Chereads / stone monarch / Chapter 1 - City of death

stone monarch

nekomata
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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - City of death

I slowly became aware of my surroundings as I regained consciousness. A cool breeze caressed my skin, a damp, earthy smell and the stench of decay filled my nostrils. I took a deep breath and let my senses guide me.

As I became more alert, I realized I was lying on a hard, uneven surface. I reached out and felt the rough, jagged walls around me. They were cold and damp to the touch, and small droplets of water dripped down from the ceiling. Some drop of water are also falling on my face from time to time.

The sound of tiny feet scurrying across the rocky floor caught my attention, and I turned my head towards the noise. In the dim light, I could make out the shapes of small animals darting in and out of the shadows.

Despite the unfamiliarity of my surroundings, I remained calm. I knew I had to explore this place further and find a way out. I slowly sat up, feeling my muscles ache from a long time of not using, and took a deep breath.

The air was thick and musty, filled with the scent of damp earth, The stench of decay and small animals. The cave walls were covered in moss and lichen, and small puddles of water dotted the rocky floor. It was clear to me that I had somehow found myself in a abandoned cave.

As I stood up and began to take my first steps, I couldn't help but wonder how I had ended up here and what I would find as I explored this unfamiliar environment.

As I stood up and began to explore my surroundings. After walking few turns by using the cave walls as guide, my eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. As they did, I noticed something that made my stomach turn.

In one corner of the cave lay a pile of dead animal carcasses, some still with scraps of flesh clinging to their bones. The smell was overpowering, a putrid mix of decay and rot. I didn't notice that before maybe because I was deep inside the cave. Now how do I know that I was inside the cave it's because I don't know how I know that but sometimes in my unconscious mind is telling me.

But what made me freeze in horror was the sight of a human carcass lying nearby, its bones picked clean and bleached by time. It was clear that it had been there for a long time, left to decay in the damp, dark cave.

As I tried to make sense of what I was seeing, a feeling of unease began to settle in my stomach. It was clear that I was not the first person to find myself in this cave, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the person whose remains lay before me.

Despite my fear, I knew I had to press on and find a way out of this place. I forced myself to take a deep breath and steel my nerves before continuing walking in the cave, my eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger.

Even though I am now very scared but I didn't let it control me and I keep walking on. After walking few turns I saw there is light after a turn farther ahead. In my joy I ran towards it. my eyes slowly adjusted to the light. As they did, I noticed something that made my heart race and my stomach turn. The entire cave was filled with a thick layer of animal carcasses, some piled high on top of each other. The stench of decay was overwhelming, making me gag and choke on the foul air. But what truly horrified me was the sight of countless human remains, hundreds of them scattered throughout the cave. They were nothing more than skeletons now, picked clean by scavengers and bleached white by time. It was clear that they had been there for a long time, left to rot in the dark, damp cave. As I tried to make sense of what I was seeing, my mind reeled with horror and disbelief. How had so many people ended up in this place, and what had happened to them? The sheer scale of death and decay before me was almost too much to comprehend. Despite my fear and revulsion, I knew I had to press on and find a way out of this place. I forced myself to take deep breaths and steel my nerves before continuing walking towards the light, my eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger.

As I stepped further into the cave, the smell of decay became even stronger. I could see now that the animal carcasses were not the only source of the stench. Scattered among the piles of bones were fresh remains, both animal and human. Some were partially eaten, their flesh ripped and torn by scavengers. Others were still relatively intact, their skin and muscle barely starting to decompose. And just beside it I found the culprit of this horror show, mouse like animal but the size of cat huddling together to devour meat from bones. When they saw me run away but didn't go far ,they just started to keep watch on me. As I made my way towards the light, my eyes fell upon what appeared to be a dumping ground for corpses. The ground was littered with bodies, both animal and human, in various states of decay. It was clear that whoever was responsible for this had been bringing bodies to this cave for a long time. My heart raced as I realized that whoever was responsible could still be in the cave, lurking in the shadows and I am damn sure this wasn't the work of those rat like animal . I tried to stay calm, but the sight of so much death and decay was almost too much to bear. Despite my fear, I knew I had to continue on if I wanted to find a way out of this place. I took a deep breath and pressed on, my eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. I continued deeper into the cave, my eyes fixed on the faint glow of light that seemed to be coming from somewhere up ahead. It was the only thing that kept me moving forward, driving me on through the overwhelming stench of death and decay.

