My chest rose and fell slower, each breath stretching into the next until I could barely tell if I was breathing at all. Sound dulled first, then touch, then even the outline of my own body. I floated in the space between waking and nothingness. My thoughts bled into one another, slipping like water through my grasp. A soft hum filled my ears, low and constant, pulling me deeper into that quiet place where thought frays and feeling unravels. Somewhere in the background, stone pressed cold against my spine, the last reminder that I was still here... if only for a moment longer.
The weight of myself slipped away. My body stayed behind, but I drifted loose, rising like smoke from a fire. For a breathless instant I hovered above and looked down. My own face stared back, pale in the dim light, eyes closed as if I were only asleep. The sight jolted me so sharply I almost fell back into that shell.
I reached down anyway, desperate to prove it was still me. My fingers slid through the curve of my shoulder as if I were nothing but mist. No skin, no warmth. "What the hell is this now?" The words cracked out of me, sharp and bitter.
I pushed upward, reaching for the ceiling, half-expecting my hand to drift through. But when my palm met the surface it stopped, pressed against something hard. Not stone, but a barrier, smooth and humming faintly under my touch. Solid. Unyielding.
Before I could test it again, a force seized me.
It pulled fast and merciless, dragging me out of the chamber. My ghostly form hurtled through the stone itself, sliding through the walls as if they were water. The rooms I had crossed blurred past in streaks of light and shadow. The iron bars, the rope, the endless pit, all swallowed me as I was wrenched backward. The pull did not care for direction. It tore me through every trial until I was spat out at the place where it all began.
I hovered there, trembling, staring at the entrance I had first crawled through. My hand went to the wall by instinct, and it thrummed against my palm. Not rough stone. A barrier. A cage that refused to let me press deeper.
My chest tightened. Why here? Why drag me back?
The question froze on my tongue as the air in front of me shifted. It quivered like heat rising off a road. Then a figure stepped out of that ripple.
The silence shifted. A faint scrape of footsteps reached me, quick and sharp, as if someone had come in haste. The figure slipped into the chamber, his robe dragging smoke-like shadows along the floor. He did not see me, only moved forward, muttering under his breath.
"Damn that beast. Always there, always clawing for my throat." His hand clenched briefly, the sound of his words thick with contempt. "I struck it hard on the mountain peak, cut deep enough to send it sprawling. And still it rose, still it pressed on, even when I felt the circle stir to life."
He moved slower now, voice dropping as though he could not silence his thoughts. "I rushed to reach this place, rushed to seal it, and in my haste I left the door half-open. If the creature is quick enough, it may yet follow me in."
He glided deeper into the cave, his gaze catching faintly on the walls where the marks pulsed with dim light. A moment of silence stretched, then his tone shifted, laced with disbelief. "But what stirs it? Not the beast, no... something else. A human." He shook his head, almost to himself. "Impossible. None have touched this place in decades. How could one awaken it, slip inside, without permission?"
His steps slowed, thoughtful now. "Has he even made it past the first trial? Or has the circle claimed him already?"
The words hung heavy in the chamber, curling into every shadow. I drifted closer, my ghostly form taut with dread, listening to every syllable, unable to tear myself away.
Shadows stretched ahead, revealing the same pit that had nearly swallowed me whole. The figure's eyes swept over it, unimpressed. He lifted from the ground without effort, gliding across the abyss as if gravity itself held no claim on him. No rope, no hesitation, just a silent passage through the dark. In seconds, he reached the far ledge.
He paused there, gaze drifting back toward the depths. "So he made it this far," he murmured, almost to himself. A flicker of something crossed his face, faint and brief, before it was gone. "But the further he goes, the less chance he has. He will not last."
With the smallest motion of his wrist, the broken bar I had once clung to stirred. Metal scraped faintly as it rose from the pit, sliding back into the ceiling where it had hung before. It settled into place, tight enough to invite a handhold but loose enough to betray anyone who trusted it.
Behind him, the air thickened again. Something else stirred in the passage, creeping closer, its presence crawling like claws against the stone.
The figure froze, his head tilting as if catching something in the air. His voice came low, almost bitten off. "Damn it... it made it through."
Before I could think, the force gripped me again. My ghostly form was pulled backward, tearing through the chambers until I was flung to the mouth of the cave. The shadows there thickened, swallowing the light, and then it emerged.
The thing filled the space, massive and twisted, its frame too large for the narrow walls. Its skin clung like hide stretched over muscle, but it was wrong, uneven, shifting as it moved. Most unsettling of all was the fifth limb, a thick muscular arm jutting from its back, swinging behind it like a weapon. Every scrape of claw against stone carried weight enough to shake the ground.
