Chef in the Apocalypse

Chapter 144: The Voice that Beckons

Jayce rubbed his forehead which had become acquainted with the invisible force field in front of him. It hurt, but not as much as the betrayal that he had just suffered at the hands of Lianna.

It took a lot to gain his trust, the barriers he had placed from his past life were still in effect, protecting his heart from experiencing such emotions. The harsh world he had lived in for more than 10 years had taught him some things, mainly that humans could be cruel.

Whether it was for resources, power or monetary gain, humans could easily discard one another. Beneficiaries, parents, loved ones, party members, it didn’t matter who or what their relationship was, they were all insignificant in the eyes of their counterparts.

His expression sank, feeling the painful bite of being discarded by someone who he had let breach his walls. Sure, he had accepted her as a party member a long time before this, but he had still held some vigilance towards her.

It was only when she had made herself vulnerable, confessing her love to him that he truly opened up his heart, placing her where very few had reached. Yet not even a few hours after he let her in, he was discarded. And for what?

Jayce was only trying to protect her, keeping her from making a stupid decision in the face of trivial gains. He bit his lip hard, the metallic taste of blood entering his mouth. The walls which had begun to slowly lower, rose up once more.

He got up to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip and slowly turned around. His visage looked bleak and lonely, like an abandoned puppy that had been left on the side of the road.

***

Lianna ran through the right-most tunnel, her vision blurred as she choked back the sobs that were threatening to overcome her. If it weren’t for the voice in her head telling her to keep moving, she would have fallen to the ground and cried her eyes out.

When Jayce had beckoned for her to come to him, she had resigned herself to missing out on the opportunity of finding what had been pulling her. For him she would make that sacrifice, after all, she knew that he was doing it in order to protect her.

Yet every step that she took towards Jayce was accompanied by a scream in her mind. The mournful wail hacked away at her brain like someone was smashing her with an ice pick, causing a giant headache.

As she was about to pass Jayce, it was as if someone had entered her body and taken control. Lianna thrust her arms out, catching him off guard and pushing him into the tunnel with one swift motion. She suddenly felt like a spectator in her own body, watching the scene from an outsider’s perspective.

She watched as Jayce’s expression turned from shock, into hurt, feeling her heart constrict in pain. The pain easily outweighed that of the screams in her mind, forcing her expression to twist in response.

Lianna bowed “I-I’m sorry Jayce. I know it’s hard, but please forgive me!”

Knowing that the damage had already been done, Lianna ran off after speaking those words, her heart trembling in pain. Yet when she was about to reach the entrance of the tunnel she stopped suddenly, feeling a sense of clarity wash over her.

“W-What have I done? I need to go back now.” she mumbled, trying to turn around.

’You’ve already betrayed him. Didn’t you see the hurt look on his face?’ Another voice within her suddenly spoke up, as if responding to her.

“N-No. It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it.” she uttered, a haze of confusion settling over her.

’You pushed him into the tunnel, discarding him as easily as trash.’ The old voice crooned in her mind, emphasizing the word trash.

Lianna fell to the ground, cradling her head and choking back her tears. “No! I love him, I would never do that to Jayce.”

A wild cackle rang out, ’What do you know about love? You saw the look in his eyes, he will never trust you again. Forget about him and get what you came here for.’

There was a silence that stretched on for a while, before Lianna rose to her feet with a blank face. “That’s right. I need to get what I came here for.” her voice sounded monotonous, as if she was not herself.

With that, she ran into the tunnel, following the directions of the voice inside her head. Yet with every step it felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, causing sharp pains to zip through her body. Lianna felt tears cloud her vision and sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.

An unknown amount of time passed as she was running through the tunnel, her tears had all but dried up now and Lianna felt a sense of numbness throughout her body. Suddenly, she was pulled out of her apathy by the voice in her head.

’We’re here.’ it said, in almost a soothing whisper.

Lianna emerged from the underground tunnel, her eyes adjusting to the sudden burst of natural light. Before her, amidst the wilderness, lay an ancient temple, obscured by the relentless overgrowth of nature. Vines and moss had woven themselves amongst the architecture, concealing the temple’s secrets beneath layers of emerald green.

In front of the temple, atop a stone platform worn smooth by centuries of weathering, stood a wooden staff of breathtaking craftsmanship. It soared to the height of an average person, its form curving and twisting like the graceful branches of a mighty tree. Wood met stone in a harmonious dance, the staff’s roots extending into the very platform it rested upon.

The pinnacle of the staff curled inward, forming a delicate arc that framed a mesmerizing sight. The gap in the wood glowed a verdant green, seeming like a portal into another realm. The power radiating from it, was like a temptation that ate at one’s psyche. It bathed the surroundings in an ethereal glow.

’Reach out and grab it.’ The voice beckoned, its alluring tone was almost seductive as it wrapped around Lianna’s mind.

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