The mineral-rich water was still and unbroken, pearly from the gem rock beneath. It seemed that the ruined machinery she found buried deep inside the cave shared a strange similarity to the mysterious civilization hidden in the firmament. It was said that the sky civilization thrived eons ago, propelled by their mastery of both technology and natural elements, leaving behind remnants of their existence in the form of skyward fortresses, visible only to the keenest eyes. All of it shared similarities, from the solid black steel to the luminescent white lines painted over.
But that wasn't her memory.
Although her memory was still blurry from a decade of world traveling, Aletha could still recall the peculiar ruins within each world she had visited. Each relic sparked a curiosity within her, a yearning to uncover its secrets. Yet, despite these familiar shadows from the past whispering to her soul, she found herself frustrated by the lack of understanding that kept her from decoding their true meanings. A part of her longed to linger and investigate, but with every journey, she felt compelled to move on. So, reluctantly, she ignored these mysteries, carrying a silent promise to one day return and unveil their stories.
. . .
Aletha heard nothing except her own breathing, faintly echoing through the cave. As glowing white rocks fell, illuminating her surroundings, the darkness retreated, and bright rays of pensive sunlight were revealed.
But after that, only silence met her.
This irrefutable quietness made Aletha ponder. Why had she triggered that weapon? What had caused it? The weapon was not just any ordinary artifact buried in the depths; it was a remnant of great power, known to have the ability to disrupt the very fabric of the world itself, or so the legends claimed. Its significance was monumental to explorers and scholars alike, and Aletha knew that its mere activation had implications beyond her understanding.
(What was it that made me trigger that weapon? There must be some way I started that thing. It couldn't be because of my power, since I had lost it a long time ago, and most certainly, it couldn't be due to some strange phenomenon. So what could it be?)
Aletha focused hard on that idea, waiting for an explanation or sign. Then, a realization dawned on her, although she couldn't pinpoint its details right away.
The first time she encountered a similar event was within the depths of the previous world, where she was shoved against the wall, causing her elbow to hit a hidden switch and activate the device. She lifted her hand, pointing her fingernail upward into the dust lit by faint rays, and exclaimed.
"Wait, could that weapon have the same activation process as that creepy device? That… makes so much sense! Gee, I wish I hadn't dropped it. That weapon would have been of great help to me. Hmm..."
Before she could think further, Aletha spotted a pink-haired figure leaping skillfully from rock to rock. She gasped and leaned forward, squinting in an effort to identify the figure more clearly.
"Is that… no, it can't be her. How did she get all the way over here? Why isn't she hollering at me?"
Uncertain whether the figure was Rinnea, Aletha broke into a sprint, heading away from the ancient ruins and moving deeper into the cavern, consciously leaving her earlier thoughts behind.
* * *
Mossy stone, dripping stalagmites, and pools of crystal-clear water filled the space. Such features could only hint at how drastically the scenery had changed.
After exploring the strange ruins, Aletha traversed a stone forest, wading through underground rivers.
Not long after, Aletha wandered through the halls of underground waterfalls, amazed by the clear blue glow. The water spilled over basalt, curling into a dark violet pool.
Uneasy but exhilarated, she trembled as the last steam washed over her. It soothed her pores, and for a moment, the place felt like a relaxing Zen spa.
And so it was; as she progressed deeper through the corridor of loud thundering waterfalls, a symphony of crashing water surrounded her, harmonizing with the distant song of birds echoing from the depths. The air, thick with a fresh mineral scent mixed with the earthy tang of wet stone, filled her lungs, invigorating her steps. She noticed a few houses embedded inside some of the massive stalactites, nearest to the warm, steamy puddles scattering around. A soft, warm glow emanated from their windows, which shone a vivid yellow luminance, accompanied by the sight of bridges that extended both above and below. Citizens of the place greeted her in gowns that elegantly reached their ankles, their fabrics brushing softly against the brim of the paths, as if whispering secrets of the stone city.
Aletha looked down at her feet and noticed that the more she walked, the floor beneath her slowly blended into a cobblestone, then brick-like surface. Could this place be an entire city buried deep beneath the surface? Or even better…
Aletha mumbled.
"Could this place be Clearstar?"
