One by one, they spoke. Mentioning some of the emotional baggage they were carrying.
Walter went first. "My son never made it to the safe zone, he had held back a monster in order to save his wife and child. The child... my granddaughter, she was too young, she never stood a chance in this new world." Then he went quiet again.
Victor followed. "Saw my ex-wife," he said. "In Richard's zone. Didn't speak to her. Didn't… know how. I hate the feeling, knowing that she'll have suffered and will continue to suffer under Richard's rule." He tugged at a tie that didn't exist out of habit, and didn't explain further.
Sam didn't name anyone. Just stared into the water. "Never was great at the whole 'people' thing." A half-shrug followed. "Maybe they're alive. Maybe they're not. I wouldn't know."
He didn't sound bitter. Just matter-of-fact. Like someone who'd built his own loneliness, one missed connection at a time, and only realised it once the world stopped giving second chances.
AJ had gotten out of the water. Noticing that it was his turn to speak, he wasn't sure what to say.
"I don't have much on my mind. I lost my parents when I was young. You guys are the closest thing I've had to friends, so I've probably come out better than before, to be honest."
His voice rippled outward, there was something faint in it. A mild sense of guilt. The kind that doesn't come from doing something wrong, but from getting lucky when others didn't.
---
Silence took hold again. Everyone had shared something they were carrying and they felt a little lighter for it.
One by one, they started washing up. The water was warm, the steam curling softly in the air as if it respected the moment too.
Victor was the first to move he got out quickly.
Walter moved slowly. "Some things should stay unseen." He stepped out, careful not to slip, and grabbed a cloth to dry himself with.
Lily kept humming as she scrubbed, half to herself, half to keep the quiet from creeping back in. "Alright, no peeking, pervs," she called, pointing at everyone and no one. "That includes you, AJ, and you, Ethan. Especially you, Ethan."
"I'm not looking," Ethan said, shielding his eyes with both hands.
AJ's body rippled faintly as a small chuckle could be heard. "Don't worry kiddo, you've got a few years of growing to do before I feel tempted."
Lily's face went bright red as she angrily muttered a few things to herself.
She got out quickly, splashing her face as if that could cool her cheeks down. Her muttering didn't stop as she stomped over to grab her cloth, wrapping herself in it like a defensive cloak.
Every now and then, a barely-audible "Disgusting…" slipped out, though it was hard to tell if she was talking about AJ or herself.
The others pretended not to notice, or at least had the grace to act like it.
Once dressed, they made their way towards the entrance of the cave. The air was crisper there, the night outside quiet but not silent. A few stars peeked through gaps in the foliage above, pale and distant.
They laid out some of their rations in the patchy moonlight. Nothing fancy—dried meat, nuts, mushrooms and some other bits. The smell wasn't mouthwatering, but it was good enough to raise their appetite.
Victor sat with his back to the stone wall, chewing slowly like he was grinding through memories instead of food.
Walter passed out portions with practised care, making sure everyone got their share.
Ethan finished his share in record time, then leaned back with a satisfied grunt. "Still better than that squirrel stew."
"That wasn't a squirrel it was a weird rat thing," Lily argued, sounding slightly offended.
"Pish posh, it's all the same." Ethan replied.
AJ was quiet. He sat a bit apart, just far enough to watch the tree line without being bothered by the squabbling.
Slowly, as bellies filled and words faded again, the quiet returned and one by one they all fell asleep.
AJ didn't.
He sat there long after the last word was spoken and the last person slipped into sleep. The others hadn't set a watch. No plan or rotation. They trusted each other and succumbed to their exhaustion.
AJ didn't blame them. Not after the warmth of the spring and the weight they'd finally let off their chests. But safety was never real.
He moved silently, soundlessly as his body shifted about. He made his way over to Walter first. The old man had leaned back against the cave wall, cane at his side, snoring softly.
AJ thought about how he would do this, he wanted to move them all deeper into the cave but how could he do it without disturbing them. He had an idea, he expanded and flattened himself out effectively becoming a moving mattress.
With Walter carefully positioned, AJ began to glide across the cave floor, his form rippling softly to navigate the uneven terrain. He moved silently, trying not to disturb Walter.
Next, he slid under Sam, lifting him with a gentle tilt. Sam didn't stir, his head resting peacefully as AJ carried him deeper into the cave. His breath caught once, a muttered phrase half-lost in sleep: "The numbers… don't…" then nothing.
