CHAPTER 53: TRAPPED IN FAVORITE CAVE

Alaric had carefully packed the energy-infused leaf, wrapping it in a special cloth he always carried during his travels, material designed to protect its contents from impact and sudden temperature changes.

He knew that one day. Somewhere, he would need it. That’s why he always kept it tucked in the pocket of his pants.

He was just about to get up from his seat, eager to bring his latest discovery home and start his next experiment. But then, something unexpected happened.

The cave, which had always felt calm and peaceful, began to echo with a strange, low whisper. At first, it was just a faint vibration under his feet, but within seconds, it turned into a powerful tremor that shook his entire body.

Alaric looked around. The cave walls were trembling, and droplets of water hanging from the stalactites were falling with scattered, faint plinks.

An earthquake had struck. And Alaric, being inside, was caught in the middle of it. What used to be a peaceful retreat from the chaos of the outside world had suddenly become a place filled with uncertainty.

Small rocks on the floor began to shift. Pebbles and dust scattered into the air. Sunlight filtering in through cracks in the cave walls shimmered and wavered, casting flickering patterns on the surface of the underground lake.

Alaric quickly stood up, clutching his bag and the precious leaf tightly to his chest. "Stay calm," he whispered to himself, trying to remain composed even as the tremors grew stronger and the rumbling from above became deafening.

The sound of grinding rocks echoed like thunder rolling across the sky, but this time it came from deep within the earth.

Some of the large rocks near the cave ceiling began to crack and hang precariously along the cliffside. Alaric glanced toward the cave entrance, hoping to make a run for it. But his hope was short-lived.

With a deafening crash, a massive boulder fell from above, sealing off the main exit completely. Dust erupted into the air, turning the once breathable atmosphere into a thick, choking cloud.

Alaric froze, fighting off the panic rising inside him. He had been trying to stay calm from the start, but now... faced with a blocked exit. His resolve was shaken.

"This can’t be happening," he muttered, his usually steady voice trembling slightly. The rumble of the earth hadn’t stopped.

He knew he was completely alone in the cave. No other visitors, no immediate help. Maybe the bad weather that morning had kept people from coming, he wouldn’t know. And now he regretted not checking the forecast beforehand.

He knew better, especially when heading into remote, hard-to-reach places like this.

The shaking slowly subsided. But dust still lingered in the air, and the usual background noise of the outside world was replaced by an eerie silence.

Alaric sat down again on a flat rock near the edge of the cave. He lowered his head and rubbed his temples, which were beginning to ache. "What now?" he thought.

How it felt to be trapped in a place that was a source of peace. His favorite cave had always been, but because he felt too safe and frequented it, he’d forgotten everything. A stupid act that Alaric had been cursing for ever since.

Real fear started to settle in. A wave of frustration hit him. The cave that once brought him peace had become a trap. Would he be stuck here for days?

And more than anything, he was carrying something priceless. Something he couldn’t afford to lose or damage.

But in that silence, a different kind of calm began to take root. Alaric reminded himself of all the times he had faced the unexpected with a steady mind and strong heart.

This wasn’t the end. He still had his wits, and he could still think his way out of this. "There has to be another way," he thought.

He took a deep breath. The best thing he could do now was stay calm and think fast. Fear wouldn’t help him escape. Slowly, the anxiety that gripped him began to ease, drifting away like the dust still floating in the air.

His eyes turned to the leaf he carried. Holding it tight, he renewed his resolve. No matter what, he would find a way out and keep chasing his dream.

Alaric sat by the lake’s edge, gazing into the clear water that stretched quietly in front of him. The surface mirrored the sky above still bright and cloud speckled despite the chaos moments before.

Gentle ripples touched the cave walls, making soft, rustling sounds as if the lake itself was singing a lullaby in the middle of this tense moment.

Trying to gather his strength, Alaric scanned the cave, looking for anything. Any possible way out.

Then, his sharp eyes caught something unusual in the shadows where rock met water.

Near the far edge of the lake, behind a cluster of large, jagged stones, he spotted a narrow gap. A small passageway veiled in darkness, stretching away from the main chamber, hidden from plain view.

It was tight, but just wide enough for a person to squeeze through with caution. Alaric frowned, considering the possibility. It wasn’t a path he’d seen before, but maybe—it was the only option he had.

Before going in, he wanted to let someone know where he was. If something happened, they needed to know.

He pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, but the signal was barely there. Just a flicker of reception. He quickly typed out a message: "I’m trapped in a cave. Earthquake. Main entrance blocked by a boulder. Please send help."

Then he tried calling his mother, and a few close friends. But every call either buzzed with static or wouldn’t connect at all. Frustration crept in, but Alaric kept trying.

Finally, he dialed Siera, his personal assistant. The call connected. But her voice was choppy, broken up by static. He tried to speak clearly. "Siera, I’m trapped. Cave. Earthquake. Rock blocked exit. Need help."

Siera strained to understand, but the connection made it sound like garbled baby talk. She couldn’t make sense of what he was saying.

Still determined, Alaric switched to video mode. He turned on the front camera and began recording himself. With slow, deliberate gestures, he acted out what had happened.

He pointed to himself, then made a circling motion in the air to show he was trapped. He mimicked shaking, then used his hands to show a large rock falling and blocking the exit. He ended by showing the blocked entrance, covered by the massive boulder.

Thankfully, a few natural cracks in the rock still allowed light to seep in from above, casting dancing patterns across the water and cave walls.

After finishing the video, Alaric sent it to Siera, hoping the visuals would communicate what words could not.

Then a realization hit him. "Wait... if it’s not a voice or video call, maybe the sound would’ve worked clearly. Why did I just send a silent video?" He let out a quiet sigh, frustrated at himself. His thinking was muddled by stress, understandably so.

Just as he reached to record a voice message...

The phone battery died. And even more carelessly, he didn’t bring a power bank. The consequences of his carelessness hit him repeatedly, coming at the wrong time. Alaric felt trapped by the situation.

Alaric exhaled slowly, trying not to panic. There was no point getting emotional now. It would only slow him down.

Alone, trapped in the silence of a sealed cave, Alaric knew one thing: he couldn’t give up. He had fought through too much in life to stop now. This was just one more obstacle. And like always, he’d find a way through it.

That narrow path by the lake might just be it.

The only chance he had now. And he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to act immediately. Because there might be aftershocks that could harm him, or even hit him in here. All alone.

He got up and took the first step forward. If it came to this, he would do anything. Even if his body might get trapped in that narrow, rocky passage... But what can you do? If you don’t try something high risk, how can you know if it will work?

But Alaric had already anticipated this. From a distance, he analyzed the size of the narrow hole and whether it would fit his body. And apparently, it was just enough. The hole is about 8-12 cm in size. A golden opportunity is right before your eyes that should not be wasted.

He gripped his bag tightly. He had already removed the strap from his shoulder; it wouldn’t fit if he walked by with it. So Alaric decided to tuck it in first. So that his body has more freedom to come out. Hopefully, that’s the solution. But if not... Let fate and God help him.

He felt he had tried enough.