Kael rose to his feet, his tall frame nearly touching the root-woven ceiling of our shelter. He looked at me again, a long, searching gaze, trying to find either certainty or madness in my eyes. I could only answer with a firm nod, hoping my confidence was not just a delusion. Finally, he turned away and began to act.
He didn't use the sharp point of his spear, likely saving it for hunting or combat. Instead, he used the blunt end, beginning to pound it into the soft, damp earth in the center of the hollow. A steady thud, thud echoed, breaking the suffocating silence. With each strike, the ground gave way a little more. It was slow, laborious work. Elara had moved closer, crouching to watch, her face still swollen from crying but her eyes no longer vacant. She was curious.
I knelt beside him, using my bare hands to scoop out the loosened dirt. The soil was cool and moist, sticking under my fingernails, but I didn't care. The act of doing something tangible, having a concrete goal, helped to dispel the feeling of powerlessness that had tormented me for hours. We worked in silence, a wordless collaboration. Kael dug; I cleared. We were both drenched in sweat despite the chill of the night air.
Time passed. Ten minutes, then twenty. The hole was now as deep as my knee. But there was still nothing but dirt and small fragments of roots. A knot of anxiety began to form in my stomach. What if I had been wrong? What if those sensations were just the product of an exhausted and traumatized brain? Doubt began to creep into my mind. I glanced at Kael. He was still digging, his pace a little slower, his breathing heavier, but he didn't stop. His persistence made me feel ashamed of my own wavering faith.
I went back to clearing the dirt, trying to force myself to trust that initial feeling. And then, it happened.
As Kael lifted his spear for the next strike, a little dark water began to seep from the bottom of the hole. At first, it was just a few drops, then more, and then a small trickle began to flow, turning the bottom layer of soil into a thick slurry.
"Ah!" I let out an involuntary cry.
Kael stopped, staring down into the hole. He bent over, touching his fingers to the wet mud. Elara crawled forward, her eyes wide. Kael drove the spear down a few more times, more forcefully now. This time, more water welled up, and it was clearer. He quickly scooped the mud aside with his hands, exposing a slowly flowing underground spring. Within minutes, the hole we had dug had transformed into a small well, filled with crystal-clear water that shimmered in the flickering firelight.
Silence fell over us once more, but this time it was a silence of awe. Kael looked up at me, his gaze no longer holding doubt or fragile hope. It was one of stunishment, an acknowledgment that there was something about me that was beyond his understanding. Elara looked at me, then at the pool of water, then back at me. She brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes welling with tears, but this time, they were not tears of sorrow.
Kael was the first to act. He cupped some water in his palm, brought it to his nose to smell it, and then tasted a small amount. He nodded, seeming to confirm it was safe. Then, he scooped up a double handful and offered it to Elara. She hesitated for a moment before drinking. I could see how the cool water immediately seemed to calm her.
Next, Kael offered water to me. I drank deeply, feeling the cool liquid run down my parched throat, bringing with it a profound sense of relief. It wasn't just water; it was life. We took turns drinking, refilled our empty waterskins, and Kael carefully used the clean water to wash the wound on his shoulder.
After our thirst was quenched and the work was done, a bone-deep exhaustion washed over me. Kael and Elara sat down to rest, leaning against the root walls. I slumped down next to the small well we had created, still staring at the water, finding it hard to believe what had just happened.
The firelight reflected on the still surface of the water. But as I continued to watch, something strange began to happen. The reflection of the flames and the cave ceiling began to ripple and blur. They didn't disappear, but rather transformed into other images, like a dream taking shape.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the ripples. Gradually, the images became clearer. They weren't reflections, but scenes playing out on the surface of the water. I saw a forest, this same forest, but it looked different, more primal. A group of people appeared. They didn't look like Kael or Elara. Their clothes were made of leather and a strange type of fabric, but they carried devices that looked highly complex. One held something like a scanner, which emitted beams of blue light. Another held a strangely shaped weapon, not a spear or a bow. They looked like an exploration or research team.
The scene changed abruptly. The sky grew dark. The ground trembled. From out of the trees, a colossal creature burst forth. It had eight long, spider-like legs, but its body was covered in a hard, rock-like shell studded with sharp spikes. It moved with terrifying speed, its legs crushing trees in its path.
The expedition team immediately fought back. Beams of green and red energy shot from their weapons, impacting the monster's shell and exploding. But it seemed to have no effect. The monster swung one of its legs, swatting two people aside. Silent screams echoed in my mind. The battle was fierce. One by one, the members of the team fell to the creature's ferocity.
In the end, only one survivor remained. He was badly wounded in the leg, trying to crawl away. The monster seemed to lose interest in him, turning and disappearing back into the deep woods. The man managed to drag himself to the base of this giant tree, to the very hollow we were now in. He leaned against the root wall, gasping for breath. He knew he wasn't going to make it. With his last bit of strength, he reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a small object.
In the dim light of the forest, the object gave off a soft, green glow. It was small, fitting perfectly in his palm. He looked around, searching for a place to hide it. He spotted a narrow crevice near the ground, covered by moss. He pushed the object deep inside, then used dirt and small stones to cover the opening. After he was done, he collapsed, his body convulsed one last time, and then he was still.
"Not!"
Kael's voice pulled me out of my trance. I blinked. The images in the water vanished, leaving only the reflection of the fire. I turned to look at Kael and Elara. They were both watching me with worried expressions. I must have been sitting motionless for a long time.
I had no idea how to explain what I had just seen. Language was an insurmountable wall. But I had to try.
I stood up and walked to the root wall where the man in the memory had collapsed. I re-enacted his movements: I feigned an injury, dragged myself over, and then pointed to the crevice near the ground. Then, I held out my open palm, pretending to hold a small object, and mimed hiding it in the crevice and covering it up. I repeated the sequence of actions several times, trying to be as clear as possible.
Kael and Elara watched intently. The initial confusion on their faces slowly gave way to understanding. Kael got up and walked to the crevice I had indicated. He looked at it, then back at me, a question clear in his eyes.
I nodded decisively.
Elara came closer as well. She said something to Kael in an urgent voice, her hand pointing at the crevice. Though I didn't understand the words, I could feel the excitement and urgency in her tone. Kael listened, then nodded to her. He turned to me, his gaze now a complex mix of astonishment, hope, and a little apprehension.
He didn't need to speak. I knew they believed me. And all three of us knew that, inside that crevice, something of incredible importance might be hidden—something that could change our fate.