Chapter 5 Endless Tunnel

A hazy feeling similar to when your leg falls asleep. This feeling radiating through Leo's body, as well as his mind. There's an image of a woman standing in front of him with her arms out in preparation of a loving embrace, inviting him in.

Her features are hard to make out, the only thing he can see clearly is her blonde hair disappearing behind her back. Her face is blurred like a reflection in an unsettled lake. She's there, but impossible to focus on. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words can be heard. Only a deep rumbling sound as though a barrier were stopping the sound. Like speaking underwater.

A flash of light bursts forth from behind her, she withdraws her hands and turns her head to face where the light came from. The place they are in is just as blurred as the woman, the only detail is that they appear to be indoors.

After a brief second of looking behind her she turns back to face Leo. She reaches out again, only faster and more forceful, when her hand touches his shoulder, he awakens.

'What was that? Who...was that...?' Leo's head is thumping with pain trying to recall what he'd just witnessed. He can feel the rock beneath him and can see more rock above him. 'Am I in a cave?'

A giant fissure in the ceiling, leaving a gap to the sky, allowing light to enter from the sun.

"it's morning already..." his voice sounds dry and weak. Trying to sit up he notices that hes got a fair amount of pain spread over his body, some areas more than others.

His chest feels the most pain and it's difficult to breathe, each breath feels like a knife is stabbing his lungs. His bones feel a constant pressure is placed upon them.

Through determination Leo manages to stand up despite the pain it causes him. "How did I survive the fall?" looking up at the fissure above him, it's easily 20 meters high. ' If the sun is out, then... That means Zack was captured several hours ago.'

"Fuck... " There's a weight in Leo's chest, like a anchor pulling down his heart. 'I promised I would get him out of there! I've failed him and now he's... he's probably...'

" I need to find a way out of here" Looking around, Leo can see only one directing he's able to go in. The cave he's in is barren and only one tunnel can be seen.

~Sigh~ ' That way it is then. ' Walking down the tunnel Leo didn't have any idea where he was going, he was just hoping it was a way out.

He came to a point where the ground was mostly collapsed and their was a small patch of earth forming a pathway over what appear to be a pit made of darkness. Slowly, Leo walked over the pit using the path, making sure not to lose his balance or fall.

Upon reaching the other side Leo was surprised that nothing bad had happened, he hadn't fallen, the ground didn't collapse beneath him. ' Maybe my luck is improving'

There was no end in sight to this tunnel. Leo stopped multiple times to rest and was lucky that the cave had water dripping from the ceiling constantly. He continued on for what he assumes to be multiple days based off his sleeping cycle.

His hunger is starting to get to him and Leo's body is starting to struggle more. His wounds have healed considerably but they are by no means gone. Ever step hurts and every breathe stings.

Just as hope was escaping Leo of ever escaping this tunnel, he heard something coming from up ahead. The sound of rushing water. He picked up his pace, hoping he was nearing the way out now.

As he got closer, the air began to thicken with moisture and the sound got louder. Eventually Leo stepped out the tunnel into a large cavern area with a river running through it, appearing and disappearing under the walls of the cave.

Leo stands right on the edge of the river and looks into the water. 'The current is strong. Too strong to safely swim across, especially in my condition. Maybe there's another way over to the other side.

The next 2 hours were spent searching for a bridge or a wall that could be scaled to reach the other side. Nothing like that existed in this room...

' Is this really my only choice? ' Leo thinks to himself while staring at the river.~Sigh~ ' I dont have time to waste, let's just get this over with.' with that Leo dives into the water, allowing the current to pull him under the rocks and off to what he hopes is another cavern or a waterfall somewhere.

The current is strong and Leo's body is being pulled along, he has no control over where he's going now. After about a minute passes Leo's chest starts to hurt from holding his breathe. ' I can't hold on for another minute before I run out of air completely.' Leo thinks to himself.

Oddly enough, Leo doesn't feel frightened or panicked, rather he feels calm. Like he's going where he's meant to be, as if an invisible force pulling him towards something.

After another 30 seconds pass however, Leo starts to panic a bit, regardless of the destination, it doesn't matter if you've already drowned. Looking ahead leo can see the roots of a tree are reaching into the river from the riverbank to the right .

It's at this moment that Leo can see light up ahead in the water, the light is dim so it's not an outdoor area, meaning that he's about to enter another cavern. As it is now, Leo won't be able to reach the tree root. He puts all his effort into swimming towards the right.

The roots are about 50 meters ahead of Leo when he reaches a part of the river where he can come up for air again. His head breaks the water and he takes 2 deep breathes in and out before continuing to swim to the right.

When Leo is about 30 meters away from the roots, he is in line with them and will be able to grab them upon arriving there. But just 10 meters before the roots, Leo can see something strange happening with the water, 'it looks like something is making the water move differently over there. Damnit, I'm going to have to avoid it, but I don't know if I'll be able to make it back to the roots again...'

'I made it to the cavern, I'm sure there will be another one. I'll just have to hope for the best.' as Leo thinks this, he starts swimming left to get away from the strange part of the water. After he moves another 5 meters forward and has barely moved left at all, the current picks up and starts pulling him towards the spot he was trying to avoid.

Leo starts swimming with all his strength, to get away from that spot but the current is too strong, his body too weak from his injuries and lack of food. When Leo gets within 2 meters of the strange spot the current doubles in strength and he decides to stop fighting it and conserve his strength.

Leo takes another deep breathe and gets pulled under the water. His body is dragged down and to the right. 'its another waterway branching off this one... Typical that it would be on the same side I chose to go towards' Leo think to himself with an tone of annoyance.

This waterway is much smaller, only 3 meters in radius. It has alot of twists and turns, causing Leo to bump into the side multiple times. The water starts turning red due to the cuts Leo is receiving from the rocky walls, they don't bother him so much though, nothing could compare to the whippings he used to recieve.

Once again there was light ahead of Leo in the water, but it was different. It wasn't coming from above the water, but below.