The Last Goddess

Chapter Fifty: The World Below

I watched the way our clothes and hair hovered around us. I caught glimpses of eels and fish as they passed by, and before long, I saw a door at the very bottom of the path. It practically blended in with the sand and shells, but there was a dull shine to it that reflected in the light.

Niobe reached down and unhatched the door before walking through it. All I could see of her was an arm waving us inside. I stepped through the doorway, and it was like I stepped out of a bubble and flipped upside down. My stomach was in knots for a moment at the sudden change in direction.

"Ugh..." Aryan groaned, acknowledging that I wasn't the only one to feel that pull on my stomach. It was the same feeling I got when I've gone through a loop on a rollercoaster.

Niobe quickly closed the door, and I marveled at how this door was also on the floor. "Just a bit further and we will be with Lady Seraphina. We ask that you do not wander. The World Below is quite large, and it would take some time to find you should you get lost."

The World Below looked like a giant cavern. Long stalagmites and stalactites were scoured throughout the cave, making it look like the fangs of a fierce beast. The quartz glowed like lanterns, never leaving us in darkness for longer than a few feet.

As we entered another section of the World Below the crystal changed to a smooth sandy limestone. The deeper we went the more I began to notice—like how there were silver transparent people walking to and from the cave. None of them gave us a single glance as we carried on. Looking ahead, I could see a mother and child approaching me. I started to move out of their way when they simply walked right through me! I gasped, so shocked that I froze for a moment. Aryan was instantly at my side, looking me up and down.

"What happened?" he inquired.

"They just..."

"Don't worry about the souls." Niobe threw her head back as she kept going. "They are just travelling between caverns. They can't see you anyhow. They are quite harmless too."

"This is... strange." I whispered to Aryan.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I think so too. I've never been to the World Below. I didn't think I was going to see this place until it was my time to go."

I felt my face furrow at his words. I didn't want to think about Aryan passing away. I couldn't. Besides, it certainly wouldn't be his time to go while I'm around. Especially not after I've dragged him on this quest.

We caught up to Niobe quickly. She crossed into another cavern and stopped at the doorway. "Lady Seraphina is inside." She said, gesturing for us to enter. "I will wait for you here."

Grabbing ahold of all my courage, I stepped inside, feeling like my heart would explode. This cavern wasn't all that different from the one before it, but in the middle was a pool of clear water, and in the middle of that was a tall, barefoot woman. She had long white hair that just skimmed the surface of the water and wore this gossamer black gown with gold and silver stars scattered throughout the bodice and down the sides of the dress, but never reaching the bottom. There was this ethereal glow about her, and I knew, instinctually, that this was the goddess of all creation.

I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when I heard her melodic, bell-like voice. "Samara," she turned so I could see her eyes glowing against her olive complexion. One was silver while the other was gold. Both shined brightly. "Come. I've waited a long time for you."

I felt like I wanted to run to her. Like I wanted to hug her. But somehow, I managed to control myself. I walked into the middle of the pool, gazing up at this phenomenal being. "Seraphina?" I asked as if I wasn't already certain.