The cave exhaled against them—a breath of ancient stone and iron-rich water, far colder than the forest's chill.
The cave was small but deep, with a low ceiling enough to brush Wu Chen hair and walls that glittered like suspended stars in his enhanced vision.
And the Floor was uneven, littered with bones too small to be human's maybe rodents?, or birds.
The cave even though cold and damp, but it offered a temporary refuge from the dangers outside.
So Wu Chen decided to keep the girl here near the entrance so he explore more of the cave for signs of danger
Stay here," Wu Chen murmured, easing the girl onto a flat stone. Her fingers clung to his sleeve for a heartbeat too long before releasing.
Then He ventured deeper into the cave, his eyes—another gift of his supreme Intelligence—piercing the Darkness. Not daylight clarity, but enough for at least something like night Vision .
As he explored, he noticed something not far away.
A tunnel-like passage carved into the stone, its walls etched with faintly pulsating runes that cast an eerie, bioluminescent glow. The air here was different—thick with energy that prickled against his skin, carrying the scent of ozone and ancient stone.
And a faint hum filled the space, Not just sound—a vibration in his teeth as if the cave itself were alive.
Wu Chen's heart pounded with excitement. This was it—a way forward.
He turned toward the girl, finding her already staring—her eyes reflecting the rune-light like twin moons.
"This is it, Our path forward." Wu Chen's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it was like a vow in the charged air.
The girl didn't speak—her eyes said enough. They was Gratitude yes, but beneath it, something darker: The worry for her village? or the pain of loss? which one or both? Wu Chen didn't know.
She reached out, her fingers brushing his wrist in silent understanding.
Then she nodded "Thank you
....for everything."
Together, they stepped into the passageway, the light from the runes flared brighter guiding their way as they passed.
Also it cast their jagged shadows along the tunnel walls that twisted like living things.
The tunnel was narrow and winding, but it felt safe.
And after walking for a while, The passage narrowed, then widened, as if breathing around them.
But they continued moving and with each step deeper into the earth, Wu Chen's mind raced about Trinity Palace, the trials, the whispers of an exit just beyond reach.
Would he meet an exit here? 'That would surely be exciting'.
Or would he be dropped into another trial again?. 'Naah that would be too brutal'— but still he is determined to uncover what lays ahead.
The passageway led them deeper into the earth, the air growing colder and the walls closing in around them.
Yet, despite the uncertainty, Wu Chen felt a sense of hope. He had faced many dangers and emerged stronger each time. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready.
The tunnel eventually opened up into a vast chamber, its walls lined with glowing crystals that bathed the room in a soft, ethereal light.
They are more Safe? Perhaps.
But Wu Chen's breath hitched when he glanced back, and noticed the entrance is gone
No crack of daylight. No whisper of wind. Just seamless stone, as if the mountain had swallowed its own throat.
His heart skip a beat.
Was this a trap?
A prison of ancient rock, meant to suffocate and end those inside?
Or is it a sanctuary to protect those inside from Something far worse that might prowl the forest that was behind them now.
Wu Chen Sighed.
They is no going back anyway.
And maybe its not as he thought and he is overthinking things, so he decides to calm down.
Besides, the girl seems not to be panicking, therefore they should at least still be safe.
He studied the girl, even though her face was pale, but she is calm. And
her fingers were tracing the glowing runes with something like recognition.
Had she known this would happen?
Anyway's he's already inside they is nothing he can do.
Wu Chen clenched his jaw and turned away from the sealed entrance. Dwelling on what he can't change is of no use and just a waste of time.
He might as well try something else.
Wu Chen Decided to survey his surroundings and that's when he noticed.
At the center of the chamber stood a massive stone door, covered in intricate carvings and symbols. Wu Chen approached it cautiously, his heart racing.
"Wait," the girl said, her voice trembling.
This door..."The girl's voice frayed at the edges, she came closer to the door then her fingers traced a symbol etched into the stone.
"It leads home."
Wu Chen stared at her
"The door will lead you back to the village, Our elders built it for the weak—the children, the women and the wounded. When the demonic came... the strong stayed to fight so we could flee"
Her palm pressed against the carving—too small to match the prints of those who'd last sealed it.
"But somehow I was the only one who made it here.
And its possible the village is still alive but can't escape" She added.
Wu Chen now understood her, the door leads back to her Village.
And The village might still stand, its survivors clinging to life by teeth and nails.
Or it could be a graveyard, its streets now trodden by the demonic's and corpses.
Open the door, and they'd either save the last embers of her world—
Or fling wide the gates to hell.
Because Opennig it Risk unleashing whatever horrors still lurked in the village
And Leaving it sealed means– Condemning any survivors to slaughter
The door's mechanism was merciless in its design its like once opened, it could never be fully sealed again.
A one-way mercy.
And a permanent vulnerability.
Somewhere beyond that door, either salvation or damnation waited for both them and the villagers.
"Then what do we do?" Wu Chen's voice cut through the cave's hollow silence. "We can't stay here forever."
The girl's hands clenched into fists, her nails biting into her palms. "The village is overrun. If we go back—"
Wu Chen stopped her midway then he said
"It's either we die—Or we save them." Wu Chen finished, his gaze sharp
The truth coiled in his mind.
If the villagers lived, they might hold answers—clues to the Trials or even it end.
If they were lost, then the creatures had already won.
But to Wu Chen, staying here? That is no different from surrender.
And Wu Chen had clawed his way through too much hell to stop now.
"Let's go." He turned toward the door, his spearhead flickered in the rune-light. "If your people fight, I fight with them. If they've fallen..." His knuckles whitened. "Then we avenge them."