Into The Darkness: Chapter 1 🧙🏼‍♂️

 Reaching down into the flames of the depth, the great wizard had finally found his equal.

    Upon the party’s arrival into the depths of the dungeon, the cold, dead air, changed. What once lay as nothing more than a musty old mine, slowly began to feel like there was life once again. At first, no one from the party had recognized the change, say for the wizard. Only he, the wisest of them all, was able to detect that something was a mist. And yet, for all the years of wisdom which he had accumulated- he was foolish enough to chose to enter such a forsaken place to begin with.

    As the group began to push deeper and deeper into the crust of the Earth, the light from above them slowly began to fade. The sharp moonlight, which had be reflected to guide their way through complex mirrors and tunnels, began to fade. The very light which had guided them so far into the journey, slowly began to succumb to the eternal darkness which now surrounded them. It was as if the very light which had guided them down these forsaken tunnels, had decided to retreat out of fear for what they may find.

    “Steady, men” growled the wizard, sensing once again the courage of his party faltering. “We are here on a mission, do not forget how far we have come.” The words seemed to breath a slight air of confidence back into the party, as their shoulders pulled back and their spines straightened. The voice of the wizard, who had the most experience facing evil out of them all, reassured them that their actions were necessary. Together, the weight of the darkness began to ease off their bodies, as they slowly regained their strength against the fear which surrounded them.

    The group continued to venture further, all the while making sure to remain as calm and collected as possible. One of the major difficulties of venturing so deep underground, was that no one could know what it was that was awaiting them in the darkness in front of them. That their every step could lead them closer to harm, all the while moving them further away from safety. 

    All of a sudden, a distant boom cracked through the air, like thunder on a damp, humid day. The sound rolled against the very tunnels in which the party walked amongst, bouncing off the walls and engulfing all which surrounded it. The explosive sound roared through the depths, like flames shooting out of a volcano. The sound waves consumed all in its path, deafening anybody who so much stood in its way.

    “What was that?” The youngest member, Alfie, shouted. He seemed to be trying to fight back against the force of the sound which had erupted in front of them, from the very darkness which they were set to walk directly into. 

    “It has arrived.” The wizard responded. All of a sudden, the group went silent. A spell had fallen over them, as if they were waiting for their next commands. “RUN!” The wizard shouted, echoing his deep voice across the void which now stared directly at them.

    The group of men all drew their weapons, turned around, and began to retreat out of the tunnels. With the darkness completely engulfing them, they relied heavily on their light from the few torches they had carried below the surface with them. The fading, shimmering light, began to waiver, as their pace quicken towards the retreat which lay behind them. 

    BOOM! Again, the deafening sounds from behind them echoed throughout the cavern. The explosion this time was closer, meaning whatever lay responsible for the destructive sounds lay near. The ground continued to run, however, no matter how hard their tried, the tunnels in which they found themselves did not seem to be getting them anywhere. 

    Suddenly, another boom followed. With this boom, a small, distant light began to rise. Out in the distance, much further behind them, the outline of the tunnel they were in, began to take shape. The light at the end of the tunnel began to gain force, as the illumination of the walls in which the group were trapped within began to appear. 

    The group turned around to stare in awe at what it was that seemed to be chasing them. Although they could not make out the shape of the creature within the distance, the very illumination steaming from its skin made them slowly down to witness what it was that would be attempting to decimate them.

    “DON’T LOOK BACK! RUN!” Shouted the wizard, as he directed the group to continue moving forward towards the direction which they had come. If they were going to have any chance of surviving their misfortune, their retreat was the most calculated move they could make.

To Be Continued ...