Chapter 27 – It Can Do That?

My hand trembled slightly as I held the pen, poised above the final line. The glowing trail we’d traced illuminated the floor, forming a complex, intricate pattern.

“Noah,” Luna’s voice, faint but clear, reached me. “Is this… the last one?”

I nodded, lifting the pen. “Yes. After this…”

I carefully traced the final line, the light from the pen’s tip intensifying, a warmth spreading through my fingers, my senses tingling.

“Watch closely,” I whispered. “This is it.”

I drew the final stroke.

The ground beneath us began to vibrate, a low hum that quickly intensified, the entire floor shaking, the very air trembling.

“What’s happening?!” Yuri cried, her voice a mix of fear and awe.

“The light, Noah!” Luna shouted, pointing to the pattern on the floor. “It’s getting brighter!”

The completed pattern glowed with an almost blinding intensity, the lines of light spreading outwards, connecting, intertwining, forming a larger, more complex design.

And then, the light exploded.

A blinding flash, a deafening roar, and we instinctively shielded our eyes, the force of the explosion throwing us back against the wall.

“Noah! Luna! Are you alright?!” Yuri’s voice was barely audible above the roar.

I slowly opened my eyes, blinking against the sudden brightness. And then I saw it.

The entire eighth floor was bathed in a soft, warm light, the darkness banished, the fragments of light swirling and dancing in the newfound brightness.

“This is… incredible…”

The massive pattern, now fully illuminated, glowed on the floor beneath us, a network of interconnected lines, pulsing with energy, as if the very Abyss itself had come to life.

“We did it,” I whispered, my voice filled with awe. “Yuri, Luna… we did it.”

We looked at each other, grinning, our faces illuminated by the soft glow of the pattern. We’d followed the right path. We’d completed the pattern. We’d brought light to the darkness.

The light faded slightly, and we stood there, blinking, catching our breath, the silence now a welcome contrast to the deafening roar of the explosion. And then… I realized.

Something was… different.

“Noah…” Luna grabbed my hand, her eyes wide with wonder. “I… I can feel it! Your hand… it’s warm!” She squeezed my hand, then started jumping up and down, her small footsteps echoing clearly in the chamber. “And my feet! I can feel the ground! It’s cold! It’s real!” She dropped to her knees, running her hands across the floor, a joyful laugh escaping her lips. “It’s rough! It’s cold! We’re back!”

I stared at her, speechless, then looked down at my own hands, at the ground beneath my feet. I could feel it. The cold, rough texture of the stone against my skin. The warmth of Luna’s hand in mine. The air… I could feel the air on my skin. Our senses… they were back.

“Yuri?” I turned to her, and she stood there, her eyes wide, her hands outstretched, as if rediscovering the world around her.

“Noah!” she cried, running towards me, throwing her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. “I can feel it! I can feel you! You’re warm! You’re… real!”

Her sudden embrace startled me, her warmth a welcome sensation, but also… slightly overwhelming.

“Yuri,” I gasped, “can’t… breathe…”

“Oh! Sorry!” She pulled away, her cheeks flushed, a sheepish grin on her face. “Got a little… carried away. Heheh…”

“Noah!” Luna cried, her eyes shining with excitement. “Can Luna run now? Really? Really?”

I chuckled, nodding. “Go for it, Luna. Run free.”

She whooped with delight, running around the chamber, her laughter echoing in the newfound brightness, the sound of her small footsteps a joyful counterpoint to the oppressive silence we’d endured.

“Wooohooo! Noah! Hear footsteps! Luna run!”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, savoring the scent of the air, the feel of the cool stone beneath my feet, the sounds of Luna’s laughter, Yuri’s soft gasps, the gentle hum of the central device.

“We’re back…”

I opened my eyes, looking at Yuri, at Luna, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the pattern. “We did it,” I said, my voice filled with emotion. “We actually… did it.”

They both nodded, their eyes shining with tears, with relief, with joy.

“Noah…” Yuri whispered, her voice thick with emotion, “I’m… so glad.”

“Me too,” I said, smiling at her, my own eyes stinging with tears. I hadn’t realized… how much I’d missed… these sensations, these feelings, this… connection. We could feel again. We were… alive.