The strange humidity and the fluorescent street lights dotted around the city's opening made Aletha dizzy. She tossed those curiosities aside and immersed herself in this paradise. She walked down the stairs and passed through a large archway toward an open space filled with people. They all wore long robes matching the spas, with varying colors in their hair.
All of them gave Aletha a welcoming smile, some more suggestive than others.
The crash of the water, the shuffling of feet, the squeaking of gates, the clock tower chimes, and the excited giggling all surrounded Aletha.
She looked around and saw several narrow streets paved through the marsh where ducks waddled. Children ran back and forth. They fidgeted with Aletha's hair and teased her.
"Haha, you're it!"
Aletha's face reddened with embarrassment and confusion.
"Huh?"
A girl shouted at the little brown-haired boy next to Aletha's arm.
"Hey, Jacob, that's the wrong person!"
Aletha chuckled to herself, amused and slightly embarrassed by the children's playful confusion.
For a moment, there was silence. The girl chasing after the boy stopped in shock, staring at Aletha with a look of disbelief and an admiring smile. She commented as all the children surrounded Aletha.
"Woow, you look so pretty!"
A boy jumped in.
"Ms, you look amazing!"
The other children, even the girls, added praise and shared with each other as Aletha stood there, absolutely clueless and confused about what they were doing.
"H-Huh?"
"Your hair is so beautiful!"
"I like that mark you have on your face! Pretty."
Aletha gulped a breath of anxiousness as she saw all the children's eyes stare at her in awe and wonder.
"H… Hey, kids. Why don't you…." She froze in place, watching the children kindly await her to speak. Aletha wanted to leave them, but a warm feeling in her heart persuaded her to stay.
It looked to Aletha like the children had never seen such a person down here before. However, although she was flattered by the children's praise, Aletha was more focused on finding Rinnea or any friend of that nature.
To settle the situation and avoid drawing attention from adults, Aletha tried to walk away. But like a group of mosquitoes, all the children followed her, asking her questions along the way.
Annoyed, Aletha tried to inform them with a gentle tone.
"Please, stop following me. W… Will your parents be worried if they found out you were lost?"
The same brown-haired boy wearing thin brown trousers jumped up and answered.
"Not at all!"
Aletha looked down and sighed deeply, gently patting the boy's head. As she smiled softly, she noticed a group of adults approaching the children from behind.
"Sigh, I don't want to make your parents angry. Please…"
Just as she felt she was being mean to the children, the parents led their sons and daughters away from Aletha, apologizing to her with a warm smile.
"I'm sorry about that. Our children can be curious sometimes."
A relieving smile emerged on her face.
"It's okay. I sometimes get the same looks from other people as well."
The man, presumably the father, had long dark hair and brown eyes. He wore a robe like many people Aletha had encountered in the streets. He had a long nose, a pointed chin, and stubble, giving him an aged appearance. It was evident to Aletha that this was the boy's parent.
"You do? Ha, that's no surprise, considering just how rare your appearance is. Kids can be quite clueless. It's not their fault. Actually, I'm a little curious about you myself." He rubbed his stubble and shook his head, giving Aletha a handshake.
"Ahem, Anyways, what brings you here to Clearstar?"
Aletha scratched her head and looked up. She tried to hide her surprised gasp, noticing the sheer height of the cavern's ceiling, but it didn't work.
Instead, her reaction captured the parents' attention even more. The man gave a warm chuckle and looked up at her, commenting on the sight.
"Ha, outsiders make that exact reaction once they look up. The ceiling is pretty high, isn't it?"
Aletha nodded nervously.
"Yeah. Wait, you asked about what brought me here?"
"Indeed."
(Ah, if only I could escape this conversation.) She whispered.
Aletha rubbed her forehead and took deep breaths, preparing to answer. But just as she could answer, she was interrupted by whines.
"Dad, let's go home."
"Hold on." The father whispered. "Can't you see we're having a conversation?"
Unfortunately, because the parent was constantly being nagged by their child, the conversation with Aletha was cut short. As a result, the father walked away with the child, while Aletha wandered around Clearstar.
. . .
She climbed the tall stone staircase and strolled along the highest level of the city, where she could see the entire underground area spread out below. Aletha was relieved that she couldn't discuss what she had seen with her parents.
