Chapter 56

  Crystal Caverns

  Dull pain pulsed like a throbbing headache throughout Yan’s whole body. It was not as bad as it could have been, but the soreness she felt was enough to rouse her from an uneasy slumber. She grumbled and tried to will it away, hoping to keep her eyes shut for a little longer, but the pain was just a little too much. As she became more lucid, memories of recent events flooded back to her and she sat up in a panic, looking all around.

  Glimmering crystals shone all around in a dim mixture of blues and pinks, giving off just enough light to see. Yan was in a cavern made out of crystal, a colorful place with many small reflections and refractions bouncing light about. The uneven floor and walls were all crystal, no stone or soil in sight, and above her was a cavernous darkness too far to be illuminated.

  “Okay.” Yan said, pumping her fist, “First things first, take stock of the situation.” She looked all around again, ignoring the pain, “I’m alone... and there are eight paths I can go. Hm, this is bothersome.” After a quick self check, Yan found that she still had her pack and tools. She had lost most of her kunai in the battle, but had a few left.

  Drawing a kunai, Yan tested cutting it against the crystal wall. It didn’t leave a nice smooth mark, like on stone, but she could cut into it. “If worse comes to worse I suppose I could mine my way out.” Yan sliced off the top of three small Crystal protrusions, leaving herself a solid marker.

  The next issue was the matter of choosing which way to head. “Hello?” Yan called, sending her voice out through the caves. The crystals bounced her voice, changing it into distorted tunes. They sounded serene, and a little strange, but not useful. Finding the others this way might not work, and if there were any Zori down here it might be unwise to give away her location.

  With eight paths to pick from, venturing along without a plan was a bad idea. As much as Yan yearned to explore without thinking of the consequences, she had to remember that this was not some light hearted adventure. Her friends had just been in a serious battle against murderers with terrible intentions, and then were buried alive by those same foes. She needed to find Michael, and the others.

  Yan nodded to herself when she thought of a plan. With a simple focus, she summoned three more of herself, energy clones of solid emerald energy. “With this, I can search half the paths at once.” She said, satisfying the desire to speak even if only to herself. Yan chose four of the paths and trekked along them.

  The Crystal Caverns were winding paths of space formed between several different crystalline growths. More often than not the ground was not level, and the paths did not stay straight in a single direction for very long. Yan clambered up walls and around steep corners as she made her way along, avoiding several sections where the crystals grew in sharp pointed clusters like natural spike traps.

  A few of the caves Yan chose ended without reaching any pay-off. Yan marked these dead end paths with x marks etched into the walls where they began. Other caves had a different issue, splitting into still further paths as Yan proceeded along them. When she chanced upon a growth of Combat Crystal, she gathered a small section to use as a weapon in case she met with Zori leapers down here.

  Just as Yan found herself wishing she had a way to track time, like Hyato, one of her energy doubles heard something ahead. She swapped places to it and moved closer, peering around each corner as she slunk forth.

  In an area where there were more red and green crystals than anything else, Yan saw two figures in the dim lighting of a small room. The path Yan was entering from looked like the only way in or out, and the beings were crouched away from the light at the other end of the space, being quite cautious. Yan drew in a bit of energy to her eyes to try and get a better look.

  Soft light glowed from one of the figures, the one crouching over the other was the only one moving. The figure laying down did not move much at all. With Yan’s enhanced sight she was able to make out only a few more shapes, but she saw the smaller figure that was moving had a tail with a mace at the end. There was only one Senne around here, as far as Yan knew.

  “Fara.” Yan said, stepping out from hiding and into the room. The Sennish woman flinched as she turned around, calling up a barrier around her. Yan lifted her hands and stood near one of the luminescent crystals, showing her face. “It’s me, Yan. We... haven’t officially met.”

  “Prove it.” Fara said, “Do something only you can do.”

  Yan summoned an energy clone at her side, one of the others had just found a dead end and dismissed herself anyways. Fara looked over the clone, then exhaled in relief. Yan approached, “Are you always this...” She didn’t want to say paranoid, “wary?”

  The Senne woman turned back to her task, calling up healing energies as she pressed her hands on the slumbering form of Sebastian. “It’s better to be cautious. This place gives me the creeps.”

  “Why is that?” Yan asked, moving over to sit at her side. She left the continued exploration up to her doubles.

  “I’ve been wondering about some inconsistencies.” Fara said, “And, I’ve been seeing things. Shadows? Figments? They seemed like more than reflections, but I haven’t been looking too closely.”

