The Graves in the Oak Trees

The two of them were now in front of the entrance portal to the Black Valley. Normally, everyone had to pass through this area first if they wanted to enter the Black Valley. The entrance itself was at the end of the valley directly opposite the Rose Garden. It was to the left of Star Lake, and was covered by a bunch of bare oak trees.

They had to pass through the valley pass first before finally reaching the hills of oaks, a place where 'visitors' who knew the way could see firsthand the people trapped in the valley areas.

The land around the hills was covered by white sand on both sides, and the lake was dark black in color. The hills were filled with several oak trees, which were always surrounded by a small sunflower garden around them. Clarissa had told Putra from the start that they should not step on the white desert in the valley because, to be honest, the stretch of sand was just camouflage for the quicksand that was in it.

All creatures that step on the sand will be sucked in and trapped in the world of illusion. In fact, the only land within the Black Valley was the hills filled with oaks and little sunflowers. If the two plants are not on the hill, then, it is not a hill but just a quicksand that is in camouflage.

Not many people know about this information, except for the creatures who have participated in the competition to become Candrasa. Even if they entered the competition, there was no possibility that they would understand the life system within the black valley.

They finally landed on one of the hills filled with three giant leafless oaks. While Putra watched the clusters of little sunflowers growing around the hill, Clarissa chose to walk leisurely towards the top of the hill, approaching a part of the oak tree where little orange flowers were growing.

"Is there a special meaning to these little flowers?" asked Putra while following Clarissa's footsteps.

"It's a graveyard." It was Putra's silence that made the girl walking in front of him look back for a moment. She looked at Putra with a flat look on her face and said, "Those who fail to escape from the world of illusion will be automatically buried here, and the event will be marked by the growth of the little sunflower. "

"Then for those who are still trapped but not yet dead?" asked Putra just as Clarissa reached the top of the mountain.

"They will be trapped inside, but the difference. The space they were trapped in is still covered in crystals." Clarissa explained this while pausing in her steps, along with Putra, who had just reached the top of the hill and saw several rows of crystal-lined holes surrounding the giant oak tree. The two of them then walked around the hill to look for the crystal-lined hole filled by Jane. "Then, if in the end, these creatures fail to get out of their illusory world, then, the crystals will melt, then swallow them and turn into earth, grass, and little sunflowers as cover."

Putra swallowed his saliva upon hearing that. As he circled the hill looking for Jane, there were many kinds of creatures trapped in the crystal hole. They seemed so far below, and he couldn't get close. They seem too small, or sometimes too big. As if the place is likened to the world they are trapped in, a world that is so small and stifling, or a world that is too big and misleading.

Perhaps more dangerous than all of this is the fact that they don't know where they are. They do not realize that they are trapped in a grave pit.

He hoped... Jane wasn't trapped in a crystal hole like this.

*

*

*

Jane had no recollection of how long she had been unconscious, but when she opened her eyes, she could only fall asleep on her side, curled up. Her left hand and leg were numb from the tingling, while she was trying to sit up.

Things were still as dark as before. She still couldn't see anything, around her it was still as if she was surrounded by a huge wall, she couldn't seem to move anywhere, and the wall was now squeezing her body even more. The girl leaned her back against one of the walls, this time, she realized that one of her hands was holding a small knife.

She clearly knew that it was a knife because of its sharp point, and one of the edges that managed to cut her finger. The pain was even more real.

"What do they want with this knife? Asking me to kill myself, huh?" thought Jane subconsciously. She chuckled at her own assumption. "Suicide? I wouldn't want to do that," she mumbled with a lopsided smile.

"Pay what it's worth, Jane."

Jane's eyes widened when she heard Renik's voice inside her head. It was definitely not a memory fragment; she knew Renik had never said such a thing before. But she also didn't feel wrong to hear because the voice really resembled Renik's voice.

"Pay what you deserve?" She thought as she gripped the knife in her hand. "Is that why this knife was suddenly in my hand?" unconscious monologue.

If it really was Renik's voice, and the 'worth it' the little girl meant was the eyepiece she wanted.

So, that meant... she had to blind herself first in order to get the lens.

Jane swallowed saliva unconsciously. If the voice was a trick sound from another being and the command was a trap, then she could have been blinded by that crazy and reckless act.

However, if she didn't try, she might not be able to get out of this increasingly narrow space and end up dying.

There was no option that wouldn't hurt her at this point.

And the option that had a slightly lighter disadvantage was simply... blinding her own eyes.

Jane swallowed again. The girl took a deep breath before finally quickly stabbing the knife into one of her left eyes, making all the pain and soreness mix together and making her scream so loudly. But her hand didn't stop there. She pulled out the knife again, then stabbed the freshly bloodied object into her other eye, making her shrill screams again very loud.

The girl pulled out and threw the knife in any direction. Her hands covered her own eyes, which were still covered in blood, while her lips were still screaming loudly to vent the pain from the wound she had created.

If Jane still couldn't get out after all this, it was likely that she would just give up, fall asleep, and die like that.