Chapter 4

To her surprise, the fish is still there, waiting for her just beneath the surface. He seems excited to see her again, circling the tunnel's mouth with renewed vigour.

She smiles at him — or tries to, at least. She is under water after all. Without much hesitation, she dives headfirst into the tunnel. Frightened? Absolutely. Viscerally. But she's made her choice, and is determined to get as far as she can before her oxygen runs out.

The tunnel is dark and sandy. The walls ripple like folded fabric. It's just wide enough for her to swim through without scraping her arms. Red light glows around her.

Ira kicks steadily, arms reaching forward in long strokes. Swimming as fast as her body allows. It feels as if she was made for this. 

Her heart begins to race in response to the close quarters but she makes a decision then and there: no panic. Not now. She'll keep going until she reaches air, or until her body gives out, one way or another. There's no going back.

Seconds blur into minutes. Minutes blur into something longer. She has no way of telling time down here. 

Shouldn't she be gasping by now? Shouldn't her lungs be screaming?

She's not breathing — that part's clear. But the tightness in her chest, the ringing in her ears, the black spots behind her eyes… none of it comes. Instead, she feels calm. Steady. Like her body has entered a trance. The rhythm of her strokes, the pull of the current, the silence — it lulls her. Almost hypnotic. She feels…good, even.

Suddenly, the tunnel plunges downward then bends up sharply, giving way to a surface. She breaks through with a quiet splash, taking a huge gulp of air.

Darkness.

Thick, oppressive, earthen darkness. The red light is gone. The air smells like wet stone and old blood.

Now she's scared.

This she hadn't expected. Drowning, sure. But this — trapped in a lightless tomb?

Worse.

She hauls herself forward out of the water on her hands and knees, the ground slick and uneven beneath her palms. She has no idea what is in front of her. She uses her hands to feel around her, to try to get her bearings. What feels like muddy rock presses in on all sides of her. It's what feels like tiny enclosure. Rage flickers in her chest — at the fish, at herself, at the whole damn thing.

What was the point of this? To lead her here — to rot in a cave? Alone?

But there's no turning back.

So she crawls.

The black swallows her whole. She opens her eyes wide, wider, willing them to see something, anything — but there's no light, not even a hint of it. Just the sound of her breath, the squelch of her knees, the endless tight press of muddy walls.

Time slips away. Her body moves forward without permission, driven by survival instinct alone.

Then — a glimmer.

At first, she doesn't believe it. A flicker of red, barely there. A hallucination, maybe.

But it grows.

And grows.

And grows.

A low, warm red begins to stain the walls ahead of her. Real light. Not imagined. Not madness.

Heart racing, she drags herself faster, elbows and knees rubbing against wet clay. She needs out. She needs air. She needs to see.

The tunnel narrows again, but it doesn't stop her. She flattens herself, inching forward, arms pulled tight to her sides. The glow deepens as she rounds a final bend, slick hair clinging to her face.

And then — she sees it.

A pool. Lit from the underneath with that same red hue.

It fills the cavern with light and Ira can finally see her surroundings. She is in a large cavern, the walls, the floor, the steps — all the same warm brown (from what she could tell at least), carved out of natural clay. The whole space feels shaped, intentional. Like something lives here. Or once did, long ago.

The pool waits ahead of her, still. Its water is clear but tinted brown, like old tea. Smooth, earthen steps lead down into it and rise again on the opposite side, over a squared, clay lip.

She stares at the ledge beyond the water.

She can't see what lies up there. But the only way forward is through the pool, and there's no turning back now. The air feels charged. Like the world's about to shift again.

Things are happening fast, but also so very slow.

She takes a step towards the pool.