The Heart Of Gaia - Chapter 18 Starry Nigh

I moved through the dimly lit hall in search of the mysterious figure.

“Hello?!” I shouted.

“Is anybody there!?”

It had been a few minutes since I’ve left the group so far I’ve still yet to find the Princess. The eerie darkness that loomed over the halls seemed disturbing, the olden mossy stone-bricks that depicted years of history behind the dungeon I’m currently crawling in.

“How long was this under here?!” I asked myself.

Metallic piping that decorated the walls and ceiling was of a completely different time, it had retained some of it’s glossy appearance but was sullied by the elements.

“What the heck is this place?!”

“HELLO?!”

My voice echoed throughout, I waited for a response but only silence met me. After a few minutes of wandering this place, the voices of battle had faded–it was replaced with the same dreadful noises of despair, their voices that indicated each individual horror that I couldn’t begin fathom.

*Splash!*

“Ugh…”

Carelessly my foot fell into a puddle, I stared into it’s odd shape. I knelt to further inspect its weird structure. Curiously, it had resembled a human shape but what made it stupefying was it’s tremendous size.

“Twice the size of mine…” I mumbled.

I took a glance at the continuous footprints that stretched out into the hall. It’s size further implied the sheer mass it carried. Was it human? I didn’t know. As my mind tried to make up conclusions to finally silence the bombardment of questions inside my head. Anxiously I followed it deeper into the dungeon, there was only one way to know…

Occasionally, I took the chance to call into the unknown, hoping to find whomever it was that lurked in here. Foe or ally, it was better to know that I wasn’t alone in this hell.

After staring into the footprints I’ve come to realize that it was two sets that opposed each other in direction; One forward and the other backwards. It seemed like it’s owner changed their mind and took a turn back to where they came from. Did it knew of our intrusion?

Hopefully not, if they did… They must’ve gone already.

Troublesome as it may seem I hurried once more whilst trying to avoid the pits filled with muddy water that proved to be some inconvenience.

“Good grief… Which way?”

Stuck at a fork in the hall, I had struggled to choose between the two. The intervening path to the left bellowed with the haunted voices of the damned. I took a look at the prints and saw that it came from here, as the foot shaped markings on the floor pointed towards my direction. While to my right is the path that continued straight with the exception of the footprints facing away from me.

“No time to be hesitating!”

I continued towards same direction.

*Pant* *Pant*

Hurriedly, I ran thoughtless. The trail I followed swerved further to the right as it was covered by

the facade provided by the wall before it.

*Bump*

From the blind-spot that the turn provided, I felt something bump into me–To my surprise it was the same figure I saw earlier!

*Sob* *Sob*

Immediately I recognized that familiar caramel colored hair.

“W-who ar–”

She clung to me with hands that tugged at my cloak; it loosened.

“P-please…”

“Wha-what’s wrong?”

“Please help us!”

Her beautiful maroon colored eyes filled with desperation and earnestness, saddened tears that covered it rendered my sense of urgency into a halt.

“Calm down! tell me what’s wrong?!”

She feel to her knees as she began to weep helplessly on the floor. I took to her aid but she wouldn’t stop crying.

“I won’t be able to help you if you don’t tell me!”

“M-my fr-friend!”

She continued but struggled to do so.

“Why? what’s wrong with your friend?!”

She pointed towards the direction she came from–My head turned to follow, there in the dimly lit corridor that made my eyes unfocused. I saw a fairly large figure, although there was quite a distance so I could faintly hear their voices.

“THERE YOU ARE BROTHER!”

“Brother?” I questioned.

I stood and sneakily proceeded towards the seemingly conversing individuals.

“Wait for me here!”

I shouted at the girl who was currently despondent and occupied with herself.

The voice that shouted sounded familiar but I couldn’t be sure… Carefully I continued.

“NO! KNOXX! LET HIM GO!”

Half-way through, I heard a familiar name and that’s when I started bolting towards them. When I finally caught glimpse of the people a bright light shone. The luminosity was so intense that I had stopped in my tracks while overtly covering my eyes. In a few minutes the light faded away…

“What the heck was that?!” I thought to myself.

I continued running, but what followed right after was the constant tremors that made me stumble and loose my footing.

“P-purple?!”

To my surprise there was a monolithic figure covering the entire shape of the entrance–After another shock the entrance began to crumble down as I almost made it.

Soon it’s entirety was completely covered by debris. There was no point in pursuing anymore, my safety and the report of this information would be of utmost importance. With that in mind I turned back…

I met the girl at the turn, patiently waiting on the corner, forcibly I dragged her with me as she could potentially be a witness.

