Sunlight?

I've been crawling through this cave for what feels like hours, maybe even days. After failing to find a way across that swamp, I decided to take a different passageway, hoping it would lead me to another water source. But the deeper I go, the more this place feels like a maze.

"Where the fuck am I going?" The thought crosses my mind more than once as I slither through yet another tunnel that looks exactly like the last one.

Some people have trouble with directions, confusing left and right, getting turned around easily. I've never had that problem. Back on Earth, I was pretty good at following maps and giving directions. Tracing my footsteps back to where I started? Easy. But this cave… this cave is different. For the first time, I feel like I've truly lost my way.

"I've completely forgotten how to get back to where I came from."

I pause, considering my options. The sensible thing would be to retrace my steps, figure out where I took a wrong turn. But then again, what's the point? I don't have any pressing reason to go back.

"You know what? I don't even need to go back," I decide, the thought giving me a weird sense of freedom.

With no clear plan in mind, I keep moving forward, wandering aimlessly through the winding passages. It's strange—part of me feels like I should be worried, but instead, I'm kind of curious. What's out there, deeper in this cave? What could be waiting for me if I just keep going?

After what feels like an eternity of twisting tunnels and dead ends, I finally see something different—a faint light at the end of the passageway. My heart skips a beat. Light? Down here?

"Damn," I mutter to myself, picking up the pace.

When I reach the end of the passageway, what I see nearly knocks the breath out of me. It's a forest. A massive, sprawling forest inside the cave. Tall trees stretch upwards, their leaves rustling softly in a breeze I can't feel. And above it all, there's a warm, golden light filtering down from the high ceiling. It looks like sunlight, but there's no way it's coming from outside. We're still deep within the cave.

"Where's that light coming from? And more importantly… is there even an outside?"

The questions swirl in my mind as I cautiously move forward, staying low to the ground. This place is incredible, but it's also dangerous. I need to be careful. I find a large tree near the edge of the forest and hide behind it, taking a moment to scout the area.

It doesn't take long for me to notice that this place has its own ecosystem, completely different from the rest of the cave. I spot creatures moving through the trees, some vaguely resembling animals from Earth, but others are entirely foreign. And then, to my surprise, I see goblins—small, green-skinned creatures setting up what looks like a makeshift base among the trees.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day. Goblins, huh? This place is teeming with life."

The forest is vast, larger than I ever would have expected to find in a place like this. It's like its own little world, hidden away beneath the surface. I can't help but feel a spark of excitement. This is getting interesting—really interesting. Maybe I should set up a base here too, find a spot where I can observe and figure out how to navigate this place.

"I wonder where the lake is in this forest… If there's a forest this big, there's gotta be water somewhere nearby."

As I ponder my next move, I realize that this forest could be more than just a new area to explore—it could be an opportunity. A place to regroup, gather resources, and maybe even find that elusive water creature I've been searching for. It's time to dig in and see what this hidden world has to offer.