Chapter 272

Olivia

The inky blackness of the mine surrounded me, pressing in from all sides.

Its weight was palpable, as though I were navigating through a tangible void. Each step felt heavy, laden with both the literal darkness of the cave and the metaphorical weight of my father’s legacy.

Up ahead, the narrow beam of my flashlight bobbed unsteadily, providing fleeting glimpses of the mine’s wet, uneven walls and barely illuminating the way forward.

The sounds of the mine were a cacophony in the eerie silence: water dripping from stalactites overhead, the distant echo of unseen creatures, and my own labored breathing. A draft occasionally filtered through the tunnels.

It should have been refreshing to feel the breeze on my skin in this dark mine, but all it did was chill the sweat on my brow and make me shiver, as though some unseen specter was breathing on the back of my neck.

I jumped as a bat, its wings whispering like old paper, flitted past, nearly grazing my cheek. More followed, casting fluttering shadows and causing me to crouch instinctively, shielding my face with an arm.

“Damn it!” I muttered, pulling my jacket tighter around me as if it would offer protection against the unseen threats of the deep. “Why here, Dad? Of all places to keep the last artifact?”

Navigating the downward slope, I felt a slithering sensation across my boot and heard a soft hiss. Startled, I jerked my foot back, pointing the flashlight downwards. A snake. Its eyes glinted menacingly in the artificial light before it slid into a crevice in the wall.

“Dad, seriously?!” I murmured to myself, trying to shake off the shiver of revulsion that passed through me.

The more I progressed, the more I felt like an intruder in this subterranean world, a world that didn’t want me there. I felt a lingering sense of bitterness toward my father for setting up this whole godforsaken ritual to begin with.

A distant sound, like wind whistling through narrow channels, grew louder as I trudged deeper into the mine. This labyrinthine network was full of secrets, hidden corners, and dead ends.

Grabbing the map that Levi drew out of my pocket, I shined my flashlight on it and squinted my eyes in the darkness. But it was no use. The caves were too winding to be easily deciphered through a hastily drawn map, and as I swung my flashlight around, I felt myself becoming more and more frustrated.

“How am I ever going to find that damned diamond?” The question escaped my lips in a whisper, echoing eerily in the caverns.

My voice echoed back to me, a distorted version, reminding me of the times I’d play in the mine’s entrance as a child. My father would call out to me, warning me not to go too deep. His voice would boom and reverberate in the tunnels, and I’d always dash out, laughing, imagining monsters chasing me.

As the mine’s oppressive darkness closed in around me, my mind desperately sought an escape. Suddenly, I was transported back to that evening in the park when the world was awash in hues of amber and rose…

The bitter words from our fight echoed in my ears.

“You can’t keep treating me like a child, Dad!” I had screamed at him, unable to contain the boiling frustration within me.

Our fights had grown more and more common recently. I was fifteen—just two months before we were evicted—and I was a moody teenager. Unbeknownst to me, my father was grappling with his dilemma surrounding Colin, and he was even more absent. I had begun to rebel by stealing beers from the fridge and sneaking out at night.

His worried eyes had fired cannonballs back at me. “I can’t stand by and watch you ruin your life!”

Without another word, I stormed out, seeking refuge in the park. The gentle sway of the swings always seemed to bring a sense of calm.

When I saw Nathan already there, a silent comfort settled over me. Without a word, I sat next to him, and we swung in sync, letting the silence speak for itself.

After a while, the weight on my chest became unbearable. “God. My dad just... he doesn’t get it. I’m not a little girl anymore.”

There was a pause. Nathan always had a way of listening that made it feel like he was absorbing every word, every emotion.

“I wish you knew how lucky you are,” I added, my voice heavy with bitterness.

He stopped swinging and looked at me, and I immediately regretted my words. The pain in his eyes was palpable. His relationship with his father was an open wound, and I had just unknowingly poked it.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Nathan,” I whispered, feeling a sudden wave of guilt wash over me.

He stood up suddenly and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a comforting embrace. The world faded as I buried my face in his chest, the scent of him grounding me.

“You don’t need to apologize, Liv,” he murmured into my hair, his voice soft and soothing. “We all have our battles.”

Tears threatened to spill. We just held each other, two broken souls finding solace in shared pain.

Eventually, the dimming sky reminded me of reality. “I should go back. Dad will be waiting.”

Nathan nodded, releasing me from our embrace but keeping a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Go. And Liv? Maybe try to really talk to him.”

I smiled weakly, grateful for his understanding. As we walked to the park’s exit, our fingers brushed. For a moment, I wished the world would just stand still. But reality beckoned…

Drawing a deep breath, I ventured further, feeling the claustrophobic walls widen. After what felt like hours, I entered a more expansive area. The ceiling rose far above, allowing me to stand fully upright.

For a moment, I felt liberated, but the feeling was fleeting. In its place settled a deeper unease. An open space in a mine such as this was a rarity and often indicated greater dangers.

Swinging the flashlight around, its beam unexpectedly revealed an expanse of nothingness. My heart raced as I realized I stood at the precipice of a vast chasm. The sheer drop was dizzying. I couldn’t even see its bottom; it seemed to delve endlessly into the heart of the earth.

Lurching backwards in shock, my heel caught on a loose stone. Stumbling, I hit the ground hard, the flashlight slipping from my grasp. It rolled away, casting wild, grotesque shadows on the cavern walls.

A surge of anger bubbled up from within, giving voice to the frustration and fear.

“Dad! Why? Why send me here? This place is a death trap!”

The echoes of my voice seemed to mock me as they bounced around the chamber.

Trying to control my shaking hands, I crawled to retrieve the flashlight.

The beam, now pointing upwards, illuminated intricate patterns on the cavern roof. Stalactites hung like jagged teeth, and I could see hints of minerals shimmering in the stone. Was this the allure of the mines for my father? The hidden beauty amidst the danger?

Tears of frustration welled up, blurring my vision.

“All I wanted was to protect my family, to feel my wolf’s connection again,” I murmured, hugging my knees. “But this? This is beyond comprehension. You worked here, you knew its dangers. Why send me on such a quest?”

As my whispered grievances faded, the cavern returned to its oppressive silence. But then, amidst the stillness, a soft voice, familiar yet otherworldly, whispered my name.

“Olivia…”

The sound sent shivers down my spine. It couldn’t be…

My father’s voice, imbued with warmth and a hint of sadness, echoed softly around me. Was the weight of my journey, both emotional and physical, playing tricks on my mind? Was the legacy of this mine, which had taken so much from my family, about to claim one more victim in its dark embrace?

“Dad?”

My voice quivered with hope and disbelief. Clutching the flashlight, I tried to discern the origin of the voice, but the cavern remained inscrutable, holding onto its mysteries.

I whispered again, louder this time.

“Dad? Is that you?”