Life After Death

  Chapter 16: Through the Abyss Part 3

  The scent of blood and damp earth lingered in the air as I pushed myself up from where I had been resting. My body ached with every movement, my wounds still fresh, but I forced myself forward, toward the lifeless body of the beast I had slain. Its body still massive even in death, its charred face matted with dried blood.

  I crouched beside it, running my fingers over the singed fur. The deer hide had done its job, but it was rough and stiff—this fur, though, was softer, thicker. Might as well make use of it.

  My gaze settled on the dagger still lodged deep in the beast’s ruined eye socket. The handle protruded from the charred remains of its skull, a grim reminder of how close that battle had been. I grimaced, gripping the hilt and wrenching it free with a sickening squelch. Dark blood dripped from the blade, mixing with the dirt below.

  With careful precision, I wiped the dagger clean against the beast’s fur and began stripping away the pelt, working through the layers until I had enough to fashion a proper coat.

  Once I had the fur separated, I set it aside and turned my attention to the creature itself. There was something about it—something unnatural. I needed to know more.

  Gripping my dagger, I dug into its chest cavity, slicing through muscle and bone, the wet flesh filling the otherwise silent air. The further I cut, the more uneasy I became. Then, as I reached its centre, my breath hitched.

  There it was—a strange, sphere-shaped object embedded deep within its core. It flickered dimly, its dull grey color unlike anything I had seen before.

  My fingers hesitated before reaching for it. As soon as I touched it, a faint pulse ran up my arm. My mana stirred.

  What... is this?

  I lifted it from the beast’s chest, feeling the slight hum of energy coursing through it. It wasn’t just a strange object—it was something alive, something brimming with power. Then it clicked.

  "This is its manaheart," I whispered to myself, staring down at it in awe.

  I had read about these before. Every living being in Aether possesses a manaheart, functioning as both the source of their life energy and their magical potential. But monsters… their manahearts were different. Their cores were raw, condensed crystallizations of pure mana, hardened through battle and survival. They weren’t found in animals. Only monsters.

  My stomach twisted. So it’s true… this thing really was a monster. Not a wild animal. Not a freak of nature. A full-fledged monster.

  The moment the manaheart left its body, the beast’s corpse began to dissolve into thin air. I watched in stunned silence as its flesh and bones disintegrated, vanishing like mist being swept away by the wind.

  The fur, however, remained where I had stripped it earlier, untouched by whatever force had erased the rest of its body. Within seconds, only a dark stain on the earth remained, the blood soaked into the soil as if the creature had never existed.

  I blinked, my breath shallow. “What the hell just happened?”

  Did monsters always vanish when their manahearts were removed? If that was the case, it made sense why there weren’t remains of them scattered everywhere. But still, the sight of it unnerved me.

  A heavy silence settled over the area before I let out a long sigh, shaking my head. "Well, there goes my food too," my voice laced with dry amusement. "Of course, my first real kill in this forsaken place, and it vanished before I could make any real use of it. Just my luck."

  I exhaled, turning the manaheart over in my palm. It felt... strange. As if I was holding something ancient, something meant to be used. But used for what?

  I shook my head. No point in standing around wondering. Not knowing what else to do with it, I tucked the manaheart into my pocket.

  "Guess I’ll figure you out later.”

  The sun climbed higher, casting its warm glow over the misty rainforest.

  Before moving on, I gathered the newly stripped fur and draped it over my shoulders, its warmth far more comforting than the coarse deer hide I had been using. With a sigh, I unfastened the old hide and let it drop, lightening my load.

  I rested for a while longer, leaning against a thick tree trunk, my body refusing to move just yet. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, but there was little I could do. I plucked a few plants that looked edible and chewed on them, grimacing as their bitter, tasteless texture filled my mouth.

  Hardly satisfying, but at least it was something. "Ugh, this tastes like dirt mixed with regret," forcing myself to swallow. I sighed, glancing around at the thick jungle canopy. "I swear, if I ever get out of here, I'm never complaining about Dad's cooking again."

  By the time I felt stable enough to continue, noon was fast approaching, the weight of exhaustion still clinging to my limbs. My body screamed for more rest, but I had no choice but to keep moving.

  Then, a sound caught my attention—faint at first, but steadily growing louder. A rhythmic crash, the unmistakable roar of water colliding against stone.

