When a half-open stone door loomed before Rein, his breath grew shallow, eyelids heavy.
The light here was so faint, everything beyond five meters blurred.
But the cave ended here. The secret was close—curiosity yanked him forward.
"Let's see what that dog was guarding!"
He stepped up, peering inside.
Pitch black—hardly a glimpse.
Gulp~ He hesitated.
Fear of the unknown wrestled with burning curiosity, locking him in place.
Then—a faint thump-thump hit his ears.
He held his breath, listening hard.
Fast, frequent—not from ahead, but behind?
"What the—?"
Doubt flared. The sound swelled, exploding near his ear!
It clicked—the mad dog's pounding steps!
"No way! That fast?!"
"Didn't it fall into the waterfall? Even looping back, it shouldn't be this quick!"
Panic hit. No more stalling—he bolted through the door.
"Roar!"
The dog arrived, its furious bellow shaking his core.
It was pissed beyond reason!
One bite in that rage could rip half his body off.
Heart pounding, Rein lunged for the door. Spotting a handle-like lever, he yanked it in a frenzy.
Rumble~ The stone door slid—automatic.
At the tunnel's end, a shadow burst out. The dog was here.
Too late. The door sealed to a crack. Through it, their eyes met.
Rein—panicked, relieved. The dog—furious… scared?
Scared of what?
A bad vibe crept up as the door slammed shut, cutting off the dog's roars.
Silence fell—eerie, thick. The door's soundproofing was unreal.
"With my rotten luck… this door's locked for good, isn't it?" he thought. "No way, right?"
Test it?
Test it!
Better stuck here than fighting that dog and tumbling down the falls again.
He tugged the handle.
Heavy—great insulation.
But it wouldn't budge! Full strength—nothing. Locked tight.
"What the—?" A thunderbolt of dread. "This cliché crap happens to me?"
In dim light, he searched for a switch or lever. No luck—just a keyhole. A key could open it.
A slim hope.
He turned, scanning the space for the first time.
Darker now with the door shut, but one spot glowed faintly.
"Head there," he decided.
Light meant safety.
Tiptoeing over, he found a square room.
A stone platform sat in the center, capped by a hood leaking weak light.
Nearby—wood piles, scattered junk.
"What's this dump? Is the key here?"
He edged closer.
"What's this? A pot?"
"No way—a spatula?"
"Holy—bowls too!"
"Knife?"
"Chopsticks?!"
Kitchen gear—metal, untouched by rust despite age.
"A kitchen?"
A flash of insight. He checked the platform—another pot.
Reaching into the hood, his hand came back smeared with black powder.
"Charcoal!"
"It's a chimney!"
The faint light trickled from above.
Finally, he got it—this was a kitchen.
"What kind of place is this?" The layout screamed effort—someone carved this cave into a home.
"Climb the chimney?"
He measured it—barely half his waist. No go.
But a bonus hit.
A kitchen with wood meant fire!
Under the platform, a slot held two stones.
One felt heavy, cold—iron. The other, a smooth river pebble.
"Fire starters?" Doubtful, but the setup matched his grandma's old stove match spot.
"Worth a shot."
He smashed them together.
Crack!
A spark flared—bright in the dark, echoing through.
"Works like a charm!" Rein grinned. Sparks alone wouldn't light anything.
Digging more, he found an iron box. Opening it—gunpowder stench hit, stuffed with cotton dusted in powder.
He scooped some, set it under the stones.
"Like this, right?"
In the dark kitchen, he struck again. A spark gleamed, hope in his eyes.
It fell, hitting the cotton.
Sizzle~
Light bloomed—fire caught, spreading fast, bathing the room in glow.
"Light—sweet!"
He tossed in wood, feeding the blaze till it roared steady, then sighed in relief.
With light, he had guts.
Crackling wood soothed his ears, calming him.
In the firelight, he stepped past the door into the mystery beyond.
One look—his spine tingled, a jolt racing up to his brain.
Ears rang, buzzing loud.