Kellen and Tommy both took a breather as they tried to recollect themselves from the bouts of hysterical laughter.
Kellen studied the carved walls on the other side to ease back into his usual self. He did not dislike the sense of comradery he was beginning to form with Tommy, but the previous scars left from his deceased friends at the laboratory back in his old world still lingered.
He was unsure whether he could handle the loss of another close friend, let alone, one that was so similar to his late bestfriend Thomas.
"So where does this lead to anyways?" Asked Kellen as he changed the subject and steeled away his annoying emotions.
Tommy regained his mischievous smirk and stood up from his slouched position next to the wall.
"It's easier to show you than to explain. Come on, follow me!" He said with a resurgence in enthusiasm.
Kellen stoically followed the delinquent further down the passage until they arrived at a door.
The dim red orbs of light trailed up from the sides of the floor and traced the outline of the metallic black door.
Kellen pressed his hand against the dark door to inspect it closer. Carvings of a similar nature also resided on the door but were highlighted with white streaks like chalk marks. Compared to those etched on the walls, the depictions on the door were much smaller, more intricate, and numerous.
They were like miniature story panels that held multiple hidden and lost stories that Kellen was unable to fully understand.
The hard black metallic like material with the white etches reminded Kellen of the measuring stone he had touched in the Myria kingdom, back when he was originally summoned here, that had doomed his fate to the void.
'I still have a grudge with that bastard kingdom, but I guess time must've finished them for me already... Actually, what was that void they threw me into?'
Kellen had never given much thought as to where or what the void he was thrown into was. All he knew was that it supposedly led to somewhere that the demons dwelled. However, for whatever reason, the Goddess had provided him with an escape back to this world of Xystenia.
"This part gets a little tricky sometimes so give me some space just in case." Cautioned Tommy from the side.
Kellen gave way for the kid and curiously watched his next actions.
'What could possibly be behind this door? Actually, why is this whole place so secretive and hidden? It's like it was sequestered away and was never meant to see the light of day again...'
Kellen watched Tommy fiddle around with the different red orbs lining the door like he was pressing them in a certain order or code.
An ominous clicking sound echoed from behind the dark door along with Tommy's unique smirk and satisfied snap of his fingers as he turned back towards Kellen.
"I promised myself that if I found anyone else that was cool like me, you know, that didn't necessarily put up with the Legionnaires' or the Empire's bullshit, I would show them my little hideout here." He said with a grin while wiping his nose with his hand to cover his embarrassment.
Kellen shook his head after hearing the cheesy line and slapped Tommy on the back as he walked back up to the door that had glowing red streaks following its trails of white carvings.
"So are we heading in or am I supposed to just fantasize what's on the other side for awhile?" He said with a joking tone.
"Alright, Alright, let's go." Shrugged Tommy with his hands in the air and his head tilted to the side before pushing on the door.
The door creaked loudly as it slowly pushed open, revealing a chilly breeze that escaped from within and blew past the two boys' faces.
Tommy took the lead and stepped through the thick door while holding out his hands to display what was revealed.
"Welcome to the old Frozen Kingdom!" He said with a wide grin as he signaled for Kellen to enter with his hands.
"Wh-What the hell is this?" Yelled Kellen in shock as he took in the eerie landscape hidden behind the dark door.
Stepping out onto the rocky ledge that jutted out from the doorway, Kellen peered over its edge to fully take in the impressive view.
The door revealed a massive cavern that spanned roughly about a quarter of the capital itself. Jagged stone walls and imposing stalactites hung from the dark ceiling that was dimly illuminated with a red light.
Kellen squinted his eyes to locate where the familiar red light was originating from and was surprised to find it glaring from rough cut veins, stretching throughout the streets of a dilapidated kingdom.
The remnants of the kingdom, showcased by the red orbs glowing from within the scarred veins, was little to be desired yet still breath taking. The old stony structures of previously grand buildings were scattered throughout the chasm, but what really caught Kellen's eyes were the statues.
