Everlasting dream (18+)

Chapter 94 — As long as we’re together

[Aster]

The boy's silver head moved up and down as the chest beneath him rose and fell in a steady rhythm, lungs expanding and contracting with each breath his naked mother made. Her heartbeat sounded like a gentle lullaby for the half-asleep Aster as he lay atop Nivalis, face buried in the softness of her large breasts that felt like heavens themselves against his skin.

A deep inhale filled his nose with the sweet scent of her body, the unique, feminine scent that only mothers have. It smelled so nice—like home, like safety—exactly what young boys like him need after a tough day. As he was about to fall back into a peaceful sleep, he felt his sister shift beside him, also lying on top of their mother. The cave they found was likely the smallest yet, walls pressing at them from each side, forcing everyone to huddle together.

"Hey," Silvia mumbled sleepily into Aster's long hair, pressing her cheek against the back of his head. He could feel her arms around himself, as well as her leg thrown over his butt.

— "Hey, sis..." Aster replied after a long silence, cogs in his brain still struggling to wake up properly. His voice was muffled by the softness of his mother's breasts, and a quiet yawn soon followed. "How long do you think we've slept?" he asked, his moist lips moving against Nivalis' pale skin.

"I dunno... but I feel much better than yesterday. My legs hurt a lot less now," Silvia shrugged her delicate shoulders, snuggling closer for warmth, almost getting on top of him. "So, I guess we slept for quite a while?"

A long sigh escaped Aster's mouth at her words because it meant they would need to get up soon. The darkness still engulfed them like before; no ray of light could be seen anywhere, making it impossible to tell whether or not morning had come yet. It was so dark that the boy had to check if his eyes were opened or closed because there was no difference between them being in either state.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked, her finger drawing random circles on the skin of his back, feeling every bump of his ribcage.

Aster hummed softly. "A bit, yeah..." he whispered, turning to face his sister with a small smile on his lips that she couldn't see, hugging her petite body. He was careful not to touch anything with his wounded palms as they still hurt like hell and had begun to smell funny from all the puss inside the wrappings, clearly in need of some attention and cleaning. But that could wait until their mother woke up...

"Give me a second. I'll make you some ice," Silvia said, going quiet for a moment to ignite the mana within herself. A few seconds later, goosebumps covered her skinny body as cold filled her chest. A tiny shard of ice soon appeared in her fingers, and she immediately pressed it against her little brother's lips; she could almost hear how it hissed against his warm flesh.

Taking it from her with his teeth, Aster sucked on the chilly shard, feeling how it slowly melted in his mouth to relieve his thirst. "Mmm... thank you," he mumbled, smacking his lips together. It didn't take long for him to finish it, making him feel much better.

"Can you melt mine, too? It's so cold..." Silvia asked shyly, pressing the shard she made for herself against Aster's mouth. "Pwease?" she added with her best pleading voice.

With a chuckle, he took it into his mouth and began sucking on the ice, swirling his hot tongue around its surface until it melted completely. Letting out a soft hum to let her know it was ready, Aster leaned forward and kissed his sister. Their lips pressed together as he pushed the water from his mouth into hers, hearing each tiny gulp as she swallowed it all down.

A soft groan came from beneath them, causing them to break the kiss; her taste still lingered on his tongue. "Good... morning, I guess?" Nivalis whispered to her children, rubbing their backs up and down. A cute yawn escaped her mouth before she asked, "How did you two sleep?"

"Good," they both mumbled in unison, wiggling their naked bodies higher up until they could reach their mother's face; they immediately showered Nivalis with delicate pecks on those soft cheeks of hers, eliciting a chuckle from the woman. "My bandages are starting to smell bad. Can we wash them somehow?" Aster asked, moving his lips against her skin.

"Ugh... yeah, I can smell that. We need to think of something," Nivalis said with another sniff at the air around them. "How's your neck? Let me see it," she whispered, touching the bandages on his delicate throat.

— "It hurts a lot less," Aster whispered in response as he focused on his mana, igniting just enough to create a tiny flame above his hand. Even though the light was incredibly weak, their eyes were too used to darkness for so long, making them all squint from the sudden pain.

Once Aster adjusted to the sudden brightness of the flame, his neck and palms suddenly became the last thing he could think about, his golden eyes going as wide as they possibly could. Both siblings stared at the ice barrier in shock, seeing how countless of those terrifying leech-centipede creatures wiggled around in a frenzy, trying to get away from the light he had just made—hundreds of them, an actual swarm. The sound of their bodies slithering against the other side of the barrier echoed throughout the little cave.

