Garden Of The Abyss

"...Ah…"

Gently parting her eyelids, what stood above her was a sky of stone, looking down upon her with its unmoving gaze. Although what she saw above her was rough, naturally formed stone, what she felt beneath her body was the fluffy, soft sensation of grass.

"My head…"

She slowly sat herself up, caressing her head as it ached with a resonating, dull pain. As her eyesight adjusted, it was as Iris thought--the place she was in was a cavern of sorts, holding with it a small patch of green.

Still in the middle of waking up fully, she paused for a moment as if something had jumped to the forefront of her brain.

"--That's right! Ren!"

Iris looked around in a hurry, standing herself up as she nearly slipped on the moisture-coated blades of grass. There was no sign of the man she was looking for, in fact--there wasn't any way he could be there. As she stood up and took in the scenery which she inhabited, the sight of a far-stretching ocean of darkness filled her gaze. All that stood in the endless chasm were pillars like the one she stood atop of, feeling her legs become queasy at the sight of this impossible environment.

Waking up to meet such scenery had taken her thought process hostage for a moment, as she tried to bring together her fuzzy memories in order to make sense of what was before her.

--...The last thing I remember is following Ren into trial, but how long have I been asleep?

Standing at the edge of the precipice, a glance at the bottomless darkness that sat below made the strength in her knees vanish for a moment as she stumbled backwards.

Taking another look around, there wasn't any sort of bridge to connect the rocky pillars that stood above the enigmatic void below.

"Hyperion: Guidance."

Calmly, she uttered the mystical words that invoked the spell, conjuring a glittering ball of white light that danced around in the air as if sentient.

"Please, show me how to get out of this place?"

Iris held her hand out, allowing the small, fluttering orb to sit on her palm as she looked at it with her pleading, ocean-like gaze. After a moment of stillness from the magic sphere, it bounced up and circled around the girl a few times with excited speed.

After rotating around her, the ball of light drifted along the pillar as if searching every part of it before it began to bounce on the air that neighbored the rocky mass.

"Huh? Did you find something?"

She knelt down near the edge, watching carefully as the light sphere continued to bounce rapidly, trying to garner her attention. Placing her index finger onto the air that the spell continued to jump on, she met with the presence of something solid, yet invisible.

"--Eh?"

Tapping it a few more times, it was as she thought. There was an invisible, solid stepping block sitting in the air.

"Thank you. You did a good job."

Iris cupped the tiny ball of light in her hands before allowing it to dematerialize. Standing herself up, preparing herself to take the step onto the unseen step was easier said than done.

Looking down towards the bottomless darkness that awaited her if she fell, her stomach sank down. A single, deep breath into her lungs provided her with the courage to take the first step, meeting the solid air with her thick, beige boot.

Next, she brought her other boot onto the next step--meeting solid air once more as a feeling of relief etched itself into her body. Iris resolved herself not to look down, but having to move each step perfectly in front of the other without sight to guide her wasn't an easy feat. All she could do is look ahead towards the next pillar that awaited. Even if it was impossible to see where the bottom truly sat, the length of the pillars alone from what was visible stretched as high as even the greatest saplings of that inhabited Grandeuve.

After a few minutes of cautious, methodical walking had continued, she now stood in equal distance between both pillars, completely surrounded by nothing but empty space and the darkness that waited for her to miss a step.

The updraft brushed against her body, tickling her pores as the wind attempted to sway her step. A few more steps forward seemed to wake the slumbering winds below even further as a more powerful draft blew upwards, pushing her hands down against her skirt as they were nearly blown up completely--a blush appearing on her face as she forgot the situation she was in for a moment.

"--Right. Nobody can even see me right now…"

Letting out a small breath, Iris pushed herself forward once again with cautious enhancing each step she took, until she had reached the next tower of stone.

Upon encountering tangible ground again, Iris nearly fell over and hugged the moss-covered rock below as a breath of relief exited her exasperated lungs.

"Ah…"

Standing herself back up and brushing the dirt from her blue leggings, what awaited her was the same invisible bridge she just took, tenfold the length--leading to a massive pathway sitting at the back of the colossal cavern.

"I bet Ren is doing his best, wherever he is right now...I can't sit around and be left in the dust!"

Clenching her fists and puffing her cheeks up to release a steamy breath of victorious energy, Iris stomped forward without a second thought, walking along the unseen bridge with utmost confidence as she kept her pale blue eyes peeled on the destination ahead.

A pace coiled with resolve, Iris reached the territory that sat beyond the chasm, expelling the fears she held within herself with an exhale, kneeling down to see her knees trembling as they displayed the same trepidation.

"Not...so bad."

In-between breaths, Iris held a small smile as she proclaimed victory over the bottomless pit, raising herself back up as she looked onwards at the shadowy tunnel that sat ahead of her. Somehow, even in the face of this unknown domain, she didn't feel frightened at the idea of having to walk forward blindly--but that the companion she came here with to protect was likely all alone.

--Ren, please be safe.