Prologue

//This is literally just the Prologue. All of my other chapters will be much longer then this one. Hope you enjoy though 😁🥰

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It was a world of darkness, an endless expanse of black, void of light and warmth, a cold abyss that offered no sense of safety or comfort. Nothing could be seen or heard, tasted or felt, just a stretch of nothingness that went on forever.

Juda Bayrock wasn't sure how long he had been within that world, how long he had remained there or how much time had passed as he floated through the ocean of oblivion. It had been the most surreal dream he had ever experienced, one where he couldn't feel anything, not even feeling the beating of his own heart nor feel the need to breath. It was as if he had been underwater, his brain ceasing all normal functions as he drifted along infinitely. For a while, it was almost as if he had died, having passed away without even realizing what had happened.

Of course, it had all been naught but a dream, or at least, that's what Juda initially believed as he pried his eyes open, neon brown hues slowly coming into existence. Senses, of which he had previously been deprived of, came back little by little, Juda's sight and hearing being the first ones to come into play.

The uncomfortable feeling of his back pressed against solid ground, the sound of water trickling from some unknown place, the smell of damp earth permeating the air, the taste of salt resting on the tip of his tongue. Juda took it all in, the rusted gears in his brain beginning to turn as the young man pushed himself into a sitting position, his stiff body creaking at every movement.

(("Ugh, my head,")) Juda muttered internally, a sudden throb of pain resonating from his forehead before spreading through his entire being. (("What in the world was that? Did I oversleep? Where am I?"))

Juda wasn't able to see too clearly, the lack of any substantial light making it rather difficult to pick anything out, but even despite that, he was more than capable of realizing he wasn't anywhere familiar. At the very least, he wasn't in his own bed, the slightly wet and rocky ground, humid air, and constant dripping of water in the distance all serving to position him as far from his room as physically possible. He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there and the lack of visibility certainly wasn't helping him cope with anything. While the youth had never been one to panic, the darkness in combination with the unknown predicament made it rather hard for the young 13 year old to keep calm and collected.

"Is anyone out there?" Juda asked hesitantly, making sure to raise his voice ever so slightly. His tone came out weak and trembling, but even so, it didn't stop him. "I'd like to know where I am."

All Juda got in response for his words however was a brief echo and some splashing of water as a small rodent ran through his legs. It became clear that the only other living creatures within proximity were those of rats and bugs, something he actually didn't mind as he pushed himself off the ground and onto his feet.

The black haired youths eyes had managed to adjust quite a bit, allowing him to see the number of scurrying little critters roaming the insides of what Juda could only assume was some sort of dank cave. Walls of rock surrounded him on three sides, the only open side being a short distance away before breaking off into three different directions. Though Juda couldn't make out the finer details surrounding him, he could now make out just enough to explore the area without repeatedly falling over himself. With his damp clothes, the dense humidity, and his own dislike of dark, enclosed spaces, the youth had every intention of finding his way back to the outside world.

"Question is, which way should I go?" Juda asked softly, pausing slightly at the three way intersection. "Left, right, or strai-"

Whoosh!!!

Before the youth could finish his sentence, a small gust of freezing wind hit him full on, ruffling his hair and causing a shiver to run down his cold body. While the breeze wasnt especially powerful, it carried with it a sort of earthy scent, one that was greatly enticing to the young preteen as he decisively made his way forward. Using the wind as his guide, Juda trudged along carefully, eager to escape whatever maze he was in and see the bright blue sky.

The cave was long and narrow, the lack of light making it near impossible for Juda to see more than five feet in front of him. Hell, he could barely see his own bright white sneakers of which were quickly becoming less visible the farther he walked. Every step was made with caution and every so often he would even stop to listen in for any sort of noise or indication of nearby entities. Having awoken in a strange place with no damn clue as to what was happening, Juda had every single one of his senses on high alert, his internal radar keeping a lookout for any potential dangers.

(("I have to keep my guard up until I get outside. The person who put me in this underground maze could very well come back.")) Juda kept close to the wall, feeling his way down the hall with the tips of fingers. (("I'm not sure as to who or why, but I for sure didnt freaking float all the way here nor did I walk here by myself. The only possibility I see is some twisted freak placing me here for his or her own sick amusement."))

After what felt like hours of nonstop walking, complete with the occasional pause, the corridor of rock Juda had been traversing finally opened up, giving way to an enormous, dimly lit room the size of a football stadium. The only reason that the youth could tell the size was because of the numerous, small crystalline objects embedded into the rock wall, of which gave off a small glow. It was thanks to this that Juda was able to adapt his eyes to the room much faster then when he had initially awoken.

That being said, Juda wasnt even sure he truly wanted to see what was going on in the stadium sized cavern. In truth, he wanted nothing more then to turn tail and run back the way he had came, too lie back down and pretend everything was all just one big nightmare. Fear shot through him, encompassing his entire body in a cold feeling, as if ice water had been poured over his head. Piss ran down the length of his leg as his gaze flicked upwards, neon brown hues staring straight at the eight beady eyes staring back at him.

Resting at the top of the room, dangling from a massive web big enough to cover a few city blocks, were three mammoth sized spiders, mandibles clicking loudly as they spotted their newest prey.