As I swam further through the widening cavern, I felt as though I was being sucked in. And with every stroke, my body seemed to propel faster along the current. I wanted to make sure that Violet was still with me, so I jerked my head to the side. She was, but I had to look twice because floating next to her was someone else.
The creature was riding along on the same current, inside of a strange submersible ball, and I couldn't help but compare its appearance to a mole back on Earth. Scruffy brown hair was covering its entire body, spiking up into a little mohawk at the head. It wore goggles that were too big for its face and bore a permanent lopsided grin, with two large buck teeth. The furry little creature was ignoring us, and yet I couldn't help but stare.
I didn't want to cause alarm by showing Violet; instead, I just faced forward, painfully struggling to stifle fits of laughter. It didn't work, though. I could still see it out of the corner of my eye.
I heard a gentle clunk sound as the ball turned off to head down another dark passage, and I'd thought we were in the clear until I saw an underwater station of sorts in the distance. There were many more balls, each lined up behind the next in an orderly fashion. And I was bursting with curiosity.
As we neared the platform, I began to notice more of their species, hundreds, and each of them clamouring for attention. One stood out above the rest, though, and its actions spoke of authority. Standing up straight, it barely reached the height of my thigh. The creature was wearing a tight-fitting coverall - bright orange, with reflective strips across the middle. With a silver wand in one hand and an odd-looking whistle in the other, it was managing the crowds with masterful skill.
Stopping them all one at a time, I could already see what was happening; the one in charge was asking each person about a destination, and with a whip of its wand, a portal would appear, sending them on their way.
It was incredible; much like humans, they were all different in appearance. Some of them were wearing small suits; others were wearing shorts or even robes. Families were travelling together, carrying little cases, and security guards were lined up at either side of the forming queue. We didn't notice the guards until it was too late, though.
With high-pitched quacking voices, they swam at us, waving hefty projectile weaponry in our faces. We couldn't even speak to offer our surrender, and I quickly began to realise that our species was not supposed to be here.
The crowds started to panic as we approached them with our hands held high. The conductor was quickly losing control of the situation, with travellers charging into open portals in droves. It didn't take long before the entire platform was clear of people. Feeling ashamed, I already regretted bringing us here.
They were still swimming behind us with raised weapons, forcing us towards another portal - one which they were only conjuring for us.
As we entered, the world around us spun out of control, with reality blurring into swirling patterns of colour. After a few seconds of uncertainty, though, the chaotic view began to correct itself. With the crackling of magic still lingering in my ears, I popped back into existence with Violet at my side. We were no longer underwater; instead, dozens of dark tunnels were veering off in every direction.
'Where are we?' Violet asked. I was shocked to hear her voice; she'd been silent for so long that I thought I'd gone deaf.
'I have no idea. I did write about caverns during the exam, though.'
Violet clipped the back of my head, almost knocking me to the ground. 'Well, you got your wish.'
'That wasn't very nice.' I howl, rubbing the burning skin repeatedly.
I knew that she was right. I'd asked for caverns, and I'd gotten them. That part was my fault. As for the rest, I was as baffled as she was. The mysterious people, the villages, and even the castle pool, it was clear that something was happening to the fabric of our worlds. Objects and people that we'd written in were being displaced or were somehow evolving on their own. There was no explanation for any of it, none that we knew of at least.
Not noticing that our armed guards were right behind us again, I was startled to feel the hard barrel of a rifle pressing into my back, nudging me forward. The fear was crippling, where one slip of the creature's gnarly looking finger would likely kill me in an instant.
At least we didn't have to choose a route. We'd been led away from the fluctuating portal, and now our wardens were herding us like cattle.
We must have been walking for the better part of an hour through the impenetrable darkness when we started to hear chanting. It sounded similar to the unsettling voices that we'd heard within the castle pool.
The rocky path was starting to slope downhill, winding like the staircase of an old lighthouse, and I could feel my feet running away from me. It was getting harder to slow down.
We nearly bumped into each other as the path finally evened out, opening into a sizeable ovoid-shaped chamber. In the centre lay a single sarsen stone, massive in size and glowing purple. With pulsating waves of energy surrounding it, I was awestruck. Encircling the rock and standing perfectly still, there were hooded figures with blank faces. They seemed to be worshipping the thing.
As we drew closer, we couldn't help but notice a naked man lying on the ground. His hands were bound together with old frayed rope, and he was unconscious. As we saw past the black draping robes of his leering observers, the man's face appeared to be dripping with crimson red blood.
My heart sank at sight. It was Asher.