"Have you, by any chance, walked forward to see where we are in this cave?" Dave asked.
A beat passed - a drawn-in breath, a little shake of Violet's head. "Can't," she breathed, the word small. Not embarrassment colored her admission, simply fright.
A quiet nod from Dave signaled he got it. "Okay," he said softly, "my mistake."
"No worries," she murmured, eyes glued to the flickering flames.
A cold tingle - that sound they knew so well - didn't bounce off the cave walls; instead, it vibrated within their heads.
Suddenly, a shimmering display appeared, hovering in the air before them
.
.
.
Something went wrong - it didn't work
Not knowing what would happen if things went south felt heavier than an outright warning. What did losing mean? A shadowy dread filled the room, hinting at terrible outcomes. The message dissolved, yet a red dot materialized - suspended within the black mouth of the tunnel. Far off, it pulsed, a spot they had to get to.
Dave felt a chill settle deep inside. This next contest - what troubles lay ahead? The initial round had been simple: a fight. It struck me - the save point, the designated area - as carefully planned. The levels suggested someone relished building up to something big, a prolonged show.
"Dave…" Violet's quiet voice pulled him back. Her gaze fixed on the shadowy tunnel entrance. "Should we stick to the path?"
A quiet nod from Dave barely hid his worry. "Got to," he said, eyes flicking to the small fire - their sole comfort within the cavern. Following the trail in darkness felt risky; they needed a torch. He swung around, asking, "Where'd you find firewood for this?"
"Uhmm... There were stems at the corners of the rocks," she explained, pointing toward a recess. "I don't know how they got there, but... it was useful at that moment."
Dave registered his position - it felt much like being a bug, simply something the Game Maker used. He spoke, breaking the silence. "Okay.". Rising, he moved toward Violet, extending a hand. "Time to leave," he said
A glance flickered to his outstretched hand. She nodded, fast but resolute, taking hold - her grasp steadied by something beyond apprehension. With a soft tug, he helped her rise.
The pair quickly checked around the cave's stone borders, missing nothing. Hidden in recesses, almost expecting discovery, lay three lengthy, brittle branches. He collected the branches, lugged them toward the flames. With care, Dave touched a spark to each of two, then gave one glowing stick to Violet.
"Stay close,"
A nod from Violet. She gripped the torch - light danced across her worried gaze.
He took one last look at the place they'd been hiding, then moved forward - into blackness. A red light showed the path. The passage twisted like a gut, leading to blank walls again and again. Water dripped; feet echoed. Every turn back meant lost moments, a growing sense of being trapped.
The trail simply stopped, though it wasn't like any ending I'd known before.
Emerging from the tunnel, they found themselves within a huge cave. Instead of a dead end, a dim, expansive pool extended forward, lost to shadow. It resembled slick obsidian, undisturbed save for occasional, sizable bubbles rising - then breaking with quiet splashes. A sickly perfume accompanied each burst.
"Looking for a different route?" A quiet voice – Violet's – drifted up from somewhere behind him. She wasn't sure if they should go back, seek an alternate path.
Dave didn't turn, his eyes fixed on the stagnant water. He offered a slight, humorless smile she couldn't see. "Hate to break it to you, but..." he said. "We'll have to find a way through this pool. And even if we don't find a way and decide to turn back, I'm sure we'll hit a dead end more worse than this."
A gasp escaped her lips; she shook. "So," she asked, "now how do we proceed?"
"Just give me a moment."
The dark water offered nothing - no trail, nowhere to step. He held another match, flicking it skyward towards the pool's heart.
It dropped - barely a ripple. Just a quiet kiss on the water. A twig drifted there, light as a feather. A thin promise surfaced, though he knew better. It vanished almost instantly.
Rather than simply drift, the stick fell apart. It crumbled, becoming a dark puff that faded within the misty atmosphere. The water twisted into a quiet chaos where something had vanished. Pale forms moved under the skin of the waves, accompanied by sickly green fumes that settled above - a haze hinting at danger.
A shadow crossed Dave's face; what he'd thought at first felt now like a real fear taking hold.
Crossing through this pool is a death wish.!