17. Lara

17

LARA

T he thought of the sun makes my heart swell with excitement, an ember of hope igniting in the cavern's chill. My mind buzzes with the idea of standing beneath its golden rays once more. Memories of sunlit forests and the scent of blooming viridiums flood back, vivid and intoxicating.

Zyrith's promise echoes in my mind, a tether pulling me toward a brighter future. I imagine us emerging from this subterranean world, our first steps bathed in light. The vision feels surreal—his massive form against the backdrop of a sky so blue it almost hurts to look at.

I close my eyes and savor the fantasy. I can almost feel the warmth on my skin, the gentle caress of a breeze. The underground air is thick and stale in comparison, a constant reminder of our confinement. The moss's bioluminescent glow pales beside the sun’s brilliance.

Could Zyrith and I truly leave this place together? The thought sends chills through me—not of fear but of exhilaration. To share the world above with him, to explore it side by side… it's a dream I hadn’t dared to entertain until now.

I envision us walking through Kantor, his towering presence both awe-inspiring and comforting. How would the people react to him? Fearful at first, perhaps, but maybe they would learn to see the beauty in him like I have.

The scent of freshly baked bread from market stalls drifts into my reverie. I picture us sharing a meal under the open sky, laughter and conversation mingling with the sounds of daily life around us. His deep rumble of a voice harmonizing with the chatter and songbirds’ melodies.

The cavern walls seem to close in as I imagine these scenarios. My heart pounds with excitement, almost too much to bear. How can we make this happen? What paths lead from this darkened realm to the sunlit world above?

The possibilities swirl in my mind, each one tinged with hope. Zyrith's presence next to me feels reassuring; his strength could turn this dream into reality.

My pulse quickens at the thought—emerging into daylight with Zyrith by my side, our love illuminated by the sun’s golden embrace. The idea of exploring the world above hand-in-hand fills me with a renewed sense of purpose.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the cool, damp air of our underground sanctuary. With each passing moment, my determination solidifies into an unbreakable will. We will see the sun again; we will feel its warmth on our faces and bask in its light together. Zyrith may not fully understand my longing yet, but he will. And when he does, we will walk into that bright future side by side.

For now, I allow myself this moment of silent planning and anticipation, cherishing the hope that fills my heart like a wellspring of light in this darkened world.

As I revel in my thoughts, a familiar rumbling echoes through the chambers, disrupting our solitude. The ground beneath me quivers, sending a jolt of unease up my spine.

"What was that?" My voice sounds small in the vast cavern.

Zyrith’s eyes narrow, his gaze sweeping the chamber. "I don’t know."

The tremors intensify, dust and pebbles raining down from the ceiling. Confusion clouds my mind. Is this another cave-in? My heart pounds, adrenaline surging as I struggle to comprehend the source of the tremors.

"Could it be... your friends?" Zyrith’s rumbling voice carries both concern and irritation.

"Maybe," I say, doubt lacing my words.

We exchange puzzled glances, uncertainty mirrored in our eyes. The tremors subside briefly, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. My thoughts race—could it be another ancient mechanism triggered by our earlier mishap? Or something more sinister lurking in these forgotten depths?

Zyrith’s massive hand rests on my shoulder, grounding me. "Stay behind me."

The cavern feels more oppressive now, its once comforting shadows now brimming with unknown threats. My earlier fantasies of sunlight and open skies seem distant and fragile against this new reality.

"What if it’s not safe here anymore?" The words escape before I can stop them.

Zyrith's grip tightens ever so slightly, his expression hardening. "That’s impossible. But we will face whatever comes. Together."

His confidence should reassure me, but the unknown gnaws at my resolve. The air grows colder, every sound amplified by the cavern's acoustics—the drip of water, the rustle of unseen creatures.

"Should we check?" My voice wavers despite my effort to stay calm.

"Not yet," Zyrith says firmly. "We wait."

The tension between us hangs heavy. My mind churns with possibilities, each more alarming than the last. Yet Zyrith's presence remains a steady anchor amidst the chaos.

I force myself to breathe deeply, trying to quell the rising panic. Whatever this disturbance is, we will face it as we have promised to face everything else—together.

Soon, the tremors start up again and grow stronger, shaking loose memories I'd rather forget. The last time the ground moved like this, my world changed forever. My mind races back to the cataclysmic event that brought me here. The ground splitting open, my friends’ frantic shouts, the darkness swallowing me whole before I landed hard on the stone ground below my feet. It’s a nightmare that still haunts my waking moments. I take a deep breath, trying to push those memories aside, but they claw their way back.

As the current tremors continue to rattle our sanctuary, the panicked feelings of that horrific day resurface with a vengeance. My hands shake not just from worry but from the memory of past helplessness. The fear lingers like a shadow over my thoughts, coloring every rumble of the earth with dread. My heart hammers in my chest. It seems to match the intensity of the quakes around us.

"Stay by me," he insists, his grip reassuring yet firm.

I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. The echoes of that event mingle with my present terror, forming a knot of anxiety in my chest. Zyrith’s presence beside me should be comforting, yet a part of me can’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

Why now?

The questions whirl through my mind, unanswered and unsettling. All I can do is cling to Zyrith and hope this storm will pass without shattering our fragile peace.

Yet, the tremors persist, each jolt reverberating through the chamber, amplifying my unease. Dust cascades from the ceiling like sand through an hourglass, and the bioluminescent moss flickers erratically, casting ghostly shadows on the cavern walls. I can’t shake the sense that our sanctuary, once a haven, now teeters on the brink of collapse.

A million emotions confront me at once, and I try to hold back the tears. The idea of being buried alive or trapped in these depths fills me with sheer terror.

I glance around our chamber, taking in every detail—the rough-hewn walls marked by centuries of erosion, the moss's dim glow barely illuminating the space. It feels more like a tomb than a sanctuary now, its oppressive atmosphere closing in on me.

"What if there's another way out?" I blurt out, desperation creeping into my voice. "Somewhere safer than here?"

Zyrith’s eyes narrow as he studies me, his expression inscrutable. "You believe there's another path?"

"I don't know," I admit, my voice cracking. "But we can't just stay here and hope for the best."

The tremors intensify even more, shaking loose more debris. My heart pounds with each quake, my breaths coming faster as panic claws at my chest. The scent of earth and moss fills my nostrils, grounding me momentarily. But the thought of the cavern collapsing over our heads sends me into a panic once more.

I don’t want to die here, not when my life with Zyrith has only just begun.

“Stay close to me,” he says again, his voice a deep anchor in the storm of my frantic emotions.

I nod once more, though I feel far from settled. The past and present blur together in a swirl of chaos. Each tremor feels like a reminder of our fragility. He seems unperturbed, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s just as uncertain as I am.

Mounting fear and concern intertwine within me as the minutes pass, raising alarming questions in my mind about our imminent safety and stability in this underground realm. I clutch Zyrith’s arm, needing something tangible to hold onto.

His skin is cool under my fingers, a small comfort in this sea of madness. “We’ll be okay,” he murmurs, as if sensing my inner turmoil. “Never let go of me, Lara.”

“I… I don’t want to. But what if we get separated? What if I lose you?”

“Then I will do whatever I can to find you again.”

I want to believe him, but the worry won’t let go of me. It wraps around me like vines, constricting and suffocating.

The tremors show no sign of stopping, and neither does my growing sense of foreboding.