CHAPTER 83: 83-LOST HIM IN THE CAVE

Iris:

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something behind him.

Tentacles, or perhaps fleshy vines, rushed toward us, reaching out with thin, finger-like tendrils.

One brushed the tip of my nose, and my eyes widened in terror.

But before it could grab me, Luca had dashed out of the cave.

We landed hard on the ground, but he kept me shielded as we looked back.

Inside, the cave that had seemed empty and dark was now glowing red.

The vines, or tentacles, were alive, writhing and moving as if the cave itself had become a living, breathing creature.

"Did you see that?" I asked Luca, my gaze fixed on the cave’s mouth.

"As a matter of fact, I did," he answered, his voice jittery.

"Are you feeling alright now?" he pressed, leaning closer, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the vines.

The moment I noticed them shrinking back, panic crawled up my spine.

"They’re retreating," I whispered with difficulty, pointing toward the cave as I tried to rise.

A wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back down. I focused on steadying my breath.

"What are you doing? You’re not well. Settle down first and then–" He attempted to stop me, but I pushed myself up again.

The world around me started to blur, and I collapsed back with a heavy thump.

"No– Luca, I need those vines. They might be the cure," I murmured, biting my tongue when another blow swept through my body.

"Alright, alright, I understand," Luca said anxiously. "I’ll go."

I lifted my head to watch him, but he had already sprung to his feet and slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Wait– don’t go by yourself," I called after him, struggling upright.

This time, as my vision clouded completely, consciousness slipped away from me.

I no longer knew how many hours I had been out, or if it had even been hours.

I only knew that the last time I was aware of my surroundings, I’d been outside the cave.

But when I woke up this time, something soft was beneath me.

"She’s waking up."

Lara’s loud voice announcing my return to consciousness made me blink several times, trying to fully wake.

I sat up and realized I was lying on the ground with a bag under my head.

Looking around, I saw a large cave in front of me.

My position had changed, I was no longer close to the entrance.

Kash hurried over, wiping herbs from his hands.

I noticed something wet under my feet and realized he’d been gathering herbs to cool my body down.

That was probably the problem, why had my body reacted so strongly to the cave?

When I got in there, my skin burned with heat, and I felt so suffocated he had to carry me out. I remembered it all, and then something else came back to me.

"Luca."

That was the first thing I said. Kash, sitting in front of me, wrinkled his nose.

"What did he do to you?" he asked sharply, staring into my eyes.

"I should’ve known not to leave you with him," he remarked while I shook my head.

"Where is he?" I asked, glancing around. It seemed he hadn’t left the cave, otherwise, they wouldn’t be guessing what he’d done to me.

"Don’t worry, I’m going to get my hands on that sucker soon," Kash hissed.

I raised my palm to stop him.

"No, you don’t understand, Kash. We went into the cave, and then I couldn’t breathe, and Luca—oh my god, he saved me from the vines."

I began to panic so much that my words stopped making sense.

"You need to calm down first. Here, drink some water, then tell me what happened."

Kash opened a bottle, holding it near my lips almost forcing it in because he knew I’d keep rambling otherwise.

I took a few sips, steadied my breathing, and looked at him again.

"We went into the cave looking for the cure, but then the vines started growing from deep inside, and I couldn’t breathe. Luca carried me out, but since I kept insisting, he went back in alone. Those vines, they’re going to kill him."

After explaining everything, fear overtook me. Lara pouted and exchanged a look with Kash, as if they still doubted my words.

"Are you sure he didn’t do anything to you?" Lara wondered with a shrug.

"No, I’m telling you, are you guys even listening to me?" I snapped in frustration.

"Luca had saved my life just in time. If he hadn’t carried me out—" I stopped when I saw Kash wagging his finger at me.

"You two went inside? And what about the vines?" he questioned.

Finally, he was asking the right kind of questions.

"I’m telling you, Kash, there were big, fleshy vines. They were moving. They came out from deep within the cave like tentacles, trying to grab me." I pointed at my chest, wondering why.

"At you? Why would they want to grab you? It’s not like you’re that special. Come on, Iris, be for real," Lara grunted, snapping her fingers before placing her hands on her hips, tapping her foot nonstop.

"I know I’m not special, Lara. They tried to suffocate me. Luca was fine, though he could breathe normally, but I was losing consciousness. That’s how I ended up passing out here." I hissed at her before turning to explain the rest to Kash in a worried tone.

"Okay, don’t worry. I’ll look into it," Kash replied as he stood up.

After making sure I was fine, he slung a bag over his shoulder.

That’s when Lara stepped in front of him.

"Where are you going?" she demanded stubbornly.

"What do you think I’m doing, Lara? I’m doing what I came here to do. I need to go look for Luca," he explained, sounding annoyed at her.

I guessed that’s what happens when your partner isn’t very supportive.

Lara immediately shook her head, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

She was the one who had gone into the fog, and Kash had chased after her for so long.

Now that she was back, she still refused to let anyone enter the cave.