and Towering Mills)

"The old windmill is this way!" The little nomad said, as Melody made it to the tree with a blue tarp. She was ready to head to the next location, and what was better, she could hear the large bell sound off; guess Julia is doing alright.

The small child was so close now, almost grabbed all the time piece, and she'll be able to finally get home...

"Home.." melody mumbled as she looked at the tree for a second and then hooked to the line. Away she went to her next destination.

Going the only was she could she travel right, taking herself away from the large Mill- that's not what she wanted. When she made it to the end, she was greeted by a nomad who said,

"There's a horn at the top!" Who then pointed the way "to continue, you have to that way!"

Melody nodded and then ran, Not short after did she realized that the bridge she was on was falling apart. She made it safely, but now the bridge was gone. No going back right now. Hurrying up a wooden ramp, she then jumped and scaled a vertical wall that used to be another bridge.

This place was falling apart over here, it kinda made Melody nervous. What kind of state south the Windmill be in? Jumping over some pillars, she the balanced herself on a rope to get to a larger Platform with a house on it! A sleepy raccoon floated by, but she quickly passed it and paid no mind.

"Careful! Some of these bridges are old!" Another nomad said, this she know, but up a head was a much longer bridge. Would she be able to keep up? Equipping her sprint hat, she just got ready. Charging through as the wood gaps nipped at her heels, a sense of panic shot through her thinking she might actually fall-

But in the end she made it! Huffing put her fear, she moved on. Up and onward as she fought back two small crows, and ascended a ladder. The wind got stronger as she got higher, over head a windsock constantly blew with is power. She'd need to be careful on this rope, if the wind kicked up anymore she'd be taken away!

"One.. two..-" she hopped onto the rope, steadily getting her balance as she moved. "Calm thoughts-" she mumbled, right then the wind picked up a little more and sent her wobbling. "CALM THOUGHTS!" She nearly cried out, but still yelled. Eventually she made it to the other end and took a short breather.

This place was beyond her comprehension, Julia just seemingly wondered around and gaped at everything. Her dweller mask definitely coming in handy here as this realm seemed to be in and out at the same time. As she thought before l, this place was beyond her comprehensive ability.

She made it to an area with another red dweller on a bell, it just seemingly erases reality in general. Well, the green and purple galaxy reality at least. Julia ran up the half blocks as soon as her mask activated, once she was up she waited for it to recharge. Ahead of her was a bridge the connected the next area.

Once she jumped and landed on the green to save time, the tall girl found herself walking through a water way. It seemingly generated a purple mist of what kinda looked like miasma but had no smell, and then there were the sparkles. The water also seemed to glitter as she walked. She climbed up two edges and found herself walking through a large galaxy wall.

There she was met with an odd sight. A bell rested in the middle of a bridge, with a galaxy wall to her left and right. At the end was a locked door, was this a puzzle? She smiled, "puzzle time!"

She rung the bell and decided to go right, what was different about this bell was that it actually stayed on instead of slowly turning off. She didn't even notice the green sleepy raccoon as it slammed behind her, missing her all together.

Julia just ignored the spectral raccoons, as she ran another dweller bell to test it out; it was incredibly far out, but also receded at a faster pace. It seemed like she'd need to use her sprint hat and then her dweller mask when needed.

As expected, she quickly switched her hats as the line was coming to end, she kept going before her dweller mask ran out as well. Jumping to the edge, just nearly catching it, she pulled herself up was faced to face with a horn. What did this horn do? Only one way to find out! Breathing in as much as she could, she let out with the horn; it's noise could be heard through out this realm!

But Julia still has no idea what it actually did.

"Okay." Julia Just muttered, and headed back.

Taking an opportunity for a short cut, she fell quite away once her mask ran out, landing on the left side of the odd puzzle; thankful not having to climb a running waterfall. However, past the falling water was a thin galaxy platform with two erasing dwellers moving around in another set pattern.

She found that when the erasers moved, she could see an object to grab. Careful and with haste, she used her mad to hop down a floor and grab it, waiting for her mask to be ready once more. Now that she was up and out of the area with the red dwellers she walked to the next destination.

