Journey to the Core

Prologue

The Sword has awoken, came the voice. It filled the air with an unspoken command as Avery Ancel, still asleep for the night, climbed out of bed and got dressed. He was dreaming about going on an adventure. The outfit he chose was simple: jeans and a sweatshirt, brought together by the bag he had packed the night before for his camping vacation he was to take that day.

He ventured downstairs, eyes closed, and out the back door, into the woods behind his house. His dream adventure was far more exciting, dodging branches, roots, and wild animals as he took an exciting hike through unexplored territory. In reality, he was simply taking a stroll through his back yard.

Wake up and face your destiny, child, said the voice. Claim your birthright. Take your place at the Hunter's side.

Avery's eyes shot open, clouded by confusion as he scanned his surroundings. He was certain he'd fallen asleep in only his underwear and in his bed, so why was he fully dressed and in the woods?

He didn't have long to ponder his current situation, however. He took a single step, and found the forest floor swallowing him whole. A flash of panic consumed him as the ground gave way under his feet, and he saw a dimly lit rock rapidly approaching him before his vision went dark.

Some time later, Avery found himself waking from a deep slumber. His head throbbed with pain, and a sticky substance that smelled like blood covered his forehead, though some of it had dried. His ankle was a colorful shade of blue and black, and swollen to the width of a cantaloupe.

"Oh, fuck."

He tested his ankle, which supported his weight, albeit feeling like he was being stabbed by a thousand needles. Avery fell back to the ground and gritted his teeth, waiting for the wave of discomfort to pass, before scanning his surroundings.

The hole from which he fell was filled with the early light of day dappled through what he knew was the forest canopy far above. He'd fallen considerably deep; Avery judged the forest floor to be at least forty feet above him. The cave he was in was dark and smelled of rot, decay. Moist, cold air surrounded him and made his clothes stick to him.

"Okay, Avery, think." His British accent sounded unusually thick; Avery could tell how badly his pain was getting to him. He'd lived here for two years, yet he still didn't know this existed. "What can you see?"

He fixed his eyes on something in the distance, dim though it was. A door. Using a stick he found just next to him, he managed, with a lot of pain, to stand and stagger towards the door.

Avery grunted as he threw himself against the door, exhausted from that simple walk across the cavern. The door didn't budge, even with all his weight against it. As he let his full back rest against the stone, he felt extrusions pushing into it.

With much difficulty, while cradling his foot, he turned and felt his way around the objects. He could feel stone symbols coming out about an inch from the door and got an idea. Thankfully, as a good artist would, he never went anywhere without some coloring supplies. Using a piece of paper and a crayon, he took a rubbing of the symbols in the door. But, as he moved to put them away, he felt his injured foot slip and-

Avery let out a shout of pain as he hit the ground. His ankle throbbed harder than before.

Suddenly, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Avery had totally forgotten about it. He pulled it out and saw a text message from his mother, with a time stamp: 6:45.

Where are you??

Avery quickly typed out a reply. Help. Stuck. Out back. Must have sleepwalked.

The reply came quickly. On our way.

Avery let out a long sigh, letting his head fall back to the ground. Thoughts spun in his head.

"What just happened?"

A voice replied. The beginning of the end.