Chapter | III |

It was dark, empty, and most of all, terrifying. Petrified, I stood still. My mind clouded, the darkness took away my sight. A nightmare! I screamed in my mind. However, deep inside me, I felt as if it was real and indeed, reality.

Swish!

The creepy and ghastly space around me was lit by several torches in a row. Once it was illuminated by the blazing white fire, I could see well. I felt at ease as the darkness was vanquished by the light, it gave me some sort of peace, I was no longer blind to my surroundings anymore.

I steeled my will to walk forward in the strange place. As I ventured deep inside the unknown place, I saw several large entrances. However, the veil of darkness inside those crept over me, they appeared ominous and depthless, like an ocean with no surface beneath.

I avoided them. The sounds of my footsteps echoed inside the hall, strangely the water did not splash when I took a step forward, as if it was rock solid. What further crept me was that I was walking on it, rather than sinking my foot.

Then, after a couple of meters, two entrances were only left. The straight path had come to an end. I stood still, my gaze going forth between them continuously. The entrance to my left was crimson red, with a swirl of darkness looming over its edges. The one to my right is adorned by a cerulean glow, with strings of golden swirling and creeping off its edges.

Suddenly gazing to my left, I felt a spiritual sort of pull, as if... It was calling me, begging me to walk and embrace the crimson light. I took a step to my left... However...

...Growl

As a growl resounded through the quiet crimson light, I was terrified. My heart halted for a second, I held my breath as the growl, which seemed so loud and screeching as if from the depths of hell itself entered my ears. My legs shook, and I felt... Absolute fear. With my pupils shrunk to the size of a needle's point, my legs gave out. I kneeled and gasped for breath.

W-What... W-What was that? I asked myself, horrified and frightened. Slowly gazing away from the entrance, I turned to my right. The cerulean glow felt calming and peaceful, the golden strings swirled around me, It helped me stand up... As the strings embraced me, I felt my fear wash away, my mind free of any tension. My legs stopped shaking, and I took a step to my right.

I took one, then another, then again. With the golden strings slowly pulling me, I soon passed through the entrance of the cerulean glow that seemed so peaceful and serene. A light smile crawled up my face as the warm memories in the forest and the small pranks I did resurface in my mind.

'Naruto...Naruto...Naruto...'

A beautiful and soft voice called me deeper into the chamber, my heart pounded, my cheeks turned red as I tried to imagine the picture of the woman's voice, I felt a pool of heat rising from my abdomen.

So... So enchanting. I thought, peering deeper, and deeper. Then suddenly, gazing past the cerulean glow, I caught a glimpse of a small part of an ominous, portentous, and ancient grey string.