Calypso Initiate

Chapter Ten

I've been dragging my feet for who knows how long through a narrow tunnel-like hallway, bright and white with light panels all around. For a while I start to think that there'll be no end to this path. And I'll be stuck here, probably going in circles for all I know. But after what feels like an hour of trudging through the lengthy passage, I am welcomed by a high concrete wall with a tall glass door.

I let out a breath that sounds somewhere between exhaustion and grief. My eyes had been long dry since I left the chasm, but Vincent's face still burns in my mind like a stain I can't erase. My heart aches with the worst possible thoughts. All those things I said to him replay in my head over and over, and there's no telling if I'll ever get a chance to take some of them back.

The door slides open the moment I approach. Darkness drapes behind the entryway. I don't even bother to take caution when I step in. I'm hungry, tired, and hurt in more ways than one. Whatever sense of importance I felt for this test earlier seems irrelevant now. Probably because I have a lot going on in my mind.

Dying. Not dying. Those are pretty heavy thoughts to carry around.

Then there's also the guilt. It's hard to ignore it when it weighs me down like I have a boulder tied around my neck. It should be Vincent entering this room, not me. Maybe that's also the reason why my feet are so heavy, like I'm walking through mud, every step requiring more effort than the last. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't thrown me. I should be thankful. But in my heart it'll never feel right.

My feet touch something soft. Light from the tunnel casts over the fine rusty red granules covering the ground. Its familiar scent registers. Musty and damp.

It's dirt. But why would there be dirt here?

Something shifts ahead and already my pistol goes up, aiming in the dark. I can't see anything, but the faint sounds announce a presence. A tiny crackle, a distant buzzing, some rustling. They all come from different directions, moving in a strange rhythm that makes the shadows seem alive, and in the blackness I can feel something watching me.

Great. Just what kind of deadly stunt has Calypso prepared for me now?

When the lights come on, the door shutting behind me, I am greeted by the sight of greenery. Whatever was in the shadows before had fled and scattered, but I don't dare put my weapon away.

Lush foliage outspread before me. A vast canopy of leaves hangs overhead. Every shades of green adorn the tangled branches extending from fat tree trunks that stretch so high I can't see where they end. Dry dying leaves and twigs carpet the ground, along with overgrown grass, weeds, and other small plant life. Vines dangle from above like ribbons as blankets of moss creep over tree roots below. Every inch of this place crawls with vegetation. If there's meant to be a path anywhere I don't see it.

Small patches of earth lay naked among the grass. As I walk ahead, I spot markings on the ground. I study the soil, crouching down to get a better look, seeing imprints made by another living thing. An animal went past here. A small mammal not bigger than my hands put together.

It could be a Scroff, a fat furry beast that are usually hunted for their soft meat. They live in burrowed holes under trees and can get extremely vicious if you come too close. My father said they can eat your face off if you're not paying attention. On most nights we serve them at dinner, roasted and glazed with nectar.

The moment I think of food, I feel a rumble inside my belly. It groans in anger, constricting the walls of my stomach as if trying to punish me for not eating enough this morning. My vision stirs from the pain and lack of energy. I take a deep breath, fighting for control but keeping myself focused takes a lot of my strength.