The phrase was short yet it caused Anthony to instinctively grow tense as he looked at the spot his oldest son had eyes on.
"A crack?" Anthony voiced softly though it was hardly enough to elude the hearing of the others as they quickly converged on their position.
Ulysses didn’t imdiately respond as he took steps forward, quickly approaching the area where he spotted the crack.
It was at the bottom edge of the crystalline wall and from all indications, didn’t look like sothing major yet it caused everyone present to grow apprehensive.
"According to the records, thods were utilized to bring down the seal in Henos, including gaining the help of a Daemon of the Monster Wheel, yet there was no damage." Leonard intoned, his previously childishness all but gone, replaced by a seriousness that bordered on dread.
Agnes pursed her lips. "Which ans whatever caused that crack..."
"Is perhaps on the level of a Demon God or maybe even higher." Timon completed the statent, causing the already tense atmosphere to get even worse.
"We should leave." Amara intoned, briefly breaking her silence.
Anthony thought to speak only to pause, recalling that this expedition was not under his command.
So, he ultimately turned to the person in charge.
"What do you suggest, Ulysses?... Do we investigate further?"
Silence followed as Ulysses made no effort to respond, focusing instead on the crack that marred the almost perfect surface of the crystalline wall.
Taking a mont to gather his thoughts, he responded. "We sensed no divine aura on our way here, correct?"
"... That is indeed the case," Agnes replied after a bit of hesitation.
"So what’s the likelihood that a deity was down here and yet left no imprint on the aether?"
"Little," Leonard replied. "All gods form imprints on the aether wherever they go."
"And it persists indefinitely?"
"Of course, that..." Leonard trailed off as he realized what Ulysses was driving at.
"It wasn’t a deity that damaged this." Timon mouthed, voicing the thoughts they all had at that mont.
"Then what else could have caused such a thing?"
"Perhaps the walls are subject to the whims of ti, slowly degrading," Ulysses suggested.
Pursing his lips, Anthony found no reason to not accept Ulysses’ reason.
"But it seems abrupt, don’t you agree?... Why would it appear all of a sudden?" Leonard asked no one in particular.
Faced with the question, none managed to co up with a sufficient response resulting in a profound silence enveloping the cavern.
Soon, Ulysses got to his feet with Anthony inquiring.
"What do we do son?"
Ulysses turned to face him before replying. "I don’t know."
"Listen to your heart," Anthony remarked.
Pursing his lips, Ulysses fell into deep thought, pondering the matter extensively.
On one hand, his curiosity spurred him on to check what lay on the other side of the crystalline wall, seeking to delve into the mysterious origins of the crack and further understand its function.
But on the other hand, he had to take into account the safety of the party.
Exploration was a job that ca with sufficient risk.
There was a reason the Nester family was still quite small despite being around for more than a thousand years.
Taking deep breaths, Ulysses finally ca to a decision.
Safety over curiosity.
And so, he remarked, albeit in a regretful tone. "We should head back. It’s enough that we got to map out the corresponding region."
Anthony bead with pride, satisfied that Ulysses understood how to balance safety with curiosity.
"Then, let’s return for now. If it cos down to it, we can always inform the TruthSeekers about the matter. I’m sure those crazy scholars would be more than happy to carry out further studies."
"I agree. I an, we are Explorers, our job is finding and mapping, let them deal with the corresponding investigation and danger." Leonard remarked, causing Agnes to snort.
"Covering up cowardice with such la excuses."
"Hmmph, if you are so keen to continue, please, be my guest." Leonard shot back earning a chuckle from everyone present, except Agnes of course.
Satisfied with their gains, they proceeded to make their way back to the nest they’d erged from and continued their journey through to the other side.
However, their sojourn was soon cut short as they quickly arrived at the other side though it was like nothing they ca across when they first arrived.
For starters, the image they had in their mories of the cavern was a hall filled with pillars, created from the rgers of stalactites with stalagmites.
However, at this mont, what stood before them was an expansive forest that stretched as far as the eyes could see with tall trees and flowers covering the entire area with the awe-inspiring landscape illuminated by a bright blue ball of light floating above.
"Uhmm... where are we?" Agnes was the first to speak up, audibly voicing the question on everyone’s minds.
Taking a mont to gather his thoughts, Leonard remarked. "I have no idea."
"Did we take a wrong turn?" Timon quickly asked, earning a snort from their previously silent brother, Andrew.
"We are born navigators, Tim. That is an impossibility."
"Then mind explaining what is happening right now?" Timon shot back, clearly agitated by Andrew’s response.
"This is hardly the ti to be arguing." Anthony spat in annoyance, disappointed that the adults would be bickering in such a situation.
Taking a mont to breathe, Anthony glanced at Ulysses to find the young man deep in thought.
A proud smile suffused his lips at that mont as instead of panicking, the young man was showing attributes of a true leader.
"What do you think?" He inquired softly, intending not to pressure the boy.
Ulysses let out a sigh. "We may have crossed over to whatever lays behind the crystalline wall."
"I have a similar thought." Anthony intoned.
"But how co?" Agnes inquired only for the answer to hit her a mont later. "The crack."
"Indeed." Anthony nodded. "The crack."
Leonard chipped in at that mont. "Perhaps it serves as a divider to ensure the world before us and the one we are familiar with don’t interact. But that would bring up the question; why?"
Taking a mont to ponder, Ulysses remarked. "I suggest we carry out a preliminary search, find out if there’s anything of note since we are already here. At the first sign of danger, we head back."
"Sounds good to ," Agnes muttered with the others agreeable as well.
With that, the Nesters put aside their previous apprehension and with newfound purpose, made their way into the colorful forest.
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