9 To Conquer a Cave - Revelations

Wow. Thank you general obvious for saying we must find a way out. Sounds like a good plan except for the part that is not even a plan

"So, how do we find the altar?"

They stared at me as if I asked the most dumb question in all of Terra. Akin to asking the why we should cultivate or how cool is this novel.

The guy whose name I learned to be Alexandros approached me with eyes of pity behind a new white mask he pulled out of nowhere

"Don't tell me... you didn't notice?"

I looked back at him, confusion explicit in my face

"Notice.... notice what?"

You Xia pointed around "Look, white mist, except it isn't a common water mist. That's spiritual mist condensed!"

Now that she said it, I could faintly see traces of white air that coiled and danced in the distance, near the ground. Softly surrounding us. And it was significantly less apparent from where we came from. and seemed to get denser as I looked to the inner cave

"See that? It seem there is a side where the spiritual energy is denser. I believe that should we follow that density, we will find the altar"

You Xia sounded confident enough to convince the others, and confident enough to convince me

"Then we do have a plan! I am glad we weren't merely walking blindly. You should have said so sooner"

As I lifted myself, beating the dust out of my clothes, and soon many other followed the same pattern of movements. I was surprised to see that even the most injured managed to pick themselves up and walk independently, considering that a few moments ago they had to be carried.

Let's not dwell too much in such mysterious matters, then.

"So, which direction is the most spiritually dense?"

They started to look around, feeling the slight changes in the air, when the girl with soft voice and brown irises pointed to the other margin of the water stream

"There! That's where the energy is denser, and the mist gets even thicker. It seems it even turns into a fog"

It seemed her eyes were keener than the average, specially concerning the flow of spiritual energies, mine on the other hand.... it might be better to avoid commentaries..

"I follow your lead, then" I said as I pointed to the stream. Somehow, it felt as You Xia was displeased by not being in the spotlight.

"Un, thanks!"

As we crossed the stream, it felt as if we had jumped into a pool, the very air felt a little denser, a cold gale caressed our skins, as the same stony scenery repeated itself as far as the eye could see.

We walked in line, paying attention to our surroundings, overwhelmed by the almost-death experience we have surpassed, none of us was willing to take their chances again. The reapers wouldn't be so kind again

As the time passed, our steps grew slower, the mist turned into a fog, thicker, denser and heavier, the perfect indication we were in the right way. Soon, it felt as if we were walking through cold mud under the stormy rain, the viscous sensation it brought was really uncomfortable. Our clothes dampened, but it was hard to say if that was due to the humidity in suspension or our own sweat.

We walked almost in straight lines, every so often adjusting our route to avoid the sound of wild beasts or to direct ourselves to a place that was denser, even by the slightest margin.

As we advanced, the occasional sound of growls, scratches and tappings were replaced by humming, bell chimes and whispers. The most bizzare part is that none of us heard the same whispers. And they sounded as if they were revealing secrets regarding the nature of the universe, yet were indiscernible, losing their sense as soon as you tried to focus or remember them. One or other student would exclaim in awe, as if suddenly understanding the mysterious whispers.

Suddenly, a loud voice sounded from the back of the line "Be careful, my friends! Some of those whispers carry good intentions, others may try to beguile you!". When looking, the last man of the line was the guy whom I decided to nickname "monk" and if you had seen him kicking the way I did, you would instantly agree.

But that's not the important part right now, deceiving whispers are the problem. They usually appear in areas of dense spiritual energy and reflect the failures from one's heart and mind. They usually wouldn't have much effect on cultivators, but our meridians are still closed, so we don't have much resilience against them.

The whispers took a more aggressive intonation, almost felling physical. They mixed enlightening phrases with mischievous ones, tempting us to betray our brethren, to give up, to run away, to unleash ourselves, to assume our weaknesses, our cowardice, our anger, our greed, our lust, our sloth, our avarice....

I could notice some of them being shaken as the whispers made them face what's worst inside them. I was not an exception.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, we almost couldn't see past the line, as our bodies struggled to move at the same time we could fill our souls moving in agitation, af if trying to absorb the energy around us, but it was blocked.

As our senses were being overwhelmed. I can't really put my finger on why, but we remembered another important detail, the chimes! We decided to follow the chimes, as the fog and the spiritual energy were so dense we couldn't sense the slight fluctuations that were previously guiding us.

Slowly, those who scattered along the path found their way back.

Then, we saw it.

A golden tablet, forming a clear area amidst the dense fog, pulsating shockwaves in the air along the chiming of the bells, each chime send one wave, as if warding off the advance of the fog. Entering that zone, our minds felt clear, sharp, focused. A benevolent warmth embraced us, as would a loving mother do to her children that returned after a long travel, we no longer felt as if the very air impaired our advance.

The feeling of awe filled out hearts as we looked at that structure, a three meters tall golden tablet, with scriptions that I swear were floating above its surface, and silver wind bells chimed at its side.

