Beneath It All

The vast tunnels of the cavern stretched beyond what any person could comprehend. Figures of the protectors ran towards me, but I knew I shouldn't look back. My legs tangled themselves as I lost my balance, but, as if the heavens were on my side, I caught myself onto a rough boulder, bruising my arm in the process.

"Proceed no more, or thy will shall be washed away by the waves of regret," one of the protectors exclaimed, but my stubborn mind continued fueling the engine of my legs, which ran too fast for my vision to comprehend my surroundings. The guards were right; I, the poor soul that stretches herself beyond the core of Earth, should have turned back long ago, but if I were to seize myself, the entire royal hierarchy should cast my spirit into a demon's crucible, then drunk by dark angels.

Finally, as if the bell of dawn had rung into my ears like a million vultures, my legs wore out as I sat against the stone wall, inside a small branch of the cavern and out of sight. I heard the protectors' footsteps echo slowly fade until only my heavy heaving filled the tunnels. Exhausted to my core, my feeble arms and torso had given up, falling onto the rocky floor. However, my eyelids did not give in, as I forced myself the acknowledgement of my only hope in this god-forsaken journey; my lost brother. Lifting up my frail body, the cold floor made my spine shiver, and my breaths fumed into icy vapor. I picked out the shiny bloodstone out of my pocket, and clenched it against my stomach, as it began to illuminate and quietly hum. My mind cleared and soon I felt the bruise dissipate and my body back to the state that it had been in when I started the journey. I peeked into the tunnels from the little cavern, checking twice for any protectors. Fortunately, it seemed only the sound of wandering rats remained, and despite the white fog, I could tell there was no presence of any bodies.

I took off running, dropping the now colorless bloodstone onto the ground. The colorful crystals around me quietly hummed, and their illumination guided me through the tunnels, showing the vast space all around. Despite the ominous feeling I can't help to ignore while wildly dashing through the caverns, I would admire the view all day; the hidden stalactite hanging above had barely peeked into light, the cavern's floor formed such natural and beautiful shapes, and yet such a sight wouldn't be able to compare to the gloriousness of Agartha.

I came to an abrupt stop, having met with a huge ravine leading to a gushing river; I heard the tides crash along the rocks, yet darkness had consumed its image. My arms felt stiff as I fell back onto the ground in reaction to the huge gap, as if a statute had peered into my soul and whispered my name. I heard footsteps start to echo in the distance, and I knew -- just at that moment -- that everything I'd worked for towards finding my brother dissipated. All gone. I sighted the protectors from across the gap, and they had successfully hunted me.

And just that easily, I was carried back to Agartha.

The city was filled with articulate structures and neighborhoods, all of which had been carefully planned out. Children frolicked around the fields of grass, which were lively under our illuminating sun. The woods contained sparkling plants and flowers that bloomed with the beauty of a maiden. This utopia -- such irony mocks the city if one should describe it with that word -- was everything a human could ever dream of. Everyone was fit for their own task and was equally paid, the stream stretched out into a beautiful and natural waterfall, and the emotional distress set upon any soul would be controlled and obliterated.

However, the recent events of the damned city slowly led to its fall. The Old Ones forbade the exit of Agartha without reason, and soon they deployed the protectors; these ancient guards were set out to seek anyone who dared to escape. My brother had fled to Earth, but he wasn't the one to resurface back to Earth only after The Old Ones enforced the rule. Rather, the Earth was sealed off with him still on the surface. I waited for his return home for what almost seemed like decades, but his absence only ached my heart until my emotions faded into nothingness. Regardless, I pushed on, and attempted to search for him throughout the city, (surely he must be in the city? I'd thought to myself at the time,) but the vain scavenge brought nothing but desperation, and soon, I became desperate enough to try and reach the surface of Earth myself.