The Elements of Zion: The Vine, The Branch, and The Thorn

Chapter 15

"Wake up". I heard it again in the dark recesses of my mind, where dreams get spun from the fabric of memory and the warp of desire. That voice—neither wholly male nor female—floated on a breeze that never touched the skin but chilled the soul. It whispered, simple yet layered, like a song crafted from shadows dancing on the edges of my consciousness. It was familiar, this voice, as if it had always been a part of me.

My eyes, heavy from countless sleepless nights, drifted open like autumn leaves finally giving in. Above me hovered Maridel, her eyes holding the night's depth, just before stars broke through. "You've returned to me," she murmured, her hand a warm anchor in mine as she helped me rise. Her arms wrapped around me, grounding me against the lingering weight of dreams.

"Where...are we?" My voice was a ragged whisper, every word like reaching for solid ground.

She pulled back slightly, a smile flickering as she pointed toward the porthole. "Look."

she whispered. I stepped toward the porthole, her words lingering like a promise—and a warning. What wasn't she telling me?

Reluctance and curiosity waged a brief war within me as I disentangled from the warmth of the bed, my legs unsteady as if they remembered a different kind of earth. With a hand pressed to my side, I took a few hesitant steps toward the porthole. The room tilted with me, as if it, too, was curious to see.

And then, there it was—a city beneath the waves, aglow with lights that shimmered through the water, casting prismatic spells of light. Structures that defied the logic of architecture as I knew it, spiraling gracefully into the depths, interconnected by bridges that seemed spun from moonlight and the dreams of fish. It was a phantasmagoria of wonder, a silent testament to the impossible, lying serene under the weight of the ocean.

"Twilight Trench...," I whispered.

Maridel's presence beside me was like the quiet anchor I'd desperately needed, her warmth radiating a comfort that nearly lulled me into trust. She leaned close, her voice barely a whisper yet full of assurance. "Incredible, isn't it?" But in her gaze, I sensed more than mere admiration for the beauty of Twilight Trench. There was a guardedness in her eyes, a protective vigilance that whispered of truths she hadn't shared. She wanted to shield me, but from what? As I absorbed the sight of the underwater city, a flicker of doubt began to creep in—was her calm merely a mask, hiding the storm that lurked beneath this sanctuary's tranquil surface?

The sight of Twilight Trench sparked a sudden realization within me. How had we arrived at this submerged wonderland? The last fragments of my memory were clouded, obscured by the labyrinth of my dreams. Turning toward Maridel, her face alight with the reflection of the city's luminescence, I found my voice, "Maridel, how did we get here?" My question hung in the air, mingling with the silence of the deep.

Her eyes flickered, holding within them a storm of thoughts before settling into a serene calm. "Oak saved you," she said at last, her gaze steady but her tone veiled. "We brought you here, to safety." She paused, her fingers tightening slightly around mine. "For now, that's enough to know."

Her answer, simple as it was, did nothing to calm the storm of questions inside me. Still, I trusted her, reminding myself that some answers could wait. I nodded, then looked back through the window, my gaze tracing the cathedral-like contours of a building

Maridel gestured for me to follow her, and though a flicker of hesitation bloomed in my chest, I obeyed, feeling each step weighted by uncertainty. Her movements were sure, while my gaze drifted downward, the absence of my armor—a constant ally in times of peril—starkly apparent. "Maridel, where is my armor?" I asked, my voice betraying more than I intended: not just the need for protection but a deeper fear that without it, I was stripped of purpose, my duty left unfulfilled. This city might be a sanctuary to some, but to me, without my armor, it was an unfamiliar battleground. Her response was calm, as if sensing the inner war raging within me. "Your armor is safe, Isaac. Right now, you're healing. Trust me, you're safe here." But could I? With everything hanging in the balance, I couldn't shake the need to be whole, prepared to face whatever darkness awaited.