Only One Way Forward

I waited for roughly half an hour. No one jumped in. 

Which was a good sign, after all they didn't know if there was water or whatever down here. Sure, I wasn't hurt. But what if I was? Normally I'd be dead, and they too if they'd jumped. 

But since I wasn't, I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream for help. Mom had been screaming my name the whole time. Yet, when I fell into the aerated water, I stopped hearing her. In fact, I didn't hear anything anymore other than just the dripping sound. Besides, I could have sworn I saw the light disappear. 

Screaming needlessly was only one reason for not screaming of course. The other one was simple. This was a cave. And judging by the severely connected and complicated flooring, it was some sort of dungeon or labyrinth. If there was one fiend, there had bound to be more. Giving them my location willingly when I had no real way to defend myself was the last thing I wanted.

My vision gradually got brighter and it was now I debated whether to venture forward or just stay put. 'They haven't jumped and there's no guarantee they will.' Everything was connected in one way or another. So, there was a good chance I could leave this place. The hole above was already closing by the time I reached the water. Staying here didn't guarantee Mom would come here…. 

But I had nothing to base that on. 'You're not a kid anymore, stop panicking!' I tapped on my shaking knees, trying to get some sense back into my body. 

Sure, I was in a dungeon of sorts, alone. But I wasn't completely powerless. If push came to shove, I could at least try to defend myself, even if… no, I didn't want to die. Not again.

'Should I cry?' I'd tried before, to summon the goat. But she never came. So, taking that risk here, was a stupid idea. 

I took a deep breath and a step. I confirmed whether the ground was really solid or not. Things were solid but I was still somewhat traumatized from before. I carefully made my way to the door like opening. It didn't lead down, but rather just straight. Which was good, because I was already pretty deep and didn't want to just randomly keep going down to the center of the earth. 

Heh, as if that was possible. 

I could see pretty well now. But that was thanks to the glittering water. Wait… glittering water?

My dress was half drenched and also had a faint glow. I had no idea what that water even was but it didn't hurt to carry some. So, I took out a bag from my pocket and grabbed some water; less than a liter. I was not going to drink something so suspicious but as long as it was going to be my light source, I had no qualms. 

'How the hell did I not realize this sooner?' When my eyes started adjusting, I didn't even consider the possibility of the water being the light source… I guess I was still a child in some departments. Which did mean one important thing- 'Be more mindful.'

The water glowed through the bag. It was a rather faint glow like a small led. But just that was enough to light up the dark. I waited another half an hour. Still nothing. 'Alright.'

Took a lot of courage but I strode out. The hallway led straight, deeper. Crude walls, no sign of any fiends… and wait, there were no bugs here. 

'Doesn't that mean there's something worse?' Or was it that most people didn't come down here, so there was nothing to eat? The former seemed more plausible but I hoped that wasn't the case. And if there really was some beastly thing in here, there was a good chance that thing would come to this room to drink the water, right? 

Naïve? Sure. But I had to find a way to escape this place and survive. 

I tried to tip toe as best as I could yet my steps reverberated. Just my steps, nothing else. I always had issues with cold damp places. Yet, for some reason I didn't feel cold. Meaning this place was well insulated. And my dress was only half drenched. 'But I still should feel at least a little cold, right?' 

Trickle… some pebbles trickled down. I immediately took a defensive stance but there was nothing there. 

'Is there a floor above?' If so, the possibility of someone being up was high. Or maybe there was a fiend there instead. 

I kept on walking cautiously. So far, I didn't see any forks or stairs or holes or anything. No monsters, no bugs. It was both good and bad. Good because, I wasn't in any imminent danger. Bad because it meant something worse was around. 

I'd played a lot of games in my life. I'd read a lot of novels. And in a vast majority of them, stuff like this happened. The hero found himself in an impossible situation only to have a mysterious power awaken in him or maybe make a pact with something sealed in the depths of the ruins. But again, I wasn't stupid enough to conclude I was some protagonist just because I'd been reborn. I was below average and had little to no chance of survival against a strong foe. Besides, I didn't want to fight in the first place. If I could do without fighting, why would I?

I reached the end of the corridor, and found my first fork. Two paths. Both leading the same way, down. Behind me there was only the glowing water room and nothing else. 'Maybe I should go back there and just wait.'

But I didn't have drinking water and I didn't have any food. I was confident I could survive for a few days. But given how I was awfully young, I'd be in no condition to fight in that state. I wait a day, get weak and then what? What if no help comes? What if someone convinces Mom that I'd be dead from a fall like that? Would I then just wait to die?

No.

'I can't… you can't go back.' 

There was only one way forward.

And even if it meant going down to the depths of hell. I had to. I had to go forward.

Then again if there were fiends ahead, I wouldn't mind just running back here….