"What is the problem?" Kaelyn asked.
The man gestured upward. "Look up."
As everyone tilted their heads, their eyes landed on the cave ceiling, where glittering black crystals hung. Sierra's gaze lingered on the crystals, her face masked with admiration. However, as she scrutinized closer, her brows furrowed in concern. Tiny droplets of liquid had begun to form on the surface of one crystal, and were slowly dripping down.
"What's that?" Astrid asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The crystals are about to burst with that liquid," the man warned. "If it touches you, it will burn your skin."
Astrid's face reflected her confusion. "What?" she exclaimed.
"We need to leave now." the man urged, his voice firm and insistent.
Everyone was about to follow the man's lead but someone spoke which caused others to stop their movements.
" What about the wisps?" The person asked.
" That is correct Xavier,the wisps are still out of there, how do we get passed them?" Kaelyn asked.
" We would have to kill them off." The man who raised alarm, responded to Xavier and Kaelyn. The man shrugged like it was not a big deal.
Audric crossed his arms and stepped closer to the man. "We can't just " kill them off" they are many in number, we can kill a few but after a while,we might be exhausted and that will surely get us killed." He retorted at him.
" If you want to stay here, fine. But I am leaving." The man turned his back on Audric and started leaving them.
" Kiki! Wait." Astrid said,calling out, her voice filled with worry.
"Kiki" turned and walked over to Astrid.
" I have told you to stop calling me that."
" Kiki" said curtly, his masked with irritation
Astrid smiled wryly, " Kiki, don't leave. We will do it together. We came here together, so we are leaving together."
Astrid continued
"I think we should go with his suggestion," Astrid said, nodding towards Kiki.
"It is better to fight the wisps head-on. Even if it means death, at least we will die fighting."
Kiki nodded, and Astrid gestured for him to lead the way. As they exited the cave, Kiki took the forefront, with the others following closely. As they ventured deeper, they noticed the crystals on the ceiling weren't entirely black, but rather had subtle shades of darkness.
"These crystals aren't full yet, are they?" Astrid asked Kiki, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Hmm," he replied curtly, not elaborating. They walked for a while before encountering a crystal-filled blockage.
"Great, we're stuck," one of them muttered. "We wasted our energy for nothing."
Another voice chimed in, "We should have stuck to the entrance path."
Kiki did not say anything but searched the cave. His eyes landed on something and he turned to his group.
"I'm going to do something, and immediately after,I start running, follow suit and run with all your might," Kiki said, his voice low and serious.
Kaelyn's eyes widened in alarm. "What the hell do you mean by that?" she demanded, her voice higher than usual.
Kiki didn't respond, instead reaching for a large stone lying nearby. He held it in his hand, his eyes fixed on the crystal glass-like blockage before them. With a swift motion, he brought the stone down, striking the middle of the blockage.
Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the outcome. The stone hit the glass with a loud thud, but at first, it seemed to have no effect. The group released their pent-up breaths, relief washing over their faces.
"So, any other thing you want to-," Audric began to say, but his words were cut off as the glass suddenly started cracking in the middle.
The cracks spread rapidly, radiating outward from the point of impact. The group's eyes were fixed on the blockage as it shattered, revealing a bright, open area beyond.
As the glass broke, the crystals that had been a deep blue hue suddenly turned black, as if infused with an ominous energy.
A dark, viscous liquid began to flow towards them, its movement eerily slow at first.
Kiki didn't hesitate, turning and sprinting out of the cave. The others followed suit, their hearts racing as they ran for their lives. As soon as they cleared the entrance, the liquid surged forward, gushing out of the cave like a wave. It solidified just at the entrance, sealing the cave behind them.
The group turned to stare at the black, solid mass that now blocked their path back. It seemed to have filled every crevice of the cave entrance, leaving no visible gaps.
"That would have happened to us," Sierra whispered, her eyes wide with fear. Her words seemed to be an inner thought, but Audric heard her and responded.
"No, it wouldn't have. It only happened because he hit the main crystals," Audric said, gesturing to Kiki.
Kiki's response was curt. "It would still have happened eventually." He scanned their surroundings, his eyes narrowed as he searched for potential threats.
As they looked around, they realized that they were standing in a vast, open field.
The sky above was a deep, foreboding grey, and the air was heavy with an unsettling energy.
There was no sign of the wisps anywhere. "The wisps are not here either," Kiki observed, his voice low and thoughtful.
"It is an open field. Where are we?" Kiki said in deep thought
The rest of the group's eyes met, uncertainty and concern etched on their faces. They had no idea where they were or what lay ahead, but they knew they had to be prepared for anything.