SOUL DORM

67

You ain't nothing but a hound dog...

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CHAPTER 67: 

ARCHIVE

We weren't talking, not even looking at each other. I hugged myself tightly while Mars firmly crossed his arms over his chest. The tears had finally stopped for me; Mars had reclined his head against the rock, his eyes shut some time ago. He might have been grappling with his inner demons as I was, but his expression, mostly stoic except for the occasional flicker of tension, gave nothing away. He had completely walled himself off from me, resolved to stick to his earlier decision. All we were doing was waiting—waiting for the morning, waiting to find a way out.

After that, we would part ways.

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. The breeze drifting through the opening was chilly, but it paled compared to the deeper cold engulfing me from within. As I stood there motionless, the feeling seemed to intensify, threatening to either consume me whole or drive me to madness first. Abruptly, I stood up. Options for movement in the cave were limited: the dark corners seemed too daunting, and the path we had arrived by ended in a cliff. With nowhere to go, I started pacing aimlessly back and forth, a short three-step route. Mars noticed, opening his eyes as my footsteps echoed in the quiet.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Deliberately avoiding his gaze, I murmured, "Nothing... just passing the time."

When had it become so hard to talk to him? I could still confide in him even when I suspected he was playing games. But now, I was terrified that the moment I opened my mouth, I'd say something I'd regret... A loud sigh of frustration escaped me. I crossed my arms, rubbing them for a bit of warmth.

"If you're cold..."

"No," I said quickly, almost panicking. "I'm not cold."

It was a lie, and Mars must have known I was trying to maintain some distance, but he didn't push the issue. Even from afar, his scent was potent enough to scramble my senses; I didn't need to be further overwhelmed. I moved deeper into the darkness, so intent on distancing myself from Mars that I missed the rock in my path. I stumbled but caught myself on another rock, preventing a fall, though my palm wasn't so lucky—it scraped against the rough surface.

"Damn it!"

I shook my hand, wincing from the pain, and realized just how far into the cave I had ventured. Panicked, I backed away. Although the darkness unnerved me, it was only because of the deep shadows that I noticed something peculiar. The light was filtering through the rocks. Initially, it was no larger than a pinhead. With each step I took, it grew slightly and became undeniably visible.

"Mars!" I shouted excitedly. "Mars, get over here!"

He must have been startled because he was by my side instantly. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Look at this!"

He followed my pointing finger. The moment he spotted the light, his eyes widened, reflecting my own excitement. We were both thinking the same thing: There was life beyond these rocks. We were saved.

"Hey!" he shouted.

By his third shout, I joined in, pressing close against the stones to amplify our voices. I could now see a corridor extending beyond the rocks, unlike anything in the Dorm—it seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.

"No one's here," Mars said finally, ceasing his shouts. "They would've heard us by now." He was right, yet he wasn't ready to give up after this discovery. "Maybe we can move the stones," he suggested. "Can you help me?"