The world above seemed distant now, a blur of memories that faded as Sabir plunged through the air, tumbling toward the water below. He had been soaring one moment, clinging to the Pegasus, the sky stretching endlessly around him. And then, in the blink of an eye, he was falling. The vast body of water, shimmering like a mirage amidst the dry expanse of land, was now rushing up to meet him. There was no time to think, only time to brace for impact.

The crash into the water was like hitting solid ground. A shock of pain shot through his body, his chest compressing under the force. Sabir sank, his limbs stunned from the impact. Bubbles streamed from his mouth and nose as he gasped involuntarily, water filling his throat and burning as it forced its way into his lungs. Instinctively, he thrashed, but the pain in his chest intensified, the black veins spreading beneath his skin pulsing as if alive.

For a moment, Sabir’s vision blurred, and he thought he might black out. The weight of the water pressed down on him, the surface above already feeling too far away. He tried to move, but his limbs felt sluggish, as though the water itself resisted his every motion. The cool embrace of the depths swallowed him whole, dragging him farther from the world of air and light.

This is how it ends, a part of him thought, panic fluttering in his chest. He had been fighting for so long—for survival, for answers, for a chance at revenge. Was it really going to end like this? Alone, drowning in an oasis that shouldn’t even exist?

His chest convulsed, the pain sharper now. The black veins pulsed again, and he felt them moving under his skin, as though they had minds of their own. His lungs screamed for air, and every second he stayed beneath the surface felt like an eternity.

Breathe.

He needed to breathe, but there was no air here—only water, pressing in on all sides.

But then, somewhere deep within him, something shifted. A stubbornness, a refusal to die, flared up inside him. Sabir had fought too hard to go out like this. He would not let the water claim him.

He forced himself to stop thrashing. The more he struggled, the faster he would tire, and sinking deeper into the cold abyss was inevitable. His mind, foggy from the lack of air, grasped for any solution. He did not know what to do. He had never been in deep water before, seen no one swim. His body was acting purely on instinct now, driven by the primal urge to survive. Sabir flailed his arms wildly, his legs kicking out in every direction, trying anything to stay afloat. There was no rhythm, no grace—just desperate, frantic motions as he fought against the weight of the water pulling him down.

“I can do this.” He focused, pushing past the panic. He stretched out his arms in front of him, then pulled them back, slicing through the water in slow, deliberate strokes. His legs kicked weakly at first, but with each motion, he felt a bit more control returning. The pain in his chest flared again, but he forced himself to ignore it. One stroke, then another. His body moved awkwardly, but he was moving.

His vision cleared slightly, and in the distance, through the rippling water, he could make out the light above. The surface. Air. Sabir kicked harder, his body rising slowly, painfully toward the surface. The sunlight danced in fragmented patterns, a tantalizing glimpse of the world he so desperately needed to return to.

But the water was thick, resisting his every effort to move. His arms ached, his legs felt like lead, and the black veins seemed to tighten around his chest, constricting his breath even more. He was getting closer, but not fast enough. The weight of the water, the pull of the depths, was relentless.

Just when he thought he couldn’t go any farther, his hand broke through the surface. His fingers felt the cool air, and a rush of hope surged through him. With one last desperate kick, Sabir propelled himself upward, his head bursting through the water.

He gasped, filling his lungs with precious air, choking and sputtering as water spilled from his mouth. His body ached from the strain, but the sheer relief of breathing again was overwhelming. He floated there for a moment, his limbs limp and trembling, the pain in his chest subsiding just enough for him to catch his breath. He had survived.

But he wasn’t safe. Not yet.

As he treaded water, Sabir glanced around, his eyes scanning the tranquil surface of the oasis. There was no sign of the Pegasus, no sign of the dragon that had chased them. Just the stillness of the water, its clarity almost unnatural, and the rocky cliffs that rose around the edges of the oasis. It was eerily quiet, a silence that felt wrong. As though the world outside had long ago abandoned this place, leaving it undisturbed.

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And then, just beneath the surface, something caught his eye. A shadow, barely visible in the clear water, but it was there—an opening in the rock wall. A cave entrance, submerged beneath the water.

