underground

Final sacrifice

Kash slowly made his way over to the waterfall. He knew exactly what he was gonna do and he had never been more ready. He was almost there but the closer he got the more fear entered his body. He passed the eye shelves and rested his hands on his own eye for the last time. He had walked through these halls countless times but the absurdity of the situation made him feel like he was somewhere entirely new. he could smell the damp wood from within the big waterfall space, telling him he was about to face his final goal. once he entered the big space, all his senses were more alert. if only he still had his eyes to see the light of day one more time, his life would truly have been complete, but that was unreachable. he made his way over to the big table with soft footsteps. usually his 6th sense could tell him wether Quantum was near or not, but this time he had just about no idea. he was so lost in thought he forgot to lift his feet to climb the stairs up to the big table and he tripped. now he knew for sure Quantum had to have heard him. "Are you here to help those fools..?" Kash heard Quantums voice but decided not to respond. "I expected for them to have a secret ally to make sure I dont ruin their plans and even though you were an option in the back of my mind I never expected it to actually be true." quantum said. Kash again didnt respond. he had one mission and he wasnt gonna ruin it by letting himself get emotional. "I was onto them from the very start. the second Eight walked out of my eyesight I knew he was gonna be different. I just never had the energy to do something about it. in the end it seems fate is still not on my side even after all my efforts." Quantum sounded empty. Kash wasn't sure if Quantum was actually feeling bad or if he was trying to make him feel bad for him again. Kash finally reached the big table. the last time he stood here was a nightmare but this time might be even worse. "You're right. I did come to stop you from ruining Eight's plan, but they are not fools. They are braver than you will ever be." Kash finally said with a confident tone. "Are you sure brave is the right word? Its rather suicidal to disobey me, don't you think?" Quantum said with slight enjoyment. though he sounded a little happy, Kash thought it was rather him falling even deeper into his insanity. "Suicidal or not, they have nothing to lose. Eight said he'd rather die trying to get out than spend the rest of his life having to follow you." Kash said. Quantum for once didnt respond. Kash heard him shifting but he wasnt sure what he was doing. he didnt hear him get closer. "What, did you give up?" kash said with a teasing tone. "Maybe that's my destiny." Quantum said half jokingly. Kash felt it was now safe to make his way over to the lever since he sensed Quantum had let his guard down. He shuffled over to the lever but then he felt Quantums hand gripping his wrist. Kash felt his heart stop. "I may have lost myself, but im not letting my decades of work go to waste without trying to save it." Quantum said with determination and slight anger. Kash knew his final moment was getting very close now. "Try you will, but I'll give my life to let them escape this nightmare you created for them." Kash knew the words he just spoke would lead Quantum to get physical with him, but he was prepared. "Guess you have nothing to lose either, huh?" Quantum said, still quite calmly. "You've lost your eyes to me, and soon, your life." Quantum sounded more determined than he ever had. Kash heard him stand up and grab his other wrist and before he knew it Quantum had pulled him onto the table. "You've known me for long enough now, but let's see how well you can predict me without eyesight."

"Come on, it's not far now." Eight said as he saw Braxton and Skye fall behind. the vent was forcing them to stay in a very unpleasant position. "Give me a break. I can't even run and now you expect me to crawl?" Braxton said with a tone that sounded like he didnt even want to escape. "I can drag you along if you want." Sorrel said with a joking tone. Knowing braxton, he would likely even take it seriously and agree with Sorrel. "as much as I'd appreciate that, I feel like that'd start hurting too at some point." Braxton said. "come on Brax we're about to escape a place you've been locked in for almost half your life and you look like you'd rather go back to your stone-feeling bed." Sorrel said with a tone that gave away his despair. "Well it does feel a little unreal. I've gotten used to living here after so long, how come you haven't?" Braxton said oddly casually. "Twenty years is very different from six years, Don't you think?" Sorrel said with even more despair than before. Braxton just sighed. It wasn't because he disagreed with Sorrel but rather just because he was too tired to keep up any conversation. The four reached a point in the vent where they could easily see what was outside of it. they were right above the waterfall area where Kash and Quantum were. "Shh! look." Eight pointed towards Kash and Quantum who were doing something questionable. It looked like fighting but different. "Are they like, dancing?" Skye said. Eight rolled his eyes upon hearing her. He hoped she was joking but knowing her she was dead serious. "Whatever they're doing, Quantum doesn't look happy. There's no way Kash is gonna come out of this alive." Braxton said. He sounded concerned but at the same time it sounded like he had already accepted it, as if he had seen it coming. "What do you mean!? No! Kash is gonna escape with us, he said so himself!" Sorrel said, sounding absolutely devastated. Braxton sighed. "Imagine yourself in his shoes. He's been locked up here for around 10 or 15 years and unlike us he hasn't spent them peacefully for as far as you can call our lives here peaceful. Quantum had it out for him since he arrived, and on top of that he's fully blind. If there is anybody here who has nothing to lose, It's Kash." Braxton almost sounded angry but mostly defensive as he had been very good friends with Kash back in his years. Sorrel teared up. "You're probably right." Sorrel stayed silent for a bit "But we can't just leave him here." Sorrel looked deeply into Braxtons eyes. "We're not leaving him here. He's quite surely gonna die here, and his spirit will always be with us, Okay? Don't cry." Braxton got closer to Sorrel and hugged him as Sorrel was trying to keep himself from bursting into tears. Eight had barely heard this conversation as he was focused on Kash and Quantum. they seemed to be talking about something but he couldn't hear it from out of the vent. Suddenly Eight noticed Quantum pull a dagger out of his pocket and approach Kash. "uhm even if Kash is gonna die here, we still need him to pull that lever!" Eight sounded slightly panicked. "Don't worry. He may be blind but he knows this place like the back of his hand. When I said he had nothing to lose I meant he would sacrifice himself in the process of saving us." Braxton said as he too focused on Kash and Quantum. Suddenly Sorrel gasped and Braxton jumped. "What?" Braxton said with worry in his voice. "He's stabbing Kash! O-Or at least trying to!" Sorrel sounded very panicked. Eight stared at what was happening almost right in front of him. Even though he was never close to Kash, he felt bad about the fate he was facing. Quantum held up his dagger and forcefully shoved it into Kash's stomach.