CLANG!
The two batons sticks in Fatheema's hands struck the red sphere atop the small mound in the room.
The sphere burst with a sound like an explosion.
The red glow inside it evaporated into the air.
Slowly, the room brightened.
The walls, once pitch black, turned white.
She scanned the entire room. On one side, there was a black, elliptical portal about the size of a door.
"There might be another room inside… or maybe it's the way out of here."
"Maybe the others are there?"
"I have to hurry!" she thought, then sprinted toward the portal.
Without hesitation, she stepped through.
On the other side was a dark stone chamber—more like a tunnel or cave about six feet wide.
She walked along the passage, then suddenly remembered the small LED flashlight in her backpack. Quickly, she reached in, took it out, and strapped it onto her head.
She was actually used to seeing in the dark—she couldn't even remember when she first gained that ability.
But over time, her eyes would sting, and her head would start to ache.
Even her parents had found it strange. In darkness, her eyes would glow faintly purple, with deep red irises. Sometimes, under certain conditions, they would change like that.
But out of fear of being accused of something unnatural, they kept it a secret.
Having such an ability could lead people to accuse her of practicing black magic or being possessed—something that could ruin a person's life.
After walking for a while, she arrived in a vast stone chamber.
Above her hung sharp rock formations pointing downward—stalactites.
Below, rising from the ground, were stalagmites.
Carefully and quietly, she followed the path, occasionally hiding behind natural pillars formed by those formations.
"What is this place?"
"That large dome room… how is it connected to this cave?"
"Where did Hanako the ghost bring me?"
"Where are my friends being held?"
Questions flooded her mind.
She noticed several other tunnels branching off from the cavern walls.
"There are about four tunnels besides the one I came from…"
"Will they lead to places like the last one?"
"If each one has a powerful spirit waiting at the end, this could be bad…"
"I won't be able to handle them alone."
"I need a plan."
She stopped behind a rock pillar, then sat down, stretching her legs out.
"Mrs. Yuyun should have started the prayers and rituals at school by now… the others must be helping too."
"But what if they were captured by that Hanako spirit as well?"
"Why would Hanako capture so many people?"
"As food? Or for something else… like sacrifices?"
"No… I hope they're all still alive."
"I'll find where they're being held, free them, and then find a way out of here."
"First, I'll check the nearest tunnel."
She stood and slowly approached the second tunnel, gripping her batons sticks tightly.
As she stepped inside, she felt a cold, suffocating air—and a strange, pungent smell.
After a short while, she sensed a gust of wind rushing toward her.
Something flew straight at her!
She leapt aside and struck twice—
BUGH! BUGH!
Two objects slammed to the ground, squeaking.
"Bats!" she shouted in shock.
More gusts of air rushed toward her.
"Oh no—there are so many!"
She dodged left and right as the swarm attacked.
From the cave ceiling, countless pairs of glowing red eyes flickered to life. Several of them lunged at her again.
She switched off her headlamp and ran along the tunnel, relying only on her unusual vision.
But the bats kept chasing her—even in total darkness.
"Bats… they use sonar to see!"
She ran as fast as she could, dodging their attacks, until she spotted a narrow crevice in the cave wall. Without thinking, she squeezed into it—just barely enough space for her body.
The bats circled outside, unable to follow.
"Think… how do I avoid them?"
"Hmmm… bats have excellent perception in the dark. They use sound to sense their surroundings and hunt."
"If I remember correctly, they don't like strong scents—like camphor, peppermint, eucalyptus, or garlic."
"Got it! I'll use eucalyptus oil and garlic!"
She pulled out a bottle of eucalyptus oil and some garlic from her backpack.
After rubbing both onto her body, she slowly crawled out of the crevice.
Carefully, she continued down the tunnel.
And—
The bats no longer attacked her.
The tunnel twisted and turned, sometimes widening into larger sections.
Eventually, she reached a part where there was an opening in the wall, about the size of a doorway.
Slowly, she approached and peeked inside.
It was a room—like a chamber—fairly spacious.
Inside were objects that looked like eggs, white with a hint of purple, about the size of volleyballs, neatly arranged.
"Eggs? There are so many… the color and size are strange."
"What kind of eggs are those?"
"I should be careful. If there are eggs, there must be a parent."
"I'll keep going."
She moved away from the opening and continued through the tunnel.
Eventually, she found a small hollow in the cave wall and slipped inside.
"I'll rest here for a bit… I'm getting tired. I need water or food to regain energy."
"Huh… I think I still have some snacks in my bag."
She reached into her backpack.
"Oh! There's still bread and chocolate cake I bought earlier! And my water's still intact—good thing it didn't break or spill during all that chaos."
She quickly stuffed the food into her mouth, chewing like someone starving.
"If I get stuck here for too long without food, I'm in trouble…"
"I need to move soon."
She leaned back against the cave wall for a moment.
A cool breeze brushed against her eyes.
They began to glow purple, her irises shifting into deep red.
Then—
Her vision changed.
A white room appeared—then slowly transformed into a small stone chamber.
Inside, she saw a skeletal body lying on the ground.
Moments later, her vision distorted again.
Now she saw a vast cavern filled with vegetation.
At its center was a small pond, its water flowing gently into a narrow stream.
Above, a glowing yellow sphere—about the size of a volleyball—floated as if suspended from the cave ceiling, illuminating the entire area.
And—
The vision slowly faded away.
"That vision… it's trying to show me something."
"A stone room? A skeleton? Maybe there's a clue there."
"I need to find that room. It must be somewhere along these walls—there has to be a hidden entrance, a small tunnel, or an opening."
"And that garden with the pond… that's good news. I can rest and drink there."
"I'm sure that vision was real… just like before."
"I'll try to find it."
She stepped out of her hiding spot and continued along the tunnel.
And sure enough—
Before long, she found a hole in the cave wall, just large enough for a person to crawl through.
"I'll go in slowly. If there's danger, I'll get out immediately," she thought as she began crawling inside.
Carefully, she pushed deeper into the narrow passage.
Her heart pounded rapidly.
***