"Fuck! I don't know! Uh? Water? No, no.. Shit." I'm flailing after touching the rings. Mentally, that is… Ok, maybe physically as well. Hunger and Thirst but not water… why?

I try again "D-Dogs? We don't…"

I feel put on the spot here, loudly proclaiming things that are clearly not working, or at least I think they aren't.

Wait… maybe…

"Isn't it strange that there's light in here without a light source?"

Valwen seems slightly bemused before her face contorts into a frown, I don't quite realize until a bit later.

It takes a moment, but it does take. The world goes dark and I think my hypothesis might be correct. My joy is quickly overshadowed by the panicked shouting from the others.

I shout over them "There ought to be stars in the sky, so this darkness isn't right either."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" The Shepherd speaks up.

I speak with a fake certainty. "It is night now, and even the darkest nights are lit up by the stars. So there ought to be stars."

Once again, it takes a bit, but the complete and utter darkness we were in just a moment ago recedes as the realizations and truth about this world alter to fit what I put in their heads; It is still dark down here, but at least we can see somewhat by the light of the stars.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I put my excitement aside as I hear Knight cry out, still fighting in the doorway. We need more light, shit. I didn't think this through.

"Time hasn't been passing in here, not truly, it's why you didn't feel hunger and thirst. It's also why soon the sun will rise and we'll have our first day in this place."

Let there be light.

"The sun" Shepherd speaks with longing, only just audible to me.

"It makes sense. Think about it!" Astronaut shouts over from where they're helping Recluse. I think they get it too.

I've lost track of how many concepts I've introduced so far so I keep speaking, growing more animated as I do.

"The same could be said for the weather. Why wouldn't we have rain or mist or hail in this place?" Nothing seems to click quite yet so I continue on.

"We've seen things from down below, enormous creatures. This place can bear a lot of things, like gods, divinity."

My smile grows wide at the possibilities…

"And our own right to claim godhood. Apotheosis."

Perhaps what I say would be heresy to some of the people in this room, but that's not important. All that's important is that they realize we can become gods.

I hear the Knight cry out in pain, reminding me what I'm here for. As I touch the rings on the statue they disappear from the stone and I feel them settle down around my fingers; At the same time something settles in my soul.

I love this place.