Adekunle looked at Funke, his expression a mixture of trepidation and a strange sense of hope. The silent angel, its luminous eyes filled with a gentle urgency, seemed to be their only lead in this bewildering new direction.
Funke, ever practical, voiced the immediate concern. "Go with it? Adekunle, it hasn't said a word. We don't know where it's taking us, or why."
"I know," Adekunle replied, his gaze returning to the angel. "But… did you see the way the other demon reacted? The one by the canal? It was scared. This… this being protected us. And the mango… it's like it's trying to show us something."
He held up the white feather he had found. "And this. It led us here. I have a feeling… a strong feeling… that this is important, Aunt Funke."
The angel, as if sensing their hesitation, repeated its final gesture. It pointed towards the unseen distance, then brought its hands together in a sign of joining, its luminous gaze shifting between Adekunle and Funke, a silent plea in its radiant eyes.
Funke sighed, running a hand over her tired face. "I don't like this, Adekunle. It feels too… easy. Too strange. But…" She looked at the angel, then at Adekunle's determined face. "But you're right. We haven't had any real answers in a long time. Maybe… maybe this is one."
Adekunle nodded, a sense of resolve hardening within him. "We go with it," he said, turning to the angel. "We'll go with you. Where do you want us to go?"
The angel seemed to understand. It turned towards the back of the small building, its flowing cloak swirling around its slender form. It moved with an ethereal grace, passing through the doorway into what appeared to be another room.
Adekunle helped Funke maneuver her wheelchair through the narrow opening. The second room was smaller and even more sparsely furnished than the first. There was another bedroll on the floor and a small, dusty window overlooking the desolate landscape. The angel stood by the window, its gaze fixed on a distant point on the horizon.
It turned back to them and made a beckoning gesture with one of its pale hands, indicating that they should follow. Then, it moved towards the back wall of the room.
Adekunle frowned. There was no door visible on that wall. It looked solid concrete.
The angel reached out its slender hand and placed it flat against the wall. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a faint, white light began to emanate from the point of contact. The light grew brighter, and a soft humming sound filled the room. Slowly, the concrete wall began to shimmer and dissolve, revealing a passage beyond.
Adekunle and Funke stared in astonishment. The passage was a tunnel, leading downwards into darkness. The air that wafted from it felt cool and clean, a stark contrast to the dusty air of the room.
The angel turned and looked at them, its luminous eyes seeming to offer reassurance. Then, it stepped into the tunnel and disappeared into the darkness.
Adekunle exchanged a look with Funke. This was definitely not the path they had expected. But the angel had shown them a power beyond their understanding, a way forward that defied the ruined reality of their world.
"Well," Funke said, a hint of nervous excitement in her voice. "Looks like we're going underground."
Adekunle nodded, pushing Funke's wheelchair towards the opening in the wall. The passage was narrow, barely wide enough for the wheelchair to pass. He had to proceed slowly and carefully, the darkness swallowing the light from the small room behind them.
As they moved deeper into the tunnel, the air grew cooler and the humming sound intensified. The walls of the tunnel were smooth and seemed to glow with a faint, internal luminescence, guiding their way through the darkness.
The tunnel sloped gently downwards, winding through what felt like the earth itself. After what seemed like a long time, they began to hear another sound – a faint, rhythmic dripping of water.
The tunnel eventually opened into a large cavern. The cavern was surprisingly well-lit by a soft, white glow that seemed to emanate from the walls and ceiling. In the center of the cavern was a large pool of crystal-clear water, the source of the dripping sound they had heard.
The angel stood by the edge of the pool, its luminous eyes reflecting the shimmering water. It turned to Adekunle and Funke and made a gesture towards the water, then towards their empty water containers.
Understanding dawned. This was their destination. A source of clean, uncontaminated water, hidden deep beneath the surface. The angel had led them to salvation.
Adekunle felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. Despite its silence, this being had shown them more kindness and guidance than any human they had encountered since the Fall.
They set about filling their containers with the clear, cool water. Funke drank deeply, her face showing the relief. The water tasted pure and refreshing, a welcome change from the stale, collected rainwater they had been relying on.
While they were filling their containers, Adekunle's gaze was drawn to the walls of the cavern. They were covered in intricate carvings, similar to those on the angel's staff, but on a much larger scale. The patterns seemed to depict celestial beings, winged figures locked in battle, and strange, glowing symbols that Adekunle couldn't decipher. It looked like an ancient, underground sanctuary, a hidden testament to the war that had ravaged the world above.
The angel moved to the center of the cavern and gestured towards the far wall. Adekunle and Funke followed, their curiosity piqued. On the wall, there was another passage, darker and narrower than the one they had come through.
The angel pointed towards this passage, then made the joining gesture again, its luminous gaze fixed on Adekunle. It then pointed its finger downwards, towards the earth.
The message was clear. They needed to go further, deeper underground. And their journey was somehow connected to the earth itself.
Adekunle hesitated. He had been focused on surviving in the surface world, on scavenging for scraps in the ruins. The thought of delving deeper into the earth, into the unknown darkness, filled him with a sense of unease.
But the angel's silent guidance had led them to safety and sustenance. He had to trust it, at least for now.
He looked at Funke, her face reflecting the same uncertainty he felt. "What do you think?" he asked her.
Funke looked at the angel, its serene presence a beacon of calm in the underground darkness. "I don't know what's waiting for us down there, Adekunle," she said slowly. "But after everything we've seen… I don't think we have much to lose by following it."
Adekunle nodded, his decision made. He looked back at the angel and gave a small, determined nod. "We'll go with you," he said, his voice echoing in the cavern. "Lead the way."
The angel seemed to acknowledge their decision with a gentle inclination of its head. It turned towards the darker passage and, with a final, reassuring glance at Adekunle and Funke, it stepped into the shadows and disappeared from view.
Adekunle took a deep breath, the cool, clean air filling his lungs. He pushed Funke's wheelchair towards the passage, his hand resting on the black feather in his pocket, a tangible reminder of the other silent protector they had encountered.
They followed the angel into the darkness, leaving the softly glowing cavern behind. The passage was narrow and winding, and Adekunle had to proceed slowly, his flashlight cutting through the gloom. The air grew heavier, the silence more profound.
As they ventured deeper into the earth, Adekunle couldn't shake the feeling that they were embarking on a pilgrimage, a silent journey into the heart of a fallen world, guided by a being of light towards an unknown destiny. The surface world, with its scavenging demons and shattered ruins, felt distant now, almost forgotten. Here, in the darkness beneath the earth, a new chapter of their survival was beginning. A chapter filled with mystery, uncertainty, and the silent promise of something more.