Jagged rocks and spires of granite riddled the walls of the chasm.

Spires with depths and darker shadows.

I feared these shadows.

More specifically, I feared their unknowns.

Many of my comrades littered the bloodstained walls.

The descent into darkness was long.

From my pouch, I produced a firefly companion, another gift from them, that began encircling my body and enlightening my surroundings.

A joyful little fellow that contrasted my surroundings.

My smirk at his sight soon became a frown, I felt sorry for the little guy.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

Hollowed echoes filled the depths.

I wasn't alone.

Sinister sensations filled my heart, so I steeled it.

Breathing in and out, I struggled but eventually found peace.

Equanimity, balance, and the calmness that comes with it.

After moments that suspended in time and felt like much longer, I landed with a soft foot on the ground.

Before I could get my bearings, the firefly sprite began flying off on his own accord.

The villagers had told me to be wary of the sprite, they said they like to follow their whims, to float toward their curiosity.

And curiosity is often killed.

But, seeing as I had no other form of light, I chased after it like a blind fool.

Several moments later we reached whatever it was the sprite was after, glowing purple hieroglyphs encrypted the wall.

They oozed a power that felt tangible and nefarious.

The evil was palpable.

This must be where the cursed energy arose from.

Deeping my breath, entering a level of awareness and sensitivity that I hadn’t entered in months, I pressed my hand against the wall.