Chapter 128: Going Deeper
Kestrel and Ren found themselves wandering the remnants of an ancient underground city. The area was massive, filled with empty homes, deserted shops, forgotten vegetable stands, old movie theaters, and unused arcades. It seemed as if every possible thing was here. It stretched out and descended in levels, having once been a safe haven for so many people. But now, this vast subterranean world felt like a pitch-black void, a place where unknown creatures might hide.
Ren, curious, tossed a stone down into the darkness. But even after waiting for what seemed like forever, they couldn’t hear it land, making them wonder just how much deeper this city extended.
They stumbled upon a secluded room to rest for the night. Whoever had been there last seemed to have left in a rush, as many of their belongings were still scattered about. The room had two cushy single-seater couches, a tipped-over maglev coffee table, and a sizable bed. Among the items were blankets, pillows, and even a small kettle for heating water.
Exhausted, Kestrel eased herself onto one of the couches. It cradled her back and neck perfectly. The couch was designed with various cool buttons that hinted at functions like changing its shape, floating in the air, or even offering a massage. Too bad it didn’t have any power. Still, after the long day they had, it felt heavenly to relax on it.
"The Eyehole is a very ancient Polluted Zone, right?"
"Based on what I found out, it seems this was a big refuge for people trying to escape disasters when everything first started going wrong," Ren replied.
Breaking apart some wooden items, he created a tiny campfire on the floor, setting the kettle over it to prepare something. The gentle firelight illuminated his face, emphasizing his features.
Though he had tackled most of the fighting and his clothes were coated in dust and some blood smears, Kestrel couldn’t help but find Ren incredibly handsome right then.
Leaning back on the couch, her head propped on her arm, she found herself admiring Ren. With the lamp’s glow casting shadows around him, he seemed like a figure from a piece of art.
Kestrel felt her eyes grow heavy, and just as she was about to drift into sleep, she could swear she saw the firelight giving a rosy hue to Ren’s ears.
As Kestrel slept in the depths of the old, shadowy underground city, vivid dreams played in her mind. She had glimpsed these images in past dreams, but tonight, they felt so clear.
She saw herself as a tremendous, eerie creature with slick skin and countless writhing tendrils, moving through this underground realm.
Whispers from humans always echoed in her thoughts in this dream. They’d offer her gifts, praying to her, seeking her might.
Initially, they would put animals on her altar. But as time went on, for reasons she couldn’t fathom, they began to offer humans.
In the dream, she was strangely fascinated by the sight of these humans on her altar.
Every instance this happened, her tendrils would buzz with anticipation, stretching from the moist underground, inching their way up towards the altar bathed in moonlight.
The offerings they brought to her were so full of feelings, making them perfect playthings. But, they were kind of like glass figures – beautiful but delicate, easily broken if not handled with care.
Above her altar, where the sacrifices were laid out, she could sometimes hear heated arguments. Voices filled with rage, voices shaking with fear, and still others that seemed giddy with some twisted excitement. These humans had strange names for themselves – researchers, saviors, and other titles she couldn’t quite grasp.
"Are you out of your mind? Do you even understand the consequences?"
"Why did you create such a scary, wild creature?"
"It’s grown so big. What have you been giving it? Does anyone know how huge it really is now?"
"Using its blood to change humans? That’s just scary! How many had to die for your experiments? How many were sacrificed for this madness?"
"You’ve all gone crazy."
"This is so dangerous! This recklessness could end us all."
"It’s not the monsters outside that will destroy us. It’s crazy folks like you."
"Help me! They’re hurting people! Please, someone help!"
But then, after a while, Kestrel could sense the arguments fading away. The strong opposition she felt through her many tendrils seemed to vanish.
They had come to some sort of agreement.
"We did it! By using its blood, we’ve made a new kind of human."
"Those with super strength, we’re calling them alpha. And the ones with psychic powers, they’re beta. It looks like the beta ones have more of its genes in them."
"But this means we have a way to fight the monsters now."
"Maybe we can finally get out of this creepy underground place."
"Every creature wants to evolve. We’ve made it happen. Humans will now be stronger and better, ready for whatever’s next."
"All the sacrifices, everything we did, it’s all worth it. We’ll save everyone."
The humans were so excited, buzzing with energy. Kestrel didn’t get most of what they were saying, but honestly, she didn’t really care.
They didn’t get the bigger picture. Whenever her blood mixed with theirs, they became like her children.
All these new beings, the ones changed by her blood, were always chattering. She wasn’t sure what they were always on about. But no matter their plans, in the end, they’d always be loyal to her.
With a lazy stretch of one of her tendrils in the cold darkness, she felt a deep bond with these noisy humans – a bond that was in the very blood that flowed in them.
What these humans didn’t get was that making more of oneself, ensuring one’s species survives and thrives, was the most basic drive of any creature. Especially for ones like her that had such a hard time making sure their kind continued. She just wanted to grow her family, and in a way, they were helping her.
