The Created

Chapter 36: Underneath the Castle

Beginning of PART THREE: THE CAVE

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KYE

It's dark. Dark and cold. So, so cold.

I hear a muffled noise, like someone calling out to me through the wall of another room. Like my head is wrapped in a pillow.

Slowly regaining consciousness, I try to breathe, and my lungs light up with flame immediately. My body convulses.

I'm underwater.

I begin moving my arms and legs in the darkness, hoping with all my might that I'm moving up. I push air out of my mouth and watch the direction that the bubbles go. I follow them.

I need to breathe. My chest burns and my heart feels ready to burst.

The muffled noise grows louder and louder until my face finally breaks the surface of the water. I gasp horribly, the noise echoing off the walls of the space and coming back to my ears distorted, like a monster.

I can't tell what's going on. I listen closely to the noise.

Screaming. Andy is screaming.

I can also hear Cat yelling out names, no doubt looking for everyone.

As I try to steady my breathing, my eyes adjust to the scene around me. We're in a cave; a very dimly lit one. It's almost completely black, save for a few lanterns on the cave walls, lit with blue flame that scatter their eerie glow across the rocks and the surface of the water. The water glows blue-green every time I move, just like back at the cave outside the city walls.

Andy's screams fade into a low whimpering. I see various forms moving around through the lights and I can see Cat at the edge of the water, facing away and calling my name.

"I'm here," I call out feebly, still coughing.

Cat spins around. "Oh my gosh! I was so worried."

I start swimming toward her.

"Be careful. The rocks here are slippery," she warns. She pulls me out of the water, and I start to shiver as I rest on the rocks, wringing out my Holvnid. Cat is drenched too; she must've landed in the water as well.

"What was the screaming about?" I ask worriedly.

"It was Andy, but I don't know where he is! I can't find anyone."

"Andy, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Amber's voice comes out of the darkness to our right. "Your.... It's okay, you're going to be okay."

"Amber?" I call out.

"Yes?!" she yells back. "Kye, are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Where's Andy?"

"He's right here! But..."

"What's wrong?" Cat asks.

"I—I think his arm is broken," Amber responds. Andy's soft crying can be heard.

Cat lets out a pitiful sigh.

"Come on," I say. "Let's go find them."

We head toward Andy's stifled cries and the sound of Amber trying to calm him.

"Where are we?" I whisper as we step carefully over jagged rocks and stones.

"Underneath the castle," Cat says. "The tower must've collapsed in on itself. We're below it. We fell right through, and I suppose the tower rubble sealed off the top because I've checked and there's no way out.