Sabir’s heart hammered in his chest, a mix of pain and fear driving him forward. He couldn’t afford to linger. The thought of the creature—the dragon—still haunted him, the image of its dark, gleaming scales and its massive wings slicing through the clouds. It could return at any moment, and here, floating aimlessly in the water, he was nothing more than a helpless target. The idea alone made him shudder.

But as his panic subsided, something else gnawed at him. His gaze drifted back toward the cave entrance submerged just below the water’s surface. It wasn’t just about survival anymore. There was something strange, something almost magnetic, about the cave. Its dark mouth, barely visible under the shimmer of the water, seemed to call to him, pulling at his curiosity as much as his fear. What was inside? How long had it been there, hidden beneath the waters of this strange oasis? A place like this didn’t seem natural.

Despite the protests from his body, the aches in his limbs, and the searing pain in his chest from the black veins, Sabir felt his curiosity overpower his exhaustion. He had seen nothing like this before—never even been near so much water in his life. If something inside that cave could help him, maybe keep him safe, it was worth a shot.

His body resisted every stroke, the sharp pain in his chest intensifying with each movement, but he forced himself to swim toward the cave. His strokes became slower but more controlled as he pressed through the water, wincing with each pull. The entrance loomed larger the closer he got, the dark opening just below the surface teasing him with the promise of refuge—or perhaps something more.

Sabir took a deep breath and dove under, his eyes stinging as he strained to see through the murky water. The entrance yawned before him like a maw, jagged rocks framing the opening, but beyond it lay only shadows. As he swam closer, the water above swallowed the light, and soon an eerie twilight surrounded him, the cave engulfing him.

For a moment, doubt flickered in his mind. What if there was something worse inside? Something waiting for him? He hesitated, treading water just outside the entrance, the pull of the unknown fighting against his sense of survival. But then the pain in his chest flared up again, and he clenched his jaw against it. He couldn’t turn back now.

With a last kick, Sabir pushed himself forward and entered the cave. The water here was colder, and the narrow tunnel stretched out before him, winding into the unknown.

As he swam, Sabir reached the rocky walls of the cave. He swam through, using the walls as a guide, his muscles screaming in protest, and slipped into the narrow opening, the cool water lapping at his legs as he moved deeper inside. The entrance was tight, barely wide enough for him to squeeze through, but once inside, the space opened up slightly, just enough for him to float freely.

As he swam further into the water, it grew darker, the sunlight from the oasis fading. The cave was silent, save for the faint sound of water dripping from the ceiling, echoing off the stone walls. The air inside was cool, and the deeper Sabir went, the more he felt the weight of the world above slipping away.

As he moved through the water, his hand brushed against something solid. The floor. He could finally stand, the water now waist-deep, and for the first time since falling, Sabir felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. He was hidden, sheltered from the outside world, if only for a moment.

He waded further into the cave; the darkness surrounding him now, save for a faint glow that seemed to come from deeper within. The pain in his chest had dulled slightly, but the black veins remained, their eerie presence a constant reminder that something was very wrong with him.

Then, as Sabir rounded a corner in the cave, he saw it. An ancient stone staircase carved into the rock, winding upwards into the darkness. Age wore the steps, with moss clinging to the edges, and the air here was thick with the scent of damp earth and stone.

Sabir stood at the base of the staircase, staring up at it in disbelief. “Who built this?” The question echoed in his mind, but there was no answer, only the silent, unmoving stone.

His body ached, his chest throbbed, and every fiber of his being screamed for rest. But something about the staircase called to him, as though it were pulling him upward, urging him to climb. He couldn’t stay here, not in this cave, not knowing that the world above was still hunting him.

Sabir took a deep breath, steadying himself. His legs were weak, his arms heavy, but he placed one foot on the first step, then the next. The ancient stone was cold under his bare feet, each step sending a slight chill through his body. The staircase spiraled upwards, disappearing into the shadows above, and as Sabir climbed, the faint glow from deeper within seemed to grow stronger.

The silence was unnerving, the only sound was the soft shuffle of his feet against the stone and the occasional drip of water echoing through the cave. Sabir’s chest tightened again, the black veins pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. He paused for a moment, leaning against the cool stone wall, trying to catch his breath. Keep moving, he told himself. He didn’t know what lay at the top of the staircase, but he couldn’t stop now.

Whatever lay ahead of that staircase was calling to him.