A World Beneath Our Feet

The cavern was dark. Very dark.

Not that Cael had expected otherwise, but it definitely made their task more difficult. The rocky and uneven terrain descended gradually into the inky blackness, the walls and ceiling covered in jagged rocks, stalactites, and stalagmites jutting out like sharp, gleaming teeth. Water trickled down the walls and pooled in small puddles on the ground.

Val led the way, holding her glowing crystal in front of her. The crystal’s soft light illuminated the area around them, but it didn't do much to dispel the gloom.

"Be mindful of your steps," Val said as she walked carefully, her footsteps echoing off the stony walls. "The cave floor is slippery and uneven, and I don't have healing magic if anything goes wrong."

"Wait, really? You should really learn some," Cael replied off-handedly. "It would be useful."

She sighed, her voice echoing. "If only it were that easy. I tried very, very hard. But alas, the healing school just never seemed to work for me. You have to be very knowledgeable about human anatomy to use it effectively, and it was never a strength of mine, even if mother was a master of it."

"Ah, um, sorry for bringing it up. I just figured that since you're so good at magic…"

She waved him off with her free hand. "I've said before I'm just a novice, but either way, it's okay. I'm not bitter about it. I'm just saying that's one more reason why you shouldn't get hurt."

The two of them walked on in silence for a while, listening to the steady drip of water and their own footsteps as they ventured deeper.

Before they'd entered, Cael had been ready to fasten a guide rope of sorts, but it seemed that there already was one that had been left in place by someone from before the Vanishing. It was a nice convenience that let them move a little faster since they could secure themselves on it, and it also helped them feel their way through the darkness.

Of course, it only made things easier, not easy. Cael's legs still hurt from the chase they'd just had, he was exhausted from hiking all day, and the constant slope of the cavern's floor was not helping matters.

His face scrunched up as he thought of the monster that had been chasing them. It was for that exact reason they'd reluctantly decided to descend into the cave early—they'd deemed it safer to try camp in here than out in the open.

"Val, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly was that thing we ran into in the forest?"

Val looked back at him. "Irita, a type of monster. It's a mostly solitary creature that's usually aggressive, but they get even more so before their hibernation period. That's when they sometimes form hunting packs to prepare for their slumber."

"Huh, that makes sense," Cael muttered. "They're pretty scary. We don't have anything that big in my old world. The closest thing I can think of is a 'grizzly bear', but even those beasts would be roughly half that thing's size. I can't imagine what a pack would be like."

"Oh, they're much worse in groups." Val nodded. "They're rather intelligent, so they can strategize and coordinate. It's part of why we had to run."

"I'm glad we didn't meet another one then." Cael shivered. "That was the most terrifying experience of my life."

"Really? I thought your life in your old world would at least somewhat compare…"

Cael shook his head vigorously. "N-no way, not at all. The closest thing to a monster we had where I used to live was the occasional boar, and while they were dangerous, they certainly weren't two meters tall. Not even close."

"Hmm, interesting," she murmured. "If you wouldn't mind me asking something in return, what types of dangers did you encounter? I've been getting a 'better picture' as you might say recently, but I want to know more."

Cael thought briefly, almost slipping before catching himself on the guide rope and stabilizing himself against the wall. He took a deep breath and looked at Val, who had turned back briefly to watch him.

"It was honestly pretty safe, and the threats that did exist were mostly human-made. We didn't have to worry about monsters or beasts. But, uh, we did have things like earthquakes, fires, and floods."

"Natural disasters make sense, but human-made dangers?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"'Cars', for example, were dangerous. They were like really fast metal wagons or carriages that could move without horses. They could kill someone pretty easily if they crashed, and people had to be careful when using them." He tried to simulate the speed of one with his free hand as it 'zoomed' past him.

He continued, coughing awkwardly when Val giggled at his performance. "But eh, then there was crime. My place didn't have much in the way of that, but other places in my world could have a lot. There were people who'd kill and steal to survive, and others who'd do it because they could."

