Chương 2: The Sole Light in Endless Darkness
If Kai'Sa had been a little more perceptive to the warmth of human flesh, she might have realized that Kane was, in fact, still alive. Yet as children are, she missed the subtlety, and the threads of fate were nudged back onto their predetermined path.
"Help, my leg is trapped under a rock..."
Kai'Sa was quickly drawn away by the cries of others, leaving Kane's "corpse" behind as she fumbled in the dark, searching for more survivors. But with each new encounter, her despair deepened. These people were not as fortunate as she—either buried too deeply in the rubble or with bones shattered and organs crushed upon the fall.
Not a single soul could she save—watching life after life ebb away plunged her into deeper desolation and confusion.
"Mom, where are you? Someone, please save me..." As familiar faces turned cold and lifeless one by one, the girl sobbed helplessly.
Only after Kai'Sa had moved away did Kane dare to gasp for air, each breath igniting fiery pain within his lungs.
Eventually, the waves of agony lulled him back into unconsciousness.
...
When Kane came to once again, it wasn't pain that greeted him first but a gnawing hunger.
"How long have I been out... Am I still in time?"
Fear clutched at his heart, afraid he might have missed his sole chance at life. Fortunately, weak cries for help still emanated nearby.
"Good, if there are survivors, that means Kai'Sa is still here."
Kai'Sa would wait until she was the last one left after three days before deciding to leave the ruins and venture into the treacherous underworld.
The paths of the underworld were convoluted, and Kane knew he must follow her before she set out; otherwise, finding her again would be a Herculean task.
But first, he needed sustenance to face the dangers ahead.
His wounds didn't ache as much now, and the blood that had streamed over his forehead had clotted. In his stupor, the injuries in his chest had managed some healing, allowing him to stand and walk, albeit weakly.
The underground world was a place of perpetual twilight, the gaping wound from the cave-in above had sealed itself shut.
No sliver of daylight or moonbeam penetrated this abyss; no natural light source existed here.
In pitch darkness, he shuffled forward, feet scraping against the ground, feeling out his path with each tentative step, distinguishing rock from other substances.
Though he knew no monsters would emerge in the ruins, the occasional brush against a lifeless body sent shivers through his spine.
He found a water skin amid the destruction, and thirstily gulped down the contents, quenching a throat threatened by flames. He also discovered some dried meat and peaches.
Convention dictated that perishable fruits should be eaten first, but recalling Kai'Sa's fondness for peaches, he stuffed his mouth with the jerky instead.
Ultimately, the fate of the peaches didn't matter as long as the gesture reached her. After her symbiosis with the void, Kai'Sa would no longer require nutrients from such food, perhaps not even needing to eat the way mortals do.
Kane gathered more provisions and found a spear. Wrapping the food in a cloth he found, he slung the makeshift sack over his shoulder and grasped the spear firmly, both a weapon and a support.
Then he began his search for Kai'Sa.
The ruins formed by the village's fall were vast, but Kane wasn't foolish enough to exhaust his weakened body by blindly traversing the entire area.
He headed towards the sound of cries for help and soon located Kai'Sa.
The rustling of darkness was Kai'Sa, striving to free a survivor with her bare hands, but she was unable to lift the crushing boulders. Kneeling, she cried and apologized helplessly.
"Save your strength, foolish girl," Kane nearly said, but no words left his lips.
He lay down quietly, trying to make no noise, needing more rest but hoping Kai'Sa would pause to do the same.
From his bundle, he extracted a round, downy peach.
Kai'Sa, still a child, had not yet thought to search for food. It was the comfort of companionship she needed now, not the ephemeral satisfaction of a full belly. The fear of dark had numbed her hunger.
Hunger, though, could defeat a person.
Kane placed the peach on the ground and nudged it towards her.
The fruit rolled down the slope of broken walls and debris, coming to a stop against Kai'Sa's ankle.
"Who's there?" Kai'Sa startled, her scream cutting through the silence, her weary mind on edge. She drew her dagger, slashing the dark as if to fend off an attacking beast.
Realizing no one responded, she deflated, reaching down to pick up the object by her foot.
"A peach?" Her familiarity with the fruit allowed her to recognize it instantly.
Peaches were her favorite. The thought of their sweet taste made her parched mouth water.
Hunger awakened, her body acted before her mind, driven by a primal need.
She wiped the dust from the fruit's skin, blew on it, and bit into the flesh.
But the sweet juice that flowed brought with it memories too sweet to bear—memories that could never be relived.
She would never taste her mother's cooking again, nor hear her father's travel stories at bedtime, nor receive the surprising gifts each birthday...
Everything she had ever had seemed gone forever. Salty tears mingled with the sweet peach as she ate and wept, each bite laden with a different shade of despair.
Cold, loneliness, darkness...
Kane listened as her sobs quieted, then as sleep claimed her.
Kai'Sa slept, and Kane felt marginally more at ease. He closed his eyes for a light slumber, silently waiting to witness the twist in her destiny.
Survivors weakly called out to each other, chanting names like a mantra. Upon waking, Kai'Sa continued her fruitless search for the living, though she too understood its futility.
Kane followed her silently for three days until only her voice remained among the ruins.
Her friends and family gone, she was left alone in the dark.
The girl, tears long dried, driven by hunger, wandered the wreckage like a specter.
And in that moment of utter desolation, she saw it—a light.
A light in the boundless, chilling darkness, long absent from her world!
With an unknown hope fueling her, Kai'Sa's legs found new strength. She followed the light, descending further and further.
Kane stayed discreetly in her shadow.
Despite knowing the terror that lurked behind that light, he pressed on with his battered body.
"Survive, Kai'Sa."
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