Down below
She placed a hand on the ground, and the floor around her melted into a bubble that rose and enclosed her.
After speaking a word—followed by the crushing of a crystal—the inside of the bubble glowed, then vanished.
She was transported to the heart of a cave. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she began walking until she reached the nearest wall.
With a fingernail, she scraped bits of rock loose, letting them fall into her other hand. When she had gathered enough, she threw the dust into the air and spoke a word that set it ablaze.
Before it could dissipate, she passed her hand through the flame, trapping some of it in her fist. She used it as a flashlight, leaving a small opening between her palm and pinky finger.
From where she stood to the first turn, she counted one hundred steps. Then a right turn.
In the new tunnel, a set of stairs appeared—but there was no passage beyond them. The right turn she expected was sealed, the wall smooth, as if it had never been open.
She felt along the stone and found a small hole, no wider than a hand.
Recognizing it, she aimed the light in her fist at the opening and blew gently.
A ball of fire shot from her hand into the hole, and the wall ignited in scattered sections. Shapes, circles, and letters emerged across the stone.
She stepped back and read the illuminated wall. The stairs had been closed by those who entered before her. They had left a warning for anyone who wished to follow.
The flames shifted and moved, telling the story with simple figures until they reached the warning itself.
The fire darkened to a deep blue. When the story ended, it faded, releasing the same symbols and markings as before.
Then a single question appeared in the rock, asking if she still wished to proceed.
She took a few minutes to consider, passing the flame from finger to finger. Finally, she offered it to the place marked yes.
The cave went completely dark. The flame, the symbols, everything vanished at once.
Then the rock began to glow blue and turned to glass.
It was a glass wall, opaque in the darkness. She pushed it open and placed her foot on the first step of the staircase beyond.
As she did, the flame flared again, illuminating the sides of the stairs as they spiraled downward—into a depth where she couldn’t see the bottom.
