I hit the ground hard, my breath knocked out of me. Dust and dirt filled my mouth as I gasped. Darkness wrapped around me, thick and dizzying, a sharp change from the bright, misty sky above.
My body screamed with pain from the fall, piling on top of the aches from yesterday's brutal trials and the wild scramble at the cave's edge. Where was I? How far down had I dropped?
Panic squeezed my chest tighter than the suffocating dark. I struggled for air, pushing myself up from the cold, jagged floor with shaky arms.
Then, a soft light started to glow. It wasn't harsh, just gentle, pulsing slow like a heartbeat. It came from the walls, showing me a huge cavern, way bigger than the tiny crack I'd fallen through.
Crystals covered the cavern, sticking out from walls, ceiling, and floor. They ranged from small bits to giant pillars, all shining with a soft inner light. Blues, greens, and violets moved inside them, throwing pretty patterns on the stone.
It was stunning. And so quiet, except for a faint hum that vibrated not just in the air but deep in my bones.
Something pulled me deeper into the cave. My legs moved before I could think, tripping over rough ground. My eyes locked on a big crystal shard in the center, taller than me, sticking up sharp from the floor. Its light pulsed brighter, warmer, like a signal just for me.
I felt drawn to it. Like I had to go closer. Like it was waiting for me.
My hand reached out, fingers shaking as they touched the cool, smooth surface. The second I made contact, a jolt shot up my arm, strong and shocking. It didn't hurt, not really, but it was intense.
My mind filled up. Not with my own thoughts, but with feelings. Deep warmth, a sense of something ancient, a sleeping power ready to wake. Flashes of things I never saw came to me: endless skies, loud roars, a heavy sadness, and a strong feeling of waiting. It was like a huge, sleeping beast brushing against my mind.
Lumina. The name whispered inside my head, not a sound but a feeling.
The crystal in my hand flared bright, a blinding white light filling the whole cave in one quick burst.
Right as the light hit its peak, the cave shook. A deep groan rumbled from above, louder than the crystal's hum. Dust fell from the ceiling. Small rocks bounced down.
The entrance! That shaky opening I fell through!
A hard tremor rocked the ground under me, knocking me off my feet. The sound of moving rock got louder. The entrance was caving in.
Panic hit me again. I stumbled back, my hand tight around the glowing shard, protecting it without thinking.
Through the shrinking gap of daylight and falling rocks, a figure appeared. A dark shape against the gray sky.
With crazy speed, Kade Stormborn jumped down, landing in a crouch just inside the collapsing entrance. A massive boulder slammed down right after, sealing us in with a thunderous boom.
Dust filled the air, choking me. Smaller rocks kept falling around us.
Kade stood up, his sharp eyes cutting through the dim light, finding me right away. His gaze dropped from my face to my hand, to the bright, glowing shard I held.
His stormy eyes widened, shock mixing with doubt. The crystal's light lit up the hard lines of his face, showing confusion and a growing suspicion.
The ceiling groaned again, a deep, splitting noise. More rocks crashed down, plunging us into almost total darkness, except for the ghostly, pulsing light in my fist.
Trapped. With him. And whatever old, powerful thing I just woke up.