Grabbing a key, Julia took a moment to look off at everything now that she was a good ways up. In fact she was actually eye level with the time piece; if only it wasn't a couple of gaps away. The distant glow seemed to mock her.

Quickly making her way back down, and mindful of the gaps the erasers made, she was once again back at the bell that was still on. Ringing it once me she realized what the horn ways back actually did! The gate that was there was no more and a path was clear!

Moving through the unlocked door she found a gate blocked her next path. Tilting her head, she looked at it, moving forward. Distant stomping of large goat people could be heard. This puzzle seemed to stump her for a moment, but Julia did noticed it was the same green as everything else. Using her mask, she only ended up having a wall block her path.

"Well! This doesn't help at all!" She shouted, Arm opened out as to say 'what now?'. Though, as soon as the mask ran out the gate fell, causing her to do a double take. Making her mask turn on and then off prematurely, it finally clicked.

"Cleaver." She narrowed her eyes.

Once she understood, Julia moved on. Down a spectral ramp, with another gate blocking her; before she could even attempt to get past the gate, she'd need another key it seemed. There was more to look at down below, so that's where she headed.

A few jumps down, Julia found the location of the key she need, so she ended up going through the gate with the wall throwing it up. This time though, the key was behind a small we wall that propped ye gate up, not giving her the time to get it. Behind her was another eraser, so she walked up and rung it.

Who would have thought? Part of the wall was still there propping up the gate while she crouch down and grabbed the key; this area would have been good for the kid- her? Not so much. Once she held onto the key, she turned to noticing that the bell cancels out the other gate as well, making it seem like she was stuck- but she knew to ring the bell again.

Once the eraser was gone, she activated her mask and walked out. This place was really fun, Julia would have to admit. Once she figured out how to lower the gate, she'd be on her way again!

Up a head was nothing but green and running water. Also bells. Those were here too. Ringing the first one to test and see what it could do, Julia noticed it stayed on. Freely she moved to the next pedestal with the other bell. Ringing this one made another path for her, but as she walked she noticed that a few pedestal were uncovered; preventing her from moving on.

If she hits this bell while the other was active, she'd have the pedestals, but not the box. So she ran back, hit that bell and quickly made her was back to the last bell before her dweller mask ran out. Now she was free to hook shot her way over to solid ground.

Using her sprint hat to run and jump over the large gap, she climbed the ladder. There she was greeted with another flag line; already knowing what to do. With that, she reached the end. All that was left was to climb the spectral staircase, activated her mask and grabbed the time piece.

The twilight bell was completed.

Julia found herself back at the bell; greeted by wind and blue skies, and that heavy pressure in her lungs. The wind blowing those odd flowers in her face, causing her to sputter and cough, "oh- god. what was that-?" She hit her chest to control the fit.

Melody stood at the edge of the collapsed staircase, long gone already, the only way up was by using her hood shot.

"Onward and upwards!" Melody cheered to herself, trying to get ready as she started moving her legs.

Like the little gymnast she was, Melody gracefully swung her way up, eventually she made it to the platform with a tall ladder and climbed up. There she was finally at ground level with the large Windmill! It was still a bit intimidating and she got over her fear of heights.

"Julia would be having a fit right about now, just looking at it.." she smiled to herself, remembering how her taller companion reacts. "Well, I not getting any higher just standing here.." and away she went.

Melody walked inside, not even sure where to start. Where would there be a way up? In the back, the child took notice of a few boxes she could easily get up; she took action immediately. When she was up, she say a bed of wheat moving back and forth, once it reached the farthest end she jumped off.

From there she turned the corner, and hopped on some gears, as they moved she too kept moving; only with slight difficulties. Once she was able to reach the edge of the next platform she jumped. The next obstacle was rather tricky, jumping under a fenced wall was never fun especially if you kept failing; luckily she times herself right!

Once on the other end, Melody noticed she was heading outside. Spinning box and a moving gear with platforms made her path up. The box was rather easy, however Melody almost fell over the edge miscalculating the jump for the moving gear. Almost. Grabbing hold, she pulled herself up and waited.

