Divine energy flows into Ben's body through his hand as he makes contact with the metal cube. Ben feels faint memories tugging at his mind; They fade like dreams. He removes his hand from the cube as the divine energy is depleted.

"I still don't understand what these cubes are, but I feel I have to find them all."

Ben turns away from the cube and begins the trek back up to the surface. The ascent is rather peaceful compared to his earlier descent. Ben plucks large glowing mushrooms to use in place of a torches. He witnesses centipedes chewing on the mushrooms, and realizes they're likely edible.

The sun is at its peak in the sky when Ben reaches the surface. He takes a breath of fresh air, and walks over to his camp.

"I'd better roast these mushrooms just to be safe."

Ben finds himself a relatively straight branch, and scrapes its bark off using a sharp rock. He skewers a couple chunks of mushroom with it to create a mushroom kebab.

Ben sets his kebab on the fish drying rock and prepares his fire starting materials. Ben twists a stout branch on a strip of tree bark, sparking a flame after several minutes. The flames catch the kindling he offers, and with a few small sticks he has a fire suitable for cooking. Ben holds the mushroom kebab over the growing flames.

Several minutes have passed when the smell of the mushrooms cooking over the fire tickles Ben's nose. He waits until the mushrooms are golden brown before plucking a piece off the skewer. He takes a cautious bite. The soft mushroom flesh melts in Ben's mouth as he chews, yet more pleasant flavours gush forth with every bite.

"I don't like mushrooms, but this is delicious!"

Ben scarfs down his mushroom kebab; He eats the whole skewer of mushrooms within minutes.

Ben wastes no time in preparing a fresh mushroom kebab, and immediately starts the cooking process. The smells make his mouth water. Even subpar food is delicious when you're starving.

~

Smoke gradually rises from an extinguished fire. Ben is laying on the sand nearby with his eyes shut. He snores softly. The heat of the sunlight on Ben's bare skin gradually rouses him; He stands up with a soft groan.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"What's that awful smell?"

Ben looks around with a sour expression on his face. He eventually raises his arm and sniffs. The stench is coming off his own body, and reminds him of the caverns. The whole cave system smelled of bat guano mixed with humid minerals. Ben's trek through the caves left him with an unpleasant aroma, but he hadn't noticed the stench in all the excitement.

"I'll just wash myself in the lake."

Ben slips his grass loincloth off his body, and stretches his limbs. His gaze moves across the surface of the lake. Ben is a little worried about something biting him, but the stink of his body outweighs that worry.

The cool water feels almost icy on Ben's foot as he pokes at it. He can see small fish swimming in the shallow waters, and algae smeared rocks along the sandy bottom. His feet slowly break the surface of the water; His legs follow soon after.

Ben wades into the water with a smile on his face. The cool sensation of the lake water on his skin is refreshing. He moves into deeper waters with his legs submerged.

Ben treads water; His legs kick steadily to keep him afloat. Small fish nip at the hair on his legs. Ben tilts his body forward, and lets his head dip beneath the water.

The murky water is swarming with small fish. Light shines off scaly bodies as well as smooth rocks. Ben's eyes sting a little at first, but he quickly acclimates. The muted sunlight illuminates the majority of the lake, yet lengthy strands of algae shroud the center of the lake in darkness.

"I wonder what might be lurking in there."

Ben moves his gaze away from the dark section of the lake, but returns a moment after. There is a faint yellow light barely visible at the edges of the algae forest.

Ben's head breaches the surface of the lake. He takes several rapid breaths before diving beneath the water. Fish scatter as Ben's limbs move through the water; He kicks his legs furiously while making scooping motions with his hands.

Ben swims right up the algae forest, but doesn't stop. His body pushes past the slimy green strands. He's surprised to see several gar swim out of the algae; These toothy fish all give Ben a wide berth.

Sticky greenery clings to Ben's hands and face as he forces his way through the underwater forest. The water pressure combined with lacking air make his body ache. Ben considers resurfacing, but is interrupted when the glowing cube comes into view.

The golden glow gives Ben a sense of security. He stretches his arm through the murky water, and his palm presses against the metallic cube.

~

Ben's head breaches the surface of the lake. Storm clouds cover the sky. He swims to the edge of the lake, and feels droplets sprinkle down to meet his bare back.

Ben lays down facing the sky. The clouds overhead shower Ben with rain while wind howls through the valley. Trees shake in a struggle to stay rooted to the ground.

"It feels as if nothing is real anymore."

Thunder echoes throughout the valley as the storm grows in intensity. Ben gets to his feet, and looks to the mountains with a new light in his eyes. The vague memories of a life beyond his own are changing his perspective. He can sense the last piece of himself, and it's within his reach.

Ben doesn't bother putting his loincloth back on, nor does he retrieve any of his meager supplies. He walks confidently toward the mountains.

The final cube waits atop the highest mountain at the edge of the world.