  “Figments huh?” Yan glanced over at a crystal wall. Her reflection in the smooth surface was cloudy, offset by the facets of the crystal. “I haven’t been paying too much attention.”

  Fara rubbed Sebastian’s chest, soothing it while she worked her healing magic. Yan couldn’t help but think of how dramatic he would be when he learned he slept through the attentions of a woman. “It’s been bugging me.” Fara said, “What really happened, I mean.”

  “I’m not sure I follow.” Yan said.

  “How we survived.” Fara said, “I mean... I haven’t seen anyone else, but you made it through. I made it through, and found Sebastian here.”

  Yan frowned, “That... is a good question. We can’t have just gotten lucky, can we?”

  “I doubt it.” Fara said, “As Rex... as Daemon Rex made his attack I tried to use as much protection magic as I could, but when I came to I found there was another layer of protection besides my own.”

  “Woah, really?” Yan said, “I should learn how to detect that kind of stuff.”

  “It’s easy, I could even show you.” Fara said, glancing over at Yan.

  “Thanks.” Yan said, smiling. “So, how do you think you got another layer of protection?”

  “How We got it.” Fara corrected, “I cast my protection on all of you, and both you and Sebastian have the second one too. I assume the other three do as well.”

  Yan glanced at Sebastian. He was still unconscious, sleeping through the battles of course. There was the oddity of his right arm though, the crystals he gathered were embedded into it now. How had that even happened? “Do you think, maybe, Sebastian did it subconsciously?”

  “I doubt it.” Fara said, “what about your other friends? Could they have woven such a spell?”

  “No,” Yan said, shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Great.” Fara said, heaving a sigh, “So we are trapped underground and we don’t even know why we survived.” The Sennish woman grumbled, and Yan took a closer look at her. She might have mistaken it for a scholarly look, but on closer examination Yan realized that Fara looked worn out. Just how much effort did healing require?

  “You can rest, you know.” Yan said.

  “No, I need to keep working.” Fara said, “I made a promise.” She remembered her talk with Hyato. He had been so kind, even though they were foes just minutes earlier.

  “Well, is Sebastian in critical condition?” Yan asked, looking at her Evari friend. He seemed to be sleeping, a peaceful look about him.

  “No he’s fine,” Fara said, “But I can help him recover faster.”

  “Hmm,” Yan said, looking at the relaxed sleeping Sebastian, then at the stressed looking Fara. “No, you’re done.” Yan placed a hand on Fara’s shoulder and eased her away, “It’s high time you rested.”

  “But...” Fara said, looking from Yan to Sebastian.

  “Nope!” Yan said, a firm sense of command to her tone. “It’s break time for you, Sebastian can sleep it off. I’ll keep watch.”

  Fara backed away from Sebastian, a mixture of relief and uncertainty on her face. She tried to sit in a comfortable pose, not that this was easy on crystal. “We’ll never get out of here if we just sit here.”

  “I have that covered too.” Yan said, “My energy doubles are scouring the cave network as we speak. Once I find a way out, I can lead us to it.”

  “Really? That’s impressive. You can still maintain the spell from so far away?” Fara asked. She shifted a bit in place, fidgeting.

  “It’s not a spell,” Yan said, “It’s a power. Something Sebastian gave me, taken from a Zori actually.” Yan moved over to Sebastian and found his pack, she took something from it. “It’s really come in handy.”

  “Oh... I didn’t know that was even possible.” Fara said, “I wonder where he learned it.”

  “Who knows.” Yan said, “Sebastian has learned all kinds of skills in his travels.” Yan placed the item she took from Sebastian and activated it, the enchanted tent he’d had made back in her hometown. “Let’s rest inside for now.” Yan said.

  “Woah!” Fara said, moving over to the tent, “A magic tent? You guys are the real deal.” The Sennish woman entered the tent as Yan moved Sebastian. The man was rather light, easy to move. Inside the tent was as cozy as ever, just how they’d left it. “You take adventuring seriously, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Yan said, “And rest is just as important as getting things done. Stress is one of the leading causes of death for adventurers.” Yan said, repeating something Sebastian had told her. “So rest up, I’ll keep watch and keep looking for a way out.”

  Yan watched until Fara laid down in one of the beds, then moved to the door to keep a lookout. Fara looked from Yan as she sat there, to Sebastian. Then she thought of Hyato, and the interactions she had witnessed between this group. “Why are you so nice?” Fara asked after a minute.

