It was lit well enough to see, but it felt like someone had lowered the dimmer switch. The atmosphere was eerie as they moved deeper and deeper into the crystalline island. It almost felt like they were trespassing in a mausoleum. In an undisturbed place cut off from time where no living thing had been in far too long.

Michael could feel his heart beating a thousand times a minute, practically threatening to leap out of his chest. It was something about the place, something felt so instinctually wrong here.

“So like, what exactly were those pit things?”

“I’m sorry? Whatever do you mean?”

“Like from your story and junk. What exactly were those pit things you mentioned?”

“Are they not still commonplace? I thought such activity was front and center in all societies.”

“I mean like maybe, but if it is we totally don’t call them pits. So like can you give me a rundown or whatever?”

Avialian scratched the top of her head. “It feels like such an odd question. The pits are the pits, to describe it feels strange. I guess if you could thing of a few dozen people in a hole in the ground, while all of them…”

Michael started to zone out as Avialian, and Carolyn talked. His eyes shifted focus towards Sharon who was leading the way. He didn’t know why, but somehow all that stuff with the book didn’t surprise him. It was almost as if he had always known, or more like it fit her. Like it was a natural extension of who he already knew her to be.

‘Like wow, that um…I don’t think we really have anything that’s like, well that.”

“It is so popular though. A distraction for the populace where they can relax and enjoy themselves. Even if its meaning did lose its place within my soul as I started to see it as no more than a way to slow our progress.”

“Like yeah, umm haha.”

Michael had been shaken out of his thinking by Carolyn seeming to be tongue-tied. Nothing short of a miracle could really throw her off her game like this. “What’s going on now?”

“Like totally nothing!”

“Nothing? I thought we were just discussing how hordes of…”

Avialian was cut short as they had made it through the first tunnel. All of them stood in shock at what they saw. They had come into a room filled with giant monstrosities. Looming statues, similar to the human form in only the loosest of ways. Abominations amidst the crumbling remains of chunks of crystal.

The ground was covered in rubble. Unlike the statue Sharon had commanded to move, it seemed there were thousands that had been destroyed in here that did not shatter on the ground. Chunks of them were scattered about while the more monstrous ones stood over their remains like soldiers at attention. Unlike where they had come from, this looked like some ancient ruin lost to time.

“We have two paths…ahead of us…” Sharon pierced through the stunned silence with the commanding tone of someone who was well experienced in leading others. “We can go further…towards the ancestral…home of the Ancients…or we can explore…the deeper depths…of this laboratory.”

“Laboratory? Is that what this place looks like to you?” Avialian was clearly upset.

“Of course it is…that much should be…obvious. The real question…is what were they…trying to do exactly…”

Avialian started to shake with rage, but before she could say anything, Carolyn cut in. “Like why don’t we head to Avialian’s house? She could totally show us around! It’ll be way fun. Plus, we can always like check this place out on our way back.”

Michael started to pick up on just how much things were escalating. He managed to shake himself from the adrenaline and fear pumping through him and tried to help Carolyn avoid the oncoming disaster.

“That sounds good to me. I mean, we’ll probably need to go back this way to get to the boats anyway, right?”

“The less time we spend in this cursed place, the better I say.”

“Then we shall…head straight through…”

With a decision made they all began to move forward. As they did, Carolyn nudged Michael and motioned back towards Avialian. When Michael turned to look back, Carolyn patted his shoulder and moved forward towards Sharon. She started to talk to her about what all Sharon already knew about the Ancients. This wasn’t going well, until Carolyn started to sprinkle in some descriptions of the area around them and the monstrous statues overlooking them.

While Carolyn distracted Sharon, Michael tried to do the same with Avialian. He moved back a little ways to walk just a few steps in front of her. He looked back and up at her and smiled. She still seemed like she was ready to explode at any moment.

“So, how do you feel about going back?”

“Whatever do you mean?” there was an underlying bite to her words.

“I mean, you’ve been gone a while, right? Is there anyone you’ve missed? Like any family, or friends?”

“Not particularly. I had colleagues, but I wouldn’t call them friends. That isn’t too much of a real thing for us. We’re all family after all.”

“Well, do you think anyone missed having you around with all the time you were away?”

“I…” Avialian paused as she seemed caught off guard by the few questions. “I’m not sure.”

This was one of the few times Michael was somewhat perceptive. The way she answered almost screamed to Michael that no one would have missed her.

“Ah, well on a different note, is there some place you’re excited to see when you get back? OR any place you really want to go?”

“Well, I suppose there are a few places.”

“Oh yeah? Like where?”

“Well, I used to have no real care for this frivolity, but after so long, I don’t think I would mind getting a new outfit.”

“Really? I mean the one you have looks good. Definitely unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

“Oh, I…thank you,”

Michael coughed awkwardly as he realized how that could’ve come across, and the two of them walked in silence for a little while as Sharon and Carolyn kept going on and on. Carolyn seemed to be in her prime, not letting a single space of silence open a chance for an escape from polite conversation. Although, thanks to the topic, Sharon seemed equally invested.

“So, you said there were a few places you’d like to see.” Michael tried to reopen the conversation as he was still worried being in this area might reignite the friction between Sharon and Avialian. “You mentioned one but is there something like a good food place you really liked?”

“I’m sorry but, ‘a food place’ what do you mean by…”

A loud cracking sound interrupted both of their conversations as the floor beneath them began to splinter and crack. Before anyone could properly react, the floor fell through, as if they had been walking on thin glass, and the four of them cried out as they suddenly found themselves falling down a massive hole.