The opening was small, barely three feet high, and shaped like a cathedral arch. Crouching down I hesitated a moment before I poked my head through the doorway.

  “A cave lake?” My voice burst out, carrying back to me in playful echoes.

  I sat back on my heels glancing at the still-open doorway. I looked back around the bright white room. My eyes lingered on the console. I noticed a light breeze coming from the archway, carrying with it the smell of wet stone and cool, damp air.

  “Door number two,” I said with theatrical flair. “Now, I know there’s got to be a door number three around here somewhere.” I got to my feet and resumed my search of the last two walls. Nothing changed the blank walks. Next thing I knew I had come full circle back at the opened archway.

  The cave seems to have the answers. My gaze lingered on the low, glowing archway, the cool air brushing against my face.

  I stepped back and began pacing in front of the archway, shaking my head at myself. “A line of tables and chairs, no problem, dive right in. But a mysterious cave lake behind a short door? Nah, better leave that one alone.”

  I crouched down again, peering into the dim, otherworldly space just beyond the opaque barrier. “What are you hiding?” I muttered, half to myself, half to the cave. The light pulsed, as if answering, but no words came. My mind was filled with dangers a cave could hold in any fantasy or space opera scenarios, from a huge dragon, acid slimes, and clones. I glanced over my shoulder at the console.

  I pushed myself to my feet, frustration heavy on my chest. I went to approach. the console once more. My path was again immediately cut short by the invisible barrier.

  Damn, it looks like the only route is through the cave. Hmmm, maybe there's something on the flooring.

  I scanned the floor looking for flaws. The flooring was seamless, smooth as glass, and maddeningly featureless. I crouched, fingertips brushing along the surface, searching for anything, a hidden latch, an uneven tile. Nothing.

  Guess I don’t have much of a choice. I straightened, ready to continue moving forward. I walked back toward the archway.

  I crouched, the cool air of the cave brushing my face, and crawled forward, my hands skimming the gritty surface. Darkness closed in as I shuffled forward, my breath catching at the sight before me.

  The cave was quiet, its natural stillness wrapping around me like a blanket. It was what you would expect for a medium sized cavern, the air smelled of minerals and damp stone, carrying the subtle chill of underground spaces. The water stretched out before me, its surface eerily smooth, reflecting the blue glimmering lights of bioluminescent glowworms that seemed to dance across the dark ceiling.

  I shifted to the edge of the lake, careful not to disturb its glassy surface. My eyes scanned the cave for any signs of an exit or a clue, but there was nothing. No tunnels leading out, no mysterious inscriptions etched into the walls, and nothing to touch or investigate. Just the water and the glistening surface.

  I crouched down by the water sitting back on my heels, staring at the twinkling blue light reflecting off. It looked like a moonless night sky.

  I reached out hesitantly to touch the surface and abruptly stopped as my mind went back to the acid slimes. Surely I have something in my bag to touch it.

  After searching a bit I decided one of the things I could part with was one of my three pens. I also pulled out the sconce to see the lake better.

  The room instantly lit up leaving half the lake dark. The glowworms seemed to retreat from the light. Yet in the lake I could see small dots of their lights and what looked to be a large one in the center that didn’t shine in the natural bioluminescence the glowwarms had been putting out. The large one flickered between red and yellow like a gemstone.

  My gaze locked on the ‘gemstone’ in the lake, its flickering light practically calling to me. “Now that’s more like it, finally, something worth checking out! Please be loot!”

  I quickly stabbed my pen into the lake and pulled it back out, excitement bubbling at the thought of potential loot. The liquid dripped off leaving the pen looking wet but not damaged. Maybe it was overkill to test the water for acid, but better safe than sorry. It looked harmless enough to walk in but drinking it? Yeah, no thanks. Still, I couldn’t wait to get moving.

  I rose and took a careful step into the water, excitement bubbling as the sparkle of the gemstone drawing me closer. My foot touched the stone surface below, ripples fanning out from me. To my relief, the lakebed was stable and unbroken, nothing like the jagged rocks or shifting sand I’d prepared myself for. I took another step, then another, my muscles tensed in case the floor suddenly dropped away. But it didn’t.

  The water remained shallow, lapping gently at my knees, never rising any higher. I ventured further toward the the dazzling gem at the center. The radiance grew stronger the closer I got, beckoning me forward.

  I looked up to find the ceiling completely dark above me. I advanced through the water, coming to a stop a step away. After a moment’s hesitation, I gave it a light kick with my foot, testing if it would budge.

  The light in the room vanished instantly, plunging me into darkness for the briefest of moments.

