บท 9: The Abyss
<<Time skip>>
It's been almost 2 years since Alex's first mission. Over time, SEAL Team 3 became renowned for their precision in executing high-risk missions. The team had just finished a mission in Cairo, and when they were immediately given new orders, there was a High Valued Individual, a US citizen, who got captured by the North Korean Army during an expedition. He had key information regarding the defence secrets that, in the wrong hands, could jeopardise the National Safety.
The team gathered in the briefing room. The intelligence suggested that the HVI was holed up in a remote, fortified compound high in the mountains. The mission was to infiltrate the compound, extract the target, and exfiltrate.
Lieutenant Commander Harris, the commanding officer, laid out the plan. They would insert via HALO jump, navigate the mountainous terrain, map the region, chart an exit plan, and breach the compound under the cover of darkness. The briefing ended with a stark reminder of the mission's stakes.
The night of the operation was clear and cold. They activated their NVGs as the team stood on the edge of the aircraft ramp, ready to jump; Alex took slow breaths, steadying his nerves. The jump went smoothly, and the team landed in a remote clearing, quickly gathering their gear and setting off towards the target.
The terrain was brutal, with steep, rocky inclines and dense forest. They moved silently, communicating with hand signals and keeping a watchful eye for any signs of patrols. As they approached the compound, the team split into two groups. Alex's group would breach the perimeter while the other provided overwatch.
As they moved into position, a sense of unease washed over Alex. Something felt off.
'This is too easy. Why is there no patrol around the area?'
But they were in too deep, and there was no turning back. The perimeter was breached quietly, taking out the guards with silenced weapons. Just as they prepared to move deeper into the compound, the night erupted with gunfire.
The team was ambushed. The intelligence was flawed, and the enemy somehow knew and was prepared for the attack. Alex's heart raced as bullets whizzed past, and he quickly sought cover, returning fire. The team fought valiantly, but the enemy's numbers were just too overwhelming.
In the chaos, Alex saw two of his teammates, Jon and Phil, fall. The sight of their lifeless bodies filled him with a cold shiver that quickly replaced with fury. He continued to fight, his training taking over as he moved through the compound, trying to find a way out.
As the team attempted to regroup, an explosion rocked the compound, throwing Alex off balance. He stumbled, his vision blurring, and he regained his footing and retreated quickly into the darkness of the night.
Running while avoiding bullets, He fell down a ground hole on the surface of the mountain. Alex's body slammed into the rocky walls of the cave structure, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He tumbled further down.
.
.
.
[? time later]
When Alex woke up, He looked up and couldn't even see any light. No light and no sound. He pulled himself up, and strangely enough, there was no pain as well. He looked around. His eyes slowly adjusted to the surroundings; he looked around and realised he was standing in a formation that looked similar to the floor of a large well, and he noticed that his feet were touching something moist.
It was a small pond about 7-diameter in size with the clearest water he'd ever seen. It was literally sparkling, and next to the pond was a small cherry tree with blue leaves and golden fruits. The pond and the tree had a hue around them that looked almost divine, gently lighting up the surroundings.
'Yep. I am most definitely hallucinating.'
Alex thought he was seeing this because of the fall trauma. After waiting for a few minutes for it to pass, he had to accept that this was real. Once that was out of the way, he knew he had to find a way out(up).
He went through the torn war bag to assess the damage. Waiting for a rescue might not be the best course of action. Besides, he wasn't that hurt, so there's a chance it could be a small cave. The only way was up, but it was strange that he could not see an opening. He lost the M4 during the fall but still had the Sig Sauer P226, the tactical knife and the flashlight. His compass looked damaged but was still pointing to North. The Radio was scattered, but he had few MRE rations, water and protein bars. The med kit survived for the most part, and most importantly, he had Climbing Gear intact. This meant he could climb out. Alex let out a sigh of relief.
So he started his climb. Minutes turned into hours. The end was still not in sight. Mid-climb, he ate a protein bar to replenish his strength. But Alex was exhausted. He kept climbing, but the rocks started becoming slippery. He was tired and exhausted, and realising this would do more harm than good, he climbed down. This kept happening for a few days. But each day, he would make a mark at the point he reached, trying to go a bit further. He was getting more injured each day, cuts, bruises and scratches. Alex even stubbed his toe.
But there was another huge problem: he was running out of rations and water. He was consciously avoiding the sketchy pond and the tree, but now it became one luxury he couldn't afford anymore. He carefully took 1 sip of the pond water and felt instantly rejuvenated. Alex could feel the strength coming back to him. With replenished vigour, he got back to climbing. He would eat the cherries, drink the water, and continue climbing. Days turned into more days, which turned into even more days, but Alex wasn't making much progress; he knew something was wrong.
'It is this Fucking place.'
The realization hit Alex like a hammer. As he looked at the pond and the tree, he understood with a sinking heart that this seemingly miraculous place was the very thing keeping him trapped. Somehow, the pond had been healing his injuries and revitalizing him, but it had also made him complacent. It had lulled him into a false sense of security, making him believe that he could keep trying indefinitely without truly pushing himself to the limit.
He stood at the edge of the pond, staring at his reflection in the clear water. The face looking back at him was a bit haggard but mostly frustrated.
"Every time I fail, I come back here, drink this water, and it keeps me going, but it also keeps me here."
Alex clenched his fists, feeling the anger and determination boiling inside him.