Once she was at the right position, she hopped back into the Mill, where a head was more moving wheat carts. "This is gonna take while." Melody sighed

When ever she felt like she reached the second or third floor, to be honest she was quite sure, Melody sat for just a moment. She admired the work that was but into this Mill, how much wheat does it produce? The repairs must be challenging.

Walking over to the open window, she saw everything! Looking to her left, she saw a platform she needed to reach; if she were to jump normally, she wouldn't make it. Sprint hat equipped, Melody ran as fast as she could, dashed and jumped. Landing in her knees, she rolled back into the Windmill.

That was going to hurt later, she thought to herself, breathing in and out while she laid on her back. Hopefully she wouldn't have to do anything as crazy as that again. She didn't even realize she did it for an item.. she was hoping that it was actually the way to go- but as she looked down from the walkways she saw clearly what she actually needed to do.

"Note to self; don't tell Julia what I just did." Melody mumbled

Hopping over to the spinning contraption in the middle of the room, Melody ran around to the other side and stepped onto a platform; that was pointed to a wall with sandbags. Or where they wheat bags? Probably wheat.

Eventually, Melody made her ways up, landing on a spinning gear, and almost crushed my a sleeping raccoon. Once that was over with she got a hold of herself and jumped to the nearest, non moving platform. Shortly after jumping onto another moving one again.

Melody was almost there! Getting launched up a spring she reached what could be the final stretch. A bunch of small angry crows seemed to have made this area their home as well as the bird cage-

Well, she'll do her best to ignore them, if they come at her she'll have to take care of it. Off she went, trying to find the next platform she needed to get up to. A moving side panel to her left seemed like a good start, jumping off of it, she reached the next.

In front of her were two more carts of wheat. She hoped onto the closest one to her and waited, once she was as far as she could go, she landed on the next. Next obstacle, leading outside and up, with one more spinning box and side platforms. At first she was confused as to where she needed to go, but then Melody saw that she needed to get back in.

The next area had more moving wheat carts, The platform a head then, once again, lead out side. As she stood outside on the edge of the Mill, the winds blew her hair to one side of her face; remembering herself once me-

"Almost there.."

Bouncing of a stray balloon, not actually knowing how it got there to begin with, Melody made it to the other side. On a large pillar of stone, she ran ahead and up a spring removing the raccoon that floated idly. The she hooked her way to the next island, when she landed Melody took out two little crows who've spotted her.

However, she was not expecting a large explosive egg to pop out of the rocks. Melody gave out a frightful yell as she dove u see the platform she originally landed on. There she was safe from the explosion; Once the was was clear, she got back up and started moving on.

"Keep going.."

Another wheat cart was seen as her next way of getting up, once she hopped on she was greeted by another group of birds, and another explosive egg, thinking fast she jumped back off onto the lift and waited as she heard the egg above go off. Once she was back at the top, nothing remained.

The two birds were gone and the egg residue was left. Moving forward there seemed to be more creatures just waiting.

Finally, she was back in the Mill, though it seems to just get harder from here. Sighing, Melody kind of wishes that Julia came along. It's quite boring traveling on your own.

She misses the company.

Taking a ride on the largest wheat cart so far she waited to reach the other side; however a spider blocked her path and almost knocked her off. Taking care of the spider, she then quickly hopped onto a spinning gear with three blue platforms, on to another non moving one and the looked out at two more spinning gears.

Taking a short cut and avoiding a possible fall, she just hopped the gears instead of the platforms themselves. Making it to the other side she looked around again.

"Just a little more-!"

Going up a diagonal cart, Melody moved to corner ledge, then to the middle spiny contraption moving the wings of the Mill. Up another set of gears and look- more gears. On the bright side, Melody could almost hear the time piece ringing over the sound of the mechanism of this large place!

Hopping off of a few sand bags, ye small child took resident in an empty nest, looking over the side ever so slightly, she saw her way up. On the side of the flags of the Mill there were platforms; platforms that would no doubt take her to her destination! So with a determined huff, Melody jumped onto one and waited.

Once she was up, she could see it! Taking immediate action, Melody ran to the time piece! Over a few boxes she finally grabbed it with a smile on her face!

"Finally!" She cheered.

But as she held onto her belonging, Melody noticed the wind was getting stronger, more erratic-

A storm was coming.