  The younger woman shrugged, “Is there a reason not to be?” Yan wondered, still keeping watch. “It’s always better when people are nice.”

  Fara laid back and thought about Yan’s words. Then she thought about herself and her ations. “More people should be like you.” Fara said, closing her eyes. “I should.” The moment she let herself stop working she felt the weariness of the last several days. Their rushed travel to this place, the long hours of healing and preparing for battle. Avoiding Zori and chasing down their targets. And now? Evan was dead, Rex had been possessed, and Fara was here... deep underground in a strange place being cared for by some of the very people she had been hunting.

  Worries seemed to slip away as Fara realized just how comfortable this bed was. It was almost as if she was back home in the Mystic Grove. Before she could dwell on it further, Fara slipped into sleep.

  Three of them gathered now. Yan did not feel sore anymore, nor did she feel tired. As she kept her vigil, watching the entrance to this safe haven, Yan wondered if she should have asked Fara to show her how to check for protection magic. “Oh well, next time.” Yan said, focusing on her task. The others wouldn’t find themselves.

  Shadows crossed through reflective panes of crystal, twisted simulacrums of beings that scattered at the slightest movement. The illusory beings were too hazy to inspect through the yellow and orange crystal panels. Wolf swept his gaze around again, making sure none of them drew too close as he made his way onward.

  The cavernous halls of the crystal chamber Wolf had found himself in would in every direction conceivable. No matter which way he went, there was always another path to pick from. The place was like a maze, and with every corner he found himself getting more and more lost. He’d tried calling out, but no one responded. Then, he started hearing them.

  Whispers and hollow words traveled along the corridors, speaking in languages Wolf was not familiar with. Their words were faded at first, but the more he moved the more he heard them. It did not take long for Wolf to draw his swords, ready to face down whatever it was that came for him. “What are you?” Wolf asked, hoping there would be no response.

  Those unintelligible words continued to ring out, faded and staggered. Wolf tried to slow his breathing as he looked around, watching as the shadow figures moved in the walls. They were getting closer, he was sure of it.

  Wolf crossed out of the chamber he was in, careful not to get too close to the shadow things, and tried to keep moving. They hadn’t attacked yet, but they had an aggressive look about them. Whenever he saw one looking, it seemed all too intense.

  Amber lightning crackled around Wolf’s shoulders, ready to be unleashed in whichever direction needed it. He had tried to dampen it, to avoid using his elemental power altogether, but it kept returning. The tightness he felt in his shoulders must have something to do with it. Wolf ground his teeth and tried not to think about it. Who knows, the wreath of lightning might come in handy.

  Continuing forth, Wolf was met with several forks in his path. At each one Wolf looked down each of the glittering corridors, avoiding the shadow figures, and chose the left path. The things seemed to follow him from room to room, keeping to the walls and slipping along distorted paths.

  One of the shadows came near and Wolf yelped, swinging his sword in an aggressive defense. He smashed out a chunk of the yellow crystal wall as he stepped back, ready to do battle. He held his swords up to block, but the enemy had retreated as well. Wolf exhaled and examined the crack he’d made in the wall.

  A large chunk of crystal was torn out, leaving a very noticeable scar in the otherwise smooth surface of the crystal. Embarrassed, Wolf moved ahead and did not look back. The shadow things were still around, but none of them came near again. A small sense of satisfaction alleviated some of Wolf’s tension and he continued his way out of the caves.

  After taking a few more left turns Wolf saw something peculiar ahead. Some of these corridors were a little wider than others, and it was these that Wolf considered rooms in his mind. Though little wider than twice the size of the narrow winding corridors, he could stay well away from the shadow beings in these spaces. He reached a room that had something strange in it, and as he neared it a sense of understanding came to him.

  Before Wolf was a wall with a chunk taken out of it. The small bit of crystals knocked loose had settled, but Wolf looked at the mark with an awkward sense of realization. He had cut the wall here, he was going in circles.

  “Doesn’t matter, doesn’t matter.” Wolf said, continuing along his chosen path, “I... how was I supposed to know? It’s not like I go spelunking.” He traversed along, hearing more of those whispers again. The distorted noise made his skin crawl, but he pushed that sense aside when he reached another fork in his path. He checked each path once, nodded, and decided to go to the right this time.

  Confident that he had escaped the loop at last, Wolf made his way ahead through the caves. The yellows and oranges of the cavern walls were starting to make his eyes hurt, and those shadow things were still following him. Wolf came to a stop in the next room, closing his eyes and focusing to clear his senses a bit. He wouldn’t be able to fight, much less see the way out, if he couldn’t focus.

