Chapter 12: The Ramp into the Depths

​The grinding sound of the walls closing in echoed through the pale stones of the hidden chamber. Blocks of rock crashed down from the ceiling, filling the air with thick dust, and every second brought them closer to disaster.

Amid the chaos and the deafening noise, Jazzi stepped forward. She looked at the massive stone walls that threatened to crush them and raised her crystal branch. Closing her eyes, instead of shouting, she let a soft, pure, and wonderfully gentle melody flow from her voice.

The fuchsia crystal on her branch began to pulse with a slow rhythm. It was a song that spoke directly to the living stone of S7. To everyone's amazement, the walls stopped moving with a sharp metallic click. The vibration did not disappear completely, but the crushing pressure came to a halt. Jazzi did not use her music only to activate ancient mechanisms. She also had the gift of communicating with the living matter and the very structure of the planet.

Only a few meters to the right of the Blue Nexus carving, the resonance of Jazzi's song triggered an unexpected reaction. A thick side wall groaned and slowly slid inward, just like the stone slab that had opened the entrance to the pyramid. A cool, damp breeze rushed straight into Willity's face.

—There's fresh air! —exclaimed Sixsevenin, shielding his eyes.— It must lead outside!

In front of them, hidden in the shadows, a narrow vertical passage had opened. They knew that the Blue Nexus and its mysterious inscriptions were only a few steps away. But the risk of being buried alive if Jazzi's song stopped working was far too great.

—The Nexus isn't going anywhere, —said Ramsi firmly, gently guiding the group toward the opening.— First, we save our lives. We'll find a way back later.

The escape route
Ramsi and his friends entered the secret passage revealed by Yazzi's music.

One by one, they stepped through the opening. The moment the last of them crossed the threshold, the stone wall slammed shut behind them.  A second later, the ground beneath their feet suddenly shifted. The stone steps folded into themselves, transforming the staircase into a smooth, steep ramp.

The whole group began sliding at incredible speed down a gigantic chute that spiraled deep into the heart of the mountains.

Cries of surprise and excitement echoed through the darkness as they spun around sharp bends. Jazzi increased the brightness of her crystal branch as much as she could, but they were moving so fast that she could barely make out the startled faces of Willity and Sixsevenin beside her.

The dizzying descent seemed to last forever. Just as panic was beginning to take over, the ramp slowly became less steep, turning more and more level. Far ahead, a brilliant point of light appeared.

—Get ready! —shouted Ramsi.

They shot out of the tunnel and into the open air. For one terrifying second, they thought they were about to fall from a deadly height. Instead, the ramp launched them only a few meters above a large pool of crystal-clear water.

SPLASH!

The cool water washed away the heat and fear of their escape. The tunnel emptied into a magnificent waterfall surrounded by a lush, shining jungle, completely different from the forests of the north.

Willity and Deri, being quicker than the others, were the first to swim to the shore.

The Waterfall Oasis
Willity and Deri reached the shore after their breathtaking leap into the waterfall pool.

However, the current near the waterfall was strong. Ramsi, weighed down by his huge backpack, and Sixsevenin struggled to move through the water. Just then, several figures appeared among the plants along the shore. They were upright beings with skin that shimmered with metallic reflections and sharp, angular features.

Seeing the group's struggle, the strangers reacted immediately. Two of them extended the shafts of their long spears into the water so Ramssi and Sixsevenin could grab hold. Others pulled with all their strength from the shore until, one by one, they helped everyone safely out of the pool.

Once the group stood on solid ground, soaked and catching their breath, the strangers' attitude quickly became cautious again. They formed a semicircle around the newcomers, holding their glowing weapons ready while remaining on guard.

Iris, Sixsevenin, and Ramsi slowly stepped forward. Looking the warriors in the eyes, they raised their hands with their palms facing upward and gently moved them in the traditional Peace Greeting of S7 while saying the words:

—Six Seven.

But the response was not what they expected.

The warriors looked at one another in complete confusion. They whispered among themselves in a soft, hissing language, staring at the group's hands as if they were performing a strange and meaningless ritual. They did not recognize the Peace Greeting. To them, the traditions of the cities and the pyramid seemed completely unknown.

Without lowering their guard, two of the warriors gave a firm nod and pointed the tips of their spears toward a path leading into the jungle. There was no sign of violence. But it was clearly an order to follow them.

—They don't understand the greeting, —Iris whispered to Sixsevenin as they began walking between glowing flowers and giant trees.— We'll have to wait and see who they're taking us to.

Willity looked back one last time at the great pyramid rising through the distant mist. They had escaped with their lives and postponed their journey through the Blue Nexus. But another mystery had just begun... One that was connected to this strange new tribe.

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Project created by Martín Vicente Lozano / El Arte de ser Maestro.

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