The room itself was perfectly round. Kai could see the outline of a dome ceiling, once open, now sealed shut. The white and gray marble of the Katori Mountains filled the space. Only the occasional drip down the walls reminded Kai that they were beneath a vast moving river. Various green plants grew in clumps around a shallow rocky beach. Vines grew up the walls.
“Let’s go,” Kai instructed, swimming to the shallow beach area to the open archway.
Kai stood on the pebbly underground beach. He took his time to listen and look around at their new surroundings. The sloshing of the pool echoed across the jagged dome, but the sound of the river above and the waterfall outside was blocked by the thick stone. On the opposite wall, he could see the marble archway and a set of stairs leading down, the place where they would have entered had Liam not opened the ceiling for them.
They climbed up to a dark open doorway. The iridescent crystals randomly placed along the walls gave just enough light to traverse the uneven ground safely. Rayna squeezed Kai’s hand, and he gave her a nod. “Do you feel the magic in the air?”
Rayna wiped the water from her cheek. “For the first time in days, I feel a weight lifted off my soul. There is… almost a presence around us.”
“I feel it, too.”
Deep inside the tunnel, a small pedestal awaited with a single lit torch. Orange and yellow flames gave off a warm glow. Kai took Rayna's hand; her warm fingers interlaced with his. Their first steps echoed off the walls of the cavern. Gem lights twinkled above, and the space began to narrow. Weaving through a slender tunnel, Rayna slid her hand along the smooth glassy surface of the walls.
“I can see my reflection in the stone. I have never seen this type of rock before. It looks like black glass.”
Around the next turn, Kai’s boot sloshed into knee-deep water. In the ceiling, the tiny crystal stars continued to provide a faint blue light. Their torch bounced white and yellow splashes of light around the small space. As they went, the stones became less frequent. Some were placed randomly into the ceiling, walls, and even the floor.
Kai grabbed the torch and waved it around to illuminate the darkness. The way forward split into two small deviating tunnels. Rayna instinctively pointed to the right. “This way, I remember this from my dream.”
Kai shook his head in agreement. “Me too.”
As they walked, the water began to drain away. Relieved to be back out of the water, they squeezed down the narrowing tunnel. Kai continued to lead them through twists and turns. Each decision took them deeper into the tunnel. Their next tunnel led them downward.
After only a few steps, the stone sloped sharply, and Kai slid on his rump down into frigid water. Rayna, a few steps behind, stopped. “Are you alright?” she asked. Slowly she climbed down to his level and eased herself into the water. “Brrr, this water is cold.”
They sloshed through the narrowing passage waist-deep in water, and Kai held Rayna’s hand. As the water got deeper, the ceiling crept downward. He could sense her concern as she tightened her grip. “Kai, this place is exactly like my dream,” she professed.
“Right. What concerns me is how accurately the dream depicted each part of the cave. That means we’ve yet to get to the difficult part.” With very little light from their small torch, he could see scratch marks on the tunnel walls. The sight made him a bit uneasy. Each step brought the water higher and higher until Rayna was neck-deep in water.
“Rayna, you should climb on my back to keep your head above the water.”
Methodically, they moved through the rising water. The jagged ceiling crept ever closer. Rayna clung to Kai’s shoulders. They turned a tight corner and came upon a solid wall. Kai peered beyond the glow of his torch. “I think we’ve reached a dead end.”
Kai took another step. To his surprise, the angle of the ground declined, and they slid under the water, extinguishing their torch.
As the pair resurfaced, they coughed. Kai scrambled back to where he stood earlier while reaching for Rayna in the darkness. Back on solid ground, they let their eyes adjust to the lack of sufficient light. Along the walls, the tiniest of lights illuminated their faces.
“Well, we knew at some point we’d have to swim,” he said. “I had hoped for a little more warning. From here, we should glean our way forward. Are you ready?”
She firmly squeezed his hand, took a deep breath, and released it slowly. “I am,” she responded.
“Together, now,” Kai said. “Slow your breathing, relax your mind.” He spoke softly, yet his words echoed around them.
As he talked her through relaxing, he felt and saw everything come alive around him. The water had a beautiful iridescent glow, and he could now see a luminescent version of Rayna’s face just above the water. Had they wasted their time bringing the torch? Were they meant to take it or trust their sight to find their way? After spending the day unable to glean, he’d not even tried until now.
Gleaning, he looked around the dead end. Along the back wall several feet below the waterline, he saw a small broken archway. “There, on the back of the cave. Do you see the archway? I guess this is the damaged area.”
“I do,” Rayna replied. “It looks rather small. We will have to go through one at a time. No way we can swim together side by side.”
“I should go first, in case there are any problems. The quakes could have loosened rocks, and the path could be blocked. Give me