Lily was curled up in a blanket, her bow clutched loosely in one hand. As AJ picked her up, she twitched slightly, mumbling something about goblins. Then she nestled deeper into the warmth he provided as she settled again.
Ethan was last. AJ manoeuvred his large body and slowly lay Ethan on top of himself, lifting him with a smooth motion. "Should eat less, you're so heavy man," He muttered to himself, as he transported Ethan to the hot spring area.
After ensuring everyone was safely moved, AJ made another trip for the gear and the remaining rations and packs. He carefully placed everything near the others before looking around for somewhere safer to keep them.
On the far end of the cave was a tunnel that extended out and down, going deeper into the earth. The tunnel was fairly wide, a few people could pass side by side.
AJ decided to explore it further before moving the others deeper inside. He condensed himself back into his normal form, being slightly larger than a basketball, and began to navigate the tunnel.
As he moved, AJ left a faint trail of glowmelt along the floor, providing enough light to see and leaving a trail so he wouldn't get lost.
The tunnel walls were damp and cool, the air growing heavier the further he ventured. The glowmelt cast eerie shadows on the rough stone.
The walls bore faint etchings, almost like claw marks. AJ paused occasionally, his form rippling as he sensed the environment around him. The tunnel seemed to narrow slightly as it descended further.
AJ continued, determined to find a safe place for the others. The tunnel opened into an open chamber. The chamber wasn't too large, being a few metres in each direction and three or so metres high. He didn't notice anything strange with a quick glance.
Satisfied that the area seemed safe, AJ returned to the others. Once he had left the chamber strange symbols that were carved into the walls started glowing faintly.
AJ returned to his larger form and began the task of moving them deeper into the tunnel.
Ethan was the last to be moved. AJ manoeuvred him with some difficulty. He muttered under his breath, "Still too heavy," as he carried Ethan into the chamber, placing him beside Lily. Ethan's deep breathing continued uninterrupted, his sleep undisturbed by the moving.
With everyone safely moved, AJ positioned himself at the entrance to the chamber, the glowmelt casting a soft light that illuminated the space. He decided to let the others sleep as much as they wanted, they deserved a nice long, deep rest to recover from the accumulated mental fatigue.
Hours passed, and the chamber remained quiet, the only sounds being their soft breaths as they slept. AJ kept watch, his form pulsing gently with light, ensuring that no threats approached.
However, as time wore on, his vigilance began to wane, and eventually, he too succumbed to sleep, his glowing form dimming.
---
As AJ drifted into sleep, the chamber began to reveal its secrets. The faint glow from the symbols on the walls pulsed with a rhythm that seemed to resonate with the very air itself.
The light cast eerie, shifting shadows that danced across the stone. The symbols, intricate and seemingly ancient, seemed to tell a story of a time long forgotten.
The glow intensified, and the air in the chamber grew colder, carrying a charge that made the hairs on arms stand on end.
The symbols began to shimmer, their light projecting faint, ethereal forms that hovered in the air. These forms took on a shape humans.
The spectral figures were shown stepping through door after door, each time facing something new. Sometimes they fought, sometimes they appeared to be stuck in thought.
The scene was both captivating and unsettling. Then the figures vanished, dispersing into the air.
A light pulsed, casting a blinding glow that filled every corner of the chamber. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light faded.
The symbols on the walls continued to pulse, their light now steady and soothing. The air in the chamber warmed slightly, losing its earlier chill, but the sense of ancient power lingered.
The team had been rudely and abruptly awoken, startled by the blinding light that had filled the chamber.
Disoriented and confused, they found themselves in an unfamiliar room adorned with glowing symbols. They had not fallen asleep here, so how did they wake up here?
Everyone examined their surroundings, immediately noticing the luminescent symbols etched into the walls.
Their attention was also drawn to a large stone door, an ominous feeling seemed to radiate from beyond it.
After taking in their surroundings, they exchanged puzzled glances, realising that none of them understood what had happened.
Their eyes turned to AJ, who remained asleep, unaware of their awakening. For now, they needed one thing: for AJ to wake up and explain the current situation.
AJ was sat on the opposite side of the room from the doorway, pressed against a wall. The tunnel he had been guarding was nowhere to be seen.