Okaay so here we go with Chapter five. I know it's late, I had a really busy past few days so here's an extra long chapter for you all. : )

Also shoutouts to everyone who reviewed, it really means so much and encourages me to keep writing. LunaPikazard12, Bookkeeper2004, GrumpyBee (Thanks for the follow as well), TheNinjaOfArt (Gracias! Me alegra mucho que te guste mi escritura!)

Onto the chapter!

Jay paced his room anxiously. His mother and father hadn't let him out since Cole had gone missing. They were scared there was someone dangerous out there. To be honest, Jay was probably more freaked out than they were, but despite all that he didn't want to be cooped up in his room. Sitting around felt sooo frustrating. No one knew where his best friend was and he didn't even know how hard they were looking. Jay wanted nothing more than to run outside and scream Cole's name, and check all the places they'd ever been.

The best he could do so far was repeatedly text him, but Cole either lost his phone, or was choosing to ignore Jay. Neither option was ideal. Their text conversation, which a day before had been fun and lighthearted, went from Cole saying he was going to stay late at school, to Cole disappearing off the face of the Earth.

Anything could've happened in that span of time.

Anything.

Jay flopped onto his bed with a growl of frustration.

"Cole." He muttered. "What happened buddy?" He whispered, fear lacing his tone.

What was more perplexing, was the fact that nothing remotely bad had ever happened in Kingston in the past, it was easily the number one most boring town in America. It didn't have any history, nothing. Zip, nada, zero.

At least, Jay was pretty sure . . .

Jay sat up rapidly. He never actually studied the history of Kingston. In fact, they never taught Kingston history at school either, just plain old American history. He knew exactly nothing about where he lived. Before, Jay never really had reason to look into the history of where he lived. He always just assumed it had been bores-ville from day one.

But maybe . . . maybe there were some clues from the towns past as to what happened to Cole. Maybe some weird mystery that remained unsolved had risen again and claimed its next victim hundreds of years later and the only way they were ever going to find Cole was if they figured out what happened in the past.

Jay slapped himself.

"You're being stupid!" He yelled. "Dumbass!" He yelled looking into the mirror on his door. Your brain is being overactive because you're freaked out. He told himself sternly.

"Ugghhh! I have to do something." He muttered, standing up off his bed again to pace some more.

"Jay!" His mom called from downstairs. In a heartbeat Jay was sprinting out the door and down the stairs.

"Any news?" He asked frantically.

"Oh, sorry honey. The police looked all around and the only thing remotely criminal they found was that someone had vandalized that old playground on 56th. Nothing on Cole. I'm so sorry sweetie." His mom said, walking over and giving him a hug. Jay pulled away.

"The old playground on 56th?" He repeated sharply.

"Yeah, that's what they said. But w-"

"What was the vandalism?" Jay asked cutting her off.

"Well I don't know, I didn't ask. But wh-" She tried to ask.

"Gotta go mom!" Jay yelled running for the front door.

"Jay! Jay I don't want you out there all by yourse-" His mother began to call after him, but Jay was already out the door.

As he took off down the street, he pulled out his phone and began re-reading the last texts Cole had sent him.

Hey wanna go 2 the park again today?

Hell no, that creepy gap in the ground might still be there.

Oh, good point. Well quartet ran long so I'll be out late. Don't wait up.

"Ohhh." Jay told himself as he ran. "Cole you idiot!" He snapped at his phone. That moron went back to the park, and something happened to him there. Maybe he was even still there.

Jay arrived at his school and ran up the steps. He jerked on the door handle and breathed a sigh of relief when it was unlocked. They didn't lock the school often. Because nothing happens here. Jay thought sarcastically. He sprinted through the hallways, past the music room where you were supposed to be idiot Jay thought to himself.

Jay ran all the way to the back entrance, out the back entrance, then ran up the street to the old abandoned playground. When his feet ran onto the bark chips, he stopped. He doubled over breathing heavily. When Jay finally caught his breath he looked up and scanned the playground.

He noticed the swings were lying on the ground and he walked over, still breathing hard. The ropes had all been cut off the swings and were nowhere to be seen. Jay raised an eyebrow at the oddness of it.

"Okaay." He said slowly, turning around and scanning the rest of the park. It took him a moment but he finally spotted the frayed end of one of the ropes, it was tied to one of the poles that supported the slide. He ran over to get a closer look and noticed it was tied to a second rope also from the swing set. He followed the rope line until it ended. Jay tried to pick up the end of the rope, but found that it wouldn't budge one bit. He tugged a bit harder. It still didn't move. Sighing sharply he scraped away some of the grass.

The rope went straight into the ground. The Earth was packed so tightly around it that the rope could've been grown right out of the ground itself.

"What the heck?" Jay muttered, holding the rope in his hands. He stared at the ground for a bit longer, mind reeling.

Then it hit him.

This was where the growing crack in the ground was.

"Oh!" Jay yelped, dropping the rope.

"Oh." He repeated suddenly concerned.

"Oh. Oh! Oh my gosh. Cole!" He yelled at the ground.

"Cole! Cole!" He screamed frantically. Jay dropped to his knees and began scrabbling at the dirt with his hands, removing clumps of dirt and throwing them over his shoulder.