  "A waterfall?" I murmured, glancing ahead. That would explain the mist, the constant dampness in the air.

  Pushing through the thick underbrush, I took in my surroundings more carefully. The rainforest looked different here—denser, yet somehow more vibrant. Vines draped over tree trunks like hanging curtains, their surfaces slick with moisture.

  Brightly colored flowers bloomed in impossible shades of blue and violet, their petals curling inward as if to guard some hidden secret. The air was heavier too, almost electric, as if the very atmosphere was thick with mana.

  Yet despite the beauty, an unsettling truth settled in my mind. I had seen no humans. No signs of civilization. No tracks, no remains of campfires, no broken twigs hinting at another traveller's passage.

  A humorless chuckle escaped me. Of course no one’s here. If they were, they'd either be lost like me... or long digested by something bigger.

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  The more I thought about it, the more unsettling it became. It was as if humans had never even set foot in this place. Was it just too dangerous? Were monsters roaming freely, making it impossible for people to survive? Or was this place simply... forgotten?

  I let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Maybe no one's stupid enough to trip over the edge of The Divide and end up here," shaking my head at my own misfortune. "Figures I'd be the first idiot to test that theory."

  I exhaled sharply, no use thinking about it now. I couldn't afford to dwell on the unknown. If I kept moving, I’d eventually find someone. Or at least, I hoped I would.

  After what felt like hours of walking, my body finally gave in. I found a tree with a thick, sturdy base and let the fur coat slide from my shoulders. With a groan, I lowered myself down, pressing my back against the bark. Every muscle in my body protested, the aches and stings of my injuries refusing to be ignored.

  I crossed my legs, shutting my eyes. My body was battered, my limbs aching with every breath, but stopping completely wasn’t an option. I needed to regain some strength. Refining my manaheart would do more than just restore my energy—it would give me a moment of calm, a moment to focus on something other than the pain gnawing at my body.

  I exhaled slowly, steadying my breathing as I focused inward. The steady pulse of my mana flickered weakly, drained from everything I had been through. I couldn’t afford to be in this state for long. If I kept going without strengthening myself, the next fight might be my last.

  My breathing slowed, my focus shifting inward, feeling the familiar pulse of my own mana flowing through me. The warmth of it, the way it moved through my veins, steadying me.

  The colors shifting in the void behind my closed eyelids. Blue, green, yellow, and red mana particles drifted toward me, swirling in slow, deliberate movements. They all gravitated toward my manaheart, as if pulling them closer.

  I had seen this before—mana responding to my presence, drifting toward me like moths to a flame—but never with all these colors at once.

  It felt different this time, stronger, more deliberate. As if something within me had shifted, awakening to a new depth of control I hadn’t known I possessed.

  Is it because I have an affinity for three elements?” The thought settled in my mind like an undeniable truth.

  It made sense—if I could command multiple elements, maybe my mana was reacting in a way I’d never noticed before. Was this what it meant to truly wield more than one affinity?

  Then, out of nowhere—pain.

  A sudden, sharp flash, like a blade slicing through my skull. I gasped, my hands flying to my head as the searing ache spread behind my eyes.

  With it came a voice.

  You're almost there.

  My eyes snapped open, my breath coming in short, uneven bursts. My heart pounded, not from exhaustion, but from something deeper. The same voice. The one from my dreams, from my nightmares.

  And I was no closer to understanding why.

  My pulse pounded against my skull, my breath ragged as I pressed my palms into the base I was sitting on.

  Why is it talking to me? The voice had tormented me in my dreams, but now? Now it was here, speaking to me while I was awake.

  I clenched my jaw, my thoughts racing.

  Am I losing my mind? My surroundings still felt real—the dampness of the rainforest, the distant sound of the waterfall, the ache in my body. But what was I getting closer to?

  What does it mean?

  My fingers twitched, and without thinking, I raised a hand and smacked myself across the face. A dull sting spread across my cheek, and I let out a breath. "Nope, still alive," shaking my head. "Not a hallucination. Fantastic.”

  I’m not about to take directions from some mysterious voice haunting my head. My jaw tightened as I forced out a slow breath. It doesn’t matter what it means—I just need to get out of here.

  Despite the lingering ache in my muscles, I could feel the faint energy coursing through me. The mana refinement had worked, even if just a little. My body felt lighter, my movements slightly less sluggish. My manaheart no longer felt strained, no longer overworked to keep me going.

