How to Make a Sinner Sleep

24 | welcome; to the record hall

The water splashed around him as he sunk into mysterious depths of unknown origins, though the coldness felt refreshing despite the clothes that clung to his body. Kaden held his breath, swimming to the surface.

The world, in fact, contained many strange and odd sights that were uncommon, but also very much prevalent.

It was his misfortune to not come across many of those things, to interact with different races and fully understand the concept of Watchers, so he was thrilled for the opportunity in this life.

Both excitement and fear coexisted, plaguing his heavy thoughts.

His head broke through the surface of the water, gasping for the chilling air that rushed down his throat. Hardly able to see anything, he swam in the opposite direction of the waterfall's flow.

Clamoring for shore as his feet felt ground graze the underneath of his soles, he made his way to surface. Kaden rolled over, taking a breath before pushing himself into a standing position.

In an unknown place, the level of danger was difficult to predict. He couldn't leisurely catch his breath.

Darkness still surrounded him, as he kept his footsteps quiet, lest he wake any sleeping beasts in the cave's depths. He couldn't hear the cries of the students—either meaning that they were dead, or missing.

'If I find their bodies, I make my way back and report the matter.'

He wasn't overconfident in himself. Sure, he may have been trained in murder and fighting, but that was against humans.

And humans, as one may know, were terribly weak against greater forces.

It was a shame he wasn't blessed with some more useful ability, such as by the Watcher of Light, who allowed the blessed to bring light into the most darkest places. Or some sort of tracking ability, if there was such a thing.

His bare feet felt cold against the rocky ground—but he'd taken off his outermost layer, and his shoes upon entering. Clothes were expensive, and thinking back to his pitiful wallet....

....he didn't want to think about it.

Thankfully, if he got too hungry or needed something in an emergency, he could rely on his fat and noble wallet that came in the form of the irritable Noah Bellamy.

The thought of the man's frowning face made Kaden's lips curve instinctively.

Then, a pulsing glow flickered in front of him, a mere illusionary sight. He blinked a few times, frowning. But the myriad of lights shone once again, a split second, before disappearing.

"Well, that's not strange at all."

He developed the habit of talking to himself, as lonely people often do.

However, he assured himself by a fact in a book that may or many not be correct. The singular fact that intelligent people often spoke to themselves. Right, he was intelligent, not madly lonely. 

He took another step forth, and a musical jingle gently skimmed his hearing, before the entire pathway lit up in pixels of lavender and pale blue sparkles, floating orbs of light.

At some point, he entered a narrower tunnel, and with the lights that reflected off the crystal walls, it was a sight unlike that he'd ever seen before.

"...it's beautiful."

A laugh that reminded him of a jingle of bells, sounded besides him.

"Isn't it?"

One of the floating lights approached him, trembling with joy. It spun around and swirled in circles. "Hey! It's you, your essence smells familiar...? Oh I know, it's in that book!"