Where am I?
The boundless sheets of darkness surged uncontrollably, swallowing any hint of light. No rays could intrude, and none could escape. In the small, occupied space, faint orbs of dim light drifted aimlessly.
This place again? Thalen quickly grasped his situation.
This wasn't the first time he'd ended up here.
Every few nights, he was dragged back, like a fish tied to a bait.
He'd escape, only to be reeled in again, returning to the same spot. It was as if the fisherman had no intention of capturing him or tossing him into a bucket. Instead, the fisherman only wanted to observe—to watch him struggle, to see how he'd react.
It didn't take long for Thalen to snap out of his stupor and prop himself up.
The suffocating darkness was familiar and oppressive.
He stood there quietly for a few minutes before striding forward.
Immediately, the sensation of smooth, icy liquid brushed against his legs, flowing past him as he moved. The unusual liquid didn't stick to his legs or any part of his body it touched. With each step, his mind grew clearer, the fog of drowsiness slowly dissipating.
This continued for hours until Thalen finally decided to stop.
The abundant amount of dim orbs were swirling around him more than ever, occasionally, lighting up his face.
There were no hints of tiredness, only disappointment.
He was still trapped in this dark compartment.
Thalen had long realized that he wasn't in a dream, but he still clung to the hope that the fisherman's bait was dreams, not darkness.
After taking a deep breath, he looked down beneath him.
The dark, murky water flowed against his legs, boiling and frozen at the same time. The scene was bizarre and confusing.
If this was a dream, then it would be a ridiculous nightmare.
Thalen rolled up his sleeves and extended his arm into the murky, bleak water. He calmly watched as it "disappeared" and fused along with it.
He wasn't surprised nor anxious.
After countless nights of repeating the same actions, he had grown accustomed to this action. Each time he was reeled in, he would hope for a normal 'dream', but reality was often disappointing. This had become his unfortunate nightly routine.
A few moments later, with his entire right arm submerged in the darkness, he closed his eyes and began to recall everything he had done over the past few days.
The scenery rapidly started to change.
The surrounding orbs of light began to converge, streaming into Thalen's body.
A dim glow illuminated his face, then his shoulders, until his entire body was filled with a soft radiance.
The bleak water grew brighter and more polished as time passed, particularly around his submerged arm. These were Thalen's memories from the day, carrying "images" of his actions as they merged with the darkness.
Soon, the radiant lights from the water rose up and formed into a fist-sized orb floating before him, pulsing softly.
I can never get used to this… He wiped sweat from his brow with his other arm.
Though the process happened swiftly, to Thalen, it felt like an eternity had passed.
It's warmer today… He noticed the difference in temperature radiating from the orb. His suspicion lingered for a moment but faded when he saw the orb functioning as it always had.
On the orb's surface, Thalen's memories shifted and flickered. His lack of precise control during the process meant unnecessary details often surfaced.
A scene flickered on the orb.
It was a scene of Thalen trying to swim in the murky water and almost drowning. It vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Another scene followed.
Again, it was of him nearly drowning again in the liquid, which hadn't even reached his ankles.
Then, a memory of him attempting to climb the orbs of light, only to realize they were too small for proper footing flashed by. He fell, nearly drowning again.
Why does it feel like this orb is mocking me? I don't recall ever thinking about this part yet it would occasionally bring it up…
The orb flashed once more, and finally, the memories Thalen wanted to see came into focus.
…
A modestly built young man with jet-black hair stared into the liquid within the wooden cup. Beside him lay a worn iron pickaxe, its handle slick with sweat.
Clank!
Thalen's gaze shifted toward the sound. A middle-aged man stood there, catching his breath. At his feet laid an assortment of excavation tools.
"Sigh… Finally done for the day…" The man walked over and leaned against the rough surface of the wall.
Lars… Thalen's focus lingered on him for a moment before returning to the cup of water clutched in his hand.
"Are you finished with today's quota too?" Lars asked while patting his own back.
Thalen nodded, acknowledging his presence.
"There's been an increase in contractors lately. Have you heard anything about it?" He returned with another question.
With Lars' outgoing and extroverted personality, he was a very helpful person to Thalen.
"An influx of contractors?"
Lars stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly deep in thoughts.
"..Ever since the excavation ban for this mountain was repealed, King Julien III has been pushing more efforts into contracting citizens to work here in exchange for rations," Lars paused.
His face then darkened.
"Now that you mention it, the King seems to be rushing this matter about mining these mana stones. Although they do yield a pretty high value, just being near them puts regular humans at risk of contracting health problems…
This time, Lars didn't open his mouth again.
Thalen didn't voice his opinion and merely went back to staring at the water in the cup.
His reflection was calm, then it became distorted and disrupted, quietly disappearing along with the orb.
What's going on?
Thalen was immediately alarmed.
This wasn't the development he'd experienced.
Usually, the orb would display the amount of his memories before dissipating and allowing him to return. The more relevant memories he fed to the orb, the better.
However, this time was different.
Not counting the fact that the shown memories were only a small portion, the fist-sized orb was gone. This has never happened before.
At that moment, a sudden cold sensation concentrated in his chest.
He subconsciously raised his hand and clutched his heart.
His breathing slowed.
The feeling was off.
Slowly, he glanced down at the spot where his hand rested.
There, the flesh surrounding his heart was gone. Instead, within his visible rib cage, the dim, fist-sized orb had replaced the position of his heart. In the next moment, it pulsed in a rhythmic manner, growing faster and faster with no sign of stopping.
Thalen fell to his knee, clutching hard at his chest.
He heard a silent and muffled voice.
However, he was too busy panting to notice anything else.
A few minutes later, his entire body lost its strength and became submerged under the murky, bleak 'water,' leaving only half his head afloat.
Soon, the lights within his eyes faded.