The God's Deceit - The Web Begins

The light caught my eye immediately—a faint, almost eerie glow seeping from the ground. It wasn't an ordinary reflection like sunlight bouncing off metal. No, this light seemed alive, pulsating faintly as if it had a heartbeat of its own. I felt a pull, an unexplainable urge to step closer, even though every instinct in my body screamed for me to stop. As I moved toward it, the glow intensified, revealing strange symbols within the light—symbols that seemed to shift and change like living things, rearranging themselves the closer I got. My heart raced, my chest tightening with both awe and unease.

"What is this...?" I whispered to myself, but no one was around to answer.

The symbols felt ancient, older than anything I had ever seen, and they shimmered with a kind of energy that made my skin prickle. They seemed to hum, vibrating with a life of their own. I could feel it in my bones. Without fully realizing what I was doing, I stepped into the circle of light. It was as if the world had tilted, the ground beneath my feet vanishing in an instant. A violent twist of reality gripped me, spinning me around like I had been caught in a whirlpool.

I couldn't breathe. My body felt weightless, like I was falling, but at the same time, I felt like I was floating, untethered. Panic surged through me, but there was nothing I could do. I had no control.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the sensation stopped.

My feet hit solid ground, and I stumbled, gasping for air. I was in a cave, the cool dampness pressing against my skin. I blinked rapidly, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dim light. The walls around me shimmered faintly, tiny glowing rocks embedded in the stone casting an eerie, pale light over everything. The cave was cold, colder than the outside world, and the air smelled of wet stone and earth.

I turned quickly, my heart pounding, expecting to see the path I had come from. But there was nothing behind me. The cave walls had closed in, sealing me inside.

I swallowed hard, panic bubbling up again. "No way back," I muttered. My voice echoed in the emptiness. I was trapped.

There was no choice but to go deeper.

The air grew heavier the farther I walked, pressing down on me like a weight. My footsteps echoed softly in the narrow passageway, the sound barely louder than the drip of water somewhere in the distance. Every so often, I had to duck beneath a low-hanging rock, my back brushing against the damp, cold walls. The tunnel was so narrow, I felt like the earth itself was trying to squeeze the life out of me.

After what felt like hours, the tunnel opened up into a vast chamber. I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. The ceiling soared high above me, jagged stalactites hanging like the teeth of some monstrous creature. Tiny bioluminescent worms clung to the ceiling, their faint glow casting a sickly light over the chamber.

But it wasn't the ceiling or the strange glow of the worms that made my heart pound with fear. It was the pit.

A massive, yawning chasm stretched out before me, its edges jagged and unforgiving. I stepped closer, my legs trembling as I peered over the edge. The pit was deep—so deep that no matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn't see the bottom. A humid, oppressive air rose from the void, as though the pit itself was breathing. It felt alive.

My jacket, which had been warm and comforting before, now felt heavy and stifling. The air was thick with moisture, and it clung to my skin. I unzipped the jacket, letting it fall to the ground with a soft thud, feeling some small relief as the weight lifted from my shoulders.

But there was no relief from the terror that gripped me.

I scanned the pit, looking for a way across. My heart sank when I realized how far the other side was. Too far to jump. The thought of trying sent a fresh wave of fear crashing over me. I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself, but my legs felt weak, almost as though the pit was sucking the strength out of me just by existing.

Then I saw it—the iron bars embedded in the ceiling, stretching across the chasm. A thick rope hung from one of the bars, close to both edges of the pit, swaying gently in the damp air. It was my only option. My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of swinging over the abyss, but I knew there was no turning back. The tunnel I had come from was sealed. There was no other way forward. I had to cross.

I reached out and grabbed the rope. The rough fibers bit into my palms as I tested its strength. The rope held firm, but that didn't make the prospect any less terrifying. The pit below was dark, the shadows swirling like they were alive, waiting for me to make a mistake.

I swallowed hard, trying to psych myself up. "You can do this, Jeremiah," I whispered to myself, but my voice wavered. The fear was almost paralyzing. My legs shook as I tossed a small rock into the pit, straining to hear any sound. There was nothing. No thud, no echo. Just silence.

A bottomless pit.

I clenched my fists tighter around the rope, my knuckles turning white. There was no room for hesitation now. I couldn't go back, and if I stayed here too long, the fear would overwhelm me. My hands slick with sweat, I began to climb, pulling myself hand over hand, my feet dangling at the edge of the abyss.

Every inch felt like a battle, my muscles burning with effort. I could feel the pit below, a yawning void that seemed to reach up for me, its shadows shifting and swirling. It was as if the darkness itself was alive, waiting for me to fall. The rope swayed slightly, the rough fibers scraping against my palms, and my heart hammered in my chest as I fought to keep my grip.

Halfway across, I heard a sudden flutter of wings. Bats. I froze as the creatures swooped down from the ceiling, their leathery wings brushing against my face and arms. Their screeches echoed in the chamber, and I flinched, nearly losing my grip. My hands slipped on the rope, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought I was going to fall.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to focus. I couldn't let go. I couldn't fall. The pit below waited, hungry and patient. I pulled myself forward, inch by agonizing inch, my muscles screaming in protest with every movement. The iron bars above felt slick with moisture, and the cold metal bit into my hands as I reached for the next one.

I swung forward, gripping the next bar and to my horror, the bar was covered in tiny, glowing bugs. Their soft, wet bodies squished against my skin as I grabbed hold of the bar, and I gagged, trying not to lose my grip. The thought of them crawling on my skin made my stomach churn, but I had no choice but to keep going.

