Chapter 12 – 7th Floor Arrival – 501m Underground

[Stairway to the Abyss’s 7th Floor – 401m]

The stairway leading down to the seventh floor was unlike any we’d encountered before. Long, dark, and seemingly endless, each step echoing hollowly in the oppressive silence.

“How much further?” Yuri asked, her voice strained, glancing back up the seemingly infinite staircase.

“Not much further, I think,” I said, trying to sound reassuring, though I had no idea how much further we had to go. The deeper we descended, the more distorted the Abyss became, stretching and twisting space and time.

Finally, the stairs ended, solid ground beneath our feet.

[Abyss – 7th Floor Entrance – 501m]

The seventh floor was a world unlike any we’d seen before. Hot, humid air clung to our skin, a strange mix of decaying vegetation and sharp, almost metallic tang filling our nostrils.

“A forest…?” Yuri murmured, looking around in disbelief. “Inside the Abyss?”

Above us, a dense canopy of leaves blocked out the sky, only slivers of light filtering through the dense foliage. Giant trees towered over us, their branches intertwined, their gnarled roots snaking across the ground, covered in a thick layer of moss and strange, glowing fungi. Unseen creatures rustled in the undergrowth, their calls echoing through the oppressive silence.

Crack.

The sound of a branch snapping echoed through the trees. In the distance, a large shape moved slowly through the undergrowth, its form obscured by the dense foliage.

“Yuri,” I whispered, my hand instinctively going to my knife, “this place… it’s alive. And we might be on the menu.”

“Wonderful,” she muttered. “So what are we supposed to be looking for in this… jungle?”

Her question was valid. This ecosystem was a complete unknown, its dangers unpredictable.

We continued our trek, carefully picking our way through the dense undergrowth. Etched into the massive roots of the trees were strange, swirling patterns, a mix of spirals and dotted lines, like some ancient, indecipherable script.

“Those patterns… they look… deliberate,” Yuri said, pointing to a particularly intricate design. “Not just natural wood grain.”

“I agree,” I said, studying the patterns closely. The dotted lines seemed to connect, to lead somewhere. “The Abyss doesn’t do anything without a purpose.”
Could these patterns be a map? A guide?

But venturing blindly deeper into the forest felt reckless.

“Let’s find a place to rest,” I said. “This place is too exposed. We need a hideout.”

The deeper we ventured, the stranger the forest became. Glowing insects crawled across the giant tree trunks, their bioluminescence illuminating strange, swirling patterns in the bark. Massive mushrooms, unlike anything we’d seen before, sprouted from the damp earth, their caps glowing with an eerie light. Giant, winged creatures soared overhead, their calls echoing through the trees, a deep, resonant sound that sent shivers down my spine.

“Noah! Look!”

Yuri pointed to the ground. Massive footprints, easily twice the size of my foot, imprinted in the soft earth, the surrounding vegetation crushed and broken. Scorch marks, black and still smoldering, surrounded the prints, faint, dotted lines glowing within the charred earth.

“Something big passed through here,” I murmured, my hand instinctively going to my knife. “And recently.”

“Maybe it’s connected to the patterns?” Yuri suggested.

“Maybe,” I said, my gaze scanning the surrounding trees, listening for any sign of movement, any sound that might betray the creature’s presence. “But we don’t have time to worry about that now. We need to find shelter.”

A deep roar echoed through the forest, a sound that resonated in my chest, a primal sound that spoke of immense power, of imminent danger.

“Are you sure we can sleep in a place with things like
that
roaming around, Noah?” Yuri asked, her voice tight with apprehension.

“We have to find somewhere safe,” I said, turning away from the footprints, leading us deeper into the forest. “We can’t risk a confrontation, not yet.”

But the forest felt… alive, aware of our presence, the unseen eyes of its inhabitants following our every move. My heart pounded in my chest, a single thought echoing in my mind.

Will we survive this?

The deeper we went, the heavier the fatigue became. The ordeal in the library, the constant struggle against the shifting gravity, had taken its toll.

“Noah,” Yuri said, stopping, her hand pressed against her forehead, “I’m exhausted.” She swayed slightly, her face pale with fatigue.

“I know,” I said, scanning the trees, the dim light offering little comfort. “But we can’t stop here. It’s too dangerous.”

