Chapter 11 - New Cave Friend

*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*

Water drops fell on Naemon's face. He didn't flinch, didn't blink. His wide, empty eyes were fixed on the hole in the cave ceiling above him, searching for freedom in the inky darkness.

Naemon had lost track of time. Had it been hours? Days? Weeks? Time was a meaningless mist now. All he knew was the cold water around him, the oppressive darkness, and the endless, haunting drip of the water.

He had given up long ago. There was no escape. He was no Aura warrior with their limitless power, nor a wizard with spells that could shatter rock. What chance did he have? How could he possibly break open the unyielding door or crawl up that dark, godforsaken shaft that seemed to stretch to infinity?

*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*

Time dragged on, a cruel and silent companion. How much time had passed? Who cared anymore...

Hunger gnawed at him, a constant, hollow pain in his belly. He bore it. Thirst burned his throat, so he drank from the murky pool. Sometimes, the fish mistook his toes for something edible and bit into them. He hardly noticed; he hardly cared. The pain had become a distant echo, another drop in the endless rhythm of his prison.

*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*

At some point, Naemon began to sing in a croaking voice. A strange melody came from his lips.

"Oh, you wretched door! Lalala, get out of here! Lelele!" His voice echoed eerily in the cave, bouncing off the walls and returning to him, twisted and distorted.

"Help, help, LaLaLa, come to my aid, LeLeLe, I have gold and the wealth of a magician, Lalala." Maybe someone would hear him, come to save him, or maybe... maybe the door would just obey and disappear.

But his hope was dashed again. The cave swallowed his song indifferently. No one came. Nothing changed.

*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*

"Do you know what I regret, my friend?" Naemon croaked and turned his head toward the skeleton.

Naemon had dragged himself out of the pond at some point. He had left his wet clothes at the edge of the pond, and now he was lying on the narrow bed.

"I'm going to die a virgin! Isn't that weird? You only realize what you regret when it's too late! Hahahaha!"

Naemon burst into laughter. The sound was harsh and shrill, echoing wildly through the chamber.

It didn't stop.

It went on until his throat was sore and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He wasn't sure if he was laughing or crying. Did it matter?

"But it's not my fault that I'm going to die a virgin! Do you even know what happened to me? No? Well then, listen carefully. It started with my 6th birthday [...] I hope the tree trunk is okay."

Silence. His new friend didn't answer.

"*Munch* *Munch* Imagine the next poor soul that wanders in here" Naemon muttered with a mouthful of glowing mushrooms he had picked from the cave wall. "They'll see a skeleton at the desk, another in the bed, and think: 'What a cozy little grave this is!' Hahaha!" Again, he burst into wild, uncontrollable laughter as he imagined the scene.

But even the laughter became tiring after a while.

"I don't know what you were doing here, my bony friend, but it must have been something important" Naemon muttered, getting up from the bed again. He wanted to look at the notebook once more.

Naemon flipped through the pages. "Such straight lines! Such precision!" he exclaimed, his voice full of mock admiration as he leaned close to the skeleton, breathing heavily. "You were quite the artist, weren't you? A real genius!"

He turned away from his new friend and flipped to the beginning of the book. Suddenly, something caught his attention. Naemon held his breath.

"WHAT?! Why are there things here that I can actually read?!" Naemon screamed, his voice breaking with hysteria. He pressed the journal to the skeleton's skull and shook it violently. "You son of a bitch! You did this on purpose, didn't you? To mock me! To make me think I was losing my mind!"

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the steady drip, drip, drip of water.

Naemon started laughing again, but this time it was softer, more broken. He squatted down next to the skeleton and leaned his head on the cold, bony shoulder.

"Guess what? What do you think I'll do if I get out of here? I'll find a dog and feed your pale bones to him!"

He turned away again. "Don't bother me, I have better things to do" he muttered, lying back down on the bed.