Beneath the Crimson Waters

It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was running along the banks of the Eldoria River that cut through the heart of Amberhelm. This river is the lifeblood of Heraklion.

Its crystal-clear waters made inland navigation a breeze, and Amberhelm being near the river delta meant really great soil fertility to grow crops.

This is supplemented by the towering Dragon Peaks in the north, which block incoming cloud streams from the southern part of the sea, causing plentiful rainfall to occur in the region.

I was running along the banks of the river when I tripped over something. I turned around to see a shiny blue stone jutting out from under the ground.

Eldoria is famous for one more thing: Its rich mineral deposits.

Amberhelm was already an agricultural hub, but it was the discovery of mineral deposits in and around here that really put the city on the map.

Among various  metals, another thing that made it even more special was the eventual discovery of "Eldorite", a mineral named after the river.

These shimmering blue stones are imbued with magical properties and sought after by wizards, alchemists, and enchanters alike. Eldorite is used in the creation of powerful artifacts, spells, and potions, making it highly valuable and sought-after.

Amberhelm swiftly ascended to prominence, ultimately earning the esteemed title of Heraklion's capital due to a multitude of influential factors.

I was staring at a very large piece of Eldorite when Isabelle suddenly walked up behind me and put her arms around me.

"Eduardo, what have you found? Is that a large piece of Eldorite? Quick, grab a shovel, let's dig it out!"

Ah, her eyes are so dazzling.

Her flowing gown, adorned with delicate floral patterns, billowed gently in the breeze as she walked, its pastel hues harmonizing with the serene surroundings.

The soft sunlight caressed her loosely braided hair, adorned with a dainty wreath of wildflowers, lending her an ethereal glow.

"S-sure!"

I hurriedly made my way back to the spot where we had placed our luggage and pulled out a shovel from my duffel bag.

Why was I carrying a shovel again?

Abruptly, I heard an ear-splitting crack. The sound was so loud that it physically hurt. It felt like my head was being torn apart. Startled and disoriented, I desperately looked around for Isabelle.

Just as I was recovering, A second wave of the same nature hit me, even more powerful this time.

This brought me to my knees, holding both my ears as I reeled from the pain of my eardrums being torn apart. I brought my hands back from my head to in front of it, and I saw blood. Bloody hands.

My ears had so much damage inflicted on them that they were bleeding out.

I turned to the left, and what I saw sent chills down my spine.

The entire river had turned into a river of opaque blood. The deep red hue it gave off leaked onto the nearby riverbanks, bathing everything in red.

The air became very heavy and had this foreboding quality, like it was preceding something. Something really bad.

I resumed my search for Isabelle, who was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to get us out of here. Out of this place. Far away from here.

Then I saw her standing on the opposite side of the blood-soaked bank, looking in my direction.

Her elegant gown, now drenched in a haunting shade of red, caught my attention. Our eyes met, and a sudden unease washed over me as I peered into the depths of her gaze.

Something had changed. The brilliance that once shone in her eyes had faded, replaced by a distant stare that seemed to penetrate my very core.

Slowly, she extended her hand towards me, silently beckoning me to join her on the other side.

Against my will, my feet began to move, as if controlled by an unseen force. I tried to resist and halt their progress, but it was futile. They carried me towards her, step by step, as if guided by an invisible hand.

A chilling smile stretched across her face, distorting her once-familiar features. It sent a shiver down my spine, intensifying the feeling of dread that had settled upon me.

Relentlessly, I continued forward and soon found myself standing on the riverbank, its waters tainted with fresh crimson.

The scent of iron filled the air, mingling with the growing sense of foreboding. The blood clung to my clothes, staining them and marking me as a reluctant participant in this macabre dance.

My body, no longer under my control, plunged into the depths of the river, which proved to be far deeper than anticipated. The current carried me, sweeping me along against my will.

Helpless, I struggled against the invisible bonds that held me, but they remained unyielding, driving me further into the heart of this surreal nightmare.

As I made my way further into the middle of the river, something very strong from underneath suddenly started pulling at me, exerting such monstrous force that I thought my leg was going to get ripped off.