It lowered its head, the sound of its breath heavy and harsh. "You think you could escape into your fancy portal?" The words rumbled, thick with malice. "You got it wrong. I am now one step closer to my goal." Its gaze narrowed, burning with hate. "You will not escape me, Guardian."
The creature surged forward, storming into the first trial. I followed, unable to look away, dragged along in its wake. It skidded to a stop at the pit that had nearly claimed my life. For a moment it only stood there, sizing it up.
I stared, awestruck, wondering how something so heavy could cross a gap that had nearly ended me.
The monster stepped back, crouched low, then sprinted forward. With a violent push it hurled itself into the air. Time seemed to slow as its massive body soared across the abyss. My chest tightened as it came down hard on the far ledge, claws tearing into stone to steady itself.
It let out a deep, mocking laugh. "This is the trial for the so-called chosen one? Ridiculous." Without another glance, it pressed on into the next chamber, its massive form devouring the darkness ahead.
The cavern stretched wide, lined with jars that drifted into the air at the figure's command. They moved as though bound to his will, sliding into place with perfect precision. The puzzle that had nearly broken me bent to him without effort. When the final jar clicked, a stone bridge formed across the gulf, unfolding clean and sure.
From the shadows, the monster crouched low, its massive form pressed into the dark. Its eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as it watched the path reveal itself. "Always doing the hard work for me," it muttered, voice thick with amusement. "That is the thing about control. You forget someone like me can just come crashing through behind you."
The Guardian reached the far side and stopped. His head tilted slightly, his voice calm but carrying through the cavern. "I know you are there."
I froze, thinking for a moment he spoke to me. But then the shadows shifted, and the monster stepped forward. Slow, measured steps carried it into the light, its fifth arm dragging against the ground with deliberate menace.
"You will not get your hands on the treasure," the figure said, his tone hardening. "It was never meant for you."
The creature's grin widened as it stalked closer. "You say that, but we both know there is nothing you can do to stop me."
"You are wasting your time," the guardian answered evenly. "You are not strong enough to defeat me."
The beast's voice rumbled low, mocking. "Who said I needed to defeat you?"
The guardian drew a slender stick from his cloak and tapped it gently against the stone. The ground answered with a sudden surge. Roots burst through the tiles, coiling upward in a furious snarl, striking at the monster with deadly speed.
The creature leapt aside, claws gouging deep scars into the stone as it dodged the first lash. Another root snapped forward, forcing it to roll across the ground. By the time it steadied itself, the guardian was already at the exit, slipping into the narrowing passage.
The monster roared and gave chase, barreling forward with reckless speed. Roots whipped at its limbs, snapping close enough to cut, but it pressed on, eyes burning with fury. With one last surge, it hurled itself through the gap just as the stone walls sealed behind it, leaving the chamber empty once more.
The Guardian entered the third chamber, the Endless Wall. His gaze lifted to the towering rock, then dropped to the base where bones littered the ground. He studied them briefly, the brittle remains left behind by those who had failed.
"Not many pass this trial," he said, his voice calm and steady. After a pause, he added, almost as an afterthought, "Perhaps this one will reach further than I thought."
He rose smoothly from the ground, drifting upward with effortless grace. The jagged ledges and sharp stone edges were meaningless to him, his ascent steady and untroubled.
I hovered nearby, uneasy. My body still lay in this cave, helpless and exposed. If the Guardian's eyes found me, what would he do? Would he destroy me, or simply step over me as if I were nothing?
At the summit, he touched down softly. His cloak brushed the air above the floor where I lay, so close it stirred the dust around me, yet he never looked down. He moved on without a glance, vanishing into the shadows of the next chamber.
Moments later, the monster stormed into the chamber. Its eyes widened at the sight of the towering wall, and it let out a guttural curse. With a growl, it slammed its claws into the stone, preparing for the brutal climb.
The Guardian moved ahead without pause, slipping through the archway at the far end of the chamber. Its form was swallowed by shadow as it crossed into the next chamber beyond. I tried to follow, reaching with what little control I had in this ghost state, but the boundary held me back. My whole being resisted, as if invisible hands had locked me in place. No matter how hard I strained, I couldn't go further. Not past this chamber.
A new presence broke my focus. The monster entered from behind, dragging its hulking frame into the third chamber. Its steps shook the floor, echoing through the hollow space. The moment its eyes landed on the monolith rising from the chamber's center, a guttural curse tore out of its throat.
With a snarl, it leapt forward and slammed its claws into the stone. Sparks scraped off the surface as it began to climb, gouging deep trails into the monolith with each pull. Rock cracked and splintered, fragments tumbling into the abyss that circled below. Its breathing came heavy and ragged, like each movement stoked its anger further.