"Oh gosh." He muttered, voice unusually high pitched. Cole had fallen down some stupid hole and got himself buried. Or something. It sounded stupid but, Jay knew this was the very last place his friend had been. Jay jerked on the rope some more, pulling up more clumps of dirt. Dirt dirt and more dirt. It was like the hole never even existed.

"Hang on in there Cole. I swear I'm gonna get you out!" Jay said, scared out of his mind.

I'm going to get you out.

COLE'S POINT OF VIEW (POV)

Cole woke up gasping. His whole body was covered in clammy sweat and he ached everywhere.

"Uuuuhhh." He groaned putting a hand to his head because it started spinning. Slowly he opened his eyes. The room he was in was dark. It had a few flickers of light, but mostly it was just dark. Cole squinted into the dark and tried to make out his surroundings.

It took him a second to realize he was in a bed.

Wait.

A bed. That was good. Was he in his room? Was all that horror he witnessed just a really bad nightmare? Cole could hardly remembered everything that had happened. That was a good sign of a dream. Right? Or maybe a concussion? He kept squinting around.

"You are awake." A soft voice said suddenly. Cole screamed and slammed his eyes shut. Not his room, not his room, NOT HIS ROOM.

"Don't kill me, don't put me back in that stupid arena and speak English." Cole squeaked. It was more of a hope than a demand.

"I am Zane. I will not kill you." The voice said. Cole peeked through one eye. A boy was standing in front of him, maybe seventeen or eighteen. The same age as Cole.

He was extremely pale, with hair that matched the part. His hair must have been platinum, but the darkness and the firelight gave it hints of gold. It was a short hair that was cut on the sides, and pushed back on his head revealing a perfect hairline. His eyes were such an icy blue that they seemed to be glowing. He was built too. He didn't look skinny or scrawny anywhere, but he didn't look like some sort of body builder either. He looked, sturdy.

His face was calm, and regarding Cole with a soft expression. His clothing was similar to the red warrior in the arena.

He wore white silk with bright blue linings. The only difference was that he wore no armor and bore no weapons. He wore a black belt around his silk shirt giving it an old fashion look, pants that were also black and slightly baggy, and white boots that came up to just below his knees.

What era are these people from? Cole thought, looking Zane up and down.

"What is your name?" Zane asked, looking politely curious.

"I'm Cole." Cole told him quietly.

"Coal, like the ore?" Zane asked. "What an unusual name." He said thoughtfully.

"No, no Cole like the name." Cole corrected him. "C-O-L-E." He spelled out.

"Ah. What an unusual name." Zane repeated. They sat silently for a second.

"Listen, Zane." Cole began. "Could you maybe tell me where I am and what it going on and if I could please go home to the surface?" Cole rambled, pointing up as he finished.

"Oh we're not allowed near the Surface World." Zane explained. Cole blinked.

"Why?" He asked.

"Hush. Asking such questions will get us into trouble." Zane said, shutting down the subject. "I have instruction to dress you into proper attire." Zane said, holding up a bundle of black silk garments.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Cole asked, shifting in his school clothing. He was wearing jeans and a black sweatshirt and he was happy with that arrangement.

"Clothing from the Surface World in forbidden. You'll be killed." Zane explained calmly.

"Is that all." Cole muttered to himself while taking the bundle of clothing from Zane.

"So can you tell me what this place is? Or is that forbidden to?" Cole asked sarcastically.

"No, of course that's not forbidden. Welcome to the Underworld." Zane said, smiling. Cole dropped the clothing in his hands.

"The Underworld?" Cole repeated in disbelief.

"Yes the Underworld. That is what I said. Surface people sure are strange." Zane said, smiling a little.

"Strange. Yeah that's us." Cole agreed, picking the clothes back up again.

The Underworld. Cole thought, fear creeping into his mind. So he fell into . . . into Hell or something? Cole pondered this as he pulled off his hoodie and pulled on the black silk shirt. Its lining was a vivid amber color. Cole wrapped the belt around his waist, which was brown with a silver buckle.

"Um." Cole said, as he picked up the pants, and looked at Zane.

"Do you require assistance?" Zane asked kindly.

"Ah! No. No I require a little privacy please." Cole snapped, shuffling away from Zane.

"Oh course. My apologies Cole." Zane said, and turned around.

As quickly as he could, Cole pulled off his jeans and pulled on the new baggy pants that were gray and leathery.

"Decent." He told Zane.

"I can find you better clothing if this displeases you." Zane replied not turning around.

"What." Cole said confused. "No I meant you can turn around now." He corrected Zane.

"Oh right." Zane said, turning around again. Cole was pulling off his converse and pulling the new black boots up his leg.

"The clothing is actually really nice." Cole told Zane. Zane smiled warmly. For a second Cole sort of forgot where he was and how much like shit his brain was feeling. Zane's calm demeanor was contagious.

"Would you like to come outside now?" Zane asked him.

"Um. Sure." Cole agreed shrugging.

"Please be cautious of your hand. I just had its bandages changed." Zane told him while opening the door. Cole glanced down at his hand where it was indeed wrapped in clean white bandages and smelled of a sweet poultice.

"Thank you?" He said slowly and surprised. "I mean, thank you. Really." He corrected himself, and smiled up at Zane.

"My pleasure." Zane said nodding his head. Cole stepped out of the room into an enormous cavern.

"Oh my." Cole breathed taking in his new strange surroundings.

The cavern was enormous. It could've fit maybe ten skyscrapers, were they packed together. Instead of