  Wolf opened his eyes and looked around, making sure the enemy hadn’t crept up on him. The shadow figures still loomed in the walls, standing without making any major movements. They all seemed to be armed as well, now that Wolf could see with more clarity, each of them seemed to be dual wielding swords. Odd, that they would all be using the same weaponry. He thought at first that they had extended limbs with blades, but these were swords.

  Something bugged Wolf about the enemy. They were very still, and rather silent too. Had they not been moving around and whispering this whole time, what changed? A possibility came to Wolf, and he lifted one sword arm up.

  All around him the shadow beings lifted one of their weapons. They did not all lift them up, but many of them were distorted in shape. When Wolf stopped moving, they did too. They moved when he did? No, it was simpler than that.

  “You’re all just reflections, aren’t you?” Wolf said. A moment later dissonant whispers came from the halls, “And the whispering, that’s just echoes.” The hallway whispered for about as long as he had spoken, then silence returned. Wolf shook his head, and the shadow figures seemed to as well.

  “I’m a moron.” Wolf said, “I’m an absolute moron.” He let out a sigh of relief and felt the tension drain out of his shoulders. After shaking his head and feeling grateful that no one was around to witness him, Wolf sheathed his swords and continued along his path. His footsteps created enough noise to return dim whispering, or rather echoes, the pervasive sounds he had been hearing all along.

  Chuckles escaped Wolf’s lips as he made his way onwards. Now that he was paying more attention it couldn’t be more clear that the ‘shadow beings’ were just reflections distorted by the polycrystalline clusters within the smooth cavern walls. The dim ambient lighting also added to the illusion. With a cheery jaunt, Wolf made his way along the tunnels.

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  “I am a moron.” Wolf said in a singsong voice, “A moron I am.” He chuckled, smiling now, “I am a moron, I am. Ha!” The echoes of the cavern sang back to him in a melodic dissonance. “A moron, a moron... I am-”

  “A Monster.” Rumbled a deep gruff voice. Wolf flinched and jumped back from a nearby reflection, drawing his swords and breathing at an uncomfortable rate. The shadow beings around jumped back as well, except for the one nearby.

  The shadow stepped to the edge of the crystal, it's features illuminated by the reflected light around it. What stood before him was Wolf, or something that looked just like him, standing with arms in his pockets and looking at the hyperventilating Wolf with utter disdain. “You are... a Monster.” The reflection said.

  It wasn’t a perfect reflection, distorted by the crystal to seem more ragged and larger. Wolf felt the tension return to his shoulders, and checked the other reflections with a wary sense of uncertainty. If this one could move, could the other entities move as well? “No...” Wolf said, “No I’m not.”

  “There is no point in playing pretend, Wolf.” The mirror image said, “You know as well as I do what you really are.” The mirror still did not reflect Wolf’s own movements, acting on its own.

  Wolf waved an arm, but the mirror image did not react, “What are you?” Wolf asked.

  “You already know what I am, in your heart.” Mirror Wolf said, “Don’t you?” The mirror image sneered, disdain now coupled together with a haughty sense of elevation.

  “I don’t” Wolf said, unable to back away or get any closer. He held his swords at the ready, trembling a bit.

  “Yes you do.” Mirror Wolf said, “I... am the Truth.”

  “No.” Wolf said, “No, I deny you.”

  “You cannot deny yourself. I am what you really are.” The man in the mirror raised his arms to his sides, surrounding himself in soft amber flames. His features darkened as the light shone from behind him. “Think about it. Be rational, for once in your moronic life. I am... we are Monsters.”

  Wolf shook his head, snapping his eyes shut. The reflection continued to speak at length, “It has been years, has it not, since we ‘accidentally’ wound up with amnesia. But then, why have we not met anyone from our past? Michael did, even just weeks after he ended up the way he is. Even far away from his home, Michael’s brother found him. But Wolf, no one has found you.”

  “No, no!” Wolf said, “Shut up.”

  “There is no one, Wolf. You are alone, you know this. You’ve killed people Wolf, you’ve ended lives.”

  “Lives...” Wolf said, “I only killed those that would have killed me.”

  “Do you think that clears us?” Mirror Wolf shouted, a booming cry of dissonant echoes surrounded the room, making Wolf breath harder. “Do you think it matters why? This guilt you feel, it is real!”

