Back in the dark forest, Rina walked with her eyes closed, following Hati effortlessly through the dense trees toward the cave.
As she stepped inside—their shelter for the past ten days—dim green light flickered across the stone walls. Shadows of her companions danced around her, and with a joyful smile, she said,
"I can walk without needing to see now."
Kaelan shot back with a snappy tone,
"Finally. Let’s get out of this cave already. I’m starting to feel like it’s swallowing ."
They all crawled out one by one, erging into the cold forest air.
After days of training, their senses had beco razor-sharp.
As Alex stepped out, the chill brushed against his skin, and the scent of damp grass and bark filled his lungs.
"Let’s find ika first," he said. "Then we figure out how to get out of this place."
Lyra nodded softly. "You’re right."
The group moved silently through the forest. Snake-like vines slithered from the trees, and jagged, toothy flowers snapped at them—but always missed, biting only air. Their enhanced senses allowed them to detect every shift in sound, every movent in the undergrowth.
For Alex, it was even more intense.
Without sight, he felt free.
he can feel the air pressure very closely—each change, every tremor, a whisper of incoming danger. He could feel attacks before they landed.
After days of traveling, they ca upon a village cloaked in silence and shadows.
This village was different for those without sight.
They couldn’t see the buildings or the lights—but they could hear.
Footsteps. Whispers. The scurry of feet. The sounds of hissing, sounds of little footsteps running around.
And then—a hiss.
A long, sharp hiss that made Alex freeze.
He whispered, "I think we’ve reached the place where the people who hate the light live."
"What?" Kaelan said loudly.
Alex slapped his forehead.
"You idiot..." He drew his spear. "Prepare for an attack."
ika, who had heard the sudden voice in the village, ca rushing toward the commotion.
As she arrived, she saw them—four people and a wolf, clothed in torn, dirt-streaked rags, standing in perfect formation. Their eyes didn’t follow her... but their bodies were tense, alert, ready to strike.
She stepped forward with a warm smile.
"Hey, guys. Long ti no see?"
"ika!" Rina scread, rushing forward and throwing her arms around her.
ika laughed. "You haven’t changed at all. Can you see now too?"
Rina pulled away, tears in her eyes.
"No... we can’t. We just adapted to the darkness. We’re blind—but trained."
ika nodded slowly, her smile fading into sothing softer.
Lyra stepped forward, her voice thoughtful.
"ika... can you see in the dark?"
ika smirked. "Yeah, I can."
Then her smirk faltered.
They couldn’t see it.
Alex approached, his tone serious.
"Are you living with people who hate the light?"
ika frowned but answered,
"Yes, but... they’re not what you think. They’re not light hating people, they are people of darkness. Don’t you have a dark elent too?"
Alex tilted his head, a little perplexed.
"People of Darkness?"
ika sighed. "Let’s just... leave it at that."
Kaelan’s sharp voice cut through.
"We want to leave. Can you ask your ’friends’ how to get out of here?"
ika’s eyes widened.
That thought never even crossed my mind...
Have I beco too comfortable in the darkness?
She shook the thought off and turned to the strange villagers, communicating in subtle hand gestures and motions.
The villagers exchanged glances, then looked back at her. One nodded, hissed, and pointed toward the edge of the village.
ika gestured again, asking if soone could guide them.
One figure stepped forward, hissing softly and nodding in agreent.
"What did they say?" Kaelan asked, his voice tense. He was gripping his own arm, unease etched across his face.
ika began to answer, "They’ll guide us b—"
"Let’s go. I’ve had enough of this damn place." Kaelan interrupted, his voice edged with frustration.
ika frowned, clearly displeased, but didn’t argue.
"Fine. Follow ."
She turned and waved goodbye to the strange villagers, who responded with silent nods and low hisses.
They walked for so ti until they reached the edge of the domain—and then stopped.
Before them stood a colossal tree, so massive its crown scraped the darkened sky.
Its thick roots spilled from the branches like falling serpents, anchoring deep into the earth.
At the base of the tree was a door-sized hole, shrouded in thick tangles of roots.
Their guide stepped forward, gently parting the roots with both hands, then pointed inside.
ika peered into the shadowed hole. Stairs—just like before—spiraled downward.
The guide hissed again and shook his head slowly.
She nodded in understanding.