Noticing their heartbeats going crazy, Nivalis also looked up, only to let out a high-pitched shriek of horror when she saw what was happening there. "WHAT THE ACTUAL—" she screamed, the rain of curses coming right after as she pushed herself and her children away from the entrance until their naked bodies hit the deepest part of their little cave. Her hips barely fit between the cold rocks, sharp edges scraping against her soft skin.

She tried to push further back, but no more room was left in that cramped space. Her heartbeat, too, pounded loudly inside her chest as she hugged both Aster and Silvia close to herself, pressing their faces against her bosom. "There's so many... dear gods, help us..." Nivalis whispered, staring at the writhing mass on the other side of the ice.

Her hands shook from fear as she reached for her knife in her boot and clutched it with white knuckles. Her wide eyes were fixed on their dark-red elongated bodies, squirming against each other. She doubted it would do any good against that whole swarm of them, but it was still better than nothing. "Make it brighter, honey. Please," she whispered to her son urgently, turning his head toward the barrier.

While Silvia whimpered something against her breast and shook in terror, afraid even to look at what was happening there, Aster had no other choice but to face it. Nodding slowly with a heavy swallow of fear down his throat, he whispered, "D-don't worry... I-I'll keep them away." His childish voice trembled just like the rest of him. He wanted to puke just looking at those slimy creatures but somehow managed to keep it in.

His pale face reflected off the ice barrier, looking like a ghost in the dark cave. Words can't describe how scared he was, but the girls needed him to be strong. After all, Aster is the man of the family. Who will protect them if not him?

The pressure and heat inside his chest made Aster wince as the more ignited mana filled him, deep breaths helping to keep it under control. It was pain he knew all too well. Sweat dripped down his face and naked skin as the tiny flame grew above his hand, causing more light to fill their little cave. Movements behind the ice intensified the brighter it got, creatures hissing and squirming in desperation, and some even bit at each other.

More and more drops of sweat started appearing on Aster's flaccid shaft between his pale thighs, hanging from its delicate pink tip but refusing to fall off onto the cold ground. His jaw clenched tightly as he kept pouring mana into the flame, stopping only when everything went quiet on the other side. Bringing his hand closer to the ice, he saw just a normal cave behind it, with not a single ugly creature in sight; they had all fled from the bright light.

"It's okay. It's okay..." Aster repeated to himself, his ribs moving up and down rapidly from all the adrenaline that coursed through his body. It was getting harder to breathe, so he had no choice but to make the flame much smaller, dimming their cave with it as well. He could feel how hot his bandages had gotten on his right hand, almost burning his flesh underneath it. He blew out some air, hoping it would cool it down.

A sigh of relief escaped Nivalis' lips, her heart still pounding hard. "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked worriedly, looking down at the girl in her arms. Silvia refused to leave her protective embrace, hiding her face against those soft breasts. Muffled sobs could be heard from her tiny form as Nivalis gently patted her silver hair. "Everything is good now. They left," she whispered reassuringly.

Aster wiped away sweat from his forehead, hitting the ground with a small thud. His gaze fell on his sister's soft buttcheeks before his face, wiggling as she kept crying into their mother's chest. 'Must be a panic attack or something...' he thought, feeling like he was on the verge of it, too. Every time he blinked, the sight of that swarm behind the ice flashed again.

Aster glanced at the cave entrance, noticing no movement on the other side. "How about we sit here for a while... and see if they come back?" he suggested quietly, to which both girls hummed in agreement. He gently hugged Silvia's pale thighs from behind, burying his face into her round softness, hoping it would help her calm down. "Shhh..." he whispered soothingly when another sob left her mouth.

...

When Aster peeked outside, the dark, rocky walls were the only thing in sight. A puddle of water lay on the floor, ripples on its surface reflecting golden light from his eyes and a flickering flame above his hand; half-melted chunks of ice were scattered around it. After checking that nothing was hanging from the ceiling or nearby walls, Aster let out a relieved sigh. "It looks good," he said quietly, crawling outside into the cave, his knees scraping against sharp rocks.

To his left and right, there was only darkness and rocks... not a single gust of wind fluttered his cloak. "Is she okay?" Aster asked back into their little cave.

"Better now," his mother's voice replied, followed by the girl's muffled "nooo..." Nivalis, wearing her tattered clothes that barely covered her paleness, crawled outside with Silvia in her arms. The girl had her hands and legs wrapped tightly around her waist and shoulders, like a kitten clinging to its mother.

