Maximus contemplated what to do next, his mind oscillating between despair and the need to stay calm. The first thing he decided was to approach the lake again, where the blackness of the waters barely revealed what was hidden in their depths. He slowly leaned over the shore, making sure not to disturb the surface or awaken the Inferi resting below. From this new perspective, he could glimpse the vastness he had already experienced from the bottom, but now he felt even smaller in the face of the immensity unfolding before him.
After a while of watching, he carefully pulled his head back from the water and headed toward the cavern walls. His first instinct was to try to break or dig out an escape, but after several attempts, he encountered the same impenetrable resistance he had experienced when digging underground. The rock that formed this subterranean prison seemed impossible to break through, no matter how much stronger his hands were than they had ever been in life.
Trying to calm himself, he decided to explore the small beach that surrounded the lake. He walked slowly, observing the rocks scattered along the shore. Some were enormous, but upon closer examination, he realized there was nothing alive or useful. Everything around him seemed lifeless, except for the submerged companions in the lake.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, Maximus stumbled over something metallic that made him fall to the ground. As he looked up, he saw it was a chain, rusty and partially buried in the sand. His curiosity pushed him to grab it, and as he began to tug on it forcefully, something happened. With an almost ghostly sound, a ship slowly emerged from the lake, shedding the water that covered it as it ascended. The image was surreal—a completely empty ship, as if it had been waiting for centuries to be awakened.
Maximus, cautious but determined, boarded the ship. Inside, there was nothing of interest, only a long chain hanging from one end. When he pulled on it, the ship began to move, gliding toward the center of the lake. During the journey, the cavern remained in sepulchral silence, with only the faint sound of the water breaking the stillness.
When he finally reached the small island in the center, he saw what appeared to be an ancient pedestal. As he approached, he noticed a stone bowl filled with a black, murky liquid, with a shell curiously placed beside it. Immediately, something about the scene triggered a vague memory in his mind. He stopped, perplexed. "Wait... this seems familiar... Why does it seem familiar?" he thought. But he couldn't quite recall.
He circled the pedestal several times, inspecting the tiny island for some clue, something that would reveal why the scene felt so familiar. But he found nothing else. He decided to test the black liquid, dipping his hand into the bowl. As he did, he felt nothing, only the cold stone at the bottom. The liquid had no effect, and the shell didn't seem to offer any answers either.
After several minutes of fruitless observation, Maximus returned to the ship. He felt frustrated, but he knew he couldn't stop there. Back on the shore, he decided to inspect the rest of the cavern. Instead of focusing on the lake, he turned his attention to the uneven walls surrounding the place. As he walked, something caught his eye: behind the area where he had found the boat, he saw a massive crevice in the stone, a natural opening in the rock.
He approached carefully, hoping that this would be the key to escaping this place. But after inspecting it closely, he found nothing useful. The crevice led nowhere, just to a sealed-off section of rock.
Finally, exhausted and with no immediate options left, he sat next to one of the rocks scattered across the beach. His thoughts were clouded, and every plan he tried to imagine seemed to fade away. He looked at the lake, the cavern, and the rock walls, wondering what else he could do. He was trapped, without answers and without a clear direction.
But he knew one thing: he couldn't stay there forever.