“You’re coming with me!” I shouted.

She stood silently with her eyes staring into the nothingness. Lifelessly she let herself get dragged through the hall.

Soon we had passed through the junction, I staggered at most times as the floors were riddled with holes. The constant shaking and tremors added to the predicament we were in.

“This is bad…”

What I saw in front of me was the debris filled area where I went through. I hurriedly thought of another way out of here, but there was only one thing that came to mind.

*Pant* *Pant*

The constant running made it hard to breathe as I exhausted every leg power that I could muster. We met the junction and turned left. After what seemed to be another mile was a junction.

I couldn’t tell which way to go as the footprints had gone a long way back.

“DAMN! THIS PLACE IS A MAZE!”

I didn’t knew which way to go.

“Oi! girl! you’ve been here before! right?!”

She didn’t answer as her face was crestfallen.

“COME ON! WHERE DO WE GO?

Her face wore a blank expression as if she had given up on all hope for her life.

“LOOK! I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU! BUT IF YOU KEEP BEING LIKE THIS WE BOTH ARE GOING TO DIE!”

Those lifeless eyes finally rolled towards my direction. The area was starting to crumble as tiny pieces of the ceiling started falling, out of desperation I had to do something.

*SMACK!*

“SNAP OUT OF IT!”

I saw a hint of glimmer in her eyes as the pain shook her some sense.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“SAVE IT FOR LATER! WE NEED TO HURRY!”

She nodded and bolted away, as soon she sensed the urgency of the situation. I followed right after her. Soon we ran through a holding cell, that were empty…

“W-what is this place?!”

“This is where we’re held.”

“We?!”

“All kinds of people!”

I was silent, after realizing that they held multiple innocent people against their will.

“What did they do to you?!”

“They didn’t do anything to me, but to the others–”

She paused, I couldn’t imagine what it was like to hear constant suffering and agonizing shrieks of terror.

Crazy bastards didn’t had a slightest hint of consciousness, demons that came from the depths of eternal void. I clenched my fists in anger, anger didn’t even begin to cover it. The wood that fueled my wrath was the fact, I let them slip away…

I felt my skin crawl, the feeling of being watched was something I’m familiar with. Countless missions had made me sensitive to the eyes of shrouded men. I tried glancing towards the endless iron bars that separated my position and the abysmal cages–

*Tremble*

“Maybe it was nothing…” I thought to myself.

“We need to hurry!” I hastily said.

“I know!”

“Are we even close?!”

“Uh…”

“What do you mean?!”

She sounded a little skeptical.

“Do you even know where we’re going?!”

“I-I do–don’t, I don’t actually…”

“But I’ve been following you ever since!”

At this point we we’re running towards our impending doom.

“Sorry…”

“D*MN IT!”

I glared at her with utmost disappointment as she shamefully lowered her head in regret. There was no time for me to reprimand her in this situation. The belief of safety made me ignorant of our current whereabouts. I didn’t keep track–“I’m too careless”

We stood here as the tremors didn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon.

“COME ON! DON’T JUST STAND THERE!”

“Eek!”

“THINK! IF WE DON’T THINK OF ANYTHING SOON, WE’LL BE CRUSHED!”

“Yes! Sir!”

As I racked my brain to it’s full capacity so that we could escape; alive.

“You fellas lost?”

A voice blurted out from nowhere. I searched for it’s owner–There in the corridor behind me was a misshapen figure, the distinct odd shape reminded me of the monstrosities I’ve faced before. But it shouldn’t be, all those flesh thirsty cadavers didn’t had a hint of intelligence.

“Who are you?!” I shouted quite warily.

“I don’t know!”

What did he meant by he doesn’t know.

“But what I do know is that this place is about to collapse! I can help you!”

“How can I tru–”

“Is that?!”

I turned to her and saw her surprised expression, as she interrupted me.

“You know it?!”

“It? well, I haven’t seen him face to face but I do recognize his voice–IS THAT YOU MR. BACH!?”

“SERA?!”

Sera? her name was oddly familiar as if I’ve heard of it before…

“What a touching reunion but we need to get out of here!”

We both ran towards his direction, as we got closer the dim lighting revealed his monstrous appearance. Shockingly I was right, his grotesque looking body decorated with crystals made me weary and hostile towards him.

Hurriedly before the girl took her chance to embrace this familiar character, I disabled him onto the ground.

“WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!” I screamed at it.

“W-what is the meaning of this Mr. Bach?!” she said.

