Rosie's Games

Chapter 393: Collapse

"What... What is going on?" Rosalind stammered, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and bewilderment.

Lucas, his grip tightening around her hand, pulled her closer to him, a protective instinct guiding his actions.

"I have no clue," Lucas admitted, his voice laced with a hint of unease. His gaze shifted towards the dog, its eyes fixed upon him.

A primal instinct whispered warnings in Rosalind's ear, urging them to flee from this inexplicable creature.

"We should leave," Lucas asserted, his tone resolute as he took a step forward. But to their astonishment, the dog trailed closely behind, as if compelled by some unseen force, its relentless pursuit unyielding.

"Lucas" Her words were silenced as Lucas abruptly halted. His eyes narrowed, his gaze locked onto the dog. Without hesitation, he flung a dagger towards the creature.

To their surprise, the dog emitted a haunting howl of anguish, as if the dagger had struck not only its physical form but some hidden essence within. The unearthly cry reverberated through the air, resonating with a strange power, until finally, the creature retreated into the shadows, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Confusion enveloped Rosalind like a heavy fog.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"We need to leave," he said. Sensing his seriousness, Rosalind chose not to press further, trusting his judgment as they made their way back into the clearing, the mysterious events lingering in the back of her mind.

As they arrived in the clearing, Rosalind couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Where were you?" she inquired, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration. "I have been... searching for you."

"I told you not to go to the caves," he stated firmly.

"But I was worried. I needed to find you."

"You knew I would never leave," Lucas responded. "This place... it's unpredictable and dangerous. I warned you for a reason."

"I was scared that something might have happened," she admitted, her voice softer now, tinged with vulnerability. "This place... it tests us, challenges us. Isn't it only natural for me to worry?"

Lucas's frown deepened, his voice taking on a stern tone that brooked no argument. "Do not do that again," he commanded his words carrying an air of authority.

Rosalind's eyes widened at the forcefulness of his words, but this time, she summoned the courage to meet his gaze head-on. Determination filled her voice as she posed her question. "Why?" she challenged. "Why not? What do you know about this place that I don't?"

A shadow passed over Lucas's face, a flicker of uncertainty mingling with his usual resolve. "I don't know everything," he admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration. "And that's precisely why you should not venture off on your own."

"But you were the one who left my side," she protested, her voice carrying the weight of her disappointment. "Where were you? I searched the clearing, worried sick."

"I was looking for a way out," he confessed. "I thought I could find a path, a way to keep us safe from whatever lurks in these depths."

Her narrowed eyes bore into his, her suspicion growing. Was it because he thought she was too weak? Was that why he left her in this place? A surge of defiance welled within her, refusing to be underestimated or confined.

"Demons are lurking in the caves," she stated with conviction, her voice laced with determination. "But this clearing... it is safe from them. Tell me why."

"The relics in this place provide us safety," Lucas explained, gesturing toward the vibrant stones embedded in the wall. "It was the very reason why I was able to navigate towards the caves."

Rosalind's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "And why would you know that?" The relics weren't mentioned in the book he let her readthe book that supposedly belonged to his family, the Book of Relics.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Lucas's face, but he maintained a composed demeanor. "The absence of beasts around the clearing was evidence enough," he replied, his voice tinged with conviction. He tried to approach her but she was quick to take a step back, away from him. "Your skepticism won't aid us here. We are here to train, to face the challenges that lie ahead."

"You're keeping something from me," she accused, her voice edged with frustration.

The knowledge that Lucas had been concealing something from her gnawed at her insides, yet she found herself suppressing her questions, allowing her own complicated emotions to cloud her judgment.

The glare she fixed upon him held both accusation and longing, a tumultuous blend of resentment and an unspoken desire for answers. "You know more about this place than you're letting on," she said.

At that precise moment, a deafening boom reverberated through the cave, causing the ceiling above them to tremble. Lucas's expression contorted into one of fierce determination, his features twisting into an ugly mask of concern.

"What is" Rosalind began, her voice trailing off as Lucas swiftly pulled her closer, his grip firm and protective. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, as if exerting an invisible force to support the quaking ceiling. To her astonishment, the shaking subsided, as if he commanded the very earth to obey.

"I'll explain everything once we're out of here," Lucas declared, his voice laced with urgency. "Someone is trying to break in," he revealed, his words laced with a mix of anger and trepidation.

"Someone?" Rosalind echoed, her voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"That sorcerer," Lucas hissed. The mere mention of the intruder seemed to ignite fury within him.

Before Rosalind could even formulate a response, another thunderous boom shook the cave, its echo merging with the growls of unseen beasts lurking in the shadows.

"That sorcerer!" Lucas exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of anger and apprehension. In an instant, he leaped into the air, and to Rosalind's astonishment, she found herself lifted off the ground, their bodies seemingly defying gravity.

Wide-eyed, she met Lucas's grim expression, seeking answers in the depths of his troubled eyes.

"The barrier," he uttered, his voice strained. "It's on the verge of collapse."

Confusion clouded her features as she struggled to comprehend the gravity of his words. "What barrier? Collapse? You have to explain!"