Here We Are

Darkness.

Complete and infinite darkness, for as far as the eye can see.

Which mind you isn’t much.

Each step we take deeper into the abyss I wonder.

Are we close?

Are we even in the right place?

“HELLO! DEMON LORD! COME OUT! FIGHT ME!”

My voice rings out into the void. Echoing across the endless space.

“EEK– Be quiet King.” Eryth’s shield flashes for a moment, from the sudden call out from yours truly.

“Do you really want to alert whatever monsters are definitely lurking down here. Ugh seriously King, stay quiet… We’ll find an exit if we keep walking… I’m sure we will…”

The uncertainty in her voice says otherwise.

We’re most certainly lost.

~         ~         ~

If the sun vanished.

We’d be prepared.

Time walking through here has left my mind wandering.

Why did Eryth lead us down here?

Why did I follow her into this mess?

Why did I expect everything to turn out fine?

Why am I even here in the first place?

If only I just left this world alone.

Then at least things would be simpler.

Sure that would mean no magical abilities, or fresh green leaves.

But at least I wouldn’t be here.

Eryth has been silent too. I wonder what goes on in that doll’s head.

Does she even have a brain?

How does she work, or even exist?

What does she think of me?

Paranoia starts setting in, the darkness taking its toll on my psyche.

We’re friends right? We’re allies yeah?

…

I just need to relax.

Take some deep breaths in and out.

…

My legs have grown tired, my mind has grown dreary, and my sight well that’s just nothingness anyways.

But Eryth is fine.

She’s always just fine.

…

We’ve been walking for hours now.

We can’t go back.

We don’t know the way.

All there is–is forward.

I was ready, ready to fight the Demon Lord…

Save my brothers.

…Will I save my brothers?

…

She’s still walking forward.

Her faint glow lightning the way.

How far have we traveled?

Will it ever end.

…

Eryth stops in her tracks, her light finally coming in contact with another wall. But this one is strange.

A metal structure? Here? Why?

“What is this thing?” She finally says.

“Its–a building…”

“This? A building? I’ve never heard of metal being used for entire buildings… are you sure it’s not some massive weapon? Or just a wall?

“ITS NOT JUST A WALL!” I lash out reactively… making Eryth jump. I’m just so done with this darkness. It can’t just be a wall, it must be our goal, it has to be.

“If you’re so certain it's a building, tell me where the door hole is.”

I approach the wall, using her shield to illuminate what little it can, I spot a keypad. Tapping it causes it to cast a dim blue light upon us.

“WOAH– What kind of magic is this?! It's blue!”

“It’s a keypad. It probably opens a door, but we need a number code, any ideas?”

“Is this a magic item from your far away world, King? It’s so… beautiful.” she says, staring deeply into the small light.

“Something like that.” I type in a random code.

Let’s try: 0\1\1\3\4\

ACCESS DENIED

The keypad glows red for a moment before reverting back to blue.

“Did you disarm the spell?”

“It’s not a spell Eryth, it's something else.”

“How is that not a spell?”

“It’s just not!”

My hands start tapping away frantically.

It’s a 5 digit code.

That’s gotta be over 10,000 possible codes…

AGH come on King, you’re the treasure hunter, unlock this damn door.

“I-have an idea.”

I say as I punch the keypad with an electrified fist.

Causing the keypad to short circuit.

After flashing erratically it turns green and the door slides open.

…

OH YES.

OH MY GOD.

SAVED.

BRUTE FORCE WINS AGAIN!

“I opened it!” I say frolicking my way into the dimly lit hallway before us.

Eryth shakes her head in disbelief, but follows behind.

Our footsteps echo now, as no longer do we walk over mounds of soundless ash, but within a strange facility.

By strange I mean, out of this world.

This interior looks like something you’d find on Earth.

But how did it get here?

Did it dig here with its own giant shovel?

A funny thought, but a doubtful one.

The halls are lit by what is likely emergency lighting. Blue light bars line the ceiling forcing a navy shade upon our faces.

“Haha King, you're blue now.”

“That’s the light Eryth.”

“It is? Heh it is. HEH HEH HEH HEH.”

Her giggling is the only thing that distracts from the oddity of this place.

The hall ends opening into a large open room. In the center there’s a giant terrarium, contained within its actual living plants; which is crazy since we’re within the witherlands, no plant should be alive. TV screens line the ceiling above the green enclosure, their displays reading vital signs for the plants, and showing a 0% sign of withering away.

But in front of us a figure stands. They’re overlooking the vegetation, writing notes on a clipboard.

They haven’t seen us yet.

I look at Eryth, and she looks at me. We both nod in an unspoken agreement.

This could be a threat. An enemy.

I ready my shovel, she raises her fists.

However as we step into the room a sound dings, alerting them to our presence.

An adult woman, in a white lab coat, stares at us. First with shock then with amazement. She speaks.

“Oh-oh my I thought I was the only one here… Allow me to break the ice. My name is Dr. Galea Creeks, but you can just call me Dr. Creeks. I used to work here as a scientist, researching the behavior and effects of Daystar technology.”

That name, it’s familiar.

“I think I’ve heard about you… you were on TV a lot during the initial findings of the Daystar artifacts.”

“Oh you likely have, yes I was a bit of a celebrity for a little while.”

No that’s not it, something else about her name…

“Wait–Creeks, Gil Creeks, Galea Creeks. Do you have a son named Gil Creeks?”

Her expression turns to sorrow.

“Yes… I do. He would be my son… I wish I knew where he was… If he’s okay… I–I’m sorry–” her eyes begin tearing up, speaking through her cries she continues.

“I thought I was the last human alive, but now there’s you two. And I-I-just miss him so much.” she falls to her knees.

My shovel clatters to the floor, Eryth still standing by the doorframe, I approach the grieving doctor kneeling beside her.

“My name’s King, and there’s really no need to worry Doc, you’re not the last human, neither are we. And Gil, your son, he’s ok too. Plenty of humans are still alive back on Earth.”

“Back on Earth? But we’re on Earth right now. Right?” her voice breaking through the sobs.

“Not quite. We’re somewhere else right now, another world. Eryth what’s it called again?!”

“Huh–oh–um–me–I don’t know, home or whatever.” She looks shocked I even asked her.

“Home huh?”

“Oh don’t mind her, she doesn’t know what it’s called either.”

“King, where am I?”

Helping Dr. Creeks back to her feet, and stepping back to retrieve the shovel I go on to explain my thoughts on this other world~.

Dr. Creeks pieces things together faster than I thought she would have, I guess she has adult smarts or something.

“A second world. Full of life. Aliens alive. But now ravaged by the withering. Magical powers blossoming within your Souls, and potentially mine too. Oh how very excellent.” Retrieving her clipboard she begins scratching the notes down.

“This is quite the discovery King, good job.”

Her praise makes me oddly proud.

Come to think of it-it’s really only been Eryth’s smug jabs for the past week or so.

It's a nice feeling to be built up like this.

“Hmm then I guess you’re probably wondering how me and the lab ended up in this abyss. Everything went horribly wrong after the Black Cataclysm began. I had a team, but one by one, they died out. Some went out into the darkness in search of rescue. Others found their end from that withering. It consumed them, stealing their bodies, destroying their humanity. Until it was just me, left alone.”

Eryth steps forward, her hands rattling.

“Cataclysm? What do you mean? What cataclysm? I don’t remember any cataclysms happening! You mean the village right, my home’s destruction?!”

My eyes lock with Dr. Creeks, she turns away pulling out some rolling chairs pushing two toward us.

“Does she know?”

“No.”

“Eryth, you might want to take a seat for this.”

END CHAPTER 14