Chapter 50 : Chilling in the Dungeon

  We always said that the world is filled with mysteries, but often, we overlook the hidden beauty within them, landscapes even human imagination wouldn’t dare to dream up. In my old world, I was bored day after day; is it some kind of revenge on life to savor each moment of this journey so fully here?

  I don’t intend to stop at the Prism, nor to remain trapped in my past as Aleystria. I want to see everything, to explore to the very end, even if that means dying along the way. I want to travel, to live an adventure that’s all mine.

  We’ve just entered the dungeon with Alfira and Elvaria. We chat as we go along, taking in the breathtaking scenery. Githin and Valentin have gone ahead, but we’re not worried about them. Here, we’re doing what Novus Obris knows best and will always do: travel, explore, carve our way to the end of the world, where Githin says we might even find waterfalls at the edge of the universe. Just imagining it is beautiful! But I digress.

  "Every dungeon has an end. Let’s find this one," I say to Elvie, with a confident smile.

  She replies, in a soft voice, "But this dungeon… it seems to have only one level." One level? That’s strange.

  "The magic within it is gentle and welcoming," murmurs Alfira, closing her eyes, savoring the atmosphere. I do the same and feel what she describes: a soothing sensation, like a ghostly caress, soft but filled with a calm, palpable sadness.

  "Let’s move on; I feel as if this magic is guiding us," I whisper, afraid of disturbing the peace surrounding us.

  At my words, we resume our slow and peaceful walk. If this dungeon has only one level, the exit should be nearby. A little later, I notice Elvie with her head down, looking preoccupied.

  "Are you okay, Elvie?" I ask, concerned.

  She raises her eyes, her emerald pupils trembling, and whispers, "I had a vision recently… you were in it." She steps closer, gazing at me intensely, a slight smile on her lips. "I want us to make the most of the time we have together, alright?"

  I respond warmly, turning my gaze to Alfira. "Of course, and you too, Alfira. Now that you’re part of Novus Obris, you want us to enjoy the journey, right?" Alfira, lost in the contemplation of the scenery, smiles and exclaims joyfully, "Of course!" I laugh a little at the tranquility surrounding us.

  We continue walking until we reach a strange forest at the heart of the dungeon, completely different from anything we’ve seen before. Crystals shimmer on the trunks of pines and oaks, emitting a warm light and a unique sound.

  "It’s a Forest of Singing Crystals!" exclaims Alfira suddenly, her eyes wide with wonder.

  Elvie, confused, crosses her arms. "A what?"

  "A Forest of Singing Crystals," explains Alfira, excitedly. "It’s a place mentioned in tales from the kingdom of Iveralmn. When you touch the crystals, they produce a unique melody, tied to the soul of the person who touches them. A melody that speaks of fate and the past…"

  "Maybe the crystals could guide us through the dungeon," I say, stepping toward the forest’s entrance, outlined in the misty plain.

  I place a hand on a crystal, and a melody is born, fragile yet beautiful, both melancholic and epic. A female voice rises suddenly, emitted by the glowing crystal:

  "Aleystria, you who knew only pain,

  In your eyes burned shadows and disdain.

  But you’ve become a bearer of hope,

  A fire of life breaking the dark’s scope.

  You are no criminal,

  Not an eternal hero,

  But an explorer, an adventurer,

  A free heart, brave and sure.

  The whole world opens before you,

  Go on, discover every path, every view.

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  For by following this sacred road,

  You’ll become the one you were born to unfold."

  Elvaria, moved, exclaims, "It’s a song about you, Aley!" and she rushes to a crystal to hear a melody of her own.

  So, for one precious moment, we listen to our respective melodies, each touching the crystals and hearing the stories the forest has for us. But soon, Alfira notices something.

  "Aley, I feel like the crystals are connected to each other," she murmurs suddenly, her expression turning serious. She shifts in an instant from childlike joy to intense concentration.

  "It’s true…" I reply, looking around. "When one is activated, magic seems to spread further into the forest. This is surely a path."

  Elvaria smiles confidently and says, "Shall we follow the path, then?" With that, we set off again, moving deeper into the crystal forest, captivated by the spectacle of light and music around us.

