When I opened my eyes and looked around, the horrifying scene that just played out was laid bare right in front of me and I couldn't help but instinctively lurch forward releasing what was left of the remaining bile in my stomach. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating deep in my eardrums. Everyone was dead.
Tears streamed from my eyes and mucus was starting to drip from my nose as I sat on the ground with my head in my hands. I'm not sure how long had passed but when I looked in the direction of the holes, there now was just a single giant hole that seemed to almost encompass the entire back wall of the cave. There was nothing but darkness before entering the first time but now I could see a mix of bright orchid and scarlet runes from outside.
I felt weirdly drawn to the runes and before I knew it was back on my feet walking toward them. I looked back at the corpses of my friends jumbled among the bastards that killed them with a deep frown and wiped my face with scraps of what could be called a shirt. That's when I noticed my shoulder wasn't hurting or bleeding anymore and instead of a gaping wound, there was now a deep red scar.
I must have passed out for a long time but that doesn't explain how I'm alive after losing so much blood. I looked down at Erika's face before closing my eyes with tears in them.
"There's nothing left", I said aloud to no one.
I picked up the shortest of the swords and the two daggers used at the end. I'm not sure what to expect but my friends died so I can live. I have to survive no matter the cost. I took a deep breath and headed towards the glowing entrance.
As I got closer I noticed the runes still vibrating rhythmically like a heartbeat. Tracing my fingertips against the deeply engraved lines the compelling feeling from before came back and I couldn't help but wonder why I was being drawn to them. The end of the path revealed a large ivory stone bridge covered in scarlet runes. At the end of the bridge stood another beautifully intricate door. The doors seemed to increase in complexity and adornments as one descends through the dungeon. This one was shown with a more amethyst hue that was brighter than the others.
As I took the first step the lights illuminated even brighter and seemed to increase along with every step. After making it halfway towards the bridge the section I was standing on fell from beneath me. The ivory bridge was incredibly wide but it seemed like a clean cut was made in just a small section of its entirety and I fell along with it.
It felt like I was falling forever and the air pressure from the fall made it feel like my nostrils were going to explode as the skin on my face flapped backward.
I hit the ground hard.
Incredibly hard.
My body hurt all over but besides being sore I somehow came out unscathed. As I stood up I noticed that there was no debris from when the section of the ivory bridge had fallen and when I looked up there was no bridge. Just another boundless scape of darkness.
As I looked around the small cave I ended up in, an ivory door caught my attention. It appeared to be made from stone and carved with what seemed to be flowing shadowy lines. If I didn't focus on the door the lines that flowed seemed to move much faster and shine with a myriad of colors. When I did focus intently on the door, however, the lines moved much slower with their shadow-like shade.
Everything that has happened so far has been so strange. All these near-death experiences and yet I somehow come out completely unscathed.
Also, what is with all the doors? Every door could have been the main exhibit in any art show while conveying mystical properties. Being lost in these thoughts I noticed the lines on the door seemed to shine red for a fraction of a second. All of a sudden the cave started shaking all around me as if an earthquake rumbled through the dungeon. Stone and debris began to drop from the ceiling and I quickly dashed toward the door.
The door wasn't very far away and seemed to push open before my fingertips could even touch it causing me to fall straight through. I shook my head and looked up, what surrounded me was cold darkness.
Why am I not surprised that it's just more darkness at this point?
I could feel waves of a dark tingle wash over me as I began to mull over everything that happened. My parents, the village, and my friends were all ripped from me in one day. Before I could dive deeper into my dark thoughts a booming voice ran through my head causing me to cover my ears In shock.
"Pathetic"
The voice sounded ethereal being neither masculine nor feminine.
"Who are you ?!" I shouted out into the darkness.
"Where are you ?!"
I waited for a while but nothing spoke back.
I sat on the dark surface of the ground and thought about what just happened. I must be going crazy. It hasn't even been that long and I'm already losing my mind after losing everything else.
"Tsk... Stupendously pathetic"
The ethereal voice spoke again
"If you're there then speak to me! You're making me feel crazy here !", I shouted back into the shadows. The voice came this time in waves as it spoke.
"The boy with the glasses should have made it here... Without him, you would have perished to those men quite easily... He was an exemplary demon."
"Why are you talking about Zeke? Don't you think I know that ?! That I should be dead ?!" I could feel the tears swelling behind my eyes but I wouldn't cry right now. Couldn't cry right now. Not before understanding how this voice knows about Zeke and what happened to all of us.