She frowned hard as she looked at him. "Are those people the reason why you have those scars?"

He followed her gaze to his forearms, noticing the faint lines that ran across the skin just barely illuminated in the glow of the crystal, before suddenly clamping up.

His mouth dried. Crap, so she had noticed.

"U-um, sort of, but not exactly…"

Val stopped walking and turned around completely to face him. "Is it something you want to talk about? My first thoughts were that you likely were forced to fight others or perhaps even protect someone precious from bad people." Her eyes were kind and understanding, yet they pierced him with a misplaced 'knowing' gaze.

"N-no, no. It's not that. It's…" Cael swallowed thickly. "I-It's hard to explain. I just… I wasn't in a great place back then."

She furrowed her brow; one of her fists clenched up, and Cael felt the hum of roiling mana coming from her. "Was it the fault of the bad people in your world?"

He gulped and shook his head. "N-no, no, not directly at least. It was more of an, erm, internal battle." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not making sense, am I? Sorry, it's… complicated."

Her expression softened a bit in the wavering glow of the light, and her clenched fist loosened. "I'm sorry, I'm pushing too hard, aren't I? It's just… you're the kindest, bravest, and strongest person I've ever met. So it hurts me to see you've suffered."

She approached him, and he flinched a little. But then she just hugged him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.

He tensed up for a moment before relaxing and reciprocating the hug.

"T-thanks, I guess." He mumbled. "But you're still giving me too much credit. It's the opposite. I wasn't strong at all. I was too weak to deal with my issues. That's the… real reason why I have these."

"Weak? It's fine if you are weak too. One can be both strong and weak. Don't you remember?"

Cael's face scrunched up. He remembered the way they'd both broke down by her father's grave, but it felt like she was still getting a very wrong impression.

"I do, but… I don't think I'm quite ready to talk about this stuff yet. Sorry." His grip on her tightened slightly. "Maybe someday, just not right now…"

Val noticed the way his face dropped and paused, looking very uncertain. However, right after that moment of contemplation, her expression immediately became extremely panicked.

"O-of course, Cael! I-I'm very sorry." Her gaze darted between him and the cave walls before bowing her head. "Ah! Please forgive me!"

He couldn't help but lighten up a little at how quickly her mood shifted from supportive and firm to apologetic and skittish. It was sort of cute in a way.

"It's fine, really," he assured her. "It's not like you did anything wrong."

She shook her head. "N-no, I still need to get better at navigating social situations, don't I? Perhaps I could make up for my mistakes somehow…"

Cael chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, I think you're doing great."

She didn't seem satisfied with that, and instead tilted her head, thinking seriously for a moment. Then, as if she’d stumbled upon the perfect solution, she shot up like a lightbulb had gone off in her head.

"Wait…! I could let you touch my 'boobs'!"

"!" Cael stumbled backward on the gravely ground, falling on his butt. "Wh-what?! VAL?!" His voice cracked. "T-the crap are you saying!?!"

"What is it?" she asked innocently. "You seemed rather interested in them before, and since we're romantic partners now…"

His world felt like it was crumbling around him. "N-no, no, no." He held up a hand defensively. "We are not doing that. N-not here, not now."

A flash of hurt and confusion crossed her face. "Are we not romantic partners though? I understand that before we were together, I committed a 'faux-pas' in regularly pressing them against you. But now that we're a couple, isn't that type of contact normal?"

Cael's heart pounded in his chest, and his face was red hot. His devilish brain really, really wanted him to say yes—because, technically speaking, she wasn't wrong. But the rational part of him was screaming no. It was not that simple.

"Y-yeeesth—"

He bit his tongue. NO! BAD CAEL!

"—Erm, let's just keep moving. We're both rather tired, aren't we? We can't afford to be distracted. We'll talk about it later, after we're safely at the resting area you said would be in this cave."

"But I thought you—"

He quickly scampered down the tunnel before he could second guess himself. "A-Alright, great talk! Let's keep moving!"