I slowly moved my legs toward the big pile of skeletons, they were almost like a rocky hill to me from the corner of my sight. But, now that I had noticed, I could not unseen them. It was an ocean of skeletons, piling up like a small mountain.

I stood in front of it, gawking at the skeleton mountain, with that high up waterfall at the side, it was getting more surreal. I inspected at the skeleton which strayed from the pile and scattered on the ground. I assumed those were all the human skeletons, but as I closely looked at it, I noticed that some of the bones were different. There were tail bones, some of the feet or hands had very long claws and some skull was adorned with horns. But, most of them were human's and they all have the size of a child.

Are those really children's?

Looking at the pile, it sent shiver down to my spine, I glanced at Elly.

Elly stood beside me, looking at the skeletons from the bottom to the peak of the pile, not even blinking, she stared intently. I couldn't guess what she's thinking at all.

"Elly... what happened here? Did you know?" I asked.

Elly didn't look at me, she's just staring at the skeletons pile. Looking from the state of the bones, those had already been here for a very long time, probably years. The skeletons on the lower stack was messier, broken and all jumbled together, while the bones on the upper part still pretty much intact. And they all had a crack on the middle of their skull.

All of the skulls had the same crack on its forehead... strange

Most of the skeletons at the upper part were of humans' child, whilst the lower part was more of the unknown's human alike creatures, as the skeleton looked quite alike except for the horns, claws and tails. They were all stained with blood, quite old, but the blood on the upper stack seemed to be quite recent.

Elly walked around the pile, toward the back of the skeleton mountain. I followed her steps, she didn't answer my question. But, as we walked around the pile, my eyes widened from the sight I got behind it.

Hundreds of human children corpses, lying on the ground neatly, hands crossing on the chest, they were rotting. Black maggots like creatures creeping all over their softening bloody skin, the bodies were broken and twisted. The maggots were eating from inside out, took the eyes first and now crawling out from the mouth and the ears. They made holes on the body, creeping in and out, drilling the flesh.

The sight triggered my gag reflexes. Even though there weren’t any stench at all, which was strange. Even when there was a mountain of skeletons behind me, but I still reacted to the scene in front of me. I should've know that before the skeleton, those would be the process. But still, seeing them up close, moreover in hundreds, screwed my guts.

What the hell was going on here???

They were placed neatly on the ground, side to side, no bodies were stacking at each other. And there is a blood trail from the skeletons pile leading toward them. Someone seemed to have moved the bodies from their original spot, which was formerly on the skull pile.

While covering my nose and mouth, I walked closer and looked at one of the nearest body to me. A girl seemed to be at the same age as Elly, actually, all of the bodies were probably around her age, that girl's legs and arms were fractured badly, the neck twisted and broken. Her face wrinkled and could no longer be identified.

Hmm?

Her head, there is some kind of symbol painted, no, rather than painted, it was carved onto the skin. It has the shape of a hexagon star. Even though it was crawling with maggots, curiosity beat me, so I hesitantly crouched down to get my sight clearer. I squinted my eyes as I focus. The symbol was made from words. It was tiny, but definitely not just a plain straight line. They were written neatly and tight with almost no space in between, thus made it look like a line if not observed from close distance.

In the middle of the symbol, although tiny, there was a visible hollow part, probably pierced through with a thin blade. The skulls behind me also had a crack around the same spot. Judging from the condition, it was thrusted forcefully with one clean strike. I briefly scanned other part of their already wrinkled face, their mouth was laced with purplish blood.

Were they poisoned?

I looked at Elly, she was staring at those bodies, lips wavering, brows furrowed.

"Are you the one who dragged those bodies down the pile?" I bluntly asked, trying to confirm my thought.

Elly stayed silent. She didn't move nor look at me. Her face clouded.

"Did you kill them?" I added.

Elly jerked her head to me while looking surprised.

