Aqueo tied the last cluster of flowers he just picked. There were vines growing around too so he used them as strings after removing the leaves. He made seven clusters of different kinds, he tied them all into one big bouquet of flowers.

    "That looks plenty enough," Aqueo said satisfactorily at his handiwork. His stomach growled again. He wondered what would happen if he drank the water in the lake. Would it be safe? The sound of the water droplets had a healing effect, would it also quell his hunger?

    In excitement and uncertainty, he walked to the edge of the lake, laid down the bouquet and started drinking with his hand. His eyes brightened when he tasted the cool water with a hint of sweetness in it, and with it came the similar pleasant feeling he felt when hearing the sound. He tried to feel his stomach, it wasn't feeling as empty as before—although it might've been because it was just the usual effect of normal water, he couldn't tell the difference. He wasn't sure how long the effect would be and the town was a bit far in the memories, so he started to frantically cup and drink with his hands.

    "Ahhh! That felt great!" he exclaimed after drinking.

    He thought of taking a bath in the lake but he refrained himself. He wouldn't dare defile this seemingly pure and holy body of water with the dirts on his body.

    "Aqui, let me use your senses again. I'm going to find a way out," he requested as he stood up to concentrate.

    Aquifer let him in. In his memories, Aquifer was just passing through the stones to go to the surface. He couldn't possibly do that.

    He noticed something odd, he couldn't sense what was outside unlike Aquifer. Above the ceiling, he could only sense stones. The range of what he could sense wasn't as far as the spirit's in the memories.

    He looked at the direction of the cave he woke up from, there was another crack on the wall that linked it to another cave exactly opposite of this lake chamber. That must be the way the previous owner of this body used to get here. For what reason he came here, he wanted to find out.

    He retracted his mind and picked the bouquet.

    "Let's go Aquifer. The only passage I can sense is from that direction."

    He started walking but stopped after a few steps because he noticed the sounds of cracking beneath his feet.

    "Th—these herbs. . . Ahhhh! What have I done? They're expensive—"

    And then he realized it.

    "Th—that's right! They're expensive! A lot of herbs here are so rare and expensive."

    Aqueo was now mildly shaking.

    "No one came here for a hundred years. . . This cave . . . IS NOW MINEEEEE!" Aqueo screamed from the top of his lungs. It echoed in that large chamber.

    "Woooooooh! I AM NOW SO RICH!" he shouted even though he hadn't even sold one herb of his.

    He danced in joy and Aquifer floated happily around him.

    After a few moments of celebration, he walked carefully to the small opening on the wall so he wouldn't accidentally step on his precious herbs while continuously chanting in his mind that he now owned this lake and everything in this cave including the herbs, especially the tremendous crystal—self-proclaiming that he was already so rich.

    "Aqui, can you carry this?"

    Aquifer nodded and took the bouquet and Aqueo crawled on his knees once again to pass through the small passage.

    The glow of the spirit was their only light now, although a bit bluish. And now that there was light, Aqueo could now see the small pool of dry blood that coated the spot where he woke up. It even had the mark of his back on it. It made him pull the back part of his clothes—it had blood on it. The owner of the body must've been injured, it might've been the cause of his death.

    He looked around further if he could find more things from the owner of the body, there was none. He proceeded to the next small passage and urged Aquifer to go first to illuminate the way.

    The way was a bit longer and taller than the previous one. He could see drops of dried blood on the uneven stone ground. The owner of this body must've suffered a lot of pain before he died, similar to his death.

    He finally reached the end of the passage and what greeted him was a bigger cave that extended a bit far. The lake chamber was way bigger but this one was lengthier. Aqueo could see light at the far end. It made him curious because they were underground.

    "Let's go, Aqui."

    The only sound he could hear was his footsteps so he sang a tune while walking. The spirit liked it and swayed along with the music.

    As they got closer to the end, a sound of rushing water could be heard getting louder and louder. It made Aqueo walk faster to finally reach the end.

