Constantine was falling through a blank expanse of sky.
This place was both similar to and different from Dreaming. The dreams of those nearing death were often filled with the most precious memories of their lives.
As he fell, his view was almost entirely blocked by dense branches and leaves, as though several cans of green paint had been poured across a blank sheet of paper.
At first, he thought he was rappelling down while clutching vines, but at some point, his hands had become empty. Gravity turned him into a meteor, smashing through leaves and branches along the way with a series of crackling slaps against his face.
Constantine now understood why the military did not recommend parachuting over rainforests. It truly was not a pleasant experience. Though he did not even have a parachute on his back, it was more like free-falling.
"Riiip!"
Suddenly, it was as though he had crashed into a layer of wallpaper covered in green plants. He tore through it and entered a new level, then hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Though he had already reinforced himself with protective spells, that impact had been far too brutal. For quite a while, he lay sprawled on the ground like a frog on a dissecting table, unable to recover.
"Pah!"
Zha Kang spat out a small mouthful of blood and did his best to roll onto his back. Looking up at the sky, he saw the tear he had fallen through slowly healing like paper knitting itself back together.
At that moment, a little grasshopper hopped onto a blade of grass. After seeming to give him a disdainful glance, it sprang into a clump of grass nearby.
The crash site was surrounded by lush green vegetation, most of it wetland species like sweet flags.