["No!! It wasn't me. It was him! He did it!"] She yelled in my head while stomping closer to me.

Then she stopped mid-way, realizing that she had lost her composure for a moment. She was flabbergasted.

"Who is he?" I continued. I was fully aware that Elly wasn't the one who killed these children. From the way she stared at those bodies. That was not the eyes of a killer.

Elly froze. As if found guilty, she dared not look into my eyes. Her long eyelashes quivered, her mouth slightly opened, she gulped, and then she clenched her fist as she faced the ground.

I knew it, she really does hiding something from me... I want to know who is 'he'. But, I will save that for later too.

I walked away from the bodies as she watched over my back.

"Let's go, what happened here had happened, there is nothing I can do for learning about their last moment anyway" I declared as I moved away from those bodies.

Elly stood for a while, eventually, she snapped out of her mind and followed me.

I raised my head up, looking at the upper ground, where the roaring waterfall dropping from. I wondered if that was where the exit lied. The upper ground was so high up, that it was impossible for me to see the surface and what's lying on it.

Huh?

It was faint, but I think I saw a thin transparent surface gleamed nearby the upper ground. I blinked my eyes as I peered. But, there was nothing. Was I seeing things?

I walked to the center and stood right in front of the tunnel we came from, while facing straight at the waterfall, my eyes traced from the bottom to the source of the gushing waterfall, which is cascading from the upper ground that is far from reach. Although I couldn't see what's on the surface, the wall around that upper ground was hollow at the middle, suggesting a path leads inside.

But... how are we supposed to get our feet on top of that upper ground? There's no sign of stairs around or path to climb though...

"Haaahh...." Elly suddenly sighed.

I threw my sight to her, she seemed to have thrown the cloud out of her mind. She started smiling, even though she was not in the mood just a moment ago.

["I've made my mind"] Elly declared.

"About what?" I asked.

Elly turned and looked at the skeleton mountains. She gazed over it, as if looking through to the hundreds of bodies lying behind it.

She finally put her usual smile on her face, showing a bit of her canine teeth as she grinned while her brows still showed sign of frown. She seemed to be forcing it onto herself, regardless, her confidence finally back.

["Let's head out now!"] Elly clenched her fist, her eyes burnt with determination. She didn't explain why though.

"Is that where the exit was?" I asked while looking at the upper ground.

Elly raised her head, looking up. "Uhm!" She nodded.

"How are we going up?" I asked. Deep down, I might have already got the answer.

The corner of her mouth perked up, she steadily walked toward me, her eyes seemed to be plotting something. I subconsciously moved backward as she inched closer. "Elly?" I called on her, but she only gave me a dubious smile.

["Yuu, put both your hands on your chest"] She ordered.

"Why-"

Elly leapt from her position, she hauled me up on both her arms, carrying me in front of her tiny figure as she sprinted around the lake toward the wall. My sight blurred from the speed, the wind blasted wildly through us. Elly mumbled some words, her blue hair fluttered strangely, her body shrouded in blue light, and her speed suddenly rocketed.

["Here we go!!"] Elly jumped toward the wall in one kick.

My heart pounded so hard that it felt like bursting. The ground was drifting away quick, my body felt like about to fall in any seconds. Elly sprinted on the wall as if the law of gravity didn't affect her at all, but it did still affect me, my body felt heavy as if pulled by magnet toward the ground.

The speed still increasing, we blinked so fast throughout the vertical wall, inching close to the upper ground. The blasting wind filled my ears, as if we were flying.

Elly looked like she was having fun sprinting up, as though she ditched all her troubles behind. We rapidly sprinted up, climbing the wall vertically alongside the gushing waterfall. Our body was sprinkled with the waterfall drops, added with the wind from the speed, it was refreshing and heart-racing. Judging from the speed, it won’t be long until we reach that upper ground.

Wait... What's that??

