176

Mark stood there blankly, staring at the place where Arya disappeared, his eyes were empty, as if he had lost focus. His companions left him one by one. He stretched out his hand, trying to catch the scattered light spots, but he only caught the cold air. The cave was silent, with only water dripping on the ground, making a crisp ticking sound, echoing in the empty cave, making it even more desolate. After the crystal fragments dissipated, the light in the cave became dimmer, and only a glimmer of light coming in from the cave entrance barely illuminated a small area around. The air was filled with a faint smell of blood and damp earth, which made people feel depressed.

Albert walked to Mark, patted him on the shoulder gently, and comforted him: "Let's not disappoint her expectations!" His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of imperceptible sadness.

Mark slowly withdrew his hand and drooped it weakly, like a puppet with a broken string. He repeated Arya's name in a low voice, his voice trembling, with a hint of uncontrollable sadness. "Arya...Arya..." His voice echoed in the empty cave, sounding particularly desolate. He bent down and picked up a small metal pendant that Arya had dropped from the ground. The pendant was silver-white, carved with exquisite patterns, and reflected a faint light in the weak light. He held the pendant tightly, as if holding Arya's hand and feeling her body temperature.

Albert noticed Mark's movements and asked with concern, "What is this?" His eyes fell on the pendant in Mark's hand, and his eyes were full of doubts.

Mark showed the pendant to Albert and said in a deep voice, "This is Arya's relic." His voice was low and hoarse, with a slight tremor that was not easily detected. He stroked the pattern on the pendant, his eyes full of sadness and nostalgia.

Albert was silent for a moment. He looked at the pendant in Mark's hand, and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew that this pendant meant a lot to Mark. It represented the friendship between Mark and Arya, and also represented the adventure they had experienced together. "Hey..." Albert sighed, patted Mark on the shoulder, and suggested: "Let's go, leave here as soon as possible." There was a hint of determination in his tone.

Mark nodded silently, carefully put away the pendant, and put it in his chest pocket. He stood up, turned around and walked out of the cave with Albert. His steps were a little staggering, and his body was shaking a little, as if he could fall down at any time.

Seeing this, Albert quickly reached out to support Mark and said, "Be careful." His tone was full of concern. He supported Mark's arm, felt Mark's weakness, and felt a little worried in his heart.

The two slowly moved towards the cave entrance, and their figures seemed particularly lonely in the dim cave. The sky outside the cave had turned pale, and a new day was about to come.

At the entrance of the cave, Mark stopped and looked back at the depths of the cave, his eyes full of complex emotions. He knew that they would always remember everything that happened here, as well as the people of the Valley Tribe who sacrificed their lives to protect the fragments of the sacred stone, and Arya who disappeared to complete her mission.

"Let's go." Mark whispered, with a hint of firmness and relief in his voice. He turned around and walked out of the cave, towards the dawn.

Albert followed closely and stepped out of the cave. The morning sun shone on the two of them, bringing a hint of warmth. Outside the cave was a dense forest, with tall trees blocking the sky, and only mottled light spots falling through the branches and leaves. Birds sang happily on the branches, and the crisp bird calls echoed in the forest, forming a sharp contrast with the silence in the cave.

Mark took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air, and his tense body relaxed a little. He looked at Albert and said, "We have to find a place to rest."

Albert nodded in agreement: "There seems to be a small cabin not far ahead, we can go there and take a look." He pointed to a corner of the roof that was vaguely visible among the trees.

The two walked forward along the forest path. The wild flowers on the roadside were blooming brightly, colorfully, and exuding a faint fragrance. A little squirrel jumped down from the tree, looked at them curiously, and then quickly jumped back to the tree. After walking for about ten minutes, they came to the cabin. The cabin was not big, built with logs, and the roof was covered with thick thatch. The door of the cabin was half-closed, and it seemed that no one had been here for a long time. Albert gently pushed the door open, making a "creaking" sound. The light in the house was dim, and there was a faint smell of mold in the air. There were some simple furniture in the room, a wooden bed, a table, and a few chairs. "It seems that no one has lived here for a long time." Mark looked around and said. He walked to the table, brushed the dust off the table with his hand, and found a pottery jar and several wooden bowls on the table. Albert walked to the window and pushed it open to let fresh air in. "It should be just a temporary residence for hunters." He said, while observing the environment outside the house, "It's very quiet around, suitable for us to rest."

Mark walked to the bed and gently patted the straw on the bed with his hand, and the straw made a "rustling" sound. "Rest for a while." He said, then slowly lay down and closed his eyes.

Albert closed the door, then walked to the table, picked up the pottery jar and wooden bowl, and walked outside. He found a well behind the house, drew some water with a wooden bucket, returned to the house, and poured the water into the pottery jar. He walked to Mark and gently pushed him: "Drink some water."

Mark opened his eyes, took the wooden bowl handed over by Albert, and drank a few sips of water. "Thank you." He said, and then lay down again. He felt a wave of fatigue coming over his body, and soon fell asleep.

Albert put the wooden bowl back on the table, then walked to the window, stood quietly, and looked out the window. The sunlight fell through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground. The breeze blew, and the leaves made a rustling sound, as if they were whispering softly.