I stayed pressed against the wall, watching. Halfway up, the monster growled again, louder this time. It shoved away from the stone, wings snapping open in the same instant. The sudden burst made me flinch. Each span stretched impossibly wide, swallowing the faint glow of the chamber. Dust and grit swirled as it beat its wings once to steady itself, then again, propelling its body higher. The gusts blasted against me, sharp and cold, rattling loose pebbles from the ledges.
With three powerful strokes it cleared the summit, talons scraping stone as it landed above. Its wings folded tight against its sides. A heartbeat later, it dashed toward the passage at the far end, chasing after the Guardian. The sound of its heavy strides carried forward until the chamber was left with silence once more.
Then the ceiling stirred. Droplets shook loose from the cavern roof, splattering the stone below. A few struck my face, cold as ice. The chill cut through me, jolting me from the haze of weightlessness. My ghost-form fractured, tugging me back into flesh and bone.
I gasped, chest heaving, eyes blinking hard against the dim light. Relief hit me in waves. The Guardian was gone. The monster hadn't seen me. And somehow, I was alive, back in my body again.
I woke with a dry gasp, the air in my lungs rough and stale, like I'd been breathing dust for hours. Pain rolled through me in waves, sharp and heavy, until I wasn't sure where my body ended and the stone beneath me began. My arms trembled as I tried to push myself up, but my strength failed and I slumped back down. For a moment, I couldn't tell if I was truly awake or still drifting in that strange half-world I had been trapped in.
The memories pressed close. The Guardian slipping ahead into the next chamber. My useless reach after it, blocked, helpless. The monster's claws on the monolith, its wings snapping open and shaking the air around me. I blinked hard, and the walls seemed to shift like smoke.
"Is this real?" I whispered, the words rasping out of me. My voice sounded small, swallowed by the cavern.
For so long I had told myself I was chasing a treasure. That there had to be something at the end of all this, something worth bleeding for. But the thought twisted as I lay there, my chest aching, my breath shallow. What if it wasn't treasure at all? What if it was the only way out?
The idea of asking for help flickered through me, but I crushed it just as quickly. The Guardian would not answer me. The monster would sooner tear me apart than point me forward. Whatever escape there was, I would have to find it myself.
My body begged me to stop, to sink into the stone and let the darkness claim me. But I clenched my fists, feeling the sting in my palms where the skin had split.
"I can't lose hope. Not yet." I muttered it to myself, forcing the words to be real, to weigh more than the silence. Slowly, I pressed to my knees, then to my feet. My legs shook, my head swam, but I pushed forward anyway. One step, then another, into the waiting dark.
pushed myself up to my feet, my legs trembling under the weight of exhaustion. Every muscle ached, but standing still felt worse than the pain. I had to move.
The passage twisted and turned ahead of me, the walls damp and cold, casting long shadows that shifted in the faint light. The glow of the bioluminescent rocks barely reached more than a few steps in any direction, leaving most of the path swallowed in darkness. I had no idea where I was anymore. Deep inside this mountain, the trails stretched on forever, bending in ways that made it impossible to tell which turn was right.
The air grew heavier the farther I went, thick with the smell of damp rock and moss. Each breath dragged through my chest like wet cloth. My heart pounded, not from fear, but from a growing frustration that clawed at me. I didn't know how far ahead the Guardian or the monster were. I didn't even know if I was on the right trail. But the thought of either of them reaching the end before me gnawed at my mind.
In the silence, my stomach gurgled loud enough to echo against the walls. The sound startled me for a moment before I gave a bitter smile. It made sense after everything I had been through. Hunger was just another reminder of how far I had pushed this body.
I could not let any of it be for nothing. Not after everything I had endured to get this far.
I pushed forward through the winding passage, every step dragging me deeper into the belly of the mountain. My legs ached, my chest burned, and each breath came like I was pulling against a weight. I had no sense of time here. No measure of how long I had been stumbling through the twisting stone. The only rhythm was the pounding of my heart, louder now than the silence around me.
At last, the passage began to widen. I blinked hard, unsure if my weary eyes were playing tricks on me, but the tight corridor gave way to something open. My steps faltered as I moved into the space, and for a moment I could only stare.
The chamber was not like the others. Instead of endless walls closing in, there was a small clearing carved into the stone, a space so strange it felt pulled out of another world. At its center sat a pool of water, its surface smooth and reflective under the dim glow. Just beside it grew a tree, its trunk thick and gnarled, roots twisting down into cracks in the rock. Its branches reached high toward the dark ceiling, and from those branches hung fruit.
I stopped breathing.
They were not strange glowing fruits or some twisted creation of the cave. No, I recognized them immediately. My chest tightened, and my stomach clenched as the sight sank in. Apples. Not just any apples, but Jamaican apples, the kind I had grown up seeing in yards and markets. Their red skins glistened with a faint sheen, a soft green lingering near the stem. They looked real, too real to belong in a place like this.