  “I don’t...” Wolf stared at his feet, “It was never supposed to happen. They were accidents.”

  “That’s not enough, Wolf.” Mirror Wolf said, “And you know I know it. You will never escape that feeling,” Wolf’s chest felt tight, “That sensation that claws at us,” both Wolfs’ gripped at their shirts, “The feeling, the memories you do have. Even if we get the rest back, do you think that will be enough?”

  The ground seemed to be distant, Wolf’s head was light and the world stretched out beneath him. If he leaned any further forward, he was sure to plummet. In a soft voice, the answer to the mirror’s query came to Wolf’s lips, “No.”

  “No...” The gruff voice in the wall said with a sigh, “No, but you can be rid of it. You can get rid of that feeling.”

  Wolf blinked, then looked up again to stare at the reflection. “H-how?”

  The mirror image held out his hand, offering it to Wolf, “Just accept it. Accept the insight I have to offer, the Truth of who you are, who you always were.”

  Instead of accepting the offered hand, Wolf scrutinized it, “What... what truth?”

  A booming chuckle escaped the smirk of the mirror Wolf, “Bloodshed, carnage, death. Accept your bloodlust, admit it! You are a Monster, nothing more than an omen of destruction! Empty eyes, hollow heart, Champion of slaughter. Become who I know you want to!”

  The words stung and Wolf’s tense fear ignited into rage, “No! You are wrong!” Power surrounded Wolf’s swords and he slammed them forth to create a current of furious lightning. The sheer force of the attack wrent the wall and the facade within apart, boring through in a cacophony of storming electric power and crashing crystals. The sudden attack created a lightshow of refracted images and wiped out all of the shadowy reflections in the room, before the outburst ceased all at once.

  Darkness filled the room for a moment, before the light of the caves equalized. Where the mirror image once stood there was now a hole drilled to a darker corridor. The mixing colors of crystal made the all encompassing yellow light shift to a calmer green tone. Wolf licked his lips, wishing he had thought to pack water, and put away his weapons. “You’re wrong...” He said to himself in a quiet voice. “Wrong.” He repeated, holding on with all his might to the hope that his words were true.

  He stood still for a long moment, basking in the silence that came only when he was stopped. Perhaps he should take a break. It might be better to keep going, but if you are lost you are supposed to remain where you are. Not that there was a rescue party looking for him.

  Whispers echoed along the crystal caves, bringing Wolf’s attention back to the fore. Something approached, and this time they did not walk within the walls. Through the hole he had bored came a being approaching Wolf, a glowing entity of the purest emerald.

  Sleep was like a drug for the tired. It might be difficult to take when you want to, but once exhaustion takes hold it is harder to keep it away. When sleep has taken root, the last thing anyone wants is to give it up. Waking felt like a bad idea, but some people are not given a choice.

  When Michael sat up, it was dark all around. If he didn’t know any better, his eyes were still closed. He tried to lay back down, but an uneven ground made it difficult to do anything but stand. No matter what he tried, it felt like Michael was standing after all. “What is this?” Michael wondered aloud, though he could not make out the sound of his voice.

  Light appeared ahead, dim flickering candlelight illuminating something. With no say in his own actions, Michael decided he might as well step forth. The light seemed to be a fair distance, but that would give Michael time to think.

  What happened? Michael’s memories were hazy. A few seconds of rubbing his forehead sparked a dim memory, fighting against Daemon Rex. Then he saw something, a massive blot of inky darkness in the sky. Then... “He punched me!” Michael said, “That jerk!”

  Fuming a bit, Michael thought harder to recall more events. When he was punched he fell unconscious, but then he felt something gentle take root inside him. After that, he woke up, but he was still out wasn’t he. The next memories were not his own. “Oh, another jerk.” Michael groaned, remembering what happened next.

  The memories from Dark Michael were a little twisted, but Michael got the gist of it. He woke up in a rampage and threw a tantrum. Then he fought Daemon Rex some more, and ended up blowing up the massive black sphere that had been falling, or something. After that, Yan appeared. She was able to stop him, but then Daemon appeared with only one arm and punched a massive hole in the ground. “Ah.” Michael said, snapping his finger, “So, I’m underground. And that feeling, that was the Senne gal healing me.”

  Michael looked at the lights ahead, the room was like a brown blob, but grew sharper as he got nearer. “Why are there candles underground?” He asked himself as he drew closer. Before he entered the space the answer came to him, along with a familiar sensation of crawling fear. The intimidation he’d felt when he faced Vero, Vy, and even Daemon Rex, none of that held up against the sinking feeling this place reminded him of.