    A river and a waterfall were waiting outside. Aqueo was astonished when he looked up. They were in the bottom of a deep and narrow ravine, a deep cut in the ground as if a giant sword had cut it. It must be as high as a thirty floor skyscraper. The river extended left and right for as far as Aqueo's eyes could see, and a waterfall was roaring from his side.

    "Aqui, can you fly me to the top?" Aqueo shouted so the spirit could hear him. Though there was really no need to shout or speak because he could communicate with the spirit with just his mind, he still wanted to speak with it because he felt it somewhat odd.

    Aquifer understood his intentions so it extended another tentacle-like arm for Aqueo to hold. He grabbed it tight and he and Aquifer started flying.

    “Waaaaahhhh! Wohoohoooooo!!” Aqueo screamed joyfully.

    It was only for a brief moment but Aqueo saw a long rope not far from the entrance. It was only halfway the entire depth of the ravine so he didn't see it earlier. It must've been used by the previous owner of this body. How he reached the ground from that distance was a mystery to Aqueo.

    They continued to fly until they finally reached the top ground. A lush of green and the open blue sky greeted them as they passed through the opening of the ravine. There were mountains a bit far from the ravine, and at the opposite side, a vast forest extending a few kilometers. Even farther, Aqueo could see what he could only describe as farm fields. The scene below him was familiar, it was in the spirit's memories.

    Aqueo transmitted a mental message of going to the direction of the townsquare and the spirit did so, they went to the direction of the farm fields. He saw the main road and urged the spirit to fly above it.

    Aqueo felt so happy, occasionally shouting “Woohoohoo!” or “Woooh!” from time to time especially when he ordered the spirit to make some gliding and diving motions. It was so much better than the last time he went to the amusement park when he was young. He never experienced it again because of the human traffickers. It felt so liberating so he shouted and shouted as a celebration for his freedom.

    They saw some carriages and horses along the way, some of them even noticing him flying fast. They passed a lot of farms and forests, rivers and a few hills.

    They had been flying for a long while when Aqueo started feeling hungry again. And not just hungry, he also started to feel weaker and weaker by the moment. He also noticed that the spirit was becoming slower and they were flying lower. When he felt his weakness couldn't maintain his grip, he urged it to land in a consecutive panicking cries, afraid that he would fall.

    Aqueo landed on his feet, wobbling with his shaking knees.

    "What the hell was that?" he asked, shaking.

    Aquifer didn't understand that and just floated around him.

    Aqueo took the bouquet from the spirit and as he did, he noticed how the translucency of the glowing orb changed. It went more ghostly the moment it let go of the bouquet which piqued Aqueo's curiosity.

    He handed the bouquet to the spirit once again and noticed its translucency lessened as if it became a real floating water. And as he did, he felt his body weakening.

    He immediately grabbed the bouquet in fear from the sudden realization that it was consuming his energy every time it materialized from being a spirit. It went back to being ghostly looking and the feeling of his energy getting sucked off was suddenly gone. The spirit must have been consuming his energy since he left the cave, he thought, and he must've only felt it now because he was nearly depleted, making his senses more sensitive to his strength getting sucked away from him.

    Aqueo wondered what would happen if his energy was sucked dry, he shivered in the thought that it might kill him.

    "You little sh*t!" he exclaimed. "What's happening whenever you materialize?" he asked, making sure he transmitted it to the spirit's mind as well.

    Aquifer just curiously looked at him. Aqueo felt the confusion of the spirit in their connection. The question must've been complex to the spirit despite him transmitting his thoughts and intentions. But based on their previous communications using their mind connection, Aqueo thought that things that he could imagine well were understood by the spirit more than abstract things that he couldn't exactly picture well in his mind. Still, it gave him hope that he might be able to educate the spirit.

    "You-you're not possibly trying to possess me or something, right?"

    Aquifer just stared at him.

    "Consume my energy so you can finally have a physical body?"

    Another stare. Aqueo just gave up trying to find out.

    "Alright! Let's just walk from here to the townsquare."

    . . .