Lucian lay still against the cold stone, focusing all his attention on the faint vibration beneath his skin. He let his body and mind relax, trying to sync with the subtle hum that seemed to pulse through the cave itself.
Slowly, he stretched out his arm toward the glowing moss clinging to the wall. As if responding to some invisible force, a small clump of the moss suddenly detached and floated gently through the air—landing softly in his open palm.
His eyes widened in shock. "What the hell?" he whispered, staring at the moss as it shimmered faintly in his hand.
He had no idea what was happening—no concept of magic or the strange forces at play—but something deep inside him was stirring. That vibration wasn't just a sound or a hum; it was a signal, a connection.
Something about the cave and his own body were linked in a way he couldn't explain.
Lucian flexed his fingers, watching the moss hover a moment longer before settling back into his palm. The sensation felt electric, as if the cave's or worlds pulse had reached out and touched him directly.
Instead, all he knew was that this place wasn't just solid stone and endless walls. It was alive. And somehow, so was he.
A spark of hope flickered in his chest.
Lucian's eyes snapped wide open as the reality of what just happened crashed into him.
"Magic??? HOLY SHIT???" he yelled, his voice echoing off the cave walls.
The word felt wild and impossible on his tongue—like something from a storybook, not his grim reality. But what else could explain it? The moss floating in his hand, the strange vibration in the cave or world, the invisible force pulling at him—it had to be magic.
His heart pounded, a mix of fear and exhilaration rushing through his veins. "If this is magic… then maybe I'm not just trapped here. Maybe I can fight back."
He clenched his fist around the glowing moss, feeling the strange power thrumming beneath his skin. For the first time in weeks, the cave didn't feel like a tomb.
It felt like the beginning of something… impossible.
Lucian took a shaky breath, trying to steady his racing mind. "Let's do it again," he muttered, staring at the glowing moss in his hand. "Uhhh… what did I do? Oh shit, right—let my body sync with the vibration I was sensing."
He closed his eyes, focusing inward, willing himself to feel the subtle hum beneath the surface of the cave. He let his muscles relax, his mind clear, reaching out with senses he didn't fully understand.
The vibration grew clearer, pulsing like a heartbeat in the stone beneath him. Slowly, he extended his arm again toward the moss on the wall.
This time, no hesitation.
A small tuft broke free, floating gently through the air toward his open palm.
Lucian's eyes snapped open, heart pounding with a mix of disbelief and awe.
"This is real. I'm doing this."
He smiled, a spark of determination lighting up his face.
"Okay, cave," he said, voice steady now, "let's see what else you've got."
Lucian plopped down on the cold cave floor, crossing his legs apple sauce style. He rested his hands on his knees and let out a long sigh.
"Hmmm, vibration," he mused aloud, voice low and thoughtful. "I'd call that feeling a frequency. Like… something moving through the air, steady and constant."
He glanced down at the moss still glowing faintly in his palm, the strange energy pulsing beneath his skin. "And what I did… I'm assuming it's magic. Like a type of magic I've never seen before."
He shook his head, frustration creeping back in. "Man, this sucks. Nobody can tell me what this shit is because I'm alone. I don't have a clue what this feeling means, is it magic? has to be right? "
The cave's silence answered him, cold and unyielding.
But beneath that silence, the faint hum still lingered—an invisible thread connecting him to the stone, to the moss, to something bigger than himself.
Lucian closed his eyes, breathing deep. "I don't know what this is yet. But maybe… just maybe, if I keep listening, keep feeling this frequency, I can figure it out."
He opened his eyes, determination burning brighter than before.
"Yeah. I'm stuck in this circle cave for now, but I'm not just surviving. I'm starting to learn. And that's something."
With that resolve, Lucian pushed himself up from the floor, ready to face the cave—and whatever secrets it held—again.
Lucian rubbed his tired eyes and stretched, the weight of the day settling back on his shoulders.
"I'd better sleep and test more tomorrow," he said quietly, his voice steady with newfound resolve.
He settled back against the cold stone wall, the glowing moss casting a faint light around him. As he closed his eyes, the low vibration hummed softly beneath his skin—a comforting, mysterious reminder that he wasn't as powerless as he'd thought.
"Tomorrow," he promised himself, "I'll dig deeper into this. Find out what this magic really is."
With that thought, sleep finally claimed him, carrying him into dreams filled with pulsing frequencies and glowing light—whispers of a secret waiting to be unlocked.
The next day, Lucian woke stiff but determined. He pushed himself up from the cave floor and immediately began his workout routine—push-ups, squats, lunges—moving with purpose to keep his body sharp. The familiar burn in his muscles was a grounding reminder that he was still alive, still fighting.
Afterward, he ate the bitter moss he'd gathered and drank from the small pool of water, the routine comforting in its simplicity.
He approached the wall again, where the tally marks from previous days stood like silent witnesses to his struggle. Taking the sharp rock in hand, he carefully carved another deep line beside the others.
"Three weeks," he thought, tracing the growing cluster of marks with a steady finger.
But today felt different.
The faint vibration hummed under his skin again—stronger, clearer—calling him to focus beyond the physical.
Lucian pressed his palm to the wall, letting his body sync with the mysterious frequency, ready to test the strange magic once more.
Lucian smiled to himself, a spark of humor breaking through the tension. "Ok, so frequency… uhhh… ahhh, like a TV," he muttered, pacing the cave floor. "I'm the antenna, and I have to tune into that frequency. Maybe I have a brain after all."
He stopped and took a deep breath, centering himself. "Ok, now time to test it."
He extended his arm slowly, eyes fixed on the glowing moss clinging to the wall. Closing his eyes, he focused on the subtle vibration humming beneath his skin, willing himself to lock onto the invisible rhythm.
His fingers twitched, and to his surprise, the moss floated free, drifting gently into his hand again.
A grin spread across his face. "Yeah, that's it. I'm tuning in. I'm starting to get it."
For the first time in weeks, the cave didn't feel like just a prison of stone and silence. It was a puzzle—and he held the key.
Lucian looked at the tally marks carved deep into the wall. Three weeks trapped. But now, hope was vibrating through him just as strongly as the cave itself.
"Tomorrow," he whispered, "I'll push this further. See how far I can go."