She’d been sleeping, hidden deep in the ocean’s abyss for what felt like eternity. Over the years, she matured, transforming into this magnificent giant creature. An innate desire welled up in her: she wanted to conquer the land, turn this lush world into a haven for her future younglings.
Feeling excited, her tendrils stretched, extending further, seeking the endless void beyond.
"Wake up, Kestrel."
"Kestrel?"
A familiar voice was beckoning her. Slowly, her eyes blinked open. Her head felt foggy, and it took her a moment to reconnect with reality.
Briefly, she felt lost, not quite sure of who she was or where she was.
In the dim space around her, a soft glow lit the ground, revealing a face hovering above her. The face wore a concerned expression, hands firmly gripping her shoulders, giving them a gentle shake.
It was Ren.
Her memory jogged back. She was a beta, having left the confines of the Tower, now journeying through the Eyehole alongside Ren. They had made quite the trek that day, delving deep into the underground.
She’d just taken a short nap, and the dream she’d had was just that—a dream. She wasn’t an actual monster.
She likened the tendrils in her dream to her own limbs.
Instinctively, Kestrel glanced down and noticed her tendrils had mischievously entangled themselves around Ren. A couple of them were playfully wound around his legs, even encircling his waist.
Their smooth, pinkish touch felt damp, trying to sneak beneath his clothes, curiously probing.
Ren was busily adjusting his attire while also attempting to rouse her from sleep.
The ambiance was low-lit, and as Kestrel’s gaze met Ren’s, she noticed his eyes seemed clouded, giving him an endearingly perplexed look.
She had to suppress a chuckle, grateful the dim light shielded her amusement.
Quickly, Kestrel reeled in her tendrils. They grudgingly slithered back into the shadows.
These tendrils were rather cheeky. Since their arrival in this subterranean realm, they appeared more lively than ever.
Nevertheless, Kestrel wasn’t too concerned.
Ren was a formidable alpha. It was just the tendrils acting out on their whims while she slept, and there was no way that they could overpower him. She also knew that, even with her conscious control over them, it was unlikely she could best Ren.
If he was alert and resisting, the tendrils wouldn’t have been able to get too far out of line—or at least, that’s what she believed.
"I’m sorry, I went into a deep sleep and didn’t rein them in," Kestrel said apologetically, "Did they cause any trouble?"
Avoiding a direct answer, Ren picked up a clay pot, offering her some warm, quick-prep food.
"You were mumbling in your sleep," he softly commented, his voice carrying a hint of huskiness.
"What did I blabber while I was out cold?"
"You were talking about sacrifices and a bunch of weird words."
Kestrel suddenly remembered that super bizarre dream she had. In that dream, she wasn’t even herself but some sort of creepy creature from like, ages ago, lurking in this underground place.
Way back, people discovered this freaky egg to fight the tons of weird-looking creatures popping up everywhere. Some folks secretly looked after this tendril-y thing, taking its blood to try weird stuff on humans.
There were some scary tests, and they kinda treated this creature like it was super special, even giving it sacrifices. After all of that, the blood of this tendril thing mixed with human blood, and boom! they got these super strong humans called alphas and betas.
Ren sat near the campfire, poking the dying flames with a stick. He wanted to make the room cozy but didn’t want to attract any of those scary creatures. The fire’s light made his face glow, giving him this rosy-cheeked look.
Kestrel was chilling on the couch, sipping some warm soup. She seemed deep in thought and mused, both to Ren and to herself,
"Why do alphas and betas even exist? I mean, alphas mutate, and betas grow up in the Tower. They’re not like regular people at all."
So not like regular people, sometimes she felt she might be a bit monstrous.
"All the books and stuff we’ve read say alphas and betas are like gifts from above to help people out. They say the Tower is a safe place given by these higher powers, and the king is sort of like their friend on Earth," Ren mentioned as he sat by the fire.
"But there was this one time, I found an old book in a Polluted Zone," Ren paused, looking like he was deciding if he should spill the beans. After a second, he said to Kestrel,
"That book hinted that maybe alphas and betas were made by humans after something really bad happened."
Everything went quiet as the two got lost in their own thoughts.
After a while, Ren broke the silence, "Kestrel, why do you keep going to the Eyehole? What are you looking for?" A lot of people wondered this. The Queen kept sending alphas on missions, and nobody knew why someone like Kestrel would brave the risky Polluted Zone again and again.
But since Kestrel hadn’t talked about it, Ren never asked. That was, until now when she started acting all different, talking in her sleep about experiments, sacrifices, and other freaky stuff.
"It’s not like I’m keeping secrets or anything. Honestly, I don’t even really know what I’m hunting for," Kestrel admitted, sinking deeper into the couch. "But whenever I get near the heart of the Polluted Zone, closer to where it all started, I feel like I’m onto something. When the moment’s right, I’ll let you in on it."
"Ren..." she curled up, looking more vulnerable than ever, "Do you think I’m a regular person? Or might I be... I don’t know, a monster?"