  A sigh of relief escaped my lips as the sconce flickered back to life. “Well that was frightening -tening -tening. -tening.” I froze as my voice echoed around the cave. Then all I heard was the gentle lapping of the water on the shore.

  A grin spread across my face as I looked down at the ‘gemstone,’ now blazing with a bright orange glow.

  Well, now we’re talking! No waiting, no thinking. I crouched and reached before my brain could argue, loot logic making the decision for me. Grinning, I plunged my hand into the water, my fingers eagerly reaching toward the glowing object.

  My hand slipped through the fiery aura, a ripple of energy crackling along my arm. Before I could react, the room exploded in orange light, consuming my vision. Just like in the classroom, a new scene began to take shape around me.

  But this time, the vision was different. I found myself staring at short, ethereal figures glowing softly, like effervescent sparks. Their translucent blue bodies shimmered faintly, their delicate features fixed in intense focus, as though they were performing some intricate ritual or task.

  I observed with fascination, wondering if they matched anything I’d ever read or seen before. These were not the students from earlier; they were something entirely different, their glowing forms reminiscent of bioluminescent glowworms.

  The figures moved with an otherworldly grace. They glided toward the water’s edge, each carrying an object; small, delicate, and shimmering. The weight of their task seemed to settle in their postures, yet they moved with such fluidity, it was as if they were weightless.

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  As they approached the water, they paused, their feet barely disturbing the surface as if they were part of the lake itself. One by one, they lowered the objects into the water with reverence, their movements slow and deliberate. The water reflected the soft glow of their bodies, casting ripples of light across the cave.

  Then, they raised their arms, each gesture deliberate and graceful, tracing unseen patterns in the air, as if weaving something ancient and powerful with their fingers. The air around them seemed to vibrate with an almost palpable energy, the temperature shifting with the rise of their arms.

  A soft hum began to emanate from them, low at first, but growing in intensity. Their bodies swayed, a rhythmic, fluid motion that mirrored the ebb and flow of the water. It wasn’t just a dance. It had to be a ritual. Are they a cult? priests?

  As their feet moved in synchronized harmony, the very air seemed to bend around them, responding to their movements. The dance wasn’t just for show; it was a spell, an invocation of energy that coursed through the room, making all the lake shine with an ethereal light.

  My breath caught as I watched the figures, so entranced by the scene that I couldn’t look away. Their bodies twisted and turned with a grace I could almost comprehend, their glowing forms casting shadows and light shifting with every step.

  Then, without warning, the scene restarted. The figures, their delicate bodies glowing, began their dance anew. I stood transfixed on their moments. My eyes locked on their every movement, determined to figure the reason out for the loops.

  I leaned in closer, observing their movements with growing intensity. Each step, each precise gesture felt significant, like a key waiting to be turned in a forgotten lock. As the figures raised their arms once more, I felt a subtle tug within myself, a quiet whisper of understanding deep in my chest. It wasn’t just the choreography; it was something more—something in the way they moved, in the way the air shifted around them, the way the temperature shifted.

  I could feel an understanding of the energy. They were drawing from something ancient, something that existed outside of the physical space, threading through everything causing a humming through the room.

  I felt a jolt of comprehension of the patterns, like a thread winding its way through the very fabric of the universe. My breath caught as I focused harder, watching the figures move, their arms tracing arcane paths in the air, and the tug of understanding grew stronger.

  They had to be priests, but of what?

  I continued feeling the rhythm, the pulse of their dance vibrating through me. I was being drawn into their motions, each swirl of their arms, each step in their dance resonating within me, pulling me into the hypnotic pattern.

  I was jarred from the resonation as the loop repeated once again. They began the dance again and I could feel it in my bones. It was stronger, clearer, this loop, as if the magic was beginning to thread itself into my very being.

  The figures continued their dance, and I, standing there, felt the shift in the air, felt the tug of their ancient rhythm pulling me closer when Discomancy finally kicked in. It recognized the order and chaos of the rhythm in ways I hadn’t realized I would ever understand.

  Their dance was a symphony of balance, a blend of opposing forces woven together in a perfect harmony that both unsettled and invigorated me, growing more solid with each repetition of the loop.

  Without thinking, I stepped forward, my body instinctively mirroring the fluid motions of the figures. I raised my arms just like they did, moving in time with the invisible beat that reverberated through my bones. It was like I was becoming one with the energy, flowing seamlessly through the air with a newfound grace that seemed almost out of place in the stillness of the room. I understood what it meant to truly dance with the universe.

  The sensation of understanding blossomed fully within me. It was like a switch had flipped, and I knew—I knew—the dance. Every movement felt as natural as breathing, every step aligned with the pulse of the energy that filled the room. It wasn’t just the rhythm anymore; it was an extension of myself, a language I could finally speak.

