His heart dropped a little as he stepped forward. Then, he felt a bit of relief as his foot touched down. That cycle continued as they walked through the darkness.

The thought of falling into a pit or crashing into a deadman scared Jack. His newfound trust of Hunter lessened those fears, yet another thing also made the darkness awful. His eyes couldn’t gaze on any of the interesting things of these dungeons even though he’d already started to figure out the inscriptions’ patterns. His mind was bored and his curiosity was losing its shit.

Hunter slumbered behind, staying quiet. The flame in his lantern became so small that its light couldn’t reach the floor.

Jack didn’t expect a sea of words from him and still found his actions weird, but now he could trust the old man. He’d needed to know that the man wouldn’t stab him in the back and that he wasn’t like Guardian.

He’s not the most evil person I’ve ever seen. Has he even told a lie? Well, he gave me hope to lay my eyes upon a purple rose and healed me from that keeper.

Glimmers of light appeared in the distance. Two glowing dots in each side. They made the darkness fade. Jack squinted, but couldn’t make anything out. As he neared the lights, more appeared behind them.

The lights were pairs of torches on the walls. The flames grew bigger and let Jack see that they’d reached an interesting place.

Copper torches burned along the green walls and vines sprawled down them. A smell of the sea and of fish lingered in the chambers.

At least it’s not more dirt, Jack thought.

“We’re basically at the beginning of these dungeons?” he said.

Yes, I believe you, but I still have almost no clue of what’s going on.

Saying at least a few things would be good, don’t you think?

“Indeed, I did,” Hunter said.

“This remaining journey… Are we just gonna keep going farther down through these cold chambers? Is there gonna be something different? We’ve been here for a while, shouldn’t the end be near?”

Hunter smirked and shook his head. “Oh boy.”

‘Oh boy”?!

Ugh...

Right, giving me no explanation if perfectly fine too…

Let me figure all of this out of my own, I guess...

As they went through the chambers, inscriptions appeared on some of their walls. Jack raised a grin and moved closer, eager to continue figuring them out. A short while later, they disappeared and Jack grunted in disappointment.

“Can I at least know what’s coming next?” he asked.

“We’re going to see… an interesting place,” Hunter spoke. “I think you should be careful. I won’t waste any more of my potions on you.”

Understandable. I kinda screwed up back there.

“You’ve never passed the keeper before?”

Hunter looked at Jack, moved his lips, but didn’t say anything.

Come on, you bastard.

There’s got to be something that’s not a world changing secret!

“How the hell did you manage so long here? What do you do in between killing these zomb--deadmen and sleeping?”

“Old man things. I lived through everything interesting in my young days. Now I’m left dealing with the consequences of my life choices. Sure, sure… this old age is not like what you imagine. It isn’t the worst, but it is living the same, painful, diminishing return over and over, hoping what you wish for will come true before death claims you.”

“Hopefully you don’t die until I have the purple rose.”

The old man furrowed his brow. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”

Jack frowned at the words then shook the idea out of his head.

A while later, an ebony double door, engraved with gold, came into view and brought the trail of chambers to an end. Jack turned to Hunter..

“Behind there’s gonna be another challenge?” he asked. “Like fighting that keeper?”

“The keeper is the keeper. This is nothing like that,” Hunter said. “Follow my lead and keep your head down. Now you will see things you won’t like. It’s a necessary evil I should be able to control.”

If he hasn’t ever been past that keeper, how does he know about this place? Jack asked himself and followed Hunter through the doors.