Rin has yet to figure out the distance they have walked, but the convoluted tunnel and the deprivation of breathable air has clouded her concentration. The further they venture, the colder it gets, and Rin cannot dismiss the lingering presence of a slithering odious chakra.
Her grip tightens on Tobi's, terrified of unseen forces that may be 'living' in the confinements of this underground.
Several metres onwards and they hit a rounded dead end. The peculiar looking chamber holds several unusual stone benches that surrounds an enormous elevated and elaborately carved panel. The long stone benches sits directly below a black circular gape in the ceiling, and it is only then that Rin registers the cavern roof as the ebony coloured sky.
"I thought we were deep underground," Rin says rigidly.
"We are, we definitely descended," Tobi answers, and he stares intensely up at the dark starless heavens.
Withdrawing from her grasp, Tobi moves closer to the stone panels, examining with an air of suspicion as he kneels to peruse something she cannot see.
"It doesn't feel like we are deep underground. This chamber isn't deep enough. What's up here?" Rin says curiously, and she attempts to climb the jagged edges to survey the outside.
But Tobi catches her arm at the last minute, a strong sense of displeasure exuding from him.
"Don't be reckless," he says angrily, and he drags her from the chamber wall.
"Don't you speak to me like that," she says sternly and she yanks from his steely grip before turning from him.
She may be soft, but she is no pushover.
He allows her space before he speaks.
"We don't know anything about this place, you could have put yourself in danger," he says earnestly.
When she does not reply, he lets out a rough sigh of resignation.
"I'm sorry, I should not have spoken to you like that," he says apologetically.
She crosses her arms in nuisance. He apologised. She should let it go, but goodness gracious she really wants him to suffer the silent treatment for just a little longer. Sadistic, yes, but damn he deserves it.
"Rin, I want to show you what I found, you might find it interesting," he says cajolingly, "please?" He adds.
Well played. He knows her weakness, or one of them. That thirst for curiosity may backfire on her one of these days.
Slowly, she turns to face him, keeping her expression haughty and indifferent as she moves to stand beside him. And once the explanation begins, she completely forgets about the little incident.
Inscribed on the stone panels are bizarre like symbols, similar to that of the painting seen earlier in the cave. Old, tainted and broken in some areas, the hieroglyph-like symbols are pictographic in form and is strongly reminiscent of the stars and planets. But Tobi appears to be reading the symbols as if he is reading a book.
"Do you understand this?" She asks inquisitively.
"Yes, I can see. You tell me if you can make sense of this," he replies.
She glances warily between him and the symbols, as if expecting some sort of translation in midair, but Tobi begins to speak in a low informative tone.
"There is one universal form of chakra divided amongst separate domains of actuality. No two planes may exist synchronously within the same axis; for chakra of one existence, though equivalent to the entity it resides in, is a disparate reality. The ultimate cause of collision between two or more niche existence…"
Tobi pauses, "there is a missing part here," he says, but he continues without Rin's response.
"…breach of access to a foreign realm [is] an unruly disruption of existence; chakra is the ultimate connector of infinity [that is] perceivable…"
Another pause, "this is another missing part," he says quietly.
"…part composition of chakra [is] the energy that guards the ideology of existence; reality, harmonising all that [is] actuality. Contravention of chakra guards [is] vital during an unintentional clash with separate domains…"
Another pause, "another missing part."
"…the violation [is] held in the eyes that reflect the heart; one bloodline; one individual; of one blood; one domain each; until demise retracts from the one; transferred to the next in line; one tool in reserve to be singularly effective, exists once across all planes and unsystematically transferred across domains once broken. Chakra connectors allow the liberation of existences to merge…"
He stops, "another broken segment, this looks like the final part," he says thoughtfully.
"…chakra sacrifices…"
"You can see all that?" Rin asks in bewilderment.
He looks to her without speaking. Her question was redundant.
"This place is definitely a sacrificial chamber of some sort," he says attentively.
"Similar to the others?" She falters, as a flicker of fear crosses her features.
"I think so," he replies blankly.
They remain in silence, Rin's concentration on the words Tobi spoke. The mystery baffles her, both in its wording and her teammate's capability to read mysterious symbols with flawless ease. She does not understand what he meant by 'I can see,' but she gets the strange sensation that he may have advance visual prowess.
"Separate domains of reality?" Rin repeats pensively, "Does that mean there are multiple realities?"
"I believe so. No two planes may exist synchronously within the same axis, so even if there is another reality we won't know about it," Tobi answers.
"Chakra of one existence…equivalent entity…disparate. That sounds a lot like two or more realities with the same chakra," Rin says, and her mind is ticking furiously at the conundrum.
Tobi remains deep in thought for several minutes before speaking.
"Equivalent entity…as in the same person with the same chakra from different domains?"
"A parallel universe?" Rin whispers, and her eyes widen in puzzlement,"Is that even possible?"
"The universe is an infinite expanding mass, I am not surprise but…contravention of chakra guards…" he trails off.
"Chakra is the energy that guards the ideology of existence, so a violation-"
"It can be reached…held in the eyes that reflect the heart…chakra sacrifices," Tobi finishes.
"Then the parallel universe can be accessed…is this place…" Rin utters unsteadily.
Before Tobi can reply, a soft hissing sound catches their attention. And the feelings emerge. Cold, scathingly raw and malicious to the soul, they hover somewhere close and
Rin flickers her watch uneasily across the dreary dungeon, looking for the culprit.
Then something brushes her shoulder so softly, her body automatically shivers in panic.
"Did you feel that?" she asks feebly, as she moves to envelope herself in the safety of Tobi's proximity.
"No," he answers, and she lets out a frightened squeak.
She feels it, something brushes past again and then a guttural sound tunnels through from somewhere in the distant.
"Did you hear that?" she asks fearfully, grabbing onto Tobi's arm.
He does not speak, but his watch focuses on something hovering in the corner. She tracks his watch and she sees it. Pearly white, distorted in shape and floating ever so serenely against the cold dreary underground.
"W-What is that?" Rin says, and her voice is unusually high.
"Spirits," Tobi answers disinterestedly.
The petrified scream escapes her in a sickening vibration. And the terror sinks in, rapidly, instantaneously.