I couldn't see what it was, provided the crimson hue cut off any sort of visibility underneath, but whatever it was, I didn't want to see it.

I struggled and struggled, becoming more and more fatigued as time went on. In the end, when I had almost no strength left, a strange sense of relief washed over me.

I felt like giving it all up. It was almost as if my mind was telling me to let go. To stop resisting and give in, and I finally did.

The grinning visage of Isabelle, her countenance transformed into a macabre mask, mouthed two haunting words as I descended beneath the surface, straining to catch their meaning before the water consumed my senses.

"Find me." her voiceless whisper resonated, barely audible over the rush of water in my ears yet etched into my mind with an eerie intensity.

Those two simple words reverberated within me, evoking a flood of questions.

Find her? Find out who or what she has become. And where?

As I totally went under, the sunlight filtering through was very little, but what did manage to come through lit the entire body of water in this lush red that was eerie but also mesmerizing at the same time.

I closed my eyes, just giving over control to this force, and let it take me over. I thought about everything up until that moment in my life. Isabelle, Hagen, Valeria, and Zorro—all the people who showed they cared about me and all the people who didn't.

Then, all these thoughts slowly started to fade away, and it felt like I was reaching the end of human thought, replaced by a serene stillness that was beyond words. It felt like I was trapped in a realm where all time had been suspended.

I wasn't dying, though.

Eventually, the sinking was replaced by my feet touching solid ground, and I opened my eyes. It was pitch black around me, and I couldn't see anything.

I stumbled around aimlessly, looking to make sense of this place, and then I saw them.

Two glowing orbs, one blue and one purplish pink, lit the pitch-black area with an exquisite glow.

They were suspended in motion, and upon walking closer to them, I saw them moving around in place, like they were alive.

Both of them seemed to respond to my coming closer to them. They were glowing more aggressively and also moving about more; it was as if they were screaming, "Pick me."

I was standing directly in front of them, with the blue orb to my left and the purple orb to my right. I instinctively knew I had to pick one. I couldn't decide which one, though.

With a decisive breath, I finally extended my hand and reached for the blue orb. As my hand wrapped around the lively orb, a feeling of warmth enveloped me, and I could feel that this was something that was beyond my comprehension.

The orb now shone even more brilliantly, almost to the point of becoming blindingly bright, and I had to close my eyes and look away.

As I shielded my eyes from the glow of this orb, I heard a voice calling out to me from the void.

"Eduardo! Eduardo! Wake up! Are you okay?" Her words, laced with a mixture of hope and despair, reached deep within me. It was as though her voice acted as a lifeline, pulling me back from the abyss that had ensnared my consciousness. "I mean, you're not, but are you alright? Fuck, I know you're not, but are you even alive!?"

I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting to the sun that was now beaming out of the protrusions in the walls. It lit Valeria up in a beautiful way, and her emerald green eyes had a look of relief and concern. I could see tears flowing down them.

"You know, I really thought you had died there; you had no heartbeat for a long time, and I was trying my hardest to at least get you up to consciousness." She said that between sobs.

"What happened?"

"He got away."

Valeria continued sobbing.

"What about Hagen??"

"They were thawed out by fire mages in the castle, he came out unharmed. Hagen did give chase to the kidnappers right after, but he lost them."

Now that I noticed it, I could see she was covered in scars, and her armor was all scuffed up.

I looked down on what appeared to be a huge dent in my armor, and upon removing it, I saw a huge bruise around the region of my chest where Gelidra had struck me.

"I couldn't do anything about it, and I couldn't stop them from taking our majesty." Valeria said, her voice laden with guilt.

"It's okay; we will find her and find out the cause for all of this." I said, placing a reassuring hand on her.

She got up and looked toward the rising sun.

"I'm going to find them." Her sweet and mellow voice suddenly turned terrifying and was brimming with resolve.

"I will hunt them down, and they shall face fates so wretched that even the depths of hell shall pale in comparison."

Her words echoed with a chilling certainty, the conviction in her voice carrying a sense of righteous vengeance that sent a shiver down my spine.

I walked up to her and stood beside her.

"We will find them and bring them to justice."

We exchanged a silent nod, and with that, vowed to catch Isabelle's abductors.