Helping them up, Aster whispered, "Carry her for a bit, maybe? I can walk."

"Are you sure?" Nivalis asked, adjusting her grip on the trembling child in her arms. They barely made her agree to leave the safety of that little hole in the wall where they spent the night. That sight from before, that nightmare just behind a thin ice wall, really scared her. Not only her, Aster was trying hard not to think about it, too. "I can carry you as well," she added.@@novelbin@@

— "Yeah, don't worry. I used my spell," he replied with a nod, dusting off his knees. Making the fire disappear in a puff of smoke, Aster gave Nivalis his wrist to hold onto. Once she took him, they began walking slowly through the cave network, the boy lighting their way with just his eyes. Their boots shuffled against the uneven ground, echoing softly off the cave walls, accompanied by occasional sniffles from the girl in her mother's arms.

His golden irises flicked left and right nervously, searching for movement on the ground and walls, yet nothing met them except darkness and silence. Weakness was still present in every step he took, making him feel like his body was made from lead, and all the ignited mana inside his chest didn't make it any easier... its constant pressure and heat took a toll on his frail form.

Yet he kept walking, minutes slowly turning into hours as they wandered through endless tunnels and narrow passages, chambers of all shapes and sizes, forks and dead ends, hoping for any sign of an exit somewhere ahead. But it was just dark walls... forever dark, cold, and silent. There was no sign of life anywhere, and it made Aster wonder. 'Where are they hiding? Maybe they camouflage themselves somehow?' he thought, looking at all the nooks and crannies around. But he couldn't spot anything but his sister's terrified stare looking back at him.

At some point, Silvia calmed down enough to let go of her mother's shoulders and start walking again, only to cling to Aster instead. She refused to let go even briefly, always hugging his arm against herself. Not that he minded, of course. Whatever helped her, he was ready to do. "Don't blink so much, please," she reminded him again, her soft lips moved against his ear, barely audible over her warm breaths.

'I guess it's time to do the weird blinking again...' he sighed internally, nodding in response. One eye at a time, so the light doesn't go out. Since they began walking again through these endless tunnels, Aster cast his spell three more times already, just enough mana each time to cause the glow of his eyes. It wasn't a bright glow by any means; you would barely notice it during daylight, but here, in such darkness? It was all they needed to follow the damn wall. And in case those creatures show up again, he had more than enough mana to make things much, much brighter.

'I wonder if I can make her eyes glow during our mana invasion thing? They're golden, too...' Aster thought but couldn't finish his idea when a sudden noise up ahead made him halt in his steps, causing both girls to bump into him from behind. "I heard something," he whispered, his high-pitched voice echoing off the cave walls around them.

The boy immediately raised his bandaged hand, creating a flame to illuminate more space before him. A long exhale left Aster's lips, white puffs of air swirling before his eyes as he squinted into the darkness. He could feel his sister gripping him tighter, her nails painfully digging into his wrist.

"Let's go back..." Nivalis whispered, pulling them closer to herself. She had a death grip on that knife in her right hand, its tip glinting ominously in the flickering firelight.

Another faint noise reached Aster's pointy ears, one he thought he recognized. "Wait. I think..." he mumbled, straining to hear the sound over his hammering heartbeat. It sounds like... water droplets or something?" he added after a brief pause. Glancing behind, he saw Silvia shaking her head vigorously at him, her long silver locks on her shoulders swaying with the movement.

Nivalis stared ahead, her blue eyes fixed on the darkness as she waited for that sound to come again. A few heartbeats passed in silence before a faint noise echoed off the walls once more—a faint drip of water somewhere up ahead, confirming Aster's words. "It could be an exit..." Nivalis whispered with hope in her tone, "...but we must still be careful. Prepare more mana if you can," she added, receiving nods from both children.

Once everyone was ready, they carefully crept forward; the light of Aster's fire made shadows dance across the rocky walls around them. 'Please, let it be a way out...' Aster silently wished as he neared the corner, glancing around it as quickly as he could before retreating behind the sharp edges.

— "There's nothing here," he whispered disappointedly, peering cautiously around it again, feeling his mother's hand on his shoulder. It was just another endless tunnel, nothing unusual about it... except for some strange glinting on the wall ahead. He was so nervous that he almost unleashed the fire in that direction, afraid that it was some kind of creature, but managed to hold back just in time.

"Huh? A stream?" Silvia asked softly as they approached it, gazing at the trickle of water flowing along the stone wall, vanishing between crevices in the rocks. She gently traced the wet path with her finger, feeling the cold liquid swirl around her knuckle.