  A dark room of deep brown stone, with alcoves filled with candles, came into view. Michael passed through an indecipherable doorway, he was sure he had seen something in that doorway before but could not recall. Chains affixed to the walls and ceiling stretched to the middle of the room, where a scarred person with long black hair was suspended.

  "Once again you come before me," The Mind said, "I need not repeat myself."

  The confusion Michael felt lasted a moment, then he remembered. "I don't want to be here either." Michael said, "I want nothing to do with you."

  "Then there is nothing more to say." The Mind's eyes closed, and the sense of fear Michael felt ebbed a little. The imprisoned entity did not move, nor show any motivation to act.

  The sense of fear having dimmed, Michael took a little bit of time to think. He did not want to be here, he wanted nothing more than to leave and find his friends. His feelings were strong, but a curiosity burned alongside the desire for freedom.

  "You know what? No, I have some things to say." Michael said. The Mind did not react, "You said you are not Mexizu, but you are. You didn't lie either, you're just Mexizu's Mind, aren't you?"

  There was no response, which Michael grunted about, "Fine. Don't respond, I'll keep talking." Michael crossed his arms, "Your Soul is really giving us a lot of trouble. It keeps possessing people and driving them to madness, making them far too destructive."

  "Much like your own situation." The Mind said.

  Michael flinched, "How do you know that?" He tried to maintain his annoyed stance, but couldn't keep his arms crossed.

  One eye opened, and Michael's heart sank into his stomach, "There is nothing in this space that escapes my gaze."

  The room felt chilly, even though Michael knew this was all in his head. "Right. Well then." He managed to recover his poise through determination, "I'm going to stop you."

  "You are the only one to enter this prison, I can take no action. I cannot be stopped, there is nothing to stop." The Mind said.

  "Still-"

  "No!" The Mind said, pressure filling the room that forced Michael to one knee, "Now you will listen! Animosity forged across time twists your perception. No path is better than others, for every legend there are thousand lies and one truth."

  As the Mind finished their momentary outburst the pressure lifted. Michael remained on one knee to catch his breath, feeling very real pain. "You, I cannot accept you." Michael said. "The actions the Revenant and Vero take are unforgivable."

  The Mind's eye closed, "A Soul apart from itself is not a whole. Your Mind or Soul on their own will not show a true reflection of who you are." Michael considered that. If this was not Mexizu, and the Revenant was not Mexizu, then no matter how much he investigated he would never know what Mexizu was really like.

  Could the same be true for Dark Michael? The thought gave Michael pause, but he couldn't think of any answers now.

  "There is nothing to gain talking to you here," Michael said, then in a wave of realization added, "There never was. I need to leave this place." The Mind of Mexizu did not react as Michael turned away and strode into the darkness. With an effort of willpower Michael felt the oppressive darkness of this illusory world fade away. "I won't return."

  When darkness greeted Michael upon waking he felt a sense of deja vu, hadn't he just gone through this? That sense faded as his crusted eyes adjusted to the world around him. After cleaning his tear ducts and confirming that was indeed awake, Michael looked around.

  Crystals surrounded him, in much the way he had come to expect of late. The Shards of the Sky seemed to be the epicenter of all things crystal, it was located in Cryston after all. Was the kingdom named that way on purpose?

  Instead of the mixture of crystal and stone like above, the caverns Michael found himself in were composed of crystals alone. Deep blues and purples mixed in together, and the Ring of Insight told Michael they were called Color Core Crystals. The stronger cousin of the common Color Crystal, these dense masses were very durable but unable to store energy like most crystals. Forces like energy and mana would be dispersed and have no effect, making the material nigh impossible to break.

  Michael tested the information, swinging the Oronbyr at the wall. The first few inches shaved off before the wall blocked his attack. Michael tried to pull his sword free, but it was stuck. A few more tugs did nothing to stop it.

  "You win this round, wall." Michael said, using Arm Return to free his sword. He sheathed the Oronbyr before looking around once more. There were two paths to go, one was more blue and the other more purple. Michael walked down the purple path.

  Soft chirping sounds echoed along the hall as Michael walked. The sounds made him smile, like the cavern was singing to him. Michael bopped along as he walked, listening to the music.

  Dim light from the crystals made for many swathes of shadows mixing against the purple walls. Michael changed his hand into Light Form, creating sufficient illumination to keep an eye out as he made his way forth. Once the path was visible Michael had an easier time with the uneven slopes along the floor.

