What feels like seconds later I regain awareness in my dungeon form. The little kobold body might’ve been comfy, but there’s something different about my now normal self. Being a dungeon is surprisingly cozy.

Alright, me, it's time to face the music. I’ve been avoiding the growing town at my entrance long enough. With an internal grimace I peek at the human’s village. New buildings have popped up everywhere, some even carved into the walls. I see what looks like an inn, as well as a large building that seems to be a meeting place. The purple crystal is still in the center, now floating freely from its scaffolding. Near the giant gem is what looks like a large barrel.

I zoom in on the construction to figure out what its purpose is. Water sloshes around quietly inside the massive stone cylinder. It’s a crude water tower? Two armed guards stand on either side of the building, guarding a large metal spigot sticking off of it. Is water hard to get around… wherever my entrance is? Why else would they be so protective of it?

Guilt hits me. This is something I could’ve helped with. Something that wouldn’t conflict with my own interests, something that Bella would’ve asked about if I actually had shown my face. I push down the negative feeling and busy myself with work.

Directly above the circle of stone bricks I dig into the ceiling. Once a good two foot deep hole hangs above the well, I imagine water rushing from a spring in the crevice. Almost instantly a rush of liquid bursts from the crack and plummets into the well. The sound of crashing water scares the two guards, who look up at the waterfall, wide-eyed.

With my guilt somewhat quelled I quickly drift elsewhere in the dungeon.

────────────

A massive shape looms over me, looking down on my form like it's a disgusting insect. The creature’s face is twisted bone and cartilage, with no skin visible. Teeth jut out of its lopsided maw at odd angles. Two small black eyes are placed unevenly onto its skull. Both dark pearls burn with hatred as they stare at me.

It slowly opens the wound it has in place of a mouth. Words start to pour out of it while its mouth remains still, hanging open.

“Again? Are you kidding me, Alec? How many times do I have to put up with this shit? Why do you always give me hell for not cooking when you go out without me?”

A deeper voice responds from behind me. I crawl backwards, trying to get out from between the voices, but my back hits a wall. With my new position I can see the second form begin to manifest.

The second horror is made of many flat planes of jagged glass, held together by pus filled boils. It has no real head, no real mouth or body. It just is shaped vaguely into a humanoid form.

“I only went out because how garbage your food usually is. Maybe if you tried harder I wouldn’t leave you with the kid.” A shard of glass flicks upwards to point at me, small particles of pus flying everywhere. “Where’s the food anyways? I don’t see it anywhere.”

I cover my ears, wishing they would stop.

“I threw it out when you didn’t come home! No point in keeping something unwanted around.” The first creature grinds its teeth together.

Just stop. Please just stop.

“What, didn’t even give the kid any? Nice,” the glass beast yells.

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“What about you? I don’t see any food from whatever restaurant you went to.”

Stopstopstopstopstop.

“Whatever, Bri, I’m not the one who had him!” Glass screeches against more glass.

“Oh here we go! This is always whe-”

No more. No more. NO MORE!

────────────

My mind rips back to reality, shaking like a leaf. My senses are still addled by panic. I take a few breaths and try to ground myself. It was just a dream, all in the past. You’re not even in the same world anymore. It’s safe here from them. You need to relax.

Bit by bit the raging panic inside me slows down. After a few minutes of focus it disappears almost completely. Without fear rattling my mind, my senses return in full force.

In front of me is a mess. Many of my tunnels have caved in, and part of the town cavern has collapsed. Buildings have been crushed by massive chunks of stone that fell from overhead. Overall it looks like an earthquake hit. Maybe… it did? When I was having my nightmare?

Why can I even have nightmares? I didn’t even know I could sleep! I haven’t since I got here, at least. Why’d it have to be those memories too?

Whatever happened, it isn’t isolated to the upper sections of my body. Further down, near the spider nest, huge chunks of stone have nearly cut off the tunnels. Many of the spider’s dug out paths have completely collapsed. Even my core room wasn’t spared, with a huge chunk of one wall collapsed into the cave.

I need to find out what happened. What I did. My focus shifts back to the towncave. Quickly I form my mannequin body near the center of town, by the large meeting building. As the shape of it gets more distinct, my mind fades away.

Sounds of a town in panic assault my ears. People are rushing everywhere, yelling at each other, crying in pain. I feel my anxiety begin to rise in the back of my mind, but I do my best to control it. I rush inside the meeting hall before I can be exposed to any more shouting.

The inside of the long wooden building is chaotic, with at least forty people squeezed into the space. The armored Bella stands at the front, directing different groups. Her eyes flicker over me, and I see anger flare within them. Guilt and fear wash over me in equal measure. She says something that I’m unable to process, and the crowd parts to let her through. The massive woman moves through the throng, zeroed in on me. When she reaches me she grabs my arm and drags me outside. My mind seizes up as her fingers wrap around my limb.

I’m vaguely aware as she pulls me to the edge of town, where the buildings give way to the green walls of the cave. With a shove she pushes me up against one, and quietly but angrily asks something. Unfortunately my brain is still locked up, frozen over by her man-handling me. Barely remembered fears flash through my head, smothering out her words.

She crosses her arms and stands in front of me. Slowly my consciousness begins to piece itself back together. Just as slowly my senses begin to fade in, reconnecting me to reality. As soon as I’m back in control of my faculties I look up at the tree person's face. It’s expressionless, but her eyes still smolder with fury.

“B-bella?” I manage to choke out.

She barks out a laugh. “Really? Bella? That’s what you say?” Her tone becomes almost a growl. “Are you kidding me?”

My still barely functional brain struggles to get the words out. “What… what happened?” Her face twists into further anger, disbelief in her eyes.

“What happened? What happened is that you attacked the town directly, after saying you wouldn’t do something like that! That’s what happened!” Her voice is a scream now. I do my best to stay with the real world as her shouts wash over me.

“I-I didn’t!” Why can’t I get the words out? “I didn’t do that.”

She laughs again, sadness in her voice. “Oh, so who did do that? Is there another dungeon in here with you? Maybe they’re responsible.” She sighs. “Why am I even having this conversation?” Her hand crinkles through the branches on her head.

She turns on her heel and starts walking back to the town. She glances backwards as she goes. “Goodbye, dungeon.” Her boots crunch on paint flecks as she walks away. I try to call after her, to yell out that I didn’t mean it. That it was an accident, that this is all a nightmare. But I don’t. Nothing escapes me, my words stay locked in my stunned mind.

Something breaks. Deep inside me, something brittle snaps. I start to cry. I’m not sure how, seeing as I have no eyes, but I know I am. My legs give out from underneath me and I fall to my knees. Water starts to pool around my body as sobs wrack my plastic form. Why couldn’t I just say it? Why couldn’t I explain? Why wouldn’t the words come out?

Blue smoke leeches out of the pool below me, gently floating around me. The thin tendrils of mist start to circle me. They get thicker and darker as they spin faster and faster. Soon all I can see is the blue clouds, a blue haze. It whirls around me, blocking out everything else.

As my consciousness fades away, the last thing I see is a pair of blue orbs flickering with fury.