Devil's Attic

Chapter Twelve

Jonathan stood in awe as he gazed upon the magnificent sight before him. The city was visible in the distance, but his attention was drawn to the enormous, bluish sphere that hovered beneath the cave ceiling. Its size was impossible to determine, but its radiant glow illuminated the entire cavern. The sphere was surrounded by shimmering clouds of mist, and gentle flashes of lightning danced around it. Jonathan was speechless, unable to tear his gaze away from the breathtaking spectacle before him.

"Is that... something like a... sun?" Paul stammered, his eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief.

"That's their sun, indeed," Eden responded, tilting her head back to gaze at the celestial body. "I've never seen anything quite like that. It's simultaneously terrifying and stunningly beautiful."

"Alright, there's this eerie, luminous sphere in the middle of this fucking city inside this godforsaken mesa. And to top it off, there are these glowing inhabitants living here. I suggest we keep moving because I have no desire to meet my demise in this underground labyrinth," Henry's frustration emanated from him, almost tangible in the air.

As the students tore their eyes away from the mesmerizing sphere, they were struck by the sheer scale of the city before them. "Wow...that must be at least five hundred houses, if not more," Jonathan exclaimed, his mouth agape as he surveyed the sprawling metropolis.

The houses were arranged in tiers, with the ones further down appearing larger than those at the top. The upper houses resembled small, shabby huts, while the ones in the city center were grand and opulent, gleaming with a golden radiance.

"We've discovered the fabled city of gold," Eden whispered in a hushed, almost reverent tone, a soft smile spreading across her face. "It's real, it actually exists."

Jonathan racked his brain, trying to recall the map and locate a possible route to the other cave. The city was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard. From his vantage point, he could make out a large square at the city's center, but not much else.

However, he could see a temple standing tall in the middle, much like the one they had encountered earlier, constructed entirely of skulls. The houses, on the other hand, were made of a different material, and Jonathan couldn't quite discern if it was gold or simply reflecting the glow of the massive sphere above.

Eden and Henry had whipped out their phones, snapping photos and taking videos of the incredible sight before them. Meanwhile, Paul appeared to be on the verge of fainting at any moment. Jonathan cautiously approached the nearest house and reached out to touch it. The surface felt cold and damp to the touch, and to his surprise, it seemed to be constructed out of clay. The construction style bore a striking resemblance to that of the ancestral Puebloans, but Jonathan couldn't quite grasp the connection yet, despite Paul's explanation of the Sipapu. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, trying to piece together the puzzle before him.

The students proceeded with caution, stepping gingerly onto the street and weaving their way between the houses. There were no doors or windows, only large openings that served as entryways. The tension in the air was palpable, and Jonathan felt as though he was on the verge of losing his mind, unsure if one of the glowing inhabitants might be lurking nearby. "I think we should head to the back, towards the smaller houses," he whispered.

"Sure, off to the slums of Glow-City, huh?" Henry snorted, eliciting smiles from everyone.

"I have a feeling that there are different social classes here. The more important individuals likely reside in the city. The question is, what makes them important? Are they hunters, or perhaps upper-class? And the ones in the huts peasants? But then, where do they grow their crops? What do they subsist on?" Jonathan mused, his mind racing with questions and theories.