The further he went, the dizzier Z felt. It was as if there was some sort of invisible force pressing down on his mind and rendering him incapable of thinking. He shook his head, forcing his shaking arms to pull himself forward.

He continued until the narrow tunnel gave way to a moist cave dripping with water.

Z quickly made his way inside, stumbling onto his feet as his mind clouded. Groaning, he pressed a gloved hand to the stone wall, the slimy surface pulsing with a strange energy. He stumbled his way forward, only to be met with empty space where the ground ought to have been.

Panicked, Z latched onto a protruding shard of rock nearby, just barely managing to pull himself back onto solid ground in time. He gasped, stumbling backward as his heart pounded in his ears. A whooshing sound similar to rain reverberated at the back of his mind.

Forcing himself to calm down, Z took a careful step forward, kneeling to examine the rocky ground.

It looked completely normal, indistinguishable to the human eye. However, past a certain point, when he lowered his hand, it passed right through the stone. It was an illusion. Why would there be an illusion in the middle of nowhere?

The whooshing sound grew louder, and alarm bells began to sound in Z’s head as he began to get the feeling that he shouldn’t be here. The boy stood up quickly, stepping away from the false ground.

Something was wrong. He needed to leave, now. Z stepped towards the tunnel he had come out of. Facing the narrow space, the boy hesitated. Where would he go? If he were to go back now, he would have to face that nasty beast. Conflicted, the boy stepped away from the tunnel, making do with the lesser of two evils.

Z sighed, leaning himself against the stone wall of the cave. A droplet of water dripped onto his face, and the dreaded whooshing sound echoed louder and louder. The energy inside the cave seemed to condense on him, making his head pound. What was going on?

Too late, he glanced towards the tunnel entrance to see a rush of water burst through the hole and towards him. Water rapidly filled the small cave, leaving Z with seconds to spare before he would drown in the flood.

Z stumbled away from the rush of water, but it was futile. It was moving too fast. Before he knew it, the flood barreled over him, freshwater assaulting his nose and mouth. The current threw him backward and lifted him off the ground. Panicked, Z flailed his arms and legs to no avail.

Clear water and gray dirt filled his senses, stinging his eyes and pushing him further back into the cave. His breath ran out and he took a hitched breath, expecting water to flood his lungs. To his surprise, it didn’t. Z gasped for gorgeous, fresh air. His eyes pried open, but it was just as dark as it was when his eyes were closed.

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Was the water gone? No, he could still feel splashes on his arms and legs. He could hear a roaring sound behind him. It sounded like the water was falling off a cliff. Now that he thought of it, it felt like he was falling.

Shit. He must have passed through the fake stone in the cave.

Z groaned. How long had he been falling? Time seemed to flow strangely here. Or perhaps his brain was too muddled to process anything. Seconds stretched into minutes, and minutes into hours. The rushing sound of water dulled out as time passed, making way for his blaring thoughts.

Was this how he’d die? Then what was the point of his struggles? What was the point of fighting for life, every second of every day? Look at where he ended up. A measly Ash all on his lonesome. Z closed his eyes, letting an invisible force dull his mind and senses. There was no need for them where he was going.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. He didn’t think it mattered. The water carried him along its currents as he faded in and out of consciousness.

***

A sharp sting woke him up, jolting his brain back into action. Z looked down at his arm, which had gotten caught on a sharp rock. It dug into his skin harshly, tearing through the tissue and dying the water red. Z struggled to hoist himself upright, carefully detaching his arm and examining his surroundings.

He was still in the cave, now floating in water that seemed to be several miles deep. He could still hear the waterfall behind him, so it hadn’t been too long since he’d landed. Z coughed, compelling his limbs to swim forward, the lukewarm temperature like bliss on his skin.

As he swam, a soft ringing noise drifted towards his ear. Z paused to listen to the bell-like chime. Was there someone here? Energy surged through his arms, his survival instincts taking hold. He swam as fast as he could towards the noise, and obediently, it grew louder.

Now he could hear another song amongst it. The comforting crackling of a fire that put his panic at ease. Z pushed his body to the limit, swimming until the sounds cleared into voices. Beautiful voices. Each syllable wrapped around every vowel in undeniable grace. His head felt like it was going to explode.

He couldn’t make out the words. It wasn’t any language that could be understood by the human mind. It sounded like the language of the world itself— the language of the plants, of the rushing water, and of the burning sun. Perhaps it was the tongue of the Gods.

The sounds soothed him. As he got closer, his mind grew numb. An overwhelming pressure smothered him, causing his limbs to give out as he sunk down into the sea. Yet, strangely enough, he didn’t feel any regret or alarm. Only unconditional ecstasy pounded at his thoughts. He decided right then and there that this was most definitely the best way to die.

Wait what? Z’s consciousness jerked awake. Die? No, he couldn’t die. Not yet. He had too much to do and too many to avenge. Clenching his fists, Z forced his legs to stop sleeping and kicked them with all his might. His soaked gloves pinched his hands uncomfortably, but he flapped down anyway, cupping water out of the way to push himself up.

He could see light past the top of the water. If he could just get there-

He reached above his head to grasp at air, but only water ran through his fingers. His legs had been pushed to the limit. He was so close! Just a little bit more… ah. His momentum stalled and he slowly began to sink back down as the superior force weighed down on his body, more insistent than before.

Z wanted to breathe, but he couldn’t. He was so tired, too tired. His eyes fluttered shut as he succumbed to his fate. He laughed dryly, bubbles drifting up from his mouth to the water’s surface. What did he expect? He was just an Ash, after all.