ENGULF ME

Chapter - 4

When I woke, I was lying flat on my stomach on the cold, wet ground. Rain pelted down from the angry clouds above, drenching me to the bone. I sat up slowly, shivering, taking deep breaths, reminding myself that I was safe—even though I had no idea where I was.

I looked down and saw a fog-filled chasm stretching endlessly below. In front of me, a cave loomed, emitting strange, echoing murmurs. I needed to find warmth soon, or I’d freeze to death. I had to survive.

I stumbled forward, weak and in pain, finding two entries blocked by massive rocks. I tried to push them aside, but my body was too frail. A sharp pain shot through my right shoulder, and I realized—my arm was broken.

Exhausted, I collapsed by the blocked entry, water streaming down my cheeks. I was crying. Every hope I had was slowly diminishing as nightfall approached. The sting of betrayal flared within me. They had all left me—left me to rot in my sadness.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep, my tears lulling me into a dream. He came to me, standing there, watching me with doubt in his eyes. His presence made me feel small, like a child who had failed. Seeing him made my chest tighten with guilt, the guilt of breaking my promise to him.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I couldn’t come for you... I didn’t know I would die like this.”

He didn’t waver, his deep blue eyes piercing through me. “You’re already here, Jenn,” he said in a voice that washed over me like warmth in my cold body. “You just need to open the gate.”

His words stopped my spiral of negativity. It felt like a dream, and at any moment I expected to wake up in my cozy bed. Yet, something in his voice grounded me.

I shook my head, frustrated. “I can’t. I’m too weak. My arm—”
“The rock won’t move with your hands,” he said calmly. “You need to make a sign to open it. You can do this, Jenn.”

He began to fade, his figure growing distant, and I quickly asked, “What sign? I don’t know any signs about opening rocks.”

For the first time, he smiled, just a small, almost imperceptible smile. “You know it. Trust your instincts. I’m waiting for you.” Then he was gone.

I woke with a start, staring at the stone blocking my path. I had no idea what sign he was talking about, but deep down, I knew I had to figure it out. I couldn’t give up—I had to survive. For my parents.

I took deep breaths, got up, cradled my broken arm, and approached the gate. I closed my eyes and focused, willing the knowledge to surface. And then, something clicked. A symbol appeared in my mind, one I had scribbled mindlessly in my notebooks for years.

I opened my eyes, uncertainty swirling inside me, but a voice within urged me on. “Draw it on the rock.”

With trembling fingers, I traced the sign on the stone. At first, nothing happened, but then a glow began to carve into the rock, illuminating the symbol I had drawn. The gate slowly opened before me, and I stood there in awe, watching as the stone gave way to a dark tunnel.

Inside, the cave was damp and filled with the sound of dripping water. Giant spider webs hung from the ceiling, but my eyes were drawn to the far end, where a man was chained, entangled in dark threads.

His breathing was shallow, his face dirty and bruised, but his deep blue eyes—those eyes—looked at me with recognition.

“You finally came for me,” he rasped, lifting his face just slightly. Blood oozed from where the dark threads pierced his skin.

I hesitated. Part of me was afraid to free him, but he was my only hope of escape. I think he could see the doubt in my eyes.
“You can free me,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Use your power.”

A smirk tugged at my lips. What power? I was no one special. But then I remembered what happened on the bus, the light that came from my hands. I swallowed hard, holding out my palm, praying it would work again.

A warm glow emerged from my hand, melting the chains and dark threads. He collapsed to the ground with a thud. Panic rose within me, but I knelt beside him, gently resting his head on my lap.

A voice inside me told me to heal him, so I did. Light radiated from my palm again, and I watched as his wounds closed, the power of his own strength stirring beneath his skin. Slowly, he opened his eyes and rose to his feet, looking stronger but weary.

I wanted to ask so many questions, but I held my tongue. He nodded toward another gate. “Open it.”

I hesitated but did as he said. The gate swung open, revealing another man, identical to him, but with darker, more sinister features, also chained and bound in threads.

“Who told you to free him?” the man I had saved shouted, glaring at me.

I blinked, confused. “Isn’t he your brother? Don’t you want to save him?”

His expression darkened. “I loathe him.”

Fear chilled me. “But we can’t leave him here,” I said, pleading. “Please... help me.”

His anger softened, replaced with something raw—hurt. He sat down, glancing between me and his brother. Silence stretched between us.

Finally, he sighed, agreeing reluctantly. “I’ll teleport you out of here. But remember this: we have to leave him here.”

I nodded, but said, “there is one condition. I’ll go only if we take him with us.”

He scowled but eventually agreed. He told me to close my eyes and picture where I wanted to go. His presence near me, the warmth of his body so close, was oddly comforting. I had no choice but to trust him.

The sensation of being squeezed and flying at the same time overwhelmed me. When I opened my eyes, we were in my living room. Relief flooded through me.

But when I turned around, the two brothers were at each other’s throats, ready to kill one another.
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