CHAPTER 18 - SPELUNKING

-- Ragna's POV --

I picked up a piece of flaming wood from the bonfire, acting as a torch, and started my way to explore this wide cavern.

Although I'm still confused about all that had happened to me recently, securing this place must be my first priority.

I don't know if I'm the only one in this underground chamber. Better be sure and prepared than say sorry later.

The flaming torch flickers in an orange glow as I began to walked deeper in the tunnel. On the ground were some stalagmites in an unusual variety - they appear to be made of rounded, irregular, hollowed cones, which concave upwards.

I'm not a spelunker for life in my previous life so seeing this majestic work of nature fascinates me.

The rugged and weary yet dampened walls surrounded me. Cold air filled every corner and warmth seemed to of have never tried to crawl its way in here for a long time. 

Although the darkness swallowed everything and seemed to make worries come into my mind of something unseen, the torch on my hand somehow give me a feeling of security and easiness.

"Why there's no dripping water in here?"

I asked myself in a soft voice as I looked up at the stalactites on the cavern's ceiling. Naturally, there would be tiny droplets of water dripping from the cave's ceilings which you would hear but, there were none.

Since the ceiling was too high, I used [Levitation] to float towards the upper interior of the cave.

"So this explains it..."

Upon inspecting, the stalactites' surface were covered in a layer of thin ice. I tried to scrape it off using my fingernail but the exterior was too hard. 

Resorting to pounding tricks, I used the bottom edge of the torch to strike the surface but damn the ice was too hard. Not even a single piece came off.

"What's with this ice?"

I brought the torch near one of the frozen stalactite, just enough for the flame to touch it. However, after a few minutes of waiting there was no result. I touched the frozen stalactite and to my surprise, it was chilly cold as if it was never touched by a blazing flame earlier.

Seeing this I scratched my head as my brows furrowed.

This is not just an ordinary ice. 

Something is not right here. Since it seems that I can't obtain even a few shards of this icy material, I went back to the ground and went on in my not so merry way.

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As I went deeper in the tunnel, the colder the surrounding gets.

The echoes of my footsteps were reverberating the entire place. After a few minutes of walking, I found myself in a place like no other.

The entire surroundings were covered with this weird and odd looking frozen waters. As the I walked nearer, the entire area lit up as it reflected the torch's light.

It felt it was alive and breathing.

At the center of this big and wide glistening room was a single, big pillar of ice that sprouted upwards, kissing the ceiling. The surface of this breathtaking wonder varies. Some were smooth and shiny, some were jagged, and others were rough and edged.

From afar, it looked like a crystal tower that grew from the cavern's ground. I took the liberty to examine this awe striking structure as how something like this grandeur found its way inside this gloomy and cold underground chamber.

After I took a few walks around it, I made a sudden stop as my eyes spotted some peculiarities on the structure, at the same time my [Ethereal Sense] responded on it.

"That's odd..."

I went closer at it as I leaned my face near on the surface. Inside of this thick layered ice pillar, I could see a figure, a silhouette.

Squinting, I focused my eyes on this strange thing but couldn't see more clearer. To aide myself, I used [Enhanced Condition] to enhanced my eyesight.

"No... It can't be..."

I stepped back a few steps as I was shocked from the image that I saw. There was someone inside the pillar, someone trapped.

A female figure with long silver hair. She had a face of someone I saw before, someone I recognized.

It was the girl from my dream. The one who called out to my name as she was turned into a lifeless crystal cocoon by the freezing blizzard.

"R-Ragna, save me..."

As her weak voice echoed through my head, something unknown came to me. Without hesitation I desperately punched the pillar with my bare hands.