Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 46 Light Above

Nate blinked several times, his vision gradually sharpening. At first, everything was a blur—shadowy figures moving in and out of focus—but with each passing second, the world around him became clearer. He was stunned. His sight was returning, albeit slowly.

He looked around, his heart sinking as Alice’s description of their surroundings came to life. They were indeed in a vast, oppressive mine. Craggy walls loomed overhead, dimly lit by faint, flickering lights strung haphazardly along the rocky ceiling. All around him, people labored tirelessly, smashing rocks with heavy hammers, their faces grim and streaked with exhaustion.

Nate’s gaze landed on one man who had momentarily paused, wiping his brow. Before he could take a proper breath, one of the eyeless keepers stormed toward him, wielding a whip. The sharp crack of leather against skin echoed through the cavern, and the man scrambled back to work.

Nate’s stomach churned. They punish the workers for stopping… so why hadn’t they noticed him standing still?

Moments ago, one of the keepers had even brushed past him without so much as a glance. Nate narrowed his eyes, studying them more closely.

Their grotesque appearance was even more unsettling now that he could see them clearly. Their eyes were completely gouged out, leaving empty sockets. Their noses appeared sealed shut, as if they no longer served any purpose. The only functioning features were their mouths, through which they breathed heavily, and their ears, which twitched at every sound.

"They’re completely blind," Nate muttered under his breath. "They rely entirely on sound to navigate and sense the world…"

He kept observing, noting something else he hadn’t noticed before. Each of the keepers had a burned sigil on their backs—a strange mark that resembled a brand.

Nate’s chest tightened. Even they’re prisoners.

Before he could process the implications, a different sound pierced the monotonous clanging of hammers against rock. It was sharper, resonant—like metal striking crystal. The noise rang through the cavern, and in an instant, every keeper froze.

Nate watched in disbelief as they all turned toward the sound and rushed to its source. A worker had uncovered what appeared to be a massive crystal embedded in the rock. The keepers shoved the man aside with inhuman strength and began inspecting the surface.

What happened next left Nate speechless.

Two of the keepers bent down and gripped the base of the rock. With what seemed like minimal effort, they hoisted the entire boulder, crystal and all, into the air. Nate’s jaw dropped. Even Ryder, the strongest person in their camp, wouldn’t have been able to budge it.

The keepers carried the massive crystal away, their movements deliberate and mechanical.

Nate wanted to follow, to see where they were taking it, but the sheer number of keepers swarming the area made it impossible. Gritting his teeth, he turned back and made his way to Alice.

When he reached her, he leaned close and whispered with a smirk, "You know, you look like you’ve been rolling around in the dirt all day."

Alice let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Well, excuse me for not having a wardrobe change in a mine," she quipped.

But then her laughter froze, and she turned to him sharply. "Wait," she whispered. "How do you know what I look like?"

Nate hesitated, then admitted quietly, "I can see again. I don’t know how, but when we got here, my vision started to come back."

Alice’s eyes widened, but she stayed silent, allowing him to continue.

He lowered his voice further, ensuring no one else could hear. "I’ve been watching the keepers. You’re right—they can’t see or smell. But they can hear. Everything they do is based on sound. That’s why they didn’t react when I insulted them earlier—they don’t understand our language. They probably only recognize certain sounds as threats. And they all had sigils on their back"

Alice furrowed her brows, her mind racing. "Sigils on their backs?"

Nate nodded grimly. "They’re slaves. To someone—or something—else."

Alice crouched beside Nate, her voice low. "So, what’s the plan?"

Nate sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t have one yet. The keepers outnumber us by a mile. There’s no way we can take them head-on."

Before Alice could respond, a sharp crack of a whip echoed through the mine, followed by a string of curses. Nate whipped his head around and spotted Axel being lashed repeatedly by one of the keepers. The sight was shocking—Axel, usually defiant and hot-headed, was now subdued, blindly groping for the hammer he had dropped. Once he found it, he started smashing the rock in front of him without another word.

"That’s a first," Nate muttered, his brow furrowed. "Axel… obeying."

Alice glanced in the direction of the noise, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What’s going on with him?"

"He’s blind like everyone else," Nate said quietly. " He stopped smashing and the keepers don’t tolerate disobedience."

Turning back to Alice, Nate’s gaze fell on the faint glint of her collar. Unlike Axel’s, which was hard to discern in his neck, Alice’s was easier to study. He stepped closer, his brow furrowing as he circled her.

The collar, though transparent, seemed to contain a strange liquid. It shimmered and moved like water, its motion subtle but noticeable. Nate narrowed his eyes, focusing on its texture and behavior.

"It’s water," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Alice tilted her head. "What?"

Nate studied it more closely. The fluid inside the collar wasn’t just water—it had the distinct salinity and density of ocean water. He could tell by the way it moved, its viscosity slightly heavier than freshwater.

"It’s ocean water," Nate finally said, the realization sinking in. "I’ve swum in the ocean enough times to recognize how it behaves. But… why would they use it in these collars? What effect does it have on us?"

Alice’s face twisted in confusion and concern, but before she could reply, a loud clanging noise echoed through the cavern. The keepers were rounding up the workers, barking unintelligible commands and forcing them to drop their hammers.

"They’re moving us," Nate whispered.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

The workers, including Nate and Alice, were herded through a series of winding tunnels until they reached a new section of the mine. The air here was heavier, and the faint sound of trickling water grew louder as they approached.

Nate’s stomach turned as they entered what looked like a communal bathing area. A murky pool of water stretched out before them, dimly illuminated by the sparse lighting overhead. The workers started to strip off their clothes and step into the water to wash themselves before being led back to their cave for the night.

Alice wrinkled her nose in disgust as she sensed people undress and wade into the filthy water. "No way," she hissed. "There is no way I’m washing myself in that."

Nate grabbed her hand firmly. "Then follow me."

The keepers weren’t paying close attention to them as long as they moved with the group, so Nate led Alice toward the edge of the pool, away from the main crowd. His eyes scanned the area until he noticed a small stream of clearer water flowing into the pool from a narrow crevice in the rock.

"Over here," he said, guiding her toward the source.

The stream led to a secluded section of the mine, where the water was noticeably cleaner. No one else was around, and the sound of the larger pool drowned out their movements.

"You’re safe here," Nate said softly. "I’ll turn around so you can wash."

Alice hesitated for a moment before nodding. She stepped closer to the stream, waiting for Nate to face the wall before she began.

As Nate turned his back to give her privacy, his hand brushed against the rock wall. The surface was damp, and water trickled steadily downward. He ran his fingers along it, following the flow upward.

Lifting his gaze, he squinted into the dim light. The stream originated from somewhere far above them. His eyes strained as he traced the water’s path upward, and that’s when he saw it—a faint glimmer of light piercing through the darkness high above.

"Light…" he whispered to himself, his heart pounding.

The revelation se

nt a surge of hope through him. If light could reach this place, then perhaps there was a way out.