Not because she was shy, but because she felt she was in a rush.
Aletha walked along the plaza, investigating the buildings and brushing away her anxiety. Unlike the children, adults, on the other hand, showed no concern for her appearance, except for the color of her hair. Other than that, many never cared since they were either busy relaxing in the natural hot spas on top of many buildings or doing their jobs.
. . .
While Aletha made her way through the busy streets, for the second time, she looked up. Her eyes widened in shock, noticing.
"Oh, so THAT'S why there's light here." For most of her time here, Aletha never understood how the city was lit aglow with light, despite being several meters underground. Now that she was at the top, Aletha could finally see why.
Clearstar City was illuminated by a vast window inside the cavern's ceiling. The window's transparency was so clear that it allowed every hint of sunlight from the surface to touch the underground. Aletha recalled hearing a rumor that Clearstar was constructed by ancient craftsmen who wanted to defy the boundaries between light and darkness. They built the city over generations, utilizing the natural glass formations found in the cavern. Now that she noticed it, those glass ceilings were everywhere above the cavern. However, although those features caught her eye, Aletha focused more on finding Rinnea than anything else.
Making her way through the top of the towers, Aletha commented as she walked along the glass bridge, sliding her fingers across the metal railing.
"This place is huge. It's no wonder Rinnea wanted to go here."
Before she decided to go down to the first level of the city, Aletha chose to gaze at the distant port down below. Her hands tightly grasped the rope of the creaking bridge, watching boats sail in and out of the enormous, clear underground lake, traveling from the many tunnels around the colossal cavern toward the ports in Clearstar. Her curiosity was so intense that it persuaded her to run to the port.
"Huh? Why does the water look like that?"
There was something strange she found about the water as she looked around.
What Aletha found strange about the massive pools of water was that the liquid surface was so clear that she could see the glowing azure stones beneath it with just her eyes. She turned left and heard bells ringing. Immediately, she dashed toward the dock and saw a guy in a canoe waving at her while rowing the paddles. Of course, she waved back at the guy, even going to greet him.
"Hello! How are you today?"
The man replied with a light smile as the canoe tidily slipped into the dock.
"I'm doing swell right now! How about you?"
Aletha crossed her arms and smiled back.
"I'm doing well!"
His shimmering blue hair reflected the beautiful luminance pouring above and beneath the boat.
"Ha ha, that's great to hear! Are you lost? Waiting for a boat?"
Aletha pressed her hands to her cheeks and lifted her shoulders in a half-shrug. A prevailing sentiment of uneasy discontent flew out from the look on her face, waving her hands and replying anxiously.
"No, I'm not waiting for a boat."
The man scratched his chin and squinted.
"You look like an outsider. Do you know what you are doing?"
Aletha shook her head and answered the man with a sonorous and truthful voice.
"Not at all."
He shook his head and placed his two paddles on the docks, examining Aletha and then pointing to what looked like another portion of the city across the massive underground lake, informing.
"Hmm, say, why don't you go to the town hall if you are feeling lost? It's not that far from here, actually… I can take you there if you'd like. The rest of Clearstar City is on the other side of the cavern. And although it's accessible, I don't think you would want to walk there."
"Really? You can do that for me?!"
"Sure. I mean, just look at yourself!" He made a glance of meaning at her. "You look like some sort of superstar with that type of appearance. I don't understand how you can't afford to be in one of Clearstar's spas. You look wealthy."
A flame of scarlet crept in a swift diagonal across Aletha's cheeks.
"N… No, I'm not. I'm just a wanderer."
The blue-haired man showed a face of disbelief.
"Wow, really? Aww, well, there goes my hope for at least some pay." He blinked owlishly, shaking his head and grabbing the paddles back. "A-Anyways, you don't have to give me anything. I was just curious. I do this stuff for free."
"Oh, okay."
As Aletha stared at the empty side of the canoe next to her, she turned over and asked the man.
"So, do I get on?"
"Yeah! Hop right in! I promise you it won't be long until we get there."
After Aletha carefully boarded the canoe and grabbed a paddle, the blue-haired man slowly pushed the canoe away from the docks and said to her with a welcoming grin.
"Alright, let's row our way to the other side!"