There was a thin blanket of mist a couple meters before the upper ground. I blinked my eyes. It was still there and it was inching closer. I don’t know why but my heart screamed danger.

"Elly!! STOP!!"

Elly didn't hear me, she dashed through the mist as if she didn't see nor sense it. The glow on her body dispersed, simultaneously as she passed through the thin line divided the bottom and the upper wall. She lost her momentum and stumbled. Her legs couldn't move as she wanted. Her grip loosened and I was released mid-air.

"Elly!!" I shouted at her, she seemed to be half conscious and weak. Her mana was completely depleted.

We were now falling separately with head pointing down, beside the wall and the waterfall. All the blood now rushed to my head, cluttering my thought. Above me, was Elly who looked helpless and almost soul less.

She need mana

I closed my eyes, trying to focus. Despite this hammering heart and the pressure, I inhaled as slowly and as steady as possible, then I exhaled. My mind focusing on the mana that was supposed to be regulating within my body. I imagined getting the flow out of my body, replaying the moment when I was transferring mana to Elly like before.

I can do it... I can do it...

I scrunched my face, put all the energy onto something I haven't yet comprehend. Not knowing what I did was correct or not, while free falling. That mana flow, gathering in me, stuffing my chest. They were now swirling in chaos. My chest felt hot, I don't even know whether it's my heart hammering or the mana bursting. But, I think I can do it.

Now!!

Whooossshhhhh! Gust of wind raged as though a tornado, centring on me, the golden aura spread out from me like blazing fire as I fall, now shrouding Elly.

Her eyes opened, she regained her conscious.

["Yuu!!"] Elly who realized the situation, she flipped her body and kicked on the wall, sprang straight to the opposite wall while seized me mid-way. I was once again carried on her arms. Now, she was sprinting on the opposite wall, going up, heading toward the mist again.

"Elly stop!!" I exclaimed.

["Give me more!! Trust me!!"]

No time to waste as we were inching close to that thin line of mist. I tried imagining more of the mana out of my body. My body felt hot and I can now faintly hear myself panting. I regulated myself and finally exhaled.

WHOOSSSHHHH

The golden aura exploded once more, flickering all over the place. Elly absorbed all of it.

["Thanks for the meal!"] As she flicked her tongue. She started laying her body low while sprinting, the blue light on her was now brighter, and then she kicked at the wall.

BOOOMMM!!

The wall crumbled, stones scattered mid-air, we flung straight up, directed to the upper ground. I can no longer feel my body throughout the lightning speed.

We passed through the thin line of mist, Elly's blue aura dispersed again, she grunted, but the momentum from the previous kick still applied on her. She only had to keep herself balanced in order to sustain the speed and the momentum. But, she looked troubled keeping herself fully conscious.

Almost there

The surface started to be visible, the horizontal ground could be seen, we had now passed above the targeted ground. My eyes shifted wildly, scanning the unexplored surface but then got myself glued on the humongous white stone gate further in the area, carved beautifully on every inch of its surface.

Elly's grip loosened, and I was hurled away from her, we both fall down straight to the ground.

"Argh!" I landed roughly and rolled on the stone paved ground. I pushed and scraped on to the stone floor, struggling and finally stopped rolling.

I adjusted myself and crawled up, going toward Elly.

"Elly?!" I shouted at her. She slowly raised herself up, so I stopped running and sighed from relief.

Elly turned her face to me, she smiled wryly.

["I'm... okay. Hehehe"] She grinned and blinked tiredly.

We looked at each other, with a helpless expression. What just happened, one slight mistake, we could have ended up splattered on the cliff bottoms. I will be dead without even seeing the outside world.

My heart hasn't stopped its wild pounding, instead it was still hammering rapidly.

Calm down...

I tried regulating my unruly breath. I drew a big, long inhale, I closed my eyes and sighed out. My heartbeat, slowly, returned to normal. I opened my eyes, and travelled my sight throughout this new place.

