Illumination

The forest was lush and green, and the air was thick with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. I walked cautiously, taking in my surroundings and keeping a lookout for any potential dangers.

I soon came across a beautiful patch of blue flowers and carefully collected some samples. As I continued my search, I stumbled upon a small creek, and the sound of running water was a refreshing change from the silence of the forest.

But my peaceful reverie was suddenly interrupted by a rustling sound from the nearby bushes. My heart raced as I readied myself for any danger, but to my relief, it was only a deer, grazing on the grass.

As I continued on my mission, I discovered more samples of rare and exotic plants. The forest was teeming with life, and it was a true wonder to behold.

As I examined the various plant samples in front of me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Each one was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Their colors and shapes were so intricate and beautiful, and I couldn't help but wonder how these flowers came to be.

"I'll just ask Lucien about them later," I muttered to myself.

But as the sun began to set, I realized that I had lost track of time. I quickly gathered the rest of my samples and made my way back to the guild, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride in my first mission.

When I returned, Lucien was waiting for me, and he grinned as he saw the bag of samples I had collected. "Looks like you had a successful run."

"Yeah," I responded, feeling pleased with myself.

As I laid out the strange plant samples on the table, Lucien's eyes widened in surprise. "These are remarkable," he exclaimed, examining them closely. "I have never seen anything quite like them before."

"Yeah, it just makes me wonder if it's the result of evolution or the after-effects of the disaster," I said while also taking a closer look at the flowers.

Lucien paused for a moment before responding. "Perhaps it's both. The world is constantly changing and adapting, especially in the face of such a catastrophic event. These plants might be the first signs of a new era, a new world that we have yet to fully understand."

I nodded in agreement as I carefully stored the plant samples in a small plastic bag, ready to be sent back to the guild for payment.

The idea of being paid for gathering such unique specimens was exciting for me.

"So do you have any plans for tomorrow?" He asked.

"Not really, I'm finished with my mission and I don't plan on taking on anymore tomorrow either."

"Great," Lucien exclaimed with an enthusiastic expression. "Come with me and a few others tomorrow"

"To where?" I asked, feeling curious.

"To explore a nearby cave that was recently discovered near the town."

My expression turned skeptical. "But, is it even safe?"

"We won't know until we explore it, right?" He remarked with confidence.

I let out a tired sigh. "Fine, count me in."

Lucien grinned at my reluctant agreement, clearly pleased to have convinced me to join the expedition. "Excellent! We'll meet up tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"You got it," I said as I packed up all my belongings, preparing to return to my inn.

The following morning, I arrived at the cave entrance and met up with Lucien and the other adventurers.

Lucien introduced me to his companions, starting with his younger sister, Elyna, who had blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The boy beside her was Asahi, whom Lucien had met at the guild.

Before Lucien could proceed with my introduction, he interrupted himself, "How about you introduce yourself?"

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"My name is Makino Katsu, but you all can call me Katsu," I replied with a friendly smile.

"Great, now that introductions are out of the way, let's dive into this cave," Lucien shouted with excitement, leading the way.

The cave was shrouded in darkness, and as we made our way further inside, I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were walking into a scene straight out of a horror film.

After a few minutes of walking, we stumbled upon a vast collection of shimmering gems and rocks. But something seemed off about the sheer amount of ore that lay before us.

Elyna was quick to point out our confusion, and Asahi echoed her sentiments, bewildered by the number of gems that had been left untouched for so long.

Lucien, however, had a different theory. "We now live in a world, full of drastic changes. Perhaps this is just another one of those changes," he said, quite confidently.

Asahi promptly advised him to refrain from speculating about every little thing that arises and instead concentrate on the present circumstances.

As we proceeded, we encountered a massive nest that made us all hesitant to move a step. But Lucien pushed us on, and we soon found ourselves gazing upon two giant eggs.

"These eggs are enormous," Elyna exclaimed, her voice shaking slightly.

But then, our eyes caught sight of something that sent chills down our spines. A heap of dead bodies lay piled up beside a massive creature.

"Well, I suppose that's why there are numerous gems and ores in here," Asahi murmured softly.

The colossal creature released a thunderous roar before returning to its slumber as if warning us not to disturb it.

As we looked at the horrifying sight before us, we knew we had to be careful. Lucien motioned for us to back away slowly, but it was all too late.

The creature stirred, and its eyes opened, revealing a deep, fiery red.

We all froze, unsure of what to do next. The creature let out another deafening roar, shaking the cave walls and sending rocks tumbling down around us. As it began to rise to its full height, we knew we had to act fast.

"Everyone, scatter!" Lucien shouted, and we all took off in different directions, hoping to avoid the creature's wrath.

I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my chest. The creature's roar echoed through the cave, making it difficult to focus on anything else. I stumbled and fell, scraping my knee on a sharp rock.

As I looked up, I saw the creature looming over me, its massive claws ready to strike. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the worst, but then I heard a voice.

"Katsu, get up!" It was Lucien, his hand outstretched to help me up.

I took his hand and scrambled to my feet, and we ran for our lives, with the creature hot on our heels. We didn't stop running until we had reached the entrance of the cave and were safely out of harm's way.

As we caught our breath, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude toward Lucien and his quick thinking. "Thanks for saving my life," I said, still a little shaken.

"It's what friends do," Lucien replied with a smile.

...

"Wait, where is Asahi?" Elyna asked, treading behind us, still frightened and shaken up by what just happened.

Elyna's question hung in the air, punctuated by the heavy silence that followed. Lucien scanned the cave entrance, his eyes darting from side to side, searching for any sign of Asahi.

But he was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the cave, jolting us out of our frozen states.

"Shit!" I said grimly, my heart heavy with the weight of what could possibly have happened.

Lucien refused to give up, hope still burning in his eyes. He turned to me, determination etched onto his face.

"I have to go back for him," he said resolutely.

"What if he isn't alive?" I argued back.

"Then I will bring his corpse back," he shouted.

After arguing back and forth.

He turned around and tried to go back in.

But I held him by his shoulder, placing a firm hand on it.

"Then I'm coming with you," I said, my voice trembling a bit.

"You don't have to come, Katsu. I'll go alone if I have to."

But I couldn't just let him go in there by himself. As much as I wanted to stay behind and wait for him, I knew I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him.

"I'm coming with you," I repeated, trying to sound braver than I felt.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Before entering, he instructed his sister to bring help when they came back out.

She nodded in agreement.

We made our way back into the cave, the darkness seeming even more suffocating than before. Every step felt like we were walking into a trap, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

Finally, we heard a groan coming from deeper inside the cave. We followed the sound until we found Asahi, lying on the ground, badly injured but still alive.

The creature seemed to have disappeared, so we sprinted towards Asahi with all our might, we started to carry him, struggling but still managing.

As we emerged from the cave's mouth, we were relieved to see the medics already waiting for us.

We rushed Asahi over to them, his condition uncertain.

After what felt like an eternity, we received the news that Asahi was going to be alright.

We were all immensely relieved.

Later that day

Lucien went to deliver the news to the guild.

As for me, I made my way back to the inn, my body aching and my mind weary. I was more than ready to rest my head and let the day fade away.