The valley held an air of timelessness, inspiring a feeling of peace within us. I felt at ease there, close to the water, even as the sun set and some of the flowers closed their petals for the night. But still, as some plants slept, others awoke to the darkness, and little by little, patches of light began glowing in the valley, cast by luminescent plants lighting up the night.

Lighting a fire didn't sit right to any of us, not in this valley, not this close to the lake, so we instead sat around a small patch of particularly luminescent mushrooms. With the gentle glow of the fungus and the strong light of the full moon overhead, we weren't really hurting for light. And the biting cold that had begun growing as we were climbing the mountains seemed nonexistent in this valley.

Sitting in the soft grass, I felt more relaxed than I'd ever had since arriving in this world. Ever since I appeared in that forest, prospects had become more and more dim, but this place inspired hope.

"I didn't think I would ever see this place with my own eyes." said je-Kalyi into the night. She was lying flat on her back, looking into the sky, where the full moon, its diminished twin and an awe-inspiring starscape glowed back.

There was no galactic band in the sky like had been back home, interestingly enough. Instead, this world seemed to be located inside a cluster of stars, which grew denser at one point in the sky, with an even distribution everywhere else.

"I've read about it, speculated about it, even dreamed about it. But I never thought that I'd actually behold it."

"What makes it so special, anyhow?" said one of the brothers, but I was too tired to tell which one.

"This valley, or rather the lake at its center, appears in a lot of old folklore. You likely know it as the Lake of Wisdom, or the Wellspring of Power, or perhaps the Well of Mímir. It's said that looking into its mirrored surface allows one to know oneself, that submerging in its water reveals the future, and that drinking of it will show one the path they must walk to achieve their deepest desire."

"I can see why it would be sought after," I stated into the lull of conversation that followed her words, "if it can do those things. That's why we're here, after all."

"Indeed."

***

When the sun rose, I was gently woken up by je-Kalyi. Apparently, I had fallen asleep during the night, same as the others, and awoke more refreshed than I'd felt before.

Once she'd woken the rest, she gathered us not far from the lake's bank.

"I don't know what this lake can or can't do. All I have is knowledge of myth and legend, and it may just be a normal mountain lake. If it works as the legends say, then I warn you - ignorance is bliss. If the waters can reveal the future, then I don't know what their effects may be. What you will see. I don't recommend any of you look into the waters, period. But I cannot stop you, of course. It would be best if we approached the lake one at a time. I will go first."

None of us opposed her, so she slowly began walking towards the shore, took a deep breath, and then looked down.

For a few moments, she stood unmoving, before shaking her head slowly and mumbling, before falling backwards onto the shore.

The brothers had already broken into a sprint, and reached her soon enough to prevent striking the rocky shore, but Ekias chanced a look into the water, his arms going slack. While Elran was dragging away the unresponsive je-Kalyi, I approached Ekias, carefully shielding my eyes from the water. I rounded his unmoving form, and saw that his eyes were almost entirely black. moving closer, I saw that the small pupils their species seemed to possess had dilated to an almost inhuman degree, and he was whispering under his breath, still staring at the water.

When I moved to block his sight with my hand, his arm shot out and slapped it to the side with such force that I stumbled backwards, wildly flailing my arms to find my balance.

Hearing a splashing, I reflexively looked down, and wished I hadn't.

I was standing in the water, knee-deep, and beheld my own reflection. Only, it wasn't me.

I beheld a figure in the water, dimly aware of my surroundings falling away, and the figure rising to eye-level.

The figure, a human by the looks of it, had no face, no skin, no features apart from its shape, which was wavering and unstable. She looked like a small breeze would blow her away, until one came - and although the tattered edges wavered in the picking up winds swirling around us, she never fell to dust or flew away like I'd thought - no, she stood, unmoving, in the swirling darkness. There was no light around us, only the roiling shadow and the knee-deep water we were both standing in. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning illuminated the scene - around us, the thunder echoed into the darkness, and flashes of light lashed at her figure, revealing a face.

The face was familiar, and with a start, I realized it was my own. But it was... different, somehow, more alien than I'd ever seen my face looking. From its eyes, a deep emerald-green glow was leaking, almost tasting the air around it and I became aware of the skin around her eyes being more solid than the rest of her form, which was interspersed with veins of the same green power that emanated from her eyes. On her temple glowed something else, in the same green, but less... organic than the power emanating from her.