My throat went dry. My body cried out all at once, reminding me of everything it had endured—the climbing, the falls, the blows I had taken, the ache in my bones from being ripped out of my body. Hunger roared in me, sharper than it had ever been, and my stomach gurgled in the silence. The sound echoed, bouncing back from the stone as if mocking me. I let out a bitter laugh under my breath. Of course I was hungry. After everything I had been through, after how far I had pushed myself, it made sense.
But sense was not comfort. The sight of those apples pulled me closer, step by step, and still doubt clung to me. This cave had offered nothing but trials and tricks so far. Why would it suddenly give me a tree heavy with fruit, water clear enough to drink, and air that felt lighter here than anywhere else? This can't right. This could not be real.
I crouched at the edge of the pool, needing to test something. The stone pressed cold against my knees, grounding me for the first time since I had entered. I cupped my hands and lowered them into the water. The chill raced up my arms as it filled my palms, the surface rippling as though reluctant to let me take it. I lifted the water, hesitating just long enough for fear to bite at me, then pressed it to my lips.
It was clean.
The liquid slid down my throat cool and sharp, leaving no bitterness, no burn. For the first time in what felt like hours, my head cleared. The fog that had dragged on me since the last chamber thinned, like mist breaking in the morning sun. My breath came easier. My chest loosened. I swallowed again, and still nothing happened, no collapse, no poison, no cruel trick. Only clarity.
I splashed some over my face, the cold stinging my skin, making me wince and wake up in equal measure. The weight of exhaustion did not vanish, but it eased, peeling off layer by layer until I felt lighter. Human again. Alive again.
I stood slowly, droplets running down my neck, and my eyes returned to the tree. Hunger pushed stronger than caution now, a hollow ache clawing inside me. My stomach growled louder than before, filling the chamber with a sound that made me feel exposed. I reached for the lowest branch, my fingers brushing against the glossy skin of one apple.
The texture was familiar. Firm and smooth, not too soft, not too hard. It felt like home. I turned it over in my palm, watching the dim light dance on its surface. My chest swelled with something strange, a mix of longing and disbelief. This could not be real. There was no way a Jamaican apple tree stood in the middle of a mountain cave. And yet here it was, the proof heavy in my hand.
"This cannot be real," I muttered.
The words hung in the air, and the silence that followed was louder than any sound.
I hesitated only a moment longer before I bit down. The skin broke under my teeth with a crisp snap, the sweet taste flooding my mouth at once. Juice spilled down my chin, warm and familiar. I froze, eyes wide, as if the fruit might vanish before I swallowed. But it did not. The flavor was exactly as I remembered, exactly as it should be.
I chewed, and with every bite my body responded. My arms no longer felt like lead. The dull ache in my legs began to lift. By the time I swallowed the last of the first apple, the heaviness that had weighed on me since waking was already fading. I reached for another without thinking. The second went down faster, hunger tearing it away before doubt could form. Relief spread through me, my body fueled as though I had never been tired at all.
By the end of it, I felt strong again. Stronger than I had any right to be.
What kind of fruit could do this?
I stared up at the branches, my thoughts racing. This was no ordinary tree. Whatever power flowed through this cave was bound into it, bound into the water and the fruit it bore. I should have stopped then, should have questioned more, but hunger still lingered. My hand lifted again, fingers reaching for another apple.
That was when I heard it.
A rustle overhead, faint but sharp enough to freeze me mid-motion. The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and my heart thumped once, hard. I lowered my hand slowly, eyes darting up into the branches. They swayed, but not like branches do in a breeze. There was no breeze. They moved like something alive, something aware.
Before I could make sense of it, a voice thundered through the chamber.
"Humans never change."
The words shook the walls, deep and resonant, filled with disdain. The sound pressed against me, heavy and suffocating.
I spun, searching the shadows, my chest tight. "Who said that?" My voice cracked, weak against the force that surrounded me.
The answer came, louder, harsher. "You dare feast upon my fruit without permission?"
The branches above twisted violently, leaves rattling though the air was still. The fruit trembled, as if the voice itself carried weight enough to shake them. I staggered back, the half-remembered sweetness of the apple turning sour on my tongue.
The voice came again, sharper now, filled with anger that burned through the chamber.
"Do you not know where you stand, human? You take without thought, as if all this was yours to claim."
The ground rumbled faintly beneath me, a low vibration crawling up through the soles of my feet. The pool beside me rippled, no longer calm but stirred by some unseen force. My instincts screamed at me to run, to flee back the way I had come, but the shadows thickened, blocking any thought of escape.
This was no ordinary tree. It was not a gift, not a miracle placed in my path. It was alive. Watching me. Judging me. And I had already failed its test.