The ground was paved with white stones along with a river streamed in the middle which was the source of the waterfall. The river came from a large, tall, white stone gate, as though the gate was especially made to adorned the river, purposely opened. Beside the gate, white candle scones adorned vertically on the wall, illuminating the already breathtakingly gate.

I trod carefully to the edge of this area, looking down onto the cliff bottom, we were just there a few minutes ago. And that thin line of mist, what I supposed to be as a barrier to keep monsters from going up, could be clearly seen from up here.

It's strange, I feel like I know what's that barrier made for... Why?

After a while of pondering, I left the edge, walking toward Elly, who was treading lightly beside the gate. She seemed to be wary about this area. Her back stuck close to the gate and slowly moved her head in and peeked. Then she turned her face looking at me. Our eyes met.

["Be quiet... follow me"] Although her voice was not actually spoken out loud, still, she spoke gently as if afraid to be heard. She waved her hand to me.

I moved slowly as she suggested. On the way there, I noticed some red stain on the white stone paved ground at the other side of the river. I started indulging myself into a creepy train thought.

Could it be... the blood of those children?

I mulled as I walked and I now had stood behind Elly. She's still wary about going through the gate. I haven't really looked into what's inside the gate, where the river streamed from. Speaking of the river, the water was crystal clear, revealing the bottom that was paved with the white stone too. The river seemed to be manmade.

After observing for a while, Elly started moving her legs into the gate, with me following closely behind. The gate leaded into a white, large, pristine stone tunnel, with candle scones decorating along the wall.

The candle fire was strangely deep coloured, and they felt unnatural to me. The lights reflected on the river and illuminating the ghost-quite tunnel in an ominous way. There were no weird bright slimy substances on the wall like the ones lightening the caves below.

I peered at the end of the tunnel, it was even brighter there, the light came from a turning point which could be seen and the river streamed straight to a small opening purposely made on the lower part of the wall. The opening was low, with silver metal bars blocking across it. But, I do think that Elly can break through if she wanted.

We slowly walked through this eerie tunnel, closing our distance to the turning point. I glanced at Elly, she's still looking as tense as before.

"Are you okay, are you hurt anywhere?" I asked her. Elly suddenly stopped walking and waved her hand in front of me, signalling a stop. We were now a couple meters away from the turning.

["Two person approaching"] Elly alerted. But, I didn't hear any sound at all.

She grabbed on me and sprang straight onto the ceiling right before the turning point. She thrust her feet straight into the stone ceiling while hand grabbing on my stomach, I was made hanging with arms and legs pointing down, facing the ground.

What is she... a bat??

Not long after that, sound of feet tapping echoed throughout the tunnel, coming from the turning point. Then, two humans entered my sight. I was thrilled to see another human, but in the same time, they felt wrong to me.

Huh? What's with the clothing. Are they soldiers?

They wore copper coloured breastplate armour, and the same coloured head armour. They were holding a long spear on their right hand and now standing below me, chattering.

"…*mutter *mutter *mutter"

And... I don't understand any bit of it, as expected.

The soldiers were staring at the gate we came from, as they talked in unknown language. I wonder if Elly understand them.

I turned my head and looked at Elly from the corner of my eyes.

Elly was frowning, her hands trembling. That's when I realized that she should have her mana already depleted from the second contact to that weird barrier. She pursed her lips, pushing herself to the limit.

I turned my head down looking at the soldiers below us. Those two seemed to be arguing about something. After that, one of them finally turned around and started walking back to where he came from, out from our sight. But, another one stayed and grunted in contempt. The soldier who stayed, started walking straight ahead, back facing us.

Elly suddenly dropped down from the ceiling and we thumped right behind the soldier. The soldier was alerted and he turned around facing us. Immediately poised himself, bracing for a fight.

"!!!?" The soldier was flustered and seemed to be questioning about our presence with his spear pointing toward us.

Sigh... I wish I understand what he is saying