Chapter 23
Hoku's hand darted forward, seizing the cloth with resolve.
Fleur caressed her reddened palm, the residual heat from the fabric inflicting a painful sting.
Gritting his teeth, Hoku asked, "What's wrong with it?" He kept a steady gaze on the compass.
Hoku pressed his lips together before clasping his free hand around his wrist and exhaling tremulously.
The discomfort was excruciating, yet the prospect of releasing the compass bred uncertainty. 'Why hadn't Fleur simply discarded it?'
After briefly hesitating, he lowered himself to one knee, and placed the compass onto the golden path.
"What are you—?" Fleur stumbled forward.
Her brow furrowed, presuming Hoku needed a moment to recover from the oppressive heat.
However, as the compass met the ground with a muffled 'clink,' their expressions shifted dramatically.
"Hoku!" Abel's voice called out urgently.
Without a second thought, Li turned on his heel and strode away from the corridor.
He reached out, attempting to push Juno back, but her legs resisted; only her hand landed on the seam between the gold and white foundations.
Abel looked over and yelled, "Idiot! Pick it up!"
Before Hoku could reach for it again, Fleur grasped the back of his robe, yanking him upright.
Disoriented, Hoku turned just in time to witness the compass's reaction.
Li's boots scraped against the path as he tried to halt his momentum.
Dropping to one knee, his impact sent a violent ripple through the golden surface.
Suddenly, the path cracked open beneath him, revealing an expanded reflective scheme, with delicate lines branching out from the point of impact, and encircling Li's knee.
Hoku's breathing grew shallow as an oppressive atmosphere settled over him, signaling danger.
"We need to move, now!" Abel's voice surfaced through his ears.
Hoku's legs jolted involuntarily, driving him a step closer to the compass.
"Leave it!" Fleur urged, tightening her grip on his robe.
He couldn't tear his sight away from the widening fissures.
She continued, lowering her voice to a near whisper, "Please."
Hoku clenched his jaw and nodded, allowing her to pull him away as the ground beneath them continued to fracture.
Li extended his hand and carefully grazed his fingers near the compass. Beside him, Fleur released her grip, turning to face the path ahead. "Let's go," she ordered.
The moment she let go, Hoku lunged for the compass. Before he could touch it, a small orb materialized beneath, no larger than a clenched fist.
It hovered briefly before the ground collapsed without warning, opening into a yawning chasm that swallowed their startled cries.
A violent gust tore past Hoku's ears as they plunged, and the structures above dwindled into distant specks
The orb remained the only beacon, casting an eerie glow that accompanied their descent.
It expanded around the compass, forming a thin shell.
Hoku's gaze fixed on the orb as it drifted closer. With trembling hands, he hugged against his chest.
A warmth spread through him, followed by a subtle hiss.
He looked down to see a thin wisp of smoke curling from the orb, resembling a river of light beneath the water's surface.
He pulled the orb away from his chest, holding it between both hands and pressed firmly against its sides.
After another moment, the smoke veered, and the light around it abruptly twisted, releasing the compass back into his palms.
Hoku's eyes followed the glowing strands that had formed.
They seemed to shift and bend like they were wilting, coiling.
Without thinking, Hoku's fingers grasped the compass's dial.
As he twisted it, a surge of heat pulsed into his fingertips, yet a dreamlike barrier separated the sensation from his skin.
Suddenly, the noise around him went still.
He struggled to move; his limbs until a cold droplet struck his cheek, then another.
He glanced up, swallowing hard as rain materialized from nowhere, cascading around him.
Cupping his hands, Hoku cast a dim golden light forward, illuminating the scene.
He saw ripples in the air where droplets landed.
For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, until he noticed the subtle patter of rain.
The logic of the phenomenon remained inscrutable, yet the raindrops' rhythm persisted, evolving into an ominous chime.
In an instant, the sensation dissipated. Hoku descended, his feet reuniting with the solid ground as if he'd been suspended mere inches above.
His knees nearly buckled from the sudden impact, a dense tremor spreading up his legs.
The wisps entwining both the compass and his hands dispersed outward.
Their presence waned, igniting Rhombus-shaped lamps, that were set within a detailed mural.
They lit up one after another and gradually filled the space with a warm amber light.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A few more sounds of scrambling followed, accompanied by several muffled groans that Hoku instinctively judged to be the others.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady his breathing as his gaze swept across the surroundings.
Only after confirming where everyone had landed did his heartbeat gradually settle. Fortunately, no one appeared to be injured.
Abel sat up in front of him and rubbed his spine with a grimace.
Observing that the others had managed to land on their feet or were already sitting upright, Hoku noted that Abel alone had fallen flat on his back.
As Li studied himself, Hoku turned slightly to meet his gaze.
"Should I apologize or laugh?" Hoku remarked unexpectedly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
Li's expression quickly changed
. . .
▄ a ▄ ▄ ▄ . . . ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ . . . ▄ ▄ f ▄ ▄ ▄
▄l▄ , o ▄ ▄ , ▄ ▄w ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ e ▄ ▄
… ▄ r ▄ , w ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ i ▄ l l. D i e ▄ ▄ ▄ b ▄ ▄ e ▄ ▄ f ▄ ▄
▄ ▄ o r ▄ e ▄ ▄ the r ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ o o t.
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