  The water rippled around my feet, responding to the rhythm, as if acknowledging my presence within the loop. For a moment, I felt as though I wasn’t just performing a dance but flowing through everything. The energy swirled around and in me, echoing the movements of the dancers, feeding off my own growing understanding.

  I had become part of the chaos and the order that wove everything together. The loops continued to repeat, seeming to happen faster, I had become part of it, flowing seamlessly with the others, my movements joining theirs in perfect harmony. The dance was no longer a mystery, it was my language now.

  The far wall began shuddering, and a guttural rumble of earth ripping apart, it began to shift. My breath caught as the wall dragged itself open, revealing a towering monument beyond. It stood tall and imposing, made of smooth, polished stone that gleamed, as if lit from within. The monument had an ethereal quality, its shape almost otherworldly, like something carved by hands that knew secrets older than time.

  The light in the room seemed to bend around it, casting long, dramatic shadows on the floor. As the opening widened, I could make out intricate patterns etched into the surface of the monument, symbols I couldn't quite understand, but which seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

  I leaned in, compelled by an unshakable curiosity. The monument felt alive, its presence both ancient and intensely alive, as if it were waiting for something or someone to approach. The very air around it vibrated with even more potential, and I could feel that magnetic pull drawing me in.

  The loop suddenly stopped, and a heavy silence filled the room. I blinked, staring at the altar before me, its intricate design now completely still. The air around it felt thick, almost as if waiting for something to happen.

  I took a hesitant step forward, drawn to the monument’s presence, my eyes scanning every detail. There was something strange about it, something that made it seem so real and yet... unreachable. I reached out, my hand trembling slightly as I passed it through the air, but my fingers met no resistance. It felt as though I was pushing through nothing, as if the altar was made of smoke, not solid stone.

  Frustration gnawed at me, and I swiped my hand across the surface, desperate to find something, anything solid, to confirm it was real. My fingers skimmed the smooth, intangible surface, but my frustration only grew.

  I paused as my hand slipped through the altar’s strange, ethereal form until, suddenly, my fingers met resistance. I flinched, startled by the unexpected solidity. My breath quickened as I pressed harder, feeling the rough stone beneath my fingertips. This was not just an illusion. It was real, and it was waiting for me to find it.

  I jerked back, eyes wide. The stone I had touched was rough and tangible. It was real. The altar was not just a mirage of the past or the loop. It had substance, something I could truly interact with. My eyes darted around, taking in the sudden clarity of the moment.

  Why was this stone hidden in a mirage?

  I gripped the stone and tugged, the air around it seeming to resist my efforts. A faint hum vibrated through my fingertips, as if the altar itself was reluctant to release its hold. With a final pull, the stone broke free, leaving a tingling sensation in my hand.

  As I held it, the stone began to crumble, fragments breaking apart and falling like soft ash. Beneath the dust, an object emerged, identical to the ones I had seen the students carrying. Its surface was smooth and intricately detailed, a perfect match to their mysterious artifact.

  It radiated a deep red hue that contrasted sharply against the dim blue light. At some point, I realized I must have stored the sconce. When did I even do that? I couldn’t remember the moment, but it hardly mattered now. My focus was entirely on the object before me, its deep red hue holding my attention like nothing else could.

  My hands moved cautiously through the mirage, tracing its non-existent contours as though their shape might reveal a hidden secret. I focused on every imagined edge and surface, determined to uncover anything I might have missed in my earlier, careless sweep.

  Despite my efforts, my search revealed nothing, but the sudden flicker of light on the walls pulled my attention behind me. The archway was now pulsing rhythmically.

  The flashes quickened, and a strange certainty settled over me. Was that a countdown? What exactly was it counting down to? The thought sent a jolt through me. Oh, damn. This had to be a countdown. Whatever was about to happen, I couldn’t waste another second. I needed to move.

  Without a second thought, I sprinted as fast as I could through the lake toward the door. Each step sent waves rippling outward, leaving a trail of disorder across the surface. The water churned behind me as I reached the edge, where the light suddenly began flickering in a frantic, urgent pattern.

  I lunged forward, water sprayed in my wake as I slid through the narrowing gap, like a runner stealing home in the bottom of the ninth; every muscle stretched, adrenaline burning, and victory just within reach.. The soft hum of the door closing grew quickly, and for a breathless moment, I felt the air shift as the gap sealed shut behind me, leaving an almost deafening silence broken only by the persistent ringing in my ears.

  The stillness of the room settled in as I came to a halt, the weight of the moment hitting me all at once. My breaths were ragged, and my body was tense, still keyed up from the rush. A wave of release washed over me, leaving me unsteady as I spun around to glance back at the now-sealed entrance.