Then, she took a step forward, but collapsed, her knees giving out from under her, and the tattered shapes making up her body wavered once more, before their edges solidified, looking almost singed, or scorched. She pressed her hand to where my heart would be, and I felt a pain there as well - the fire within me, burning, wanting to be let free.

Yet, I did not let it. I held back, even as the burning grew and I felt short of breath, even as my own skin turned as tattered as hers was, even as my legs gave out from under me, and I assumed the same kneeling position as the figure had.

I looked down at my hand, and saw it slick with blood - then, there was a sharp pain in it too, and it fell away, numb to me. I felt the fire within me swell to a crescendo, before it broke away from the tenuous hold I had over it, flowed along my arm and cast itself into the world, dripping from the brand in my arm like glowing, crimson blood.

It sizzled as it hit the water, but did not stop burning - rather, it spread across the darkness like a film of oil, lighting up the surface, but burning neither me nor the image of me.

When the flames finally stopped, I looked down, and saw that the lake had changed - gone was the thin layer of mist that had stopped me, and I could see my reflection in the waters.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

My eyes were glowing with the same unearthly green as my image's had. It dripped away from them like tears, scattering into my surroundings, and I looked up once more. The figure was gone, and so was the darkness - instead, there was mist everywhere, and a glowing light in the distance.

Drawn to it, I waded through the water, fighting against a current that would grow bolder the closer I reached to the light.

Finally, after innumerable steps, with the water roaring around me, I saw the light close before me, suspended in the air above the wild river I was standing in. I reached out, snatched the light, and a wave bigger than any of the others rose up, before crashing down on my head and sending me tumbling beneath the waves.

I felt my lungs burn for air, buffeted by the water around me, as I was carried god knows where - the water tumbled and turned me, but I kept my eyes wrenched shut, coiled into a ball around the light and weathered out the stream.

Just when I thought I could hold my breath no longer, I hit a hard surface, and the water drained away from around me, leaving me dry as a bone, catching my breath in a shady room, illuminated only by a small line of light upon the dusty floor.

Gathering my strength, I hefted myself up on creaking bones, held the light up, and took in the room I'd found myself in - it was a storeroom, lined with ancient crates, and the line on the floor was coming from the door, which was open just a crack.

The light in my hand slipped through my fingers, hovered towards the door, before flitting through the crack and disappearing. I followed, entering into a lavish, but ancient, hall. It looked like a foyer, but from no historical period I was familiar with - the ornaments were a gleaming bronze and silver, and all the windows on the circular room were veiled by thick, royal blue curtains.

Suddenly, the door rattled, swung open, and I was faced by... myself.

Or at least, she looked like me - She was human, had the same hair, skin and eye colors as myself - yet, she was limping severely, leaning on a staff that looked like my own, except there was a strange metal contraption screwed onto its tip. Her eyes met mine, and widened.

"wha-" I began, but was interrupted.

"Quick, hide!" she hissed, grabbed my arm and dragged me towards an ornate closet, before whispering "Look through a crack in the doors, listen well, and remember."

Then, she strode over to the door, through which Ekias, Elran and je-Kalyi were peeking.

"There's no one here." lied my other self, facing je-Kalyi. Why was she hiding me?

"I could have sworn I felt a presence in this room, though."

"Well, you must've been mistaken."

je-Kalyi shot my other self a suspicious look, wandered over to a veiled window on the other side of the room, before parting the curtains and looking out. She shook her head and let the fabric drop closed once more.

"It doesn't look any better from here." she said, "But I think this is as good a place to rest as any."

I watched as what little natural light was peeking through the closed curtains dimmed, and saw my other self rummaging through her pack. Finally, she bent forward, and a clear, green light spilled forth from between the small group of five, providing light in the encroaching darkness.

I watched as they began eating, and engaging in banter. My other self sat tense, as if expecting something to happen, and her hand began to wander towards the strangely adorned staff.

