Breakdown

Pushing forward in the narrow space, Theodore was beginning to feel an oppressive sense of claustrophobia. With a creature behind him, he had no choice but to force himself forward into the darkness.

Theodore wasn't sure for how long he had been squeezing through the crevice, he wasn't sure how far he had gotten, he wasn't even sure if diving into the crevice was the best of decisions he could have made. Unfortunately for him, it was too late to turn back. Theodore could only hope that he finds the exit on the other side.

Having felt that breeze from earlier, he was sure that this crevice led somewhere, but thinking about it again, he realized that it did not necessarily mean that he could get there. For example, the opening on the other side might be too small for him to fit through. Alternatively, there could be a long drop at the other end, one which he might not survive. Or, perhaps it was a trap of some sort, that on the other side, there would be a creature waiting for him. Perhaps the breeze he felt was but the breath of another abominable being.

In that narrow space, Theodore's imagination was running wild. He wondered what was ahead of him with trepidation in his pounding heart, beating against the wall pressing against his chest. He wondered if the creature behind him was getting closer to him. After all, when he landed a hit on it, he found it to be incredibly soft, perhaps soft enough to squeeze through. He also wondered if something would suddenly come at him from the front, crawling at him out of the dark.

With his Aether-sense, he'd sense them coming, but the thought was still terrifying to him. And being there, alone in the dark, his thoughts were all that accompanied him.

Eventually, after what felt like far too long, Theodore sensed an opening ahead, one large enough for him to fit through. Feeling both a sense of relief and a strong desire to leave the narrow space behind, Theodore pushed onward and quickly made his way to the exit.

The moment he left the crevice, the lamp hanging by a hook on his belt flooded the hall with light. To Theodore's relief, the only things in sight were the flowing sewage water, the slimes crawling here and there, and hallways made of enchanted bricks.

He was safe, at least for the moment.

Upon breathing out a sigh of relief, Theodore felt a sudden onset of fatigue. Though it shouldn't have taken up much strength, the mental drain on him as he traveled that narrow crevice had been taxing.

Deciding to take a break, Theodore sat down on the humid floor as he leaned against a well. The wetness absorbed by his clothes bothered him, but only slightly. Using magic, he could easily dry them.

"I want to go home..." Theodore muttered.

The moment those words here uttered, he could feel something clogging up his nose and his eyes were feeling hot. Before long, tears began to fall.

"Eliza... Maria... I want to go home..."

Softly, he sobbed. Burying his face in his knees, Theodore began to cry in spite of himself. He was surprised. He didn't think that he would lose control of his emotions like this. Try as he might to stop himself, he simply could not.

Eventually, he gave up resisting and let himself go, crying until his tears dried.

It was fortunate that nothing attacked Theodore while he was having his breakdown. It was incredibly unwise for him to leave himself vulnerable in such a place, yet, there was nothing he could truly do about it.

After crying until he had no more tears to shed, Theodore resumed his exploration with a feeling of great relief. It wasn't just relief from letting his bottled-up emotions out, but also that he was still unexpectedly childish. Within him was an immature soul, the soul of a ten-year-old wanting to go home.

For the moment, he was still 'Theodore.'

At this point, the goal of becoming familiar with this part of the sewers had been abandoned. At this point, Theodore was more concerned about finding a way back than anything else. It did not matter if he had to traverse the surface so long as he could return to the workshop.

Unfortunately, the way back was sealed, with the creature plugging up the other side of the narrow crevice. Theodore would have to find another way.

This time, Theodore decided to follow the breeze he felt instead, the same breeze that chilled his neck and led him to discover the crevice. Surely, if he could trace down the source of the flowing air, he'd find an opening that would get him to an exit, and failing that, at least he'd get closer to the surface.

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End of Chapter 94

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