V2e1

Footsteps treaded slowly on the red sand. Riddled with cuts and calluses, the tainted feet moved away the sand as they trod forward in this silent passage. The walls on both sides were like the purgatory of endless misery and screams,exuding a vivid red that seemed to light up the infinite darkness in the middle yet seemed so far. As one would think this sates the anxious heart of the vigilant teenage, they ought not not as a deep silence touched his very skin like a haunting ghost, pulling him further into the depths of fear for he knew, he might not be alone.

Alas, the secular comfort of turning back seemed laughable for he knew, he was close. The slow inch by inch saunter filled him with a relief. The grip with which he held his wooden impaler relaxed further as his free hand was only but a few meters away from the yellow colored crystal imbedded inside the wall. His movements came to a halt as the eyes scanned his surroundings, whereas his spear was ever so quietly digging out a yellow crystal imbedded into the red wall.

A soft crack rang out, making his nerves stand on end. His shoulders tightened as his grip on the gun rose up again. He heaved his chest and expelled the tension, continuing to slowly remove the crystal until it completely came out. As he was about to grab it, he decided on facing the direction whence he came from, mustered all the strength he could while getting in a low position. To anyone outside this might seem strange as he looked like he was about to fall yet his hand was well rested on the bright red wall.

His palms then reached out and grabbed the dusty yellow crystal with a touch of red on its surface. As his hand withdrew from the wall, the muscles on his calf showed more and more until, the dominant foot stepped out with a ridiculous strength that a crack appeared on the hard red ground. While still in a low position, a harsh crash was felt on top of his head but he exerted more strength instead onto his feet and in less than a second, he was already ten meters away from his original spot.

Even with that loud sound, he didn't look back and with a spear in one hand and crystal in the other, he gritted his teeth till the veins almost popped out of his head and ran as fast as his strength could muster. He had taken almost five steps while the thing behind him had taken only one, yet he didn't even dare to slow down and escape the passage of hell, a term he had coined himself amidst the tragedies that had occured in this tunnel.

With the second footstep behind him, he grit his teeth and extended the index and thumb past the held spear and grabbed a sharp object attached to his waist with practiced movements without slowing down even once. His fear however, seemed to grab tighter at his chest with that little movement.

He didn't dare to look far because he knew that even a little hope at the end of the tunnel would cause a great change in his emotions, relieving him of the needed fight or flight instinct therefore his gaze was lowered the entire time. Three more steps, was all he thought, three more steps.

'One, two, three and throw.'

With that he threw the long held shrapnel at the wall and jumped with his remaining strength. Four meters in the air was all he needed as his piercing sight had long converged onto the shrapnel embedded onto the wall. With the remaining leg strength, he stepped onto the shrapnel and launched himself higher with a soft air leak and raised up hands. As he had jumped higher, he outstretched both his occupied hands and quickly released whatever he was holding. With the downward motion on his now free hands, he clasped the edge of the high raised wall, feeling a sharp pain brought on by the rocks and grass hanging onto the top of the wall.

A sharp wind blew from under his hanging feet with a biting sound following. His heart almost fell into his stomach with that but he knew there was no time to waste, so he pulled himself up as fast as he could on top of the wall and climbed. His weakened arms and legs almost let him rest in the fresh grass on top of the wall but he knew even a little relaxation would be detrimental, therefore he swept up the thrown spear and yellow crystal while running ahead. He knew whatever had tried to bite him didn't give up on such fresh meat and would try to climb up from the hole.

A little regret filled his heart as to why he didn't remove the shrapnel before he started running as this would have maintained his running rythm. A loud roar interrupted his thoughts, making his movements halt a bit but then he shook off the fear and went on jogging. He definitely knew that the thing would take time to escape the underground passage so all he had to was recover some strength and adjust to the different lighting.

The vibrant color of blood that seemed to infect the entire deep tunnel made his skin crawl at the thought of it. Just how many people had died to dye the wall and sand red, even a devil isn't capable of such a feet. If only he didn't need the yellow crystal, he would rather hunt the aggressive horned leviathans for three days and nights than return to that tunnel.

His back was now full of sweat and a deep stench emanated within three meters of him. The calluses in his palms where scratched many cuts had appeared on his legs and arms yet when his eyes fell onto the yellow crystal in his hands, a smile couldn't help but creep up on his scarred face. His jogging came to a slow stop and. he looked back to the soft patches of grass and scintillating fragrance that was unique in the entire leviathan's prison. Such temptation was nothing but a trap for those desiring relief out of this hell,wherein there lies a great danger in form of a beast than can never be seen unless one wishes for their own death. No one knows why it stays in Hell's cave, a place redder than the graveyard of fallen gods and devils on the South of the continent yet surrounded by a bright light blue patch of grass. A one-strike-predator they called it, as no one has heard of it attacking again after a single fail.

In there lies the source of confidence for the teen to slow down even after hearing the thunderous roar of the aggrieved predator. After travelling a distance away from the cave, he slowed to a halt and took in the blue surroundings once again. The cold silver rocks that shined with a soft blue, the plenty colorful mushrooms to serve as a juicy final meal for all that gave up, ragged rocks that are harder than silver when stepped on , just a wonderful sight for all.

He shook his head to rid of himself such distracting thoughts and ran on top of huge rocks without touching the shining blue sand, just so he can hide his footsteps. Having travelled for hours like that, he suddenly came close to three inconspicuously placed rocks and twisted one of them while pushing in further into the ground. A red light lit up from the ground, counteracting the blue light in the atmosphere and formed a slightly purple hue.

When this purple hue however disappeared, the young man was gone with it. A silence followed then, eerily in its nature yet calming at the same time as it has always been.

This time however, something changed. Confident yet heavy footsteps rang out, appearing from the north from whence the teen came from. The footsteps came closer and closer and halted in the middle of the road. Two guards holding majestic spears in each hand pierced the ground with their might while one offloaded whatever he had on his chest. With that done, they turned back, leaving the unconscious person lying on the ground.

A silence ensued for an hour until the body once again moved on its own. It started with a few finger twitches, then body rolls in the cold uncomfortable sand. The pain seemed to snap the sleeping person out of his stupor. He opened his eyes slowly and held his head in agony.

"Damn stupid princess, I didn't know she was so wicked. Ahhh. Now where am I?"