Suddenly, just as I gripped the next bar, I felt one shimmy its body onto my finger. My body dandling between the two bars, I reacted instinctually and tried to flick my fingers to shake it loose and thats when I felt it shift under my weight. My heart skipped a beat. The bar wobbled loose from the ceiling, and before I could react, it pulled free entirely.

"Jezas!" I screamed.

I hung in the air, the bar still in my hand, but nothing was holding it to the ceiling anymore. My eyes widened in horror as I dangled there, the metal, cold and slick in my sweaty grip.

"No, no, no!" I yelled out, my voice echoing through the cavern, raw panic flooding me.

Instinct kicked in, and I let go of the bar, watching as it plummeted into the pit below. The sound of it falling was swallowed by the darkness almost immediately, the silence that followed making the void seem even more terrifying. My breath came in ragged bursts, my heart hammering in my chest.

The bar was gone. The pit was still there, waiting, hungry.

For a moment, I froze, my mind racing. Should I turn back? Should I find another way? But there was no other way. The path behind me had been sealed the moment I stepped into this cave. There was no going back now. I used both hands to grip the bar that I was on.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to stop, to rest, but I knew I couldn't. If I stayed here, if I hesitated for even a second longer, I'd lose my nerve completely.

I glanced at the next bar, just out of reach, and gathered every ounce of courage I had left. There was no time to think. No time to plan. I took a deep breath, tensed my body, and propelled myself forward. My fingers stretched, barely grazing the bar, but I managed to hook my hand around it just in time.

The force of my movement swung me violently to the side, and for a moment, I thought I might lose my grip again. But I held on, my knuckles black and blue, my arms shaking from the effort.

I hung there, panting, my breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. The fear gnawed at me, threatening to overwhelm my mind, but I pushed it down. I had to keep going. There was no other choice.

Finally, I reached the last bar. My arms trembled with exhaustion, my breath coming in short, frantic bursts. I stared at the rope on the other side, swaying slightly in the dim light. It seemed so far away.

With a deep breath, I gathered what little strength I had left and swung my body forward, reaching out for the rope. Time seemed to slow as I flew through the air, the pit yawning below me. My fingers stretched, but the rope slipped through my grasp.

Panic surged through me, and I flailed, desperately trying to catch hold of something, anything. Just as I thought I was going to fall, my hand snagged the rope. The impact jarred through my body, and I slammed into the rocky wall, pain shooting through my side. I clung to the rope, my muscles trembling with the effort.

The pit below seemed to pulse with malevolent intent, the shadows swirling eagerly. I could feel my grip weakening. My arms burned, my hands slipping slightly with every second that passed.

I couldn't let go. I couldn't fall.

With one final burst of energy, I pulled myself up, inching toward the edge. My muscles screamed in protest, but I refused to stop. I was almost there.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I swung my leg over the edge and collapsed onto the ground. I lay there, gasping for breath, my entire body trembling from exhaustion. The cold, hard ground felt like a blessing beneath me. I had made it. I had crossed the pit.

But as I lay there, staring back at the gaping chasm, I knew that this was only the beginning. There were more challenges ahead, more dangers waiting for me in the darkness. But for now, I had survived. And that was enough.

I lay on the cold stone floor, my chest rising and falling as I tried to catch my breath. Every inch of my body throbbed from the strain, the burn in my muscles a reminder of how close I had come to falling into the pit. My fingers were raw from the climb, and my palms were slick with sweat and blood from where the rope had torn into my skin.

I let my head fall back against the stone, closing my eyes for just a moment. The weight of the ordeal settled over me like a heavy blanket, and for a brief second, I allowed myself to believe that I was safe—that I had conquered the worst of it. But as the cold seeped into my bones, reality hit me like a slap to the face.

This was just the beginning.

The pit was one challenge—one terrifying obstacle in what was sure to be a series of them. The cave around me still stretched into the unknown, and I had no idea what lay ahead. No idea how much further I had to go.

And no idea what I might face next.

Forcing myself to sit up, I winced as the movement sent a sharp pain shooting through my side. I reached down, gingerly touching the spot where I had slammed into the wall. My fingers came away slick with blood. It wasn't deep, but it stung like hell, and I could feel the bruising starting to form beneath my skin.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This was no time to sit around feeling sorry for myself. I had to keep moving. I had to survive.

I pushed myself to my feet, the effort making my legs wobble. My knees buckled for a moment, but I caught myself, planting my feet firmly on the stone floor. I took a tentative step forward, testing my balance. The world tilted slightly, but I forced myself to keep moving. One foot in front of the other. I couldn't stop now.

The cavern stretched out before me, the eerie glow from the bioluminescent worms casting strange shadows on the walls. The pit behind me seemed to pulse in the dim light, almost as if it was alive, still waiting, still hungry. I shuddered and turned my back on it, focusing instead on the narrow path that led deeper into the cave.

The silence was oppressive. The only sound was the soft echo of my footsteps and the occasional drip of water from somewhere high above. I felt like the cave itself was watching me, waiting for the next misstep, the next failure.

I pressed on, my mind racing with thoughts of Kofi and the others. What would they say if they saw me now, crawling through this cave like a rat? Would they laugh, or would they finally understand that I wasn't the weakling they thought I was? A part of me wanted to prove them wrong—to come out of this cave stronger, tougher than I had ever been before.

But another part of me—a much smaller, quieter part—wondered if any of this even mattered. What was the point of proving myself to people who didn't care? People who only saw me as a target for their cruelty?

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts from my mind. Now wasn't the time for self-reflection. I had to focus on surviving.