He bowed deeply, then turned and left without another sound.
ika’s eyes glazed with a sudden, unexpected sadness.
Why do I feel like I’m leaving ho?
She bit the inside of her cheek, pushing the feeling away.
Now wasn’t the ti for sentint.
She turned toward her companions, all standing quietly—blind and waiting.
"We’re heading down the stairs," she said firmly. "Be careful with each step."
"Where did that guy go?" Alex asked.
"He’s gone," ika said as she stepped inside. "Now co on."
One by one, they descended the dark, spiral staircase. At the bottom, a massive black door lood before them.
As they approached, the door creaked open on its own.
A brilliant light burst from the stairwell, flooding the space.
All of them flinched—hands snapping up to cover their faces.
"Aaah! This light is killing !" Rina shrieked, eyes shut tight.
"Keep your eyes closed!" Alex shouted. "Move—before that door shuts again!"
As they stepped through the doorway, a wave of humid air slamd into them, thick with the stench of rotting flesh and decayed wood.
Crunch.
A wet, squelching sound echoed beneath their feet.
The door slamd shut behind them with a loud THUD.
One by one, they cautiously opened their eyes—only to have them go wide with shock. Rina gasped, stumbled backward, and fell on her butt.
Before them stretched a forest—no, what used to be a forest. The trees were dead, their bark decaying, and the ground... it writhed.
Maggots.
Everywhere.
Massive maggots, larger than Hati, squird across the landscape. Their pale, bloated bodies shimred with sli, mucus trailing behind them like sickly silver threads. Their tapered heads oozed thick, yellow saliva that stead slightly in the air. There was no open ground—the maggots had devoured everything, crawling over each other, making the floor look like a pulsing mass of white flesh.
Alex looked down.
They were standing on them.
"KYYYAAA!" Lyra scread, trying to back away—but it was no use. The maggots were everywhere.
ika clenched her fists, her expression twisting in revulsion.
"Kaelan!" she snapped, her voice trembling. "Burn these disgusting things!"
Kaelan, unfazed, smirked.
"Wait a minute... let Rina enjoy it first."
Rina turned her head slowly—her eyes t the pulsating mass beneath her.
"KYYAAAA!"
She scread, leaping straight into the air as if launched by a spring.
Kaelan burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! That reaction was worth it!"
Alex sighed, rubbing his temples but saying nothing.
Kaelan finally raised his hand, flas gathering in his palm.
WHOOSH!
Flas exploded outward. The maggots screeched, their high-pitched cries echoing as their bodies sizzled and popped.
BOOM.
RUMBLE.
The ground beneath them shook violently.
"Wh—what the hell?!" Rina cried, clutching a dead branch.
The ground tilted, then began to move—a slow, monstrous shift. All of them lost their footing and were dragged forward, sliding across the maggot-covered surface.
Alex grabbed onto a decaying tree, its bark crumbling under his grip.
Hati, unfazed, bounced joyfully from one maggot to another like it was so kind of ga.
The girls latched onto a thick tree trunk, barely managing to hold on.
Kaelan wasn’t so lucky—he slid straight into a pile of writhing maggots, completely buried under their slimy bulk.
Then... silence.
The shaking stopped.
Alex looked around, breathless.
Did the ground just... move like a living creature?
BOOM.
BOOM.
Kaelan exploded out from under the maggots, setting them ablaze in a fit of rage.
"Fucking maggots!" he yelled, fire flaring around him.
BOOM.
RUMBLE.
The earth beneath him lifted.
A deep, guttural SCREEEECH tore through the sky, like tal grinding against tal—only alive.
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
Wait... Could it be? A bigger one? A Queen?
"KAELAN!" he yelled. "Stop burning them! You’re making it worse!"
The shaking stopped.
Kaelan dragged himself out, covered in sticky mucous, and tried to climb the nearest tree.
He slipped.
Tried again. Slipped harder.
"FUCK!" he shouted, stomping the ground—only to crush another huge maggot, splattering more sli all over himself.
From the safety of her tree, ika muttered, "Idiot."
Then she yelled louder,
"Use your fire to clean the sli—just don’t burn your only piece of clothing!"
Kaelan paused, realization dawning.
"Right... Why didn’t I think of that?"
With a quick flare, he incinerated the mucus from his body, steam hissing around him. Finally, he climbed up, muttering curses under his breath.
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