“I know! I know! I look hideous! but I’m harmless! I’m different!”

“I’m sorry Sera! I’m actually relieved to see you in person! But I didn’t had the nerve to reveal myself.”

He continued.

“You didn’t know he looked like this?!” I questioned her.

“Well, we’re separated, we’ve only talked through the walls. It’s been a long time since I’ve last talked to him…”

“Do you trust him?”

“I…”

She took a long look at his pitiful face.

“I do!”

I turned back to the pinned victim.

“You know the way out right?”

“W-what?”

“I SAID DO YOU KNOW THE F*CKIN’ WAY OUT?!” I threatened.

“Yes! I do! Please don’t hurt me!”

I slowly backed off.

“Come on! lead the way!”

“T-thank you!”

“Lead now! talk later! or I’ll beat your ugly ass!”

He stood as soon as he could. We followed him deeper into the dungeon.

“If you ever do anything stupid, I’ll put you out of your misery!”

He nodded anxiously.

“Where are we headed?!” Sera asked.

“To the laboratory!”

“I KNEW IT! YOU F*CKER!”

“NO! Calm down! there’s a way to escape there!”

“How do you know?!” I asked.

He ignored what I said, he kept to himself as if he had some sort of secrecy that shouldn’t be revealed. I don’t trust him, not even a bit since he was our only way out. I had no other choice but to follow him. If he ever tries something funny I’ll put him down like the rest of his kind.

“Alright guys through here!”

“What in the world?” Sera exclaimed.

I was at a loss for words. What I saw before us was multiple operating tables, they had what seemed to be human bodies covered with white silky covering. The whole place was covered with

apparatuses, each of them had a distinct figure that such us myself couldn’t comprehend their use.

The place looked like it had been sacked: Papers flung everywhere, Variety of Viscorr littered the floor, broken glass and unknown fluids scattered throughout.

“This must be it…” I said.

As I lifted the silk white sheet that revealed a skinless face, rotten muscle with bare eyeballs. I felt sick to my stomach at this horrendous sight.

“Gaia, save this soul.” I prayed.

“What’s under here?”

I turned towards Sera that curiously eyed the sheet in front of her.

“Don’t!”

She paused.

“Oh-Okay…”

“Better for you to not see what’s underneath.”

“Over here guys!”

We moved towards Mr. Bach that pointed the wall that served as a shelf for apparatuses.

*TREMBLE* *CRASH!*

“Sh*t!”

As everybody saw the entrance we went through had collapsed.

“How are we gonna get out now?” Nervously said Sera.

“We just need to get through here!”

He kept pointing at the wall. Everything was shaking as signs of the whole place caving in was evident. There was no point in arguing…

“STAND BACK!”

I chanted a spell on my shield, the strongest one that I could use.

“Everybody stay behind me!”

Without any hesitation I ran towards the wall, gathered all the strength that I could muster.

*BLAST!*

Soon everyone followed through while I ran into the dust clouds that formed from the event. He was right as we found ourselves deep into a tunnel that eventually led us outside.

*BANG* *BANG* *CRASH*

I forced myself through the sealed trap door.

“Finally, we’re out. Thank you Mr. Bach!” Said Sera.

Sneakily he tried running away, before he could I struck him unconscious rendering him lifeless on the floor.

“Well, he’s going to be out for a while”

“Why did you do that?”

I could see how concerned she was.

“Don’t worry I’m not going to do anything bad to him.

*TREMBLE!* *CRASH!*

The sounds of crumbling rocks and stone made it clear that the path underneath had collapsed. I turned to see the aftermath, the ground had caved in as the structures atop it fell with it.

I hoisted Mr. Bach unto my shoulders–As Sera forcibly grabbed my cloak.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“What are you going to do with Mr. Bach?”

“It’s none of your concern!”

“If you d-don’t tell me then I’ll…”

“You’ll what?”

She paused.

“Fine If I tell you, would you calm down?”

She nodded.

“I’ll take him for questioning since we need what he knows.”

“What he knows?”

“That place underneath, as you could tell it was a place where people got abused. The organization I’m working for helps people in need.”

“THE LIBERATORS?!”

I paused and stared at her with surprise, I don’t know how she knew of our existence but I think she’s involved somehow. But she was completely ecstatic upon saying it.

“You’ll be coming wi–”

*BANG!* *CRASH!* *TREMBLE!*

The sounds of destruction made me search for it’s origination, what I saw was the same familiar light that blinded me previously with the exception of it having a physical human-like appearance.

“I-Is that a star?” I said in awe.