Dotted about the kingdom's landscape were stone statues of people engaging in what seemed to be their every day lives. The red light reflecting off their cold stone faces created a ominous and eerie feeling in Kellen's heart.
If Kellen could describe what he now saw before him with one word it would be a "snapshot". The unnervingly still kingdom seemed like a picture taken during its heyday or one of great celebration and was quite unsettling to encounter.
"Pretty amazing right? I call it the Frozen Kingdom cause it's like the image of a once thriving kingdom sealed down here for eternity." Exclaimed Tommy with reverence.
Kellen only nodded his head in response as he continued to study the incredible spectacle below them.
"Well it's better to see it up close, so you wanna head down?" Said Tommy as he slapped Kellen's shoulder with spirit.
"Yeah, I wanna get a closer look." Replied Kellen distantly.
The two boys headed down the stone staircase that was carved into the side of the rocky outlook they had surveyed from.
Kellen could not exactly put his finger on it but a sense of familiarity seemed to arise within him as they explored the stone streets and petrified like kingdom.
The life-like statues or sculptures of people still left Kellen with a feeling of unease as he studied many of them while making their way through the streets.
'This is pretty haunting... It's like they were all just turned to stone.' He thought as he curiously inspected the all too accurate sculptures.
The kingdom seemed like some giant's abandoned dollhouse and Kellen was getting more and more interested with every passing moment.
"Did someone make all this?" Asked Kellen in wonder.
"Hm, not sure. Maybe, but it all feels too real to just be a piece of lost art." Conjected Tommy as he led them further in.
Tommy led them to the center of the frozen kingdom where an incredible castle resided at its heart. Kellen could tell from its sheer size and the amount of statues, that this place must have been beautiful way back when.
The veins filled with that glowing and ominous red light were of much greater quantity near the heart of the kingdom and made it look like an abandoned underworld.
As they entered what appeared to be the throne room of the broken castle, Kellen's heart began to race.
A massive vein, that was more like a small ravine, scarred the center of the room, jutting all the way from the entrance to the throne, and multiple stony sculptures seemed to be locked in its sides.
Their expressions bore twisted and grimacing emotions, as if they had just fallen into the ravine, and were desperately trying to escape while their frozen bodies eternally locked their fruitless attempts.
The glowing red light was the greatest and strongest in the bottom of the ravine and painted the entire room in a devious blood like shade.
Kellen's burning sensation in his chest he had been feeling for awhile now, felt like it had erupted. He grasped his searing chest with his one hand as he battle to quell its fire.
Tommy was poking some of the statues along the sides of the room with curiosity and did not notice Kellen's sudden change.
'What is this place? Why do I feel like its calling to me for some odd reason?'
Kellen did not know for sure, but he had a sickening hunch that the strange sensation in his body was somehow connected to this frozen kingdom.
The weird connection he felt with the glowing red energy in the orbs and now the ravine, which held its most concentration, seemed to be the origin of Kellen's recent discomfort.
As he stared into the depths of the blood red ravine, Kellen had an odd urge come over him. Almost like the light was welcoming and begging him to get closer.
The red light from the vein reflected and basically merged with Kellen's glaring red eyes, as if they were the same and intertwined.
Kellen felt his body moving without his command, as he slowly inched closer to the edge of the ravine to get closer to the red energy.
He lost all of his train of thought while listening to the strange urges and felt relief as he got closer to the light. With every step, the strength of the red glow increased and bathed over his body. Kellen was unaware of his actions and could only focus on the sense of overwhelming relief he felt as the light continued to bathe and soothe his body.
"Hey! Check this out! The armor is pretty cool right!" Shouted Tommy over from across the room, breaking Kellen out of his trance.
"Huh?"
The normal light returned to Kellen's eyes as he stared away from the ravine and towards his now halted movements.
"What happened to me?"