The ground shook even more violently, the tremors growing in intensity. Huge cracks snaked across the landscape, swallowing everything in their path – carriages, debris, and the last vestiges of civilization.
A monstrous beast emerged from the depths. Like a grotesque turtle of unimaginable size, it burst forth from the earth, its gigantic head breaking through the ground and sending debris flying in all directions.
The creature unleashed a deafening cry, a sound so powerful that it ripped through the air like a physical force.
The sheer intensity of the sound waves caused Angar to drop me, his own face contorted in pain. My nose and ears began to bleed, and a ringing silence descended, leaving me partially deafened and disoriented.
Overwhelmed by the surrounding destruction, I barely had time to think when the ground beneath my feet began to crack. Reacting instinctively, I frantically brushed away the layer of snow that covered the surface, confirming my worst fears.
I was standing on the edge of a frozen lake, the ice now giving way under the immense pressure.
Angar, his eyes widening in alarm, lunged forward, desperately trying to grab me. But it was too late. The ice shattered completely, and I plunged straight into the frigid, unforgiving water.
I swam desperately, my limbs flailing against the icy water, trying to reach the surface. But just as I thought I could break through, the water suddenly began to move, a powerful current dragging me along with it.
It turned out that another huge crack had appeared in the ground, creating a vortex that sucked in the surrounding water and me, along with it.
The water continued to drag me downwards, pulling me through the darkness for what felt like an eternity.
Just when my lungs were about to burst and my vision was fading, I slammed against a rock, a small outcropping slightly higher than the rest of the submerged landscape. It was enough to finally save me from drowning.
Blegh!
I coughed, violently expelling the water that had filled my lungs. Gasping for air, I slumped against the rock, my body trembling uncontrollably.
Looking up, I realized I was stranded in the middle of the massive crack, hundreds of feet below the surface. The world above seemed impossibly distant.
Haaa... haaa...
I could now hear my own heavy breathing. Slowly, my hearing began to return, the ringing in my ears gradually fading.
Give me a break...
I muttered, my voice hoarse and weak, the words barely audible above the sound of my own ragged breathing.
I stared at the scene before me, my eyes scanning the desolate landscape. A few feet below, a macabre tableau unfolded: broken items, shattered furniture, mangled cars, overturned carriages, and the lifeless bodies of the dead, some floating on the surface, others submerged in the murky water.
The scene was utterly heartbreaking. So many lives extinguished in the blink of an eye, their hopes and dreams crushed beneath the weight of the disaster.
Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly, calming my racing heart and steadying my trembling hands.
I jumped down onto one of the broken cars, its roof groaning and bending inward with a loud thud upon my landing.
It was dark, eerily dark. The kind of darkness that felt heavy and oppressive, as if something sinister could emerge from the shadows at any moment.
Hoping from one broken car to a pile of broken furniture to another mangled vehicle, I carefully navigated this dark, underwater passage. With no light to guide me, I relied entirely on my eyes' ability to adapt to the darkness, straining to make out shapes and contours in the gloom.
After moving around for what felt like half an hour, I reached what seemed to be a dead end. The passage narrowed, the walls closing in around me.
However, there was one car that caught my attention. It looked to be stuck, its front half jammed into a hole that disappeared beneath the surface of the water.
Haaa... Fuck me
I sighed, the words escaping my lips in a weary exhale.
The sheer absurdity of the move I was about to attempt washed over me, making me seriously question my own sanity. Have I gone completely crazy? I wondered, a flicker of doubt crossing my mind.
...
I carefully opened the back door of the car and slowly lowered my body inside. The icy water gradually enveloped me, inching its way up my chest, and finally, my neck.
I took a deep breath, fortifying breath before completely submerging myself.
The interior of the car was cramped and claustrophobic, the darkness pressing in from all sides. I carefully moved along the car seat, my movements slow and deliberate, making sure that none of my clothing accidentally snagged on any sharp edges.
When my feet reached the windshield, I sat down, braced myself against the seat, and pulled out my dagger. I stabbed the windshield multiple times, each strike stronger and more forceful than the last. Cracks began to appear across the glass, spreading with each successive blow. Finally, with a resounding shatter, the windshield gave way.
I carefully removed as many of the remaining shards of glass as possible, clearing a path through the jagged opening. Squeezing through the shattered windshield, I swam upwards, towards the faint glimmer of light that beckoned from above.
Haaa... haaa...
I gasped for air, my lungs burning, finally catching my breath after successfully reaching the large opening. I hauled myself onto the cold ground, my limbs heavy and uncoordinated. Collapsing onto the icy surface, I lay there for a good minute, allowing my body to rest and recover from the ordeal.
As my breathing slowed and my vision cleared, I began to take in my surroundings. This hidden cavern was breathtakingly beautiful. The walls and ceiling were covered in shimmering crystals, reflecting the faint light that filtered in from above. My own body, lying prone on the ground, was mirrored in the crystalline surface, creating a surreal and ethereal effect.
Good job, you fucking lunatic.
I muttered to myself, a wry smile twisting my lips. The adrenaline slowly fading, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
Slowly, I pushed myself to a standing position, my muscles protesting with every movement. I turned my gaze towards the far end of the cavern, where a massive ice door loomed, its surface smooth and impenetrable, radiating an aura of mystery.
...
Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
- Marcus Aurelius