They were all happy with my answer.
I went into the cave without thinking twice. I let the others follow me while I spoke to them.
'How is it that the cave was cursed? I don't notice anything out of the ordinary.'
'There are legends, prophecies', someone answered, if I was right, Galaga.
The light was lost until we were left in the darkness itself. No matter how bad it looked, I kept walking and talking.
'You and your magic things, I can't really get used to it, ever since Russell...'
I stopped for a second to confirm what my ears had told me.
No one was with me.
They had stopped following me.
I was alone.
I didn't know what to do, I was confused for a moment and lost my way. In the darkness there was no front or back. I got scared like every person gets scared in the dark.
I thought I was in a void.
'I'm going to kill them.'
I stretched out my hands to try and feel some surface. I seemed to feel the wall of the cave. I leaned against it and walked. I don't know in which direction, but I didn't care. I had to keep moving. My eyes longed to find the light, a way out, something, anything.
Help me. I asked the voice, my senses, the breeze under my skin.
But I didn't feel anything.
'Where are you guys? It's not funny. Please help me, I am lost!' No one answered.
A hard surface suddenly surprised me. I almost hit my face against it. I slid my hand until I recognized what was in front of me.
It was a door.
How could there be a door inside a cave? It didn't make sense, but I wasn't in a position to ask questions. So, against my better judgment, I reached for the handle and opened the door.
My eyes could not understand what they were seeing.
I was in a castle.
When I tried to turn around, the door had disappeared. I didn't know where I was or how I got there, I just knew there was no turning back. So, I continued my journey.
It was a dream place. The marble floors looked like a sky below my feet, the candlesticks shone in all their splendor, and the windows showed a big and active village. There was gold everywhere I looked. Where was I?
'Beautiful'. The word escaped my lips.
A person ran past me at full speed. He passed by so quickly that he did not see me.
'Sir, sir!' I said and followed him, I needed someone to tell me what was happening.
I ran after him until he reached a throne room. The giant doors opened for him and he kept running to the throne. I entered behind him. Even the guards at the doors were not aware of my presence.
If I thought the castle was beautiful, the throne room was simply magnificent.
The floor gleamed reflecting each of the golden decorations that spread throughout the place. The windows on both sides allowed the sun to enter, increasing the brightness of the pure gold. The throne had a representation of the sun above it. Everything shone so brightly that it was tiring just to look at it.
I had to stop looking at the splendor to remind myself that I was following the man, who had approached the throne and was speaking directly to the one sitting on it.
'Your Majesty', I heard him say.
He had his back to me, but I recognized his voice instantly.
'Syform, what's going on?' The man on the throne asked.
He seemed to be the king, though he did not look like one. He was dressed very humbly, not even wearing a crown. Only by his position on the throne did I deduce his royal blood. He was big, like a human bear. His hair was brown and his eyes were of the same color.
I got closer and then I realized. They couldn't see me.
Syform was a totally different person. He wasn't dressed extravagantly, his hair was long and contained in a ponytail. His eyes were alive.
'Terrible news, Your Majesty, I have had a horrific vision of the near future.'
'I think I know what you mean, I've had a bad feeling for days. Although I didn't say anything to my wife, I don't want to scare her, not in her condition'.
'I saw it perfectly. They will come in great numbers, but this time they will defeat us because they will have a weapon that this world has never known.'
'What do you mean?' The so-called king leaned on his knee.
'Magic, they will exterminate it. Lucius will use his power to uncreate magic.'
'That's impossible, he doesn't have that much power.'
'There are rumors, your Majesty, rumors of horrible things the King has done to get more power.'
The King retreated, thinking. He blurred his vision for a few seconds and I felt as if he were looking at me. Which was impossible. It had to.
'Then we'll have to get ahead of his plans, it's time to use our safe place. I'll tell Tullum to start transporting the citizens. I will not let more innocent blood be spilled because of Lucius. This enmity has gone too far'.
He was about to get up, when Syform spoke again.
'I saw something else, my Lord, something I cannot say out loud.'
'You can tell me anything Sy, you are my friend more than my counselor.'
I detected tears forming in his eyes, like little films of water that he suppressed with all his strength.
'You will die. You, the queen, and your heir.'
'No.'
His denial rumbled for a few seconds on the castle walls, until he spoke again.
'I will not allow it, Syform. My life doesn't matter, but I won't let those bastards get their hands on my family.'
'Then I'm afraid you will have to make a difficult decision. I saw an alternative future, a very difficult path, which will cost a lot of suffering and a lot of time, but which has hope. It may work.'
'Tell me Syform, anything.'
The King rose from the throne and walked to him. Syform whispered something in his ear that I could not hear. The King nodded with pain in his face.
'Do it.'
'Yes, Your Majesty.'
And he left without seeing him again. I stood there beside the King, watched him in silence. I don't know at what moment I started to cry. My tears were unleashed with uncontrollable force. My chest hurt; I was in terrible anguish. I watched as the King returned to his throne and sat on it. Then he looked up.
'If you can see me, I'm sorry for what is about to happen, I'm sorry,' his voice cracked, 'I'm sorry I can't help.'
An tremor spread through the castle. All the lights went out and I fell to my knees.
A wind picked me up. I felt like I was caught in a tornado. I couldn't open my eyes.
Make it stop, I can't take it.
My body fell to the ground.
I opened my eyes and there I was, in the cave again. But I wasn't alone. Russell, Tryx and Galaga were all around me.
'What the hell happened,' I cried out.
'I can't believe it.' Tryx wasn't talking to me, but to the others.
'It was true,' replied Galaga.
'What are you talking about?!'
'It's you,' Russell bent down to hold my hands.
I was still lying down, my whole body hurt, but I couldn't stop asking.
'Who? Who do you think I am?'
'Our salvation'.