The first light of dawn filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. I felt my eyelid softened as I stretched languidly beneath the blanket.
"Hey, she's waking up." A soft voice said. Groggily, I opened my eyes and felt the intensity of stares from the people across the room. I groaned as I remembering the sudden faintness I have recently.
Maris was carefully examining my body and putting pieces of cloth in my forehead.
"Hi." I said.
"Hey, How are you feeling?" She asked meticulously placing vial bottles on the bedside table.
"I'm fine now, Thank you for taking care of me."
"No worries."
"Where I am?" I replied.
"You're at the apothecary's, we are so worried and decided to bring you here so you can heal immediately." she stated.
"Okay. Thanks again." I smiled.
She held the clutch on her hand and stand, "I forgot I have to go to the Councillor's meeting today regarding of the agenda's about the apothecary. Is it fine if I leave you here? I'll be back immediately."
I chuckled at her, "Yeah, Off-course. Take care!"
"Don't go out, okay?"
"Yes ma'am!"
After a while, Maris gets going and I left with the apothecary's silence because apparently, she closed the doors for our customers today. I replenish the stocks and vials after acquiring some strength. I chose to get my basket and list the things I need to buy for restocking the shelves.
Reluctantly, The crisp morning air greeted me as I stepped outside, a refreshing change from the stuffy silence of the apothecary.
I meandered through the marketplace, navigating the narrow aisles and stalls crowded with vendors and shoppers. My mind was occupied with the mundane task ahead, scanning the list of things and scanning for the familiar stall where I could purchase the medicines and herbals needed.
Suddenly, a small bumped disrupted my routine. It was an elderly woman around who seemed to be struggling under the weight of several heavy bags. As compassionate nature compelled me, I asked her if I can carry her bags. The woman was frail and bent with age, her gray hair pulled into a tight bun and she was wearing a black laced veil. Her clothes, though worn and simple, were immaculately clean. She approached me with a gentle smile.
"Excuse me, ma'am, do you need some help?" I asked.
The old woman looked up with tired eyes, a flicker of relief washing over her face. "Oh, dear, you're too kind. I could certainly use a hand. And I am sorry for bumping you."
"It's okay." I smiled a little.
I took the heavy bags from her, noticing their contents were largely foodstuffs and household items. we continued to talk as I helped the woman to a nearby bench. Apparently she was a new citizen and planning to retire here.
"Thank you for the hand, my dear." she said
We sat together, the woman reached into her bag and pulled out a shiny, crimson apple. She offered it to me with a knowing smile. "You've been most helpful. Please, take this as a token of my gratitude."
I hesitated for a moment.. and look at her again.
The woman's eyes were warm and sincere. I accepted the apple and took a tentative bite. The fruit was sweet and refreshing, its tastes far richer than I had expected. Feeling a sudden wave of drowsiness, I decided to stand, but before I realised it, my eyelids grew heavy.
The rhythmic hum of the marketplace became a distant murmur as I succumbed to an overwhelming fatigue. Within moments, I drifted into a deep sleep.
******
When I opened my eyes again, the vibrant market was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I found myself lying on the cold, cracked ground of an ancient stone pathway. The air was thick with an eerie chill feeling, and the sky above was an unsettling shade of ashen gray. A monumental huge gate covered in dried blood and rust loomed ahead, its design intricate and foreboding.
It was neither a dream nor a familiar place.
Confusion gripped me as I stood up, My body aching from the unexpected transition. I approached the gate, its towering presence both majestic and ominous. The air was filled with a strange, echoing silence that felt suffering with unseen screams and whispers.
I reached out to tentatively touch the gate's cold, iron surface. My fingers made a contact, a faint, mournful wail seemed to emanate from the very structure, and the gate creaked open, revealing a swirling mist beyond. It leaves dainty crimson at my hand.
Gathering the enough amount of courage.. I stepped through the gate, finding myself in a realm unlike of this had I never imagined.
The landscape was a desolate expanse, dotted with jagged rocks and shadowy figures that flitted in and out of view. The sky was an endless void, lit only by a spectral glow of lightning and cast strange with ash.
As I walked forward, my footsteps echoed eerily in the vast emptiness.
A sense of foreboding settled over me as I go further.. mingled with a profound loneliness.
Every step felt like a journey deeper into the unknown, a path leading to an uncertain destiny.
With each passing moment, my heart pounding faster. It felt heavier to breathe.
The scenery seemed to shift and twist around me, as though the very fabric of reality was unraveling. I could feel the weight of unseen eyes watching, and a creeping dread settled in my chest.
Finally, I reached for a large, imposing structure that seemed to serve as the heart of this strange domain—a dark, cavernous palace with walls that shimmered like obsidian. As I approached, the gates to the palace opened slowly, revealing a dimly lit corridor.
But before I could step, The thick scent of ancient dust and decay welcomed me.
I didn't moved, and I felt my senses on high alert. The atmosphere was dense with an almost tangible sense of sorrow and loss. I could hear soft, mournful cries that seemed to come from all over the place.
I step a foot, and a figure emerged from the corridor, it was a huge shadow with three head, and a deep, resonant voice filled the chamber.
"Welcome, traveler," the figure intoned. "You have crossed the threshold into the realm of the Underworld. Tell me, why have you come?"
My mind has raced for a moment, my heart pounds more in my chest. "I—I don't know. I was just helping someone, and she gave me an apple then I fell asleep... and next thing I know I'm here."
The figure's three heads gleamed with a dark, knowing light. "The Underworld often claims those who have ventured beyond their own realm. Your arrival here is no mere accident."
Fear and confusion gripped through me as I faced the mysterious figure.
I was trapped in a place far beyond my understanding, with no clear path back to the world I knew.