"Yeah... whew, I almost fired a spell at it," Aster chuckled nervously, relieved that nothing dangerous was hiding here. Part of him expected to see some enormous abomination waiting for them around that corner, but it was just a tiny stream of water.

Looking over her shoulder to ensure nothing followed them, Nivalis whispered, "Let's take a quick break here. We've been walking for quite a while now, and it looks like a nice spot." She was also glad everything was quiet around here, though she couldn't shake her disappointment that there was still no way out. "And we need to clean Aster's wounds and wash the bandages... and maybe wash ourselves a little," she added with a tired sigh.

Making the fire smaller in his hand to save on mana, Aster nodded at her, sitting down on the cold ground with a groan. "You alright?" he whispered to Silvia, who sat beside him, still not letting go of his arm. Her face was paler than usual, those golden eyes staring fearfully into the dark depths of the tunnel where no light could reach.

"I just want to leave this place," the girl mumbled, pressing her cheek against her brother's shoulder. She watched as Nivalis kneeled before them and started pulling off the bandages on his right hand, revealing burned flesh underneath. The sight made Silvia grimace in disgust, and the smell was not much better. Turning her attention to his face, she asked softly, "Have you seen... that thing back there? How are you not afraid?" Her long eyelashes fluttered at him.

— "Well..." Aster responded with a sweet smile, ignoring the agonizing pain of his skin being peeled off along with those bandages. "If I can survive all those silent farts of yours at night... What's there to be afraid of?" he giggled softly.

Nivalis chuckled quietly as she worked on his wounds, her frown momentarily disappearing; the sound echoed through the tunnel.

Silvia gasped at Aster's words. "Oh, my gods! I did not!" She pinched his side hard, causing him to giggle even more. "Everyone knows that girls don't do such things," she mumbled in embarrassment, crossing her arms over her flat chest and pouting cutely at him.

He kept smiling at her, glad finally to see her in a slightly better mood. For a moment, he forgot about their horrible situation and all the pain, just enjoying the sight of his sister's angry face, adorable little cheeks puffed up like that. For a moment, he had no doubt they would survive this mess, just like they always do, as long as they were together.

"Breaching for Dummies" by Aelric Longtooth. Chapter 1: The Horrors of Upper Levels, Page 1.

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So, you've decided to try your luck down there, huh? Hoping to get rich by finding some forgotten treasure everyone whispers about? Or perhaps you're just an adventurer, drawn in by those absurd prices on the guild board for ore and body parts? Perhaps your village was raided and burnt down, and now you have nowhere to live except that weird uncle of yours who touches himself every time he sees you? Or maybe those debt collectors finally got tired of chasing a deadbeat like you and are finally sending the thugs with their big hammers?

Whatever the reason for your decision, find a different way to deal with all the mess in your life. Wank your uncle if you must. Beg those collectors to let you work off your debt. The Breach won't offer you anything but suffering. And believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Been there, done that, and more than once.

Still reading? Alright, I get it. Sometimes life is shit. I understand. But please consider this carefully. Your life will only get more shit once you go down into those depths. Unlike all those books where authors romanticize the underground as a place where gold and gems shower upon your head from the ceiling, it's nothing like that. It's nothing but stone, darkness, and death awaiting you at every step. You won't be that bastard from their stories who always finds some magical sword deep in a secret chamber. You will be that guy who dies in the first chapter to set up the scene for the main character.

If, instead of being scared by my warnings, you feel blood rushing through your veins and hear your heart pounding faster with excitement... then this book is for you. After all, I'm also guilty of being such a moron.

Nightmare worms, also known as Crawlers. They are your first problem the moment you step inside the Breach, as the upper levels are filled with them. Where I've been, that is.

Words can't describe how much I hate those little fuckers. Imagine something between a leech and a centipede with countless legs and a round mouth filled with rows of tiny teeth on the inside. Covered in slime, it has dark-red skin with holes all over its long body, each pulsating rhythmically. While not very big, seeing one is enough to give anyone nightmares for weeks, believe my word. They love to sneak up on their victims when they sleep and bite into an artery on the neck, armpits, or inner thighs, leaving nothing but bones behind when they are done with you. If especially hungry, they form swarms that can easily devour a grown man in mere minutes—a sight I wish to forget with all my heart.

Still want to go down there? Good. You will need as many torches or oil for lanterns as you can possibly carry. They are more sensitive to light than my old man after too many mugs of ale, making them more of a chore to deal with than any real threat...

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