Just as her fingers closed around the wood, one of the walls exploded inwards, and I saw a glimpse of something terrible. In my mind, it almost resembled a spider - long, sharp legs, a massive torso and a tiny head covered by a nigh-infinite amount of eyes, glittering with malice and intelligence in equal measures.

Before it could do anything, it, my other self, the closet and indeed the entire room seemed to dissolve into clear water that quickly rose around me, until it crashed together overhead and I became aware of a burning for air within my lungs, and a glittering light far above.

Gathering the last of my strength, I swam towards the light, even as the darkness encroached around my vision and my arms lost their strength, until finally, I broke the surface, taking in a deep breath of air.

I was dimly aware of shouting from somewhere, and flailed on the water's surface before recalling how to tread water, and orienting myself.

I was back at the lake, floating at the exact center.

Looking towards the shore, I could see Elran and san-Zur waving and shouting, and began swimming towards them slowly.

***

Once I reached the shore and san-Zur had thrown a blanket over my shoulders, I became aware of my clattering teeth, and numb limbs. The lake had been ice-cold, and I'd almost contracted hypothermia. In light of this, Elran had eschewed the valley's serenity and lit a small fire with what little dry grass and fallen wood he could find. Arrayed around it, then, were four of us - Elran, kneeling by his brother - who was staring into the distance with empty eyes, lips moving in silent whispering. san-Zur was stirring a pot over the fire, and of course I was also there.

"Where's je-Kalyi?" I asked.

san-Zur pointed over his shoulder, and I could see her crouched figure sitting on a sun-bleached rock nearby, looking out over the mirrored lake. She was unmoving.

While I was debating the merits of standing up and talking to her, san-Zur pressed a small, steaming bowl into my hand with a single-word: "eat."

And eat I did.

When the night came, Ekias had ceased whispering soundlessly, and appeared fast asleep, same as his brother. I'd felt warmth return to my limbs, but at the same time became aware of a bone-deep weakness. Still, I couldn't sleep - not because I was tired, but because my mind went a mile a minute.

What had happened? Did I truly see the future? What did the vision before that mean?

I had no answers to any of these questions, and eventually drifted asleep as well.

Sometime during the night, je-Kalyi had returned and fallen asleep beside us. In the morning, all of us awoke, even Ekias, though both him and the Weaver were distant, lost in thought. And so was I.

Finally, her voice broke the silence, but it sounded raspy, unsure. "One of us will have to drink from it."

The statement hung in the air, and I knew it was right. We hadn't gained the knowledge we were seeking - the path to the Mountain Throne - and a sip of the water may reveal it.

"We'll have to choose carefully. No offense, but we need someone whose deepest desire is stopping the corruption, or the path won't be revealed."

"Or we could all drink from it."

***

We eventually decided on the last option, even Ekias. Our curiosity, it seemed, was not broken just yet.

"Careful not to look into it." I warned, closing my eyes as I approached the waterfront.

Kneeling down, I blindly filled my hands with the water, and quickly drank it, then sat back.

My eyes still closed, I slowly relaxed - no sudden revelations this time, apparently.

Then, slowly, a glimmer of silver grew before my mind's eye, larger and larger, before becoming more and more complex. It shaped itself into an image of the Wellspring, then of the mountain range as I remembered seeing it - It began to trigger memories, and I found myself mentally backtracking through our journey, towards the canyon.

There, the memories stopped - or rather, my own did. I began remembering images I'd not seen before - a large grassland, a tainted, swirling lake, and a deep, malicious forest. Before long, I mentally beheld a tower jutting forth from a series of other towers in a state of ruin, the entire scene overgrown by dark vines.

There was no doubt in my mind - this was the Mountain Throne, and the path leading towards it.

But to my surprise, the images continued.

I saw a darkened corridor, illuminated both from behind and far ahead, a large circle etched into the floor, covered in scratchings and carvings, splattered with blood. I saw a heart, beating alone in the darkness, and finally a circular stone structure jutting from the ground in an otherwise barren chamber. The circle's interior was filled with mist. The vision continued for a few moments, but all I could see further was shrouded in mist. There appeared to be images behind or within the mist, but they were simply vague shapes and lights, until eventually those were also lost as the vision began to fade.

The images stopped, and my eyes snapped open.

"I know where to go," I said into the silence.