"I've been a coward," he admitted out loud, the words echoing in the cavern. "I've been scared to push myself to the brink, scared to face the real consequence."
He saw Jon's' and Phil's face. It was a thought he was consciously trying to avoid. Maybe if he didn't go up, he wouldn't know. Maybe he saw it wrong; they didn't die. It was nighttime, and his adrenaline was high. Maybe the team escaped, and they were searching for him
"I just have to sit around and wait."
Alex might be a Navy SEAL, but the truth was he still wasn't old enough to drink yet. A few tears went down his cheek, mostly for his fallen comrades. But then, had a determined look on his face
"No more."
Next few days, he didn't climb. In fact, slept as much as he could. He didn't give up, nor was he lazing around. Alex was building up his strength; in the following days, he drank the pond dry before storing 2 bottles of water, cutting down the tree into shreds with his knife and storing them in his bag. Both the leaves and the bark were edible. In fact, it actually tasted better than the food at the mess in boot camp. After he was done, he started the climb.
This was the last time. It was either do or die. Now, there is nothing to go back to, and the only path was up.
Alex's mind raced with the focus of a SEAL as he meticulously prepared for what he knew would be his final climb. His gear was double-checked, and every strap and buckle was secured. The two bottles of water and the remnants of the tree were stowed in his pack as nourishment.
He began the final climb. The further he climbed, the narrow passages squeezed him tight. The air grew thin as he ascended, each breath more laborious than the last. His hands gripped the rough, wet rocks, feeling the texture of the granite as it bit into his palms. Despite the sharp pain, he refused to relent. The cave was unforgiving, with steep drops and hidden pits that could easily have ended his journey. But Alex was careful; his movements were calculated and careful.
The cave's structure was unstable, and every step felt like a gamble. As he climbed, the sound of shifting rocks echoed through the chambers, a constant reminder of the peril he faced. The walls of the cave were slick with moss, making his progress slow and treacherous. Each time he found himself slipping, he drove his knife into the rock face, securing himself before continuing.
Hours passed, though in the pitch darkness, time seemed irrelevant. He relied solely on his instincts and training, navigating the cave with a mix of intuition and sheer willpower. His body was exhausted, every muscle aching, but the water and leaves from the mysterious pond kept him going. He felt an unnatural strength coursing through him, a side effect of the strange food that had sustained him.
He climbed for what felt like a whole day; as exhaustion overwhelmed him, he found a small ledge to rest on. It was barely wide enough to sit, but it was all he needed. Sleep was brief, haunted by dreams of his fallen comrades, but he couldn't afford to linger.
The second day was even harder. The narrow passages became tighter, and the air grew stale and humid. His heart pounded in his chest, a constant reminder that he was running out of time. The realization that the structure of the cave was inherently unstable loomed over him, but he pushed forward, determined not to meet his end buried under tons of rock. He finally realised how big the cave was. It was a fall that one normally wouldn't, SHOULDN'T survive. Then he remembered when he woke up, his feet were touching the pond.
The climb was torturous. His hands were raw and bloodied, his legs burned with lactic acid, and his mind was teetering on the brink of collapse. Yet, he pressed on.
Alex was nearing the limit of his endurance. His body screamed for rest, but he kept going. He was deep within the cave's belly now, where the rock formations grew jagged, and the terrain became more treacherous. Suddenly, his hand slipped, and he felt his body lurch downwards, a wave of panic surging through him as he grabbed at the slick rocks.
For a moment, he hung there, suspended above what could have been a fatal drop. Summoning the last of his strength, he pulled himself up, muscles straining with effort. Gasping for breath, he found a small foothold and continued, though the climb was now more desperate, driven by adrenaline and survival instinct.
Alex's progress became agonizingly slow, but he persisted. After a while, he smelled air, dirt and grass. A wall of sand, dirt, and rocks blocked what he hoped was the cave entrance, completely. The realization that this blockage was the reason no light had seeped through hit him. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the final push.
Though his body screamed in protest after two days of gruelling effort, Alex refused to give in to exhaustion. He pulled out his tactical knife. With deliberate, steady movements, he began to dig. The blade cut into the packed dirt, dislodging rocks and soil that had accumulated over what must be 3 or 4 meters deep. He worked methodically, creating a small tunnel.
The work was slow and arduous. Each thrust of the knife sent jolts of pain through his tired muscles, but Alex pushed on. He used his hands to scoop away the loosened debris, the grit and dirt embedding itself under his fingernails. The confined space grew even tighter as he burrowed through, the air becoming thick with dust.
Minutes turned into hours. Sweat poured down his face, mixing with the grime and dirt. His breaths were laboured; each inhale a struggle against the claustrophobic confines of his tunnel. Despite the discomfort, he kept going, driven by an unwavering determination to reach the outside world.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he noticed a faint change in the texture of the dirt. It became looser, less compact. He dug with renewed vigour, his heart pounding with anticipation. The small tunnel grew larger, and soon, a sliver of light pierced through the darkness.
Alex's spirits soared. He continued to dig, widening the tunnel until the light grew brighter, flooding the cave with a golden glow. He could hear the chirping of insects and the sounds of birds. He squinted against the sudden brightness, his eyes trying to adjust to the daylight after so long in the dark. With one final effort, he pushed his way through the last barrier of dirt and rocks, emerging into the open air.
But the second he came out of the holes. Alex crouched down into a fetal position, clenching his ears as hard as he could; his eyes were shut close. He was holding in a scream.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง