Chapter 22 God

Across the chasm, they spotted another cave entrance—a mirror image of their own. Surrounding it were countless smaller openings, scattered across the cliffside like the cells of a massive stone beehive.

Iryoku wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze fixed on the far side. Alessandra broke the silence, her face glistening with perspiration. “It’s like the mountain was split in two,” she said, her voice tinged with awe.

“Shit, I know we’re close. I can feel it,” Iryoku muttered, his expression tense with frustration and exhaustion.

Yumi gave him a worried look and gently touched his arm. “Calm down,” she said softly, trying to steady his rising temper.

Reika glanced at Iryoku, her eyes narrowing in thought. “Let’s try to cross. Iryoku, do you think you can jump to the other side?”

He took a few steps toward the edge, where the wind blew harder, its icy chill biting into his skin. He pulled out his harpoon and rope, gripping them tightly. “I can try,” he said, though a flicker of doubt lingered in his tone.

With practiced precision, he wound the rope around his arm and swung the harpoon in a steady arc before hurling it across the chasm. It sailed through the void, the rope trailing behind it. But the moment the harpoon left the warmth of the cave and entered the open air, it froze solid, encased in a thick layer of ice.

The group gasped in alarm. Iryoku quickly yanked on the rope, muscles straining as he reeled it back. Frost crept rapidly along the rope, inching toward his hands.

“Shit!” he cursed, hastily pulling the harpoon into the cave. The moment it hit the ground, he dropped it, shaking his hands in pain.

“Iryoku, are you okay?” Alessandra rushed to his side, her voice tight with concern.

He grimaced, inspecting his frostbitten hands. Before he could answer, Reika stepped forward, her hands glowing with warm, green light. She touched his palms gently, and the frostbite faded after a couple of seconds, leaving his skin unblemished.

“Thanks,” Iryoku muttered, flexing his fingers as he tried to shake off the pain.

The group turned their attention to the harpoon and rope. The once sturdy tools were now frozen solid, though the ice had already begun to melt, droplets forming and running down their surfaces.

“How is this even possible?” Reika murmured, her brow furrowed in disbelief.

Alessandra moved cautiously toward the edge of the cave, her gaze fixed on the expanse outside. She studied the ominous void for a moment before sighing. “This feels like a sign that we should turn back,” she said, her tone heavy with reluctant acceptance.

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Reika and Yumi exchanged glances, their disappointment clear on their faces.

“Damn it,” Iryoku muttered under his breath, his frustration boiling over as he kicked a small rock near his feet. The stone tumbled out of the cave and into the open air. The group watched as it froze instantly, mid-fall, before shattering into tiny fragments against the opposite wall.

The sharp crack of the impact echoed through the chasm, followed by the faint, haunting sound of the fragments scattering into the abyss below. The girls flinched at the sound, closing their eyes momentarily as the tension pressed down on them.

For a moment, they stood in silence, staring into the endless void. The oppressive stillness was broken only by the faint, distant echoes of the rock’s descent, as if the mountain itself was reminding them of their limitations.

"Guys... I hear something... something's coming," Yumi muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone turned to her, concern etched on their faces. But before anyone could react, the mountain began to shake violently, a deep rumble reverberating through the chamber. They staggered, losing their footing, as Rhogan, let out a low, distressed growl.

“We need to get out of here!” Reika said urgently, her voice trembling with worry.

Before they could move, a deafening roar echoed through the cavern, shaking the very air around them. A blinding light erupted from the depths below, shooting upward like a pillar and piercing the darkness as it climbed toward the sky. Instinctively, they closed their eyes, shielding themselves from the intensity of the light.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, the chaos stopped. The mountain fell silent, the rumbling ceased, and an eerie calm settled over the chamber.

“what the hell,” Iryoku muttered under his breath, his frustration and unease evident as he got to his feet. He turned to the others, motioning for them to retreat. “Let’s go. Back the way we came.”

Weapons in hand, they moved quickly but cautiously, retreating into the familiar darkness of the cave. The sound of heavy, rushing air suddenly filled the space—a deep, unnatural whoosh that sent a chill down their spines.

They hadn’t gone far when they stopped dead in their tracks. Outside the cave's opening, where the frozen air had claimed everything before, a massive shadow loomed.

“look” Yumi whispered, her voice trembling as her wide eyes focused on the figure. “Something’s out there... in the frozen air.”

The group turned to look, horror dawning on their faces as the shadow shifted. In the darkness of the void, two glowing golden eyes pierced through, unblinking and fixed directly on them.

A suffocating tension filled the air as they stood paralyzed, their breaths shallow and hearts pounding, the enormity of the presence beyond the cave overwhelming them.

"Run! Now!" Iryoku shouted, shoving the girls further into the cave as he felt the inminent Threat on his body. Rhogan let out a deep, guttural growl, sensing the danger as well, and followed closely behind them.

A massive, otherworldly rush of air whooshed past the cave entrance, accompanied by an ominous, bone-chilling rumble. "Get down!" Alessandra yelled. The group dropped to the ground as fast as they could. Alessandra instinctively raised her shield.

The ground shook violently as a colossal shadow descended before them, accompanied by the deafening crash of its landing. Loose rocks tumbled from the cavern walls as the figure came into view—a monstrous, majestic beast.

The creature loomed over them, dwarfing any monster or foe they had ever encountered.

Its long, sinuous neck supported a reptilian head adorned with a crown of jagged horns and spikes, lending it an almost regal yet terrifying appearance. Crimson, metallic scales covered its massive frame, shimmering in the dim light like an impenetrable suit of armor. Towering on four powerful limbs, each tipped with razor-sharp claws gleaming like polished steel, it radiated raw strength. Two immense wings unfurled behind it, their span vast enough to cast an imposing shadow over the cavern. Its long tail, ending in a deadly, blade-like spike, swayed with calculated menace.

The creature was an uncanny fusion of eastern and western dragon, its presence exuding an overwhelming aura of fear, majesty, and unrelenting power.