As I followed the light source, my mind raced with thoughts of what might be waiting for me at the end of this cave system. The darkness and stillness around me seemed to press in on all sides, making me feel small and vulnerable in the face of whatever horrors lay ahead. The shadows seemed to shift and twist around me, taking on a life of their own. I could hear strange noises echoing through the cave system, the sound of things moving in the darkness just beyond my line of sight.

But still I pressed on, my determination to find a way out of this place overriding my fear. As I drew closer to the source of the light, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, anticipation and dread warring within me.Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of stumbling through the dark, I emerged into a small chamber. The glow of sunlight streamed in through a small opening in the ceiling, casting a warm and reassuring light across the rough stone walls.

With a feeling of relief washing over me, I hurried toward the opening, my eyes fixed on the small patch of blue sky visible beyond it. I couldn't wait to escape this place, to leave the horrors of the cave system behind me and never look back

As I approached the small opening in the ceiling, I realized that it was too high for me to reach. But hope filled me, and I looked around for something to use to climb up to it.

I spotted a jagged outcropping of rock on one side of the chamber, and I hurried over to it, my heart pounding with anticipation. I tested the rock with my foot, finding it sturdy enough to support my weight.With a deep breath, I began to climb, my hands and feet searching for purchase on the rough stone wall. For a few moments, I felt like I was making progress, inching ever closer to the opening above. But then, without warning, my hand slipped and I lost my grip. I tumbled back down to the ground, landing with a hard thud on the rocky floor. Pain shot through my body, and I lay there for a few moments, gasping for breath and trying to recover.

As I struggled to my feet, disappointment and frustration washed over me. I had been so close to escaping this place, only to fall short at the last moment. I knew that I would have to find another way out, but I couldn't help feeling like I had failed.

I tried again and again to climb the jagged outcropping of rock, my hands and feet desperately searching for purchase on the rough stone wall. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get any higher. Each time I fell back down to the ground, pain shooting through my body. But still, I refused to give up. I tried again and again, my determination driving me forward even as my body grew weaker.

Finally, on my last attempt, I reached for a handhold that I thought would finally allow me to reach the opening above. But my grip slipped, and I fell back down to the ground with a sickening thud.

Pain shot through my body, but it was quickly replaced by a numbing sensation. I tried to get up, to keep searching for a way out, but my legs wouldn't respond. My vision blurred, and I felt myself slipping away, losing consciousness as the darkness closed in around me. The last thing I remember before everything went black was the overwhelming sense of defeat and despair.

*Creach creach* I woke up with some noise when I look towards it I realised that those rat like animal are now looking at me from the darkness of the cave.When I woke up, I was lying on the rocky floor of the cave, my body battered and bruised. I struggled to my feet, my mind foggy and my body weak. It was clear that I couldn't continue on like this. With a heavy heart, I realized that I had no choice but to stay in the cave for the time being. I would have to conserve my energy and wait for help to arrive. But as I looked around at the endless expanse of darkness stretching out before me, I couldn't help but wonder if help would ever come

Before waking up inside the cave, I was just an average blue-collar worker going about my day-to-day life. I worked long hours in a factory, barely making ends meet, but I always managed to find some joy in the little things. The last thing I remembered before waking up in the cave was walking home from work one evening. I had been lost in thought, worrying about bills and deadlines, when something struck me hard on the back of the head.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up inside the damp and foreboding cave. I had no idea how I got there or why, but I knew that I had to find a way out.

Despite my fear and desperation, I refused to give up hope. I clung to the memory of my family and friends, knowing that they were out there somewhere, waiting for me to come back to them. As I struggled to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the cave, I thought back on my life and the choices that had led me here. I wondered if there was anything I could have done differently, anything that could have kept me from this fate.

But as I looked around at the endless expanse of darkness stretching out before me, I knew that dwelling on the past wouldn't help me now. I had to focus on the present, on finding a way out and back to the people who cared about me.And with that determination in my heart, I set off once again into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead