1 The Cave

<Part 1: The Awakening>

*Kairo's POV*

Darkness. It's the only thing I can see as my eyes slowly open.

(Where am I?)

This thought rattles around in my head as I look around. The pure black encompassing me is swallowing everything. Even my waving hand is invisible.

I shut my eyes, trying to get them to adapt to the darkness as I count the seconds passing by.

(Stay calm. Control your breathing.)

After a few shaky breathes, I open my eyes, my hammering heart a little more under control.

Seeing that I still can't see, I close my eyes once again and focus on my ears.

The sound of water, slowly dripping into a small puddle, comes from my right. I can also hear soft breathing and hushed, whispered talking floats into my ears.

(I guess there must be other people in the room, cave, or whatever I'm in. How'd I get here?)

I try to remember but a flash of pain lights up behind my eyes.

"Holy mother of-"

My hand flies up to my head as I gasp at the unexpected pain.

"Hello! Is someone there? I just woke up and I...I..."

The soft, feminine voice coming out of the shadows slowly dies off, soft sobbing replacing it.

(She must have just woken up.)

With a sigh, I adjust how I'm sitting and scratch my head.

"Yeah, I'm right here. Try to calm down. Where are you?"

"Over here!" She practically shouts in a shaky voice. "Do-do you know where we are?"

"I have no clue."

A very serious sounding male voice interrupts our conversation.

"Then why even-"

"However, I have been awake for approximately 5 minutes and I have come to the conclusion that we are in a cave of some sort."

Mr. Serious, which is what I'm now naming the voice, bulldozes right through my question and states his 'observations'.

"No shit Sherlock."

A rough voice practically dripping with sarcasm cuts in.

"Watch your language! You do not know if there are children here with us."

Sarcastic snorts and starts going on a verbal tirade.

Surprised by the familiarity of the name Sherlock, I try to follow that feeling as the two voices get even more heated.

Blinding is the perfect descriptor for the sharp pain spiking through my skull right now.

My hands automatically shoot up to my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut as the pain slowly fades away.

(Why does my head keep exploding like that? What's stopping me from remembering?)

My train of thought is shattered as the argument between Serious and Sarcastic becomes more heated.

"I just do not understand why you need to be so rude! I was just attempting to help everyone by informing them of the observations that I have made!"

"But the thing is, no one gives a shit! Besides, anyone could figure out we're in a cave because of the fuckin' stone floor!"

"Language! Obviously that woman cares! And what if someone had not noticed that?!"

"Then they're a fuckin' idiot!"

"Language!"

I can't help but grimace at the nonsensical argument happening around me.

(Why are they fighting at a time like this? I guess they must be the type to not get along...)

Looking back in the general direction of the two guys arguing, I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to ignore the entire conversation.

"GOD would you two idiots shut up! Listen!"

A high pitched voice shouts over the two raised voices.

Serious and Sarcastic fall silent.

In the quiet that follows, I can hear a faint rumbling coming from my left.

The ground underneath me starts trembling.

A crack of light slowly appears to the left of me. As it gets louder, the ground starts to shake more violently.

It's still dark, but it's bright enough for me to start making out the shapes of the other people in the cave.

A shaking figure is to the front and left of me. Another person, who is standing up, is barely ten feet to my right.

The rumbing seems to reach an apex, then stops. I have to squint my eyes to not be blinded by the light streaming in from the opening.

Looking around me, I can finally see the other people in the cave.

There's at least twenty people around me, and they're all facing the rectangle of light.

Following their example, I stand, my arms dangling by my side as I try to see anything past the opening.

In the corner of my eyes, I can see a few people taking small steps towards the doorway while mostly everyone else is hanging back, nervously waiting to see what's going to happen.

I hold my shouts for them to stop moving in the back of my throat, deciding to wait and see first.

(We don't know what's past there, and I don't want-)

I'm taken out of my thoughts as the sound of padding feet reaches my ears.

Looking down, I discover that my legs have a mind of their own.

I mentally scream at myself to stop, trying to take control on my legs, but the long strides keep carrying me closer and closer to the light .

Only a few feet away from the doorway, I resign myself and take the last few steps that carry me out of the cave.

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