As the light from the explosion faded, the true landscape of the eighth floor revealed itself. A vast, open space, the ceiling a clear, endless sky, the floor a flat, shimmering plane that resembled a vast, still lake. The pattern we’d traced glowed faintly beneath our feet, its light pulsing gently, and in the center of the space, a single tree stood tall, its branches reaching towards the sky, a simple bench nestled beneath its shade.

“Wow…” Luna breathed, stepping forward, her gaze fixed on the shimmering landscape, her eyes wide with wonder.

Yuri stood beside me, speechless for a moment, then turned to me, her eyes shining. “Noah,” she whispered, “is this… real? Is this… really… the Abyss?”

“I… I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admitted, my own mind still reeling from the experience.

We walked towards the tree, hand in hand, our footsteps echoing softly on the smooth, shimmering surface. As we approached the bench, the scent of wood, warm and comforting, filled the air. We sat down, Luna in the middle, Yuri and I on either side, the tree’s branches casting a gentle shade over us.

Yuri leaned back against the tree, letting out a long sigh, her gaze fixed on the starlit sky above. “I can’t believe… we can just… sit here… after… all that…”

Luna curled up on the bench, hugging her knees. “So quiet… but… not scary. Feels… warm.”

I looked down at the pattern on the floor, its soft glow a comforting presence, a reminder of the path we’d followed, the darkness we’d overcome. I pulled out the pen, my fingers tracing its intricate patterns, preparing to record our findings.

“Still documenting everything, Noah?” Yuri asked, leaning against me, her warmth a comforting presence.

“Of course,” I said, smiling. “We have to leave a record. Just in case.”

“How long are you going to keep doing that?” Luna asked, glancing at me. “Until the end?”

“Until the end,” I said, my gaze fixed on the pen, my fingers tracing the pattern. “When we finally get out of here… no one will believe us unless we have… proof.” I added details to the sketch, not just the pattern itself, but the tree, the bench, our footprints, a visual record of this strange, beautiful place. Maybe I should start doing this for every floor. A visual journal of our journey through the Abyss.

We sat there for a long time, silent, content, soaking in the peace, the tranquility, the beauty of this unexpected sanctuary. It was a moment of perfect stillness, a moment of… grace.

Luna scooted closer, her golden eyes fixed on the pen in my hand, her brow furrowed with curiosity.

“Noah,” she whispered, tugging at my sleeve, “can Luna… touch… pen…?”

I hesitated, then smiled, her childlike wonder infectious. “Sure, Luna. But be careful. It’s… important.”

I handed her the pen, and she took it, her small hands turning it over and over, examining it closely.

“Pretty…” she murmured. “And… warm. Like… alive…”

She traced her finger along the pen’s intricate patterns, then, before I could stop her, she brought it close to the pattern I’d sketched on the ground.

“Luna, wait! Don’t…”

The pen glowed brightly, the light intensifying, and a soft, melodic voice filled the air.

“…become a little bird…”

“What…?” Yuri gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

I stared at the pen, my heart pounding. A voice? Did I just… hear a voice?

“Luna,” I asked, my voice hushed, “did you… hear that?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. “Pen say… ‘become a little bird’! What is it, Noah?”

I took the pen back, its warmth still lingering in my hand, the light fading.

“This artifact…” I murmured, my mind racing, “…it… it responds to the pattern. It… translates it.”

Yuri stared at the pen, her expression a mix of awe and confusion. “Translates? You mean… we can… read these patterns?”

“I think so,” I said, my gaze fixed on the pen, the implications of its power sinking in. “These patterns… they’re not just… decorations. They’re… messages.”

“So if we use it on the other patterns…” Luna said, her eyes shining with excitement, “…we can read… all of them?”

“Maybe,” I said, a shiver running down my spine. “But I don’t think… it’s just… messages, Luna. I think… there’s something… more… something we don’t… understand.”

We sat there, staring at the pen, the words echoing in our minds.

…become a little bird…

It was more than just a message. It was… a clue. A key.

I looked at the pen, a sudden realization dawning. This artifact… it wasn’t just for tracing patterns. It was for… unlocking the secrets of the Abyss.