  As Michael danced along the hallway he found his gaze being drawn to the intricate colors and patterns of the smooth reflective walls. The patterns were easy to inspect since most surfaces failed to reflect his image. "I wonder why that is." Michael said.

  With his free hand Michael rubbed his thumb along the Ring of Insight. "Why do most mirrors not show my reflection?" He asked. The ring did not seem to be able to answer him, so Michael shrugged and didn't press the issue.

  After a little bit of travel Michael came upon something out of place. He reached a forked hallway that led two alternative directions, but along the violet ground was a solid line of red. The crystal had been discolored somehow in just a sharp line along the ground. Michael investigated a little closer.

  Energy residue was left on the line of red, and with a simple question the ring confirmed that Color Crystals can be dyed with enough energy output. This line was placed not long ago, which means one of these directions was the same path someone else had taken. Michael looked along both paths, but the direction they went was unclear.

  "Oh well, either I'm right or I'm wrong." Michael turned right and followed the red line. The path of dyed crystal was almost as straight as an arrow, and Michael wondered if the red line could extend far enough to circumnavigate the world.

  His idle musings were soon proven wrong as a fork forced a turn, but Michael continued to follow the red line through the caves. For now, it seemed like the best chance to meet up with someone. "It could be Hyato, he uses red. But it also stands out, maybe Sebastian would have placed it." Michael reasoned. "Unless, it's not one of my friends. Hmm..."

  Wondering if Daemon Rex or Vero had chased them was not doing Michael any good, so he shelved that thought for now. There were also other possibilities to consider. Perhaps some sort of energy slug left this trail.

  As Michael continued following the path he began to notice shadowy reflections in the walls. "Something must be different," Michael said, "Why do I have reflections?"

  "Perhaps something is wrong."

  "Nothing seems to be out of place," Michael said, "but I don't normally even have reflections."

  "Is anything normal about you?"

  Michael frowned, looking around. "I don't know, is it?"

  A twisted reflection appeared in the wall, a facsimile that looked similar to Michael, "You are abnormal by all counts. You do not belong anywhere." The reflection said in a voice deeper than Michael's own.

  "Maybe," Michael shrugged, "But that's never stopped me before." The reflection was unsettling, but Michael tried not to let it show.

  “You were not born, you were made. In some forest in the middle of nowhere,” The twisted reflection said, “And you did not even allow yourself to live before you latched on to the easiest road.”

  “What do you mean?” Michael asked, frowning, “What are you?”

  “I am the Truth.” The reflection said, “That which you do not want to admit. And you, Michael, are living a lie.” Michael’s frown deepened, but he was unable to speak up, “You claim it is for the good of the world, but you know nothing. You only pursued the Revenant because without a cause, without a goal, you would not have known what to do. And now, you only continue your mindless quest out of stubborn pride and naive optimism.”

  “And that’s the truth?” Michael asked, fidgeting his hands a bit, “Or is there more?”

  “There is more, much and more.” The reflection said.

  “Tell me.” Michael said, stepping a little closer. “Enlighten me, teach me the truth.”

  “Your foolishness set you on a path you were never prepared for. Had you been strong enough to turn over what you knew, someone mightier like Mien or a Myrrhmidon would have taken care of the Revenant. Instead, you rush headlong into danger and bring harm to those whose trust you’ve earned. Even when you help them, you still continue to endanger your friends. Imagine the pain they went through in the last battles, the nightmares they see from recalling the towns Vero has destroyed.”

  The reflected Michael continued, “You are the source of this pain. You are the cause of everyone’s agony, and-”

  “Shush.” Michael said, holding up his ring finger. “You aren't the Truth at all.” The reflected Michael frowned, “Emotion Crystal: Anxiety. An Emotion Crystal resonates to subconscious emotions and embodies them, attempting to assail passersby with the emotions they find.” Michael gave the wall a withering look, “You are just things I am anxious about. You’re not even using the whole context.”

  “Even so, my words are true. This is what you feel.” The Emotion Crystal said.

  “No, this is what I felt.” Michael said, “I did not understand the world, you are right, when I chose to hunt the Revenant. But I understand now, and my choice is the same. I am strong enough to take care of the problem, and no one else knows as much as we do, they would take too long to take over for me.”

