The darkness within her allowed Uda to relax and find peace. When it released her back into the Dream, she felt stronger and refreshed. She was still lying on the dark granite slabs on the floor of the tower when a bright beam of sunlight fell across her face, blinding her.
As she sat up, Nia approached her, accompanied by a well-fed man with a round beard. Both looked at her with questioning eyes.
"What... what happened?" Uda asked, gasping.
Her limbs still felt stiff, but they no longer hurt.
"You did it! That damn monster... you did it!" Nia cried out excitedly.
"Indeed. Or at least you gave us the chance for a decisive counterattack. We thank you! Who knows how much longer we could have held out. The tower sounded like it was about to collapse at any moment..." said the man and gave a small bow. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Orfet. The others are waiting upstairs. They did not want to bother you and thought you could use a little rest."
He pointed to a half-destroyed stone staircase that led to the upper floors.
"Why are you still here? You could have already cleared the rubble at the entrance and escaped," Uda asked, frowning.
"And then? Run straight into the next monster? We need to assess the situation first, now that we've found some shelter. Most did not make it here. I have seen many... vanish. Dissolve like smoke. Only fifteen of us are left. It was almost impossible to react when we woke up here. I assume it was similar for you. Panic and danger everywhere, and the only thing we wanted was protection..." explained Orfet.
"There's a barrier not far from here, just beyond the ruins. We found it when we fled, but it cost us some... friends. Still, I think if we hurry and use the houses for cover, we might make it!" Uda suggested.
"A barrier? What kind of barrier?" asked Orfet, stroking his beard.
"We do not know exactly. I could barely see it. But it seemed to be made of light, offering protection... although we are not entirely sure," Nia pondered.
She did not look at either Uda or Orfet and seemed much more interested in her fingernails.
"But I saw it repel the darkness. I was covered with the blood and remains of one of the creatures, but when I went through the barrier, all that started to evaporate. So it is probably our best chance," Uda recalled, glancing between Orfet and Nia.
Orfet took a long breath before finally sighing.
"At least it is an idea. We can suggest it to the others. I am sure they want to thank you," he said.
Uda felt herself blush. Still, she had no desire to waste time on praise while who knows what was still lurking outside.
That said, it is probably better to first go upstairs and try to boost everyone's morale.
Soon after, she climbed the half-collapsed stairway with Orfet and Nia into the upper part of the tower. The interior was vast, and Uda estimated that there must have been at least eight to ten floors.
The room they now entered had another stone staircase on the opposite side leading further up and contained several rotting wooden shelves, tables, and furniture that gave off a rancid smell. Besides the furnishings, there were several yellowed cloth blankets and even some cushions on the floor, which must have been brought down from higher floors creating a shared resting place.
Several men and women sat or lay scattered across the space, all of them staring blankly into the void or speaking in a dazed manner. The air was full of fear and exhaustion and despite the seemingly comfortable cushions and blankets on the floor, no one seemed able to find true rest there.
One woman tossed and turned on her makeshift bedding, and a man was nervously tearing apart the inside of a cushion.
As Uda, Nia, and Orfet finally left the staircase, everyone gradually turned to look at them and their faces brightened slightly, though the gloom never fully left.
I cannot blame them for being so panicked. They must have experienced pure terror just like we did, Uda thought.
"Listen up, everyone. These are..." Orfet began, raising his hand invitingly but then hesitated.
"I am Uda, and this is Nia," Uda helped him out.
"Yes, Uda and Nia," Orfet repeated.
"Thank you for saving us," said an older woman with a bloody scratch on her face and smiled briefly.
The others murmured in agreement, some nodded and smiled, but to Uda's disappointment, the mood was far from as improved as she had hoped.
I would have wished for a little more, but they still feel almost as shitty as before, she thought sadly.
"Uda and Nia told me that there is a light barrier that might offer greater safety," Orfet continued.
"We are not entirely sure, but it seems to at least destroy the remains of those terrible monstrosities," Uda added.
She wanted to make sure everyone knew that they were only guessing; false hopes could cloud the senses and lead to further losses, which she had to prevent at all costs. After all, they were on a path that was hopefully not going to end in a pit they would all fall into.
"Light? What light?" asked a young man who had a cloth tied around his head.
"Maybe like with Crelif?" suggested the woman with the scratch.
Her eyes suddenly looked more awake, and she leaned forward eagerly.
"Who is Crelif?" asked Uda, confused.
"He died, but he took one of those things with him before he dissolved. I woke up with Ya nearby, and the three of us explored some corridors when one of those creatures attacked us. We do not know how, but suddenly Crelif began to shine and sent out some kind of beam that pierced the monster. I have never seen anything like it!" Orfet recalled.
"Of course you have not seen anything like it, no one here remembers anything!" laughed a young woman with bushy black hair mockingly.
"That is not what I mean, Ya! I mean, it was unfamiliar to me too. You know what I mean..." he replied.
In truth, Uda knew what he was getting at. It was still strange to her that she could speak, understand the meaning of words, and even piece together names and some features of the things she saw here. Even expressions came to her mind, although she could not imagine what images or scenarios she drew comparisons from. But not everything seemed familiar to her. For example, she had no idea what these monsters were.
"Did you see the light too, Ya?" Nia asked eagerly.
She looked around keenly.
"Faintly, but yes. But it was not as bright as Orfet described it..." the woman answered almost defiantly.
"Faint? It blinded me," commented Orfet, visibly blushing now.
"It is possible that not everyone sees the light the same way; that was also the case with the barrier. I did not see it at all, only Nia recognized it from afar," Uda hurried to say.
"And... Locu..." Nia added so quietly that only Uda could hear her.
"Hm," said Ya, but she seemed to accept that the matter was settled.
"Orfet, you could go up to the roof with Uda and Nia and see if the barrier is really there. I know we agreed it was too dangerous up there because of the Nightshades, but if we do it quickly, we might manage. Besides, the sun has risen now..." suggested a man lying on a torn cushion.
"Nightshades? Those flying monsters?" Nia blurted out.
Her words echoed coldly from the walls and sent a shiver through the group. Uda looked around and had to realize that these people had probably been surprised by the same creatures as she had. How many of them had they lost to the flying horrors? Something else also made her uneasy.
"How do you know their name?" Uda asked the man.
"I... I do not know if that is their name," he evaded.
"Yes. The moment you said it, I knew that was their name. As if I had only forgotten it. But why did you remember first?" Uda pondered.
"I do not know! But they frighten me so much! They are disgusting and evil and their screams..."
The man shuddered suddenly and buried his face in his trembling hands.