Shortly after leaving her home, the huntress arrives at the Silent Grotto. For the time being, the area was void of any threats. The frigid air gently pushes against her skin as she stares briefly at the wide-open, dark cavern. Her eyes move to the ground, spotting a set of footprints leading into the cavity. She clenches her fist and advances into the cavern.

Having hunted and observed her brother during the night, Cyrene’s vision adapted to low light environments, allowing her to see well at exceedingly dark hours of nightfall. The grotto’s internal structure was rather jagged with elevations that partially wavered through each step the huntress took. She navigates carefully through the cavern, walking slowly to dampen the noise of her scraping boots across the rough terrain.

Several minutes after traversing the unknown ground, a slew of distant footsteps caught her ear. The fleeting sounds of light tapping effortlessly bounce off the walls. The instant the noise reaches her ears, she freezes and glances around but is unable to spot the cause of the disruption. Cautiously, she inches closer to a faint blue light at the end of the corridor. 

SQUISH

Another step forward and the soles of her boots trampled against a puddle of liquid. The bluish light from the end of the hall helped identify the unknown substance; a fresh puddle of blood. Her eyes widened and she immediately scanned the area. Upon closer inspection, the surrounding area was filled with a plethora of mutilated beasts thrown into the corners of the cave. Some creatures were impaled into the very terrain while others were tossed aside, left to die with shattered bones and twitching. Cyrene felt her senses sharpen while she frantically searched for the cause of the monster's deaths. She snapped her head left, right, back, and forward, yet was unable to find the source of the attacks.

During her brief period of panic, the huntress attempts to compose herself. She shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath, and recalls the unknown power she tapped into previously. The young woman grips her right wrist and forms a claw with her left hand. She tightens the muscles in her arms and her face becomes rather strained.

"C'mon...!" She whispers.

Thoughts of her previous bout and memories of hunting and training with her brother gave her the strength to conjure the blade in her hand. The weapon bursts into her palm as airy dark energy. She grips the sword in her hand and examines its deadly curvature. The young woman revels in her triumph and grins.     

“Yes…!” She cheers quietly.  

Nonetheless, her moment of triumph was soon halted. The armament she conjured struggled to keep its form, and within seconds, dissipated before her very eyes, her weapon dwindling into small wisps of ethereal energy.

"No!"

She brings her palm closer to her face and opens and shuts her hand multiple times. The young woman balls her hand into a fist and grinds her teeth.          

“Are you serious…?!"   

SWOOSH TAP TAP TAP

Cyrene throws her arm to the side and snaps her attention to the room, attempting again to find the source of the fleeting footsteps. Wary of the potential company, she treads swiftly into the next room.  

Each step forward further illuminated the cavern, improving her sight in the process. Reaching her desired location, her eyes feasted upon the innards of the grotto. A collection of aquamarine crystals shined lustrous colors onto all corners of the cavern. Brown stalactites dripped beads of water that plopped into a pool below. Stone archways overhead led to various unknown paths throughout the hollow. Cyrene could not help but feel temporarily hypnotized by its stunning structure. She moves over to the small body of water on her left and examines the aquatic life swimming through the crystal clear liquid. 

SWOOSH

The reflection from the water portrayed a shadow sprinting from far above. Cyrene whips herself around and prepares to strike. She attempts to forcefully summon her weapon by throwing her arm out to spawn the blade, but once again, she is unsuccessful. Rather than strenuously attempt to spawn her sword, she stops, looks down at her hand, and reminisces on the conjured blade. She shuts her eyes, extends her arm, and holds out her hand. 

Concentrating with all of her power, she tried to muster the energy to spawn her weapon. Fifteen seconds of silence passed, yet nothing occurred. She sucks her teeth.

“Ugh, this sucks…” 

Cyrene opens her eyes and is exposed to an upside-down young man, shooting the young lady with an inquisitive stare. His head tilted slightly as he stared directly into her eyes. He greets the young woman calmly.  

“Hello.”