  “And,” Michael continued, “If my friends wanted to depart they could. They are living their own lives the same as me, we’ve already had a friend depart. Kyria left to follow her own dreams. We may have only known her for a bit, but I’ve only been around for a couple of weeks anyways.” Michael shook his head, “But you were right, you are the Truth. So, instead of just being stubborn, I’ll say this. I choose to oppose Vero, I choose to stop the Revenant. Not because I have to, but because I disagree with what they have done.”

  Now more confident, Michael smiled and stretched a bit. With a small wave he continued to follow the red line, leaving the emotion crystal behind. Michael almost left the room when he heard the wall speak one more time, “What if Daemon was right, what if you are Immortal?” Michael froze, one foot lifted to take a step, and blinked several times. He did not look back, “You cannot even share mortality with your friends. Abnormal, an outcast. Fated to be... alone.”

  Michael shook his head again, “I deny you, anxiety. I deny fate too. You are wrong, just an emotion.” He left the room, following the line made on the floor.

  What if he was right? The idea consumed Michael’s thoughts. He did not like it. What was it to be immortal? What was it to be mortal? Just like when he thought of math, it was something his mind already comprehended. Perhaps these were things Prince Mistan knew? The idea of being immortal was something Michael, or perhaps the Prince, did not like. Michael did not understand what it meant though, he would need to ask Sebastian later.

  Trying to take his mind off his thoughts by training helped Michael a little. He summoned and manipulated some wind and cycled through to other elements as he followed the red line. He worked out a few new ways to do things as he walked, but his thoughts kept creeping back. Was he Immortal? Did that matter? How could he even find out? He still felt pain, he couldn’t test that idea. Michael did not want to die, but the Prince did not want to live forever.

  Even after making a stand to his anxiety, Michael felt anxious. He had tried to face it with logic, but was that enough? With nothing else to think about, the words and his exchange with the wall continued to return to his mind. Michael tried to think about the obscure statement the Mind of Mexizu made instead. Animosity across time, was it? He was already unsure of what was said. As Michael followed the path in the crystal caverns, he could only think about what it might mean if he were immortal.

  “Michael!” a cheery voice snapped Michael’s attention ahead. Approaching from the other direction was a green figure of energy.

  “Yan!” Michael said, grinning, “There you are.”

  “Sort of,” She giggled, “My energy double at least.”

  “Works for me.” Michael said, stopping in front of her. “I’m just happy to not be alone anymore.”

  Yan’s double nodded, “Good. I’ve already found Wolf and Sebastian and I made a camp for them to rest. When I found this odd line of red crystal I thought I might find someone along it.”

  “I’ve been following it too.” Michael said, “No Hyato yet?”

  “Nope, but I can lead you back to the tent so you can rest while my doubles check the rest of this line. I already have one going the other direction.” Yan said.

  “Oh, that’d be great!” Michael said, “Don’t you need to rest too?”

  “I can do that later,” Yan said. She appeared where the double had stood, swapping places with it. Then she created another energy double that continued past the two of them. “Come with me.” The real Yan said, offering her hand.

  “Sure,” Michael held her hand and she began to lead him through the caverns. “Uhh Yan.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t... listen to the walls.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Yan asked, an amused look on her face. She moved side by side with Michael, unless the corridor was too narrow.

  “Ah, there are some crystals that make reflections and try to trick you with words.” Michael said, “The Ring of Insight explained them.”

  “Oh!” Yan said, “Wolf was saying something about things in the walls, so I made him take a nap. It must have been the same deal.”

  Michael nodded, “Well good. Yeah... I could use a nap.”

  “We’ll be back at the camp soon.” Yan said, “I’ve mapped a good portion of the area down here by now. No Zori around either, as far as I can tell.”

  “Maybe we already killed them earlier.” Michael suggested.

  “That’s always a possibility.” Yan said, “By the way, Fara is staying with us at the camp. Do not wake her, okay?” Michael nodded, “Good. We’re almost there.” Yan’s hand squeezed a little around Michael’s as she led him on. Then she came to a stop for a moment and turned to face him. “Real quick.”

  “Yeah?” Michael asked.

  “I get a reward for finding you and the others.” Yan said, stepping in close. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a solid kiss on Michael. He was caught off guard at first, but reciprocated after a second. They kissed for a bit, holding it for several seconds before Yan pulled away, blushing.

  “Y-yeah.” Michael said, “Reward.” He was blushing as well.

  Yan giggled, “Don’t get too loopy now, Michael. We are almost there.” She turned and continued to lead him along. Michael did not feel anxious anymore.