  There was a steadiness to it now, a rhythm that felt natural. It wasn’t screaming for more energy, and wasn't barely clinging to what was left. For the first time since I fell down here, it simply pulsed in harmony with me.

  I no longer needed to force mana into my limbs just to function, but after relying on it for so long, the habit had become second nature. A small smirk tugged at my lips. "Let’s see how long I can hold it before I pass out."

  Pushing myself to my feet, I turned toward the ever-growing sound of crashing water. The closer I got, the thicker the mist became, clinging to my skin like a second layer. As I finally pushed past the last wall of underbrush, a sudden burst of light blinded me, forcing my hand over my eyes.

  When my vision adjusted, I froze.

  Before me stood a colossal waterfall, its waters cascading from an impossible height, crashing down into the abyss below. I couldn't see where it began, as if it flowed directly from the heavens—or more likely, from the very top of The Divide itself.

  The sheer force of the waterfall sent waves of mist rolling through the air. Sunlight poured through the canopy, catching the water droplets mid-air, making them shimmer like scattered diamonds in motion.

  The rock face, slick with constant moisture, glistened in the golden light. Vines and thick moss clung to its surface, weaving through the cracks like nature’s own tapestry, their deep greens and blues adding an ethereal beauty to the already mesmerizing sight. The roar of the water crashing down was deafening, filling the space with a constant, thunderous hum that resonated through my very bones.

  For the first time in a while, I found myself standing still, simply taking in the sight.

  The waterfall didn’t just crash down—it flowed like an endless torrent, surging from the unseen heights of The Divide itself, feeding into the river below with relentless force. The sheer volume of water seemed limitless, as if the very land above was weeping into the abyss.

  My breath hitched as realization dawned. This... this is the same water that fed into the riverbank where I first woke up. I could still remember how fresh and cold it felt.

  The thought alone sent a rush through me, my body acting before my mind could stop it. Without hesitation, I broke into a sprint toward the riverbank, stripping off all my clothes as I ran, leaving behind a scattered trail of fabric marking my path.

  The moment my feet hit the edge, I dove headfirst into the water. The shock was instant. A piercing, numbing cold engulfed me, stealing the breath from my lungs.

  "Holy shit!" I gasped as I surfaced, laughing through the shivers that overtook my body. But the sting of the icy water was nothing compared to the relief of finally washing away the grime, sweat, and blood clinging to my skin. The crisp taste of the water as I took greedy gulps refreshed me in ways I hadn't realized I needed.

  The icy embrace of the river numbed the lingering aches in my muscles, easing the tension in my battered body. My wounds, though still present, felt momentarily relieved, the cold acting as a natural balm against the stinging pain. For the first time in what felt like days, I could simply breathe, free from the constant weight of exhaustion and struggle.

  As I floated for a moment, letting the water carry me, memories surfaced. The last time I had bathed like this had been just before crossing the Divide—with Helena. The way she splashed at me playfully, her laughter ringing through the air, the warmth of her presence despite the cool river... I swallowed hard, whispering, "I miss you, Hel. I hope you're okay."

  Letting out a deep breath, I turned my gaze upward, staring at the waterfall pouring down from the Divide. It was surreal—colossal and magnificent. The roar of the water echoed in my ears, yet the moment itself felt peaceful.

  For once, everything was still. The world, my thoughts, even my exhaustion—it all just faded into the backdrop of this breathtaking scene.

  Then, out of nowhere, like a spark igniting in my mind, a voice—

  That's a sight.

  My entire body tensed. The words alone weren’t what startled me—it was the fact that I had heard them while I was awake. That voice, the same one that haunted my nightmares, was now speaking to me here, in the real world.

  My heart pounded in my chest as my mind screamed a single warning—I’m being watched.

  Without hesitation, I surged forward, splashing out of the water, racing toward the riverbank where my clothes and dagger lay. My hands fumbled as I grabbed the hilt, spinning around, my bare skin chilled by the open air, but I didn’t care.

  Standing fully upright, my stance wide and dagger raised, I called out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

  For a moment, there was only the sound of the waterfall, the endless cascade of water masking anything beyond its veil. Then, like a spark igniting in my skull again, the voice returned, smooth yet unsettling.

  Soon, it whispered. Come through the waterfall. I am waiting for you, Emrys.