  This is what it means to travel, to explore every corner of a new world. If someone were ever sent to an unknown world, this is what they should do: discover and savor every moment.

  After a few minutes following the magical trail left by the crystals, we reach the end of the forest, where an immense waterfall stands before us, pouring its waters into the infinite void of the dungeon. At the foot of the falls, we see Githin and Valentin, who turn around as they sense our presence.

  "Elvaria! Did you manage to check with Aley?" Valentin suddenly calls out, turning to us.

  Huh, what? I’m lost. Elvie, with a sly smile, winks as she replies.

  "Yes, I checked with my special eye! He really is attracted to me. His thoughts have evolved; he’s just… shy!"

  WHAT? SHE CHECKED MY FEELINGS TOWARD HER?

  "This girl, I swear…" "I had no idea, Elvie…" I mutter, slightly annoyed that I was caught off guard.

  "Now that I’ve confirmed it, you won’t escape as easily as you did yesterday… eheh," she tells me in a tone that’s both cold and oddly seductive.

  Whatever. I glance at Alfira, who, for the first time, is blushing with embarrassment. She turns her head away to avoid meeting my gaze, poor thing…

  I decide to approach Valentin and Githin, who are near the waterfall. Githin seems to be inspecting something important.

  Suddenly, his voice echoes in the vastness of the dungeon.

  "Aley, it looks like there’s an elevated platform in the sky, a sanctuary hanging at the top. I’m convinced there’s a mechanism to access it somewhere…" he says, his voice casual as he scans the surroundings.

  I look up and realize that above the waterfall, which falls into the void, there is a kind of sanctuary floating on a platform in the air. This must be where we’re meant to go; we just need to find the mechanism.

  So we start investigating the surroundings. Well, they investigate; I’m simply enjoying the journey. This is what I’ve always wanted to do, explore. I’m sure that even when I was Aleystria, I couldn’t afford this.

  I must have traveled a lot, sure, but as an emissary of humanity, it was probably for battles.

  I take the time to admire the strange plants growing in the dungeon: red mushrooms that emit light, green ones, blue, almost every color. A true living canvas.

  But well, I should stop procrastinating and decide to investigate too.

  "Guys, I found a button embedded in a rock here!" suddenly shouts Valentin, loud enough for all of us to hear. Shoot, he did it all on his own!

  We head over to him. He’s crouched, analyzing a stone that sits right in the river feeding the waterfall that falls into the void. It’s pretty dangerous.

  As we get closer, he begins to explain:

  "It seems that some kind of old mechanism was built here. When you press the button, invisible platforms made of magic appear in the air up to the floating sanctuary," he says proudly.

  "Friends! I mean no offense, but we can all fly here…" Githin tries to justify, but that fool understands nothing of adventure, tsk tsk tsk.

  "We can fly, but we are NOT going to fly. We’re exploring right now," Elvaria responds immediately. That’s why she’s my fiancée; she understands everything so well.

  "That’s a bit absurd…" Githin tries to respond, but—

  "Absurd? Adventure is absurd. You know nothing, Githin, poor you…" adds Valentin, with a sarcastic chuckle.

  "You’re a bit mean to Githin…" says Alfira, her voice timid at the scene she finds unfair.

  "It’s fine. I’ve now understood well and won’t make any more foolish mistakes like trying to cheat in exploration," he responds, proudly. He’s good at negotiation; it’s normal he worked as a merchant before. He has a good sense of business, and even if he’s at a loss, he takes it well.

  "Alright, I’ll press the button on the rock. When I do, I want everyone, WITHOUT using magic, to rush onto the platforms at full speed. Of course, if you fall, you can fly, but otherwise, don’t do anything," explains Valentin.

  At his words, we all nod, get ready to run, and… he presses the button. We then all take off at full speed, racing toward the place where we feel the magic floating.

  I am now above the void. I attempt to place a foot down, and it bounces off the emptiness. So there really are invisible platforms here.

  I speed up, bouncing across these surfaces, with everyone following close behind. Well, not quite everyone: Alfira is actually flying in the sky. We can’t blame her, though—she’d probably be in real danger of falling.

  After a few minutes of running through the air, we finally reach the floating sanctuary at the center of the dungeon, our destination.