“But what if we collapse? We both know what exhaustion can do, Noah. We can’t push ourselves too hard.”

She was right. We needed to rest. We needed a safe place to recover our strength.

We pressed on, our steps growing slower, heavier. Then, I saw it. A hollow beneath the massive roots of an ancient tree, hidden from view, sheltered from the elements.

“There,” I said, pointing. “What do you think?”

“Are you sure, Noah? It smells… strange.”

“It’s the best we’ve got,” I said. “Let’s just rest for a bit.”

We ducked under the low-hanging roots, entering the small, surprisingly dry space. The thick roots formed a natural barrier, shielding us from the wind and the watchful eyes of the forest. The air was still, the silence broken only by the rustling of leaves overhead.

“Okay,” I said, settling down against a thick root. “We can rest here for a while. And then…”

“We try out my prize?” Yuri grinned, pulling out her book.

“Of course. Let’s see what culinary delights the Abyss has to offer.”

We spread out our meager supplies: a handful of berries, some strange-looking leaves, a few odd-shaped mushrooms.

“Glad we have this,” Yuri said, flipping through the
Compendium of Abyssal Cuisine
. “Otherwise, we’d probably poison ourselves.”

“Alright,” she said, holding up a shiny, red berry. “Let’s start with this.”

I held out a handful of berries I’d collected, hoping they weren’t poisonous.

Yuri consulted the book, comparing the berries to the illustrations within.

“Lapis Berries,” she read. “Causes high fever, vomiting, and in severe cases, paralysis. Don’t eat.”

“Good to know.” I pushed the berries aside.

“How about these?” I held up a handful of bluish leaves.

Yuri scanned the book. “Abyss Leaves. Slightly bitter, but sweet when cooked. Safe to eat.”

“Excellent.”

I held up a large, brightly colored mushroom. Yuri flipped through the book, then sighed.

“Blackford Mushrooms. Causes… interesting side effects. Extra limbs, protrusions… you first?”

“I’ll pass,” I said, tossing the mushroom aside.

I held up a small, translucent blob that resembled a jelly. Yuri consulted the book, then shook her head.

“Not in here. Probably best to avoid it.”

“Agreed.” I flicked the blob out of the hollow.

We gathered the safe ingredients, combining them with our remaining rations, trying to concoct something edible.

“These leaves are supposed to be sweet when cooked, right?” Yuri asked.

“Right. And these berries are safe to eat raw. A bit tart, but sweet as well.” She held up a handful of small, orange berries.

Hopefully, they’re not related to those Lapis Berries.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s mix them with our biscuits. Maybe wrap the leaves around them, add some berries…”

“Biscuits and leaves? Isn’t that a bit… rustic, even for us?”

“Desperate times,” I said, grinning.

We set to work, Yuri carefully cooking the leaves over a small fire, while I mixed a simple sauce using the orange berries, crushing them to release their tart-sweet juice.

“Smells good!” Yuri said, sniffing the air. “Definitely unique.”

“Probably the strangest combination I’ve ever made,” I admitted.

Yuri carefully wrapped the cooked leaves around the biscuits, drizzled them with the berry sauce, and garnished them with a few fresh berries.

“Here,” she said, offering me one. “Try it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to taste it first?” I teased.

“Ladies first,” she said, grinning.

“Or maybe… first to die?”

She rolled her eyes, but took a bite. She paused, savoring the flavor, then nodded.

“Wow. Surprisingly good.”

“Really?” I took a bite. She was right. The sweetness of the cooked leaves, the tartness of the berries, the crunch of the biscuits… it was a surprisingly delicious combination. Not bad for Abyssal cuisine.

“We might become famous chefs down here,” I joked.

“More like famous snacks for something bigger than us,” Yuri quipped, and we both laughed.

We ate in comfortable silence, the warmth of the small fire chasing away the chill of the Abyss, the tension easing, the dangers outside momentarily forgotten.

“This… this is nice, Noah,” Yuri said softly.

“It is,” I agreed. “We need moments like this. To remind us why we’re here.”

I took another bite, savoring the sweetness, the warmth, the companionship. It was good. Too good. The sweetness of the food, the sweetness of the moment… it was almost… unsettling.