Day 4 Part 6

Peering at the runes, I furrow my brow in concentration, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar pattern. Even though I penned down the whole novel and all the historical backstories, I still find myself grappling with recalling every single detail. This unfamiliar scene is another testament to the vastness of the world I'd created, and the countless aspects I can't seem to remember.

A thick layer of what appears to be stone and dirt encrusts the doorway, offering no immediate way to pass. Isadora, wielding her sword, takes a swing at it, but her weapon merely glances off the surface without making any noticeable impact. As the echo of the clashing fades, a quiet stillness descends over us, broken only by the water's constant roar.

"Just how do we get in?" I wonder aloud, scratching my head.

Biana sidles up to the door, striking a dramatic pose as she laughs, her hand running through her hair. "Hahahaha, you poor souls, in the end you can't do anything without the greatest of the great, Biana, I truly am the one carrying this team," she boasts, coating her hand in mana she taps the runes in a particular sequence. The stone dirt wall rumbles, before sliding open, revealing the passage beyond.

Biana frames the entrance with her arms, smirking. "Aren't I a genius?" she preens, fluffing her hair in an overly exaggerated pose.

An involuntary grimace crosses my face at her showy display. Sure it's impressive, but why does she have to act like this? It's like she's asking for a beating, I can feel my fist clench.

Before I can take a step toward the open passage, a rock zips past me, striking Biana in the face. She yelps, toppling backward onto the wet ground. "Ow ow ow, Damn you! Do you enjoy hurting me!?" She cries out, cupping her face in her hands.

Isadora merely shrugs, walking past the fallen Biana without a second glance. Laughter bubbles up from me, watching Biana writhe around in the dirt. That bitch definitely deserved it, Hahaha, Isadora doesn't disappoint.

Ilka, however, remains curiously quiet. The spirit is laying listlessly on my hair, seemingly uninterested in the scene unfolding. It's strange; I was sure she'd have had a good laugh at Biana's expense.

As I step over the threshold and into the dank, cavernous tunnel, I pull up the system map. "Fucking useless," I grumble, staring at the holographic terrain that shows everything but the underground labyrinth we've found ourselves in. My mood isn't improved when a system window pops up in response to my complaints.

'[Cry about it. I was considering being merciful and displaying your surroundings in full, but since you're so pitiful, I've decided to make you suffer.]'

"What a piece of shit system," I mutter under my breath, clicking my tongue in annoyance as I dismiss the message. No help there, then. The stupid system has never been helpful to begin with.

The passage before us is narrow and swallowed by darkness. Sighing, I withdraw my dagger from its sheath, running my fingertips along the blade before I envelop it with my fire magic. The flames come to life, bathing the passage in a soft, flickering light. I can't help but feel a shiver of unease as I look at the color of the fire. The hue isn't natural - a fact that I'm reminded of every time I channel my magic. It still feels alien, I saw Isabella's fire, it feels more natural than my fire, I feel weird using it. I can see just fine but these two won't.

"Alright, Biana. Keep up," I call over my shoulder, striding into the tunnel without looking back. "And don't even think about dozing off."

Biana's indignant snort echoes behind me. "Tsk, do you think I sleep all day or what!?"

I exchange a glance with Isadora and we can't help but stare at Biana in disbelief. She's one to talk, considering she spends more time asleep than awake. Biana... she is truly one of a kind. Unfortunately we don't have time to complain.

As we continue deeper into the tunnel, the passage begins to widen, slowly unfurling into a cavernous underground space. This must be a secret exit of sorts - a backdoor in case of emergencies. Although I'm not entirely sure why the professors would still be monitoring us in such a place, I don't let my guard down. There's no telling what we might come across down here.

I notice an unlit torch mounted on the wall and light it with the flame of my dagger. The room brightens, illuminating more of the rocky walls and uneven terrain beneath our feet. As I replace my dagger in its sheath, I take a moment to look around, taking in the eerily quiet expanse.

We trudge on through the monotonous, winding tunnels for what feels like an eternity. The stone walls are indistinguishable from one another, the torchlight flickering off the rough surface in the same way, over and over. An hour ticks by and there's no sign of anything new. No branching paths, no differing landmarks – just the same scenery.

Biana groans, her head drooping as she stumbles forward. "Uggggggh, can we rest now? We've been walking for an hour and nothing has changed," she complains, her voice echoing off the stone.

I pause, my brows knitting together in thought. 'This is weird. We've been walking for an hour now and nothing has changed... it's almost as if we've been walking in circles,' I mull over the situation, my gaze landing on the rock wall beside us. An idea forms in my mind.

"Hey Isadora, can you punch it real hard?" I ask, pointing to the wall.

With a simple nod, Isadora steps forward, her hand enveloped in her aura. She slams her fist into the wall with a grunt, creating a fist-shaped indent. The impact resonates through the cavern, sending a flurry of small rocks raining to the ground.

"Just what the hell are you doing?" Biana asks, shooting me a questioning look.

I simply sigh, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. "Don't worry about it. Let's walk a bit more."

Twenty minutes later, I halt in my tracks, my eyes fixed on a familiar sight. The fist imprint Isadora made is right there on the wall in front of us. 'We didn't take any turns so how are we back here? Is it some kind of formation?'