"That.... must me the thing we are looking for, right?" I asked to the air, without anyone in mind.

"Seems like it" Answered Alexandros. "What do we do now? Any other golden ideas?"

"I fell it... it calling me" You Xia slowly approached the tablet, inviting us to imitate her gesture, to touch the tablet.

When she touched it, her eyes began to glow, and the tablet vibrated softly, as if resonating with her. Though afraid, one by one they approached and touched the tablet, repeating the scene of glowing eyes, each time making the tablet vibrate stronger at each time.

I hesitated, but I couldn't wait forever. Soon, the strange attraction intensified. I approached the stone as well, slowly extending my arm, only so I could touch it one second sooner. Feeling the warmth irradiating to my fingers even before I could touch it.

When my hand finally reached its surface, I felt the world being erased by a white light. Blinding my eyes and covering everything. I felt as if I were levitating, a mere cloud left to its own devices.

I tried to move, but I couldn't feel anything. Soon, a cold feeling crept up my neck, and I was embraced by a dark smoke, chocking me and robbing me of my air... or not?

I tried to touch the smoke, only to see it passing through me. I looked around and saw my body, looking up, eyes shining in white light, lightly convulsioning, as were the others. But I couldn't see their flying figures, maybe they couldn't see me as well.

As I was enjoying my spectral experience, i looked down only to see an eerie shadow, extending itself from under my physical body, with bright red dots, as molten rock, looking up to me, following my movements.

A voice, that at the same time sounded as mine, and didn't, echoed inside my head

"Finally noticed me?"

I was surprised when the shadow raised itself from the ground, gaining projection, as if someone was pulling a doll from inside a pool of pitch, slowly revealing its form as the black liquid flowed back down. I was left looking to something that was a perfect mimicry of me, if not not the darker hues and tones of gray, the only colours that existed in his body except for the molten red eyes.

"What are you?"

It laughed

"What? Wow, this way you offend me. Wouldn't it be more polite to ask me WHO am I?"

It seemed lost in thought for a few seconds before reiterating

"Well, I am actually you. Rather, I am the best version of you..."

The figure lifted itself in the air, encircling me with whisps of smoke that gradually grew and pulsed with his words.

It approached me

"I am stronger" as it pushed me

"I am smarter" it appeared behind me before pushing me again "I am faster"

Suddenly, a giant shadow claw grabbed me in the air, as that thing slowly crept, revealing a smile with angles no human could reproduce, tearing apart the skin and revealing macabre teeth.

"How come you insist in such an offense. I was being polite with you, yet you insist in describing me as IT?"

"How can you read my mind if I said nothing?"

My eyes must have betrayed me, but it felt as that thing was staring through my body, looking beyond my flesh and bones

"I already said, I am you, but better. So I only have to step down to your level and figure out the stuff"

I tried to squirm and struggle, but the claw showed no signs of moving.

"See? I am stronger"

"What do you want?" I said through my teeth. My heart beating faster and my mind trying to find a way out.

"Oohh. Looking brave are we? How cruel of you to treat me like this. I here to help you, you know?" It made a mellow voice, as if trying to convince me that I was in the wrong.

"Help me? In what?"

He pointed to an area near where we were. Strangely, my spectral form could peek inside the fog. Regrettably, I saw it. A squirming figure that looked like it was made by crudely assembling lumps of decomposed meat from various bodies, crawling on the ground, straight out from your nightmares, tendons and fractured bones still exposed, mixed with plaques of exoskeleton and insects eating it alive, maybe some inspired artists might have called it the silhouette of a gorilla.

"Souless..." the word came out of my mouth instantly.

The shadowy figure smile "Exactly! It sensed that someone among you has the innate Hero Constitution, truly a blessing from the goddess and is now coming for you guys"

I looked it with a crooked stare "How did you now that?"

"You should have listened those whispers. Or maybe learned more about your companions. Poor egocentric you..."

"So, I assume you Lord ShadowMe has a plan?" My inquisite tone couldn't hide my fear quite well

"Of course I do! Just let me use our body, I take over, open our meridian, absorb the spiritual energy and get us out of here quickly"

It said, while floating towards the body

"So you will fight it? Can we win?"

It laughed

"Fight? Win? Look at us! I will just run as fast as we can"

As it was almost inside the body, the white light changed to a darker tone, and the dark claw vanished in thin air. Thankfully, I disparated and could grab it, pulling it out from the body. I felt sorry after seeing my own nose bleed

Red streaks spread in its face, just as bright as the ones in his eye sockets "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" This time, the voice sounded more guttural, as a meat grinder filled to the brim

"I am not a hero. But I am no coward either. And if you say you are better than me, than you should really know better. You are merely a shadow! Something that will never truly be!"

That thing flew over me, as we were both pushed inside the body