Chapter 6 - The next layer

"How did they get you?" I ask after we walk in the darkness for what feels like an eternity.

Mila eyes me, her sharp gaze seemingly cutting through my shirt and skin.

"The spider king, he trapped me in his web and made me his."

Her words hang heavy in the air, and a shiver runs down my spine. 

"They are quite lusty," I say mostly to myself, this comment makes Mila chuckle.

"You could say that."

We continue walking in silence, the only sounds echoing through the darkness are the soft rustle of our footsteps and the occasional drip of water from unseen stalactites.

The air is thick with a damp, earthy scent, and the oppressive darkness seems to envelop us like a suffocating cloak.

Mila's instructions resonate in my mind – use the torch only when needed.

The flickering light, when unleashed, dances against the shadows, revealing glimpses of the subterranean world that surrounds us. The tunnel, shaped from rock and earth, twists and turns unpredictably.

"You never told me your name," Mila reminds me. 

"I didn't think you were interested in chit chat."

Mila smiles, there is something tantalizing in the way she observes me. "I am now."

"Adonis," I say.

"Adonis," she repeats with one of those know-it-all smiles. "I like the sound of it."

I look around, moans echoes from a distance. "Are you sure they are not coming after us?" I ask.

"They will be at it for a few hours, he has been hunting for a few weeks. By the time they notice our absence we will be well on our way to the next layer."

I truly hope she is correct. There are nine layers inside this expanse, the first few were described by our forefathers but the last two … nobody knew what hells would be waiting there.

"My gear is damaged,"

"Don't worry, I keep a spare," she says.

"Why are you after the crystal?" I ask her.

"Well, it is known to grant you any wish comprehensible by the human mind," She says and cocks her head to the side.

"Some say so," I chime in.

Yes, I've heard of people claiming the crystal to grant any wish. But I come from the eastern part of the kingdom, and there people believe the crystal to grant life to the dead.

Not that I would mind a genie in a bottle type of situation anyway… as long as my family could come back.

The revelations about the crystal hang in the air like an unanswered question. The notion that this small, unassuming object could possess the power to fulfill the deepest desires of the heart or breathe life into the deceased makes no sense.

Some things are too good to be true, maybe.

"What about you?" She asks.

I groan in response and let the conversation die in silence. I have no intentions to share the horrors I have witnessed.

The echo of our footsteps persists in the dimly lit tunnel as we continue our exit into the cave. I take mental notes of all the paths we take, deciding to write them down later that day.

If I don't get to the crystal I can make a ton of money by selling maps and stories of this place.

As we approach what seems to be the end of the tunnel, a distant light pierces through the darkness, drawing us closer to the threshold of the subterranean world.

The promise of an exit looms ahead.

Just as we are about to step into the light, Mila positions herself in front of me, her gaze unwavering. With a determined force, she compels me to face her.

"What?" I ask her.

Her eyes, sharp and penetrating, search for something within me.

"Will you work with me?" she asks.

She has gear to share... I must cooperate but something about her unsettle me.

"You saved me back there," she adds, "and I think you may benefit from my knowledge. Your book is old, musty, and outdated."

Rage bubbles within me at the idea that she has been through my stuff, my book, my family's pictures. Probably during the dinner with the queen.

"Don't look at me like that. I had to make sure you were not a weirdo seeking any moment alone to kill me."

"And based on your search through my shit, you can tell as much?!" I ask.

"I can tell you are as desperate as I am to get to the crystal."

"If you think I am going to share the crystal with you, you're dead wrong," I say.

"Maybe I'll convince you to give it to me? Who knows, maybe we will both be getting what we want."

"And what's your knowledge?" I ask.

With a smile, she searches through her own backpack and shows me another book, a much newer one. "The horror that awaits in the next layers, the 8th and 9th ones."

"Bullshit," I spit out.

No way her book could hold the truth or even one hint about the horrors of the last two layers. I try to grab her book, but she waves it high above her head.

I can easily grab her wrist, force her to give it to me. I am stronger and taller than her, and I know she is aware of it by the gaze she gives to my muscular arms.

I don't move an inch. I don't believe her, but then again… what do I have to lose?

If things come down to it, I can leave her to rot in one of the last layers, just before the 9th one.

And the crystal would be mine.

"Deal?" she says and offers me her other free hand. I shake it.

"Deal. Now let's get out of here."

She chuckles and follows my lead, hopping around like a child.