Biana grumbles again, "Ugh, when are we going to find something?"

I turn to her, rubbing my temples. "Hey, Biana, I think we're in some sort of formation that's making us go in circles," I explain, my voice flat.

The realization seems to drain the last of her energy as she slumps onto the ground. "So, we just walked for no reason," she groans, kicking the ground and pulling at her hair in frustration.

Isadora, for her part, just stands there, silent as a statue.

With a forced smile, I turn back to Biana, "So, how do we get out of here, Oh great one~ The greatest of the great~ Biana~"

She rolls her eyes, flopping onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. "How the hell am I supposed to know? Do I look like a formation master? We probably have to solve some stupid puzzle," she grumbles, her voice echoing off the walls.

As if she has a switch to just tune out everything happening around her, Ilka yawns and comfortably settles back onto my head, snoozing off in seconds. It's astounding how unbothered she is in this situation. Guess she has too much faith in us, or maybe she's just bored. Sighing, I absentmindedly pat her in an attempt to comfort myself.

"Just what are we supposed to do?" I murmur, feeling a little exasperated. 'Ugh, if only I could find the original entrance. There are no physical clues... Wait, I'm so fucking stupid.'

Realizing the most obvious and overlooked clue, I Channel some aura into my eyes. As I concentrate on the mana trail, a barely perceptible luminescence begins to glimmer into visibility. 'How could I be so fucking stupid?' I chastise myself, landing a slap on my forehead in frustration.

"Ugh, you two," I grumble, "channel some mana or aura into your eyes."

Biana, with her usual dramatic flair, groans. "Fuck, are you serious? It was this easy? We walked all that for nothing," she complains, evidently annoyed.

Ignoring her banter, we focus on the trail, which leads us straight to a stone wall etched with glowing runes. These must be the source of the trail. I glance at Biana, expecting another of her lazy yet brilliant insights.

"What do you think?" I ask, eyeing the intricate carvings with intrigue.

With another groan, she takes in the runes. "Fuck, these Blue mar runes are so unstable," she grumbles, sounding genuinely peeved. "Ugh, what a hassle."

Surprising me yet again, Biana draws out an arrow and starts carving runes of her own, uncannily similar to the Blue mar runes. 'Did Biana learn how to make them?' I wonder, feeling a little taken aback.

"Hey, don't tell me you know how to use them?" I prod her, seriously I know I designed her but what the hell.

"Hey, don't laugh," she scolds, albeit halfheartedly. "I was 7. I thought they looked fun to use."

Her casual confession makes me want to throttle her, but I suppress the urge. This damn lazy genius is far too useful to offend. As she finishes carving the runes, Biana speaks up again.

"Ugh, this needs aura," she grumbles, "Hey you, you goddamn bully," she gestures at Isadora.

Before she can say anything further, I jump in. "Isadora, can you please apply some of your aura?"

Isadora responds with a nod. As she moves toward the wall, her foot connects with a pebble and, with uncanny precision, sends it hurtling right at Biana's forehead. The ensuing sight of Biana falling backwards, taken by surprise, is so comically satisfying that I can't help but burst into laughter. Fuck, hahaha, I-i cant, I- ahahaha, that was perfect.

When Isadora touches the wall and infuses her aura, the stone crumbles as easily as a cookie. From the opening, a mesmerizing blue glow spills out, radiating from clusters of crystals that appear to be a source of light.

Isadora's hand shoots out and I feel a hard pull that yanks me backward, a sharp whistling noise narrowly missing my ear. An arrow buries itself into the ground where I was just standing, inches from my face. A cold shiver runs down my spine, I really need to stop getting into near-death situations.

"Thank you," I say to Isadora, trying to conceal the shaking in my voice.

As expected, Isadora remains as silent as ever, only giving me a curt nod in response.

Biana, however, is another matter. She's now sitting upright, glaring at me with pure fury. "Y-you, you bastard!" she yells at Isadora, and I can't help but flinch. "You know what! I know exactly how to get over this, but if you want to get over it you need to let me sleep now!" She points an accusatory finger at me before she plops down onto the cold stone floor, closing her eyes.

The audacity of this woman.

I sigh in frustration. "How about we just carry you?" I offer, even though I'm pretty sure she won't go for it. She really is a master at making things difficult.

Predictably, Biana shakes her head. "No, I'm going to sleep right here, right now."

This is ridiculous. I have to stop myself from shaking her awake, reminding myself that she's the one who can get us out of here. We've walked in circles for hours, only to be confronted with a puzzle we can't solve without Biana's knowledge. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

I glance back into the tunnel again. It's dark, only faintly illuminated by the blue crystals, and I haven't the slightest idea what to do with them. I sigh again, and it echoes loudly in the cave.

With no other choice left, Isadora and I take a seat on the ground next to the snoring Biana. The sound of her peaceful sleep, unaffected by the predicament we're in, grates on my nerves.

If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that the moment we get off this damn island, I'm going to beat her ass for all the trouble she's caused. The thought brings a small smile to my face.

It's a promise, Biana. Just you wait.