20.- The Dungeon

The young woman caressed one of the glowing leaves that, now, grew profusely on the chamber wall, forming a kind of bioluminescent vegetal tapestry. She felt… good. My dungeon. The word was still strange, alien, but the sensation was warm, like an embrace that enveloped her, protecting her from the void, from nothingness.

Then, she looked at Sebastian. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the opposite wall, observing the circular inscription with a furrowed brow, trying to understand, trying to remember. She approached him, silently, and stopped beside him, mimicking his posture, leaning her back against the same wall.

She said nothing. She couldn't say anything. The words… wouldn't come out.

But she wanted him to know.

She wanted him to understand.

She wanted… something.

Something she couldn't name.

Something she felt inside, like a tickle, like a restlessness, like a… need.

She pointed at the wall, with a serious, concentrated expression. Then, she crouched down and walked a few steps, imitating the movement of… something. Something she had seen before, in the… forest? No… didn't know. Only… felt.

Sebastian looked at her, with a raised eyebrow, confused.

"What are you looking for, dear?" he asked, in a soft voice.

Dear. The word… sounded good. Warm. Safe.

She stood up and clenched her fists, showing a determined expression. Then, she pointed to the dark entrance of the chamber, the corridor that led outside, and rubbed her belly. Afterward, she picked up a small stone from the floor and threw it in the air, pretending to attack something, to hunt something. Finally, she pointed to Esmeralda, the mantis, who remained motionless beside her, observing the scene with her enormous faceted eyes.

Sebastian let out a small laugh, a nervous, uncertain laugh. "You're determined for us to leave," he thought. "You want me to go with you to... look for food?"

She didn't understand the words. But she felt the… question.

And she felt something else.

Boredom.

Confinement.

Need.

Not for food. Not for water. For… something else.

Hunt.

The word… surfaced in her mind. Not as a sound, but as a sensation.

A strong, intense sensation, that impelled her to move, to act, to… destroy.

No, a part of her mind corrected. Not… destroy. Grow. Strengthen.

She nodded, energetically, without knowing if he understood her, but hoping he did.

While the young woman did this last thing, Sebastian accidentally brushed one of the stones on the floor, feeling its rough, cold texture. A vague memory, a blurred image, crossed his mind, fleeting like a lightning bolt: fire, screams, something dark…

He dismissed it quickly. He didn't want to remember. Not now.

The important thing was the young woman.

Sebastian sighed, resigned. She was right. Probably. They needed to leave. They needed to explore. They needed to find… something.

"Alright," he said, standing up with difficulty, feeling a twinge of pain in his injured knee. "Let's… take a walk. But… nearby. And if I see… we feel… anything dangerous, we come back. Immediately."

The young woman, upon hearing him, opened her eyes wide.

And smiled.

A broad, radiant smile, that transformed her face, that gave her an unexpected beauty, that made Sebastian forget, for an instant, the pain, the fear, the confusion.

Before Sebastian could even react, feeling his heart racing in his chest, she took his hand.

And pulled him.

Towards the entrance.

Towards the darkness.

Once in front of the dark opening, the young woman paused for a moment, observing the darkness with curiosity, and then looked at Sebastian with an expectant expression, as if waiting for him to do something.

Sebastian took a deep breath. The cool air—although with a lingering smell of ozone—felt good after being cooped up in the chamber for so long. He looked at the young woman and returned her smile, trying to convey confidence, although inside he felt terrified.

"Alright," he said, in a soft voice, more to reassure himself than her. "Let's see what's out there."

The young woman nodded enthusiastically and did a little jump, impatient.

Sebastian took the young woman's hand, feeling the softness of her skin, the smallness of her fingers, the unexpected strength of her grip. And, together, they stepped into the darkness.

They advanced slowly, cautiously, through the corridor. Sebastian, in front, exploring the way, trying to detect any danger. The young woman, behind, holding his hand, trusting him. And Esmeralda, silent and vigilant, closing the march.

The darkness was almost total. The red light from the orb, left behind, barely illuminated a few feet ahead. Sebastian extended his free hand, feeling the wall, guiding himself by touch.

The stone was cold and damp, and covered in moss and lichens. Sebastian felt the relief of the inscriptions, the strange symbols that, he knew, must mean something, but that he couldn't interpret.

As they walked, the young woman felt another tickle, softer than the previous ones. She looked back, towards the chamber they were leaving behind. The flowers on the wall, the white flowers that had grown from nothing, glowed with a faint light, as if they were saying goodbye. Residual energy, the voice in her mind whispered, growing.

The young woman felt a pang of… sadness? No. Not sadness. Something else. A fleeting memory of… screams. Pain. Darkness.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the image, trying to dispel the sensation. She didn't understand. She didn't want to understand.

She squeezed Sebastian's hand tighter and continued walking, sticking close to him, seeking his warmth, his protection, his… company.

They exited the tunnel into an open space. Much larger than the previous chamber. A clearing. But not a natural clearing.

It was a forest.

An underground forest.

A forest illuminated by a strange light, a bluish light that seemed to emanate from the plants themselves.

The trees rose tall and dark around them, their twisted branches forming a kind of natural roof, a roof that prevented them from seeing the sky, if there was a sky down there. The air was cool, humid, and smelled of earth, of leaves, of… flowers. An intense, penetrating smell, that intoxicated the senses.

The young woman breathed deeply, feeling the cool air fill her lungs. She felt… free. She looked around, amazed by the immensity of the forest, by the strange and dark beauty of that place.

Sebastian was watching her. He still didn't understand anything, but seeing the young woman calm, enjoying herself, he felt the tension in his body lessen.

She let go of his hand, and moved forward a few steps, exploring the place.

Sebastian, feeling a sudden void at losing contact with her, followed her, staying close.

The young woman stopped in front of a tree. A gigantic tree, with a thick and twisted trunk, and branches full of leaves of a dark blue color.

And, on that tree, something moved.

A shadow.

A small shadow.

A… fast shadow.

The young woman smiled.

And extended a hand.

And, from the shadow, something came out.

Something that flew towards her.

Something that landed on her hand.

Something that Sebastian, at first, couldn't identify.

But that, then, he recognized.

A bat.

But not a Shadow Bat.

A… normal bat.

A bat with black wings and bright eyes.

A bat that, however, did not seem to fear the young woman.

But to trust her.

The young woman petted the bat with a finger, gently, carefully.

And the bat, incredibly, responded to the touch.

It closed its eyes and emitted a sound.

A soft, high-pitched sound, almost inaudible.

A sound of… peace.

Of… tranquility.

Of… happiness.

And, at that moment, Sebastian knew that, despite everything, despite the fear, the confusion, the amnesia, he was in the right place.

With the right person.

Doing the right thing.

Even though he didn't know why.

The young woman released the bat, which flew into the darkness of the forest.

And, then, the young woman turned to Sebastian.

And smiled at him.

A warm, sincere smile, that illuminated her face.

A smile that told Sebastian, without words, that everything would be alright.

That, together, they would overcome any obstacle.

That, together, they would find their way.

In the dungeon.

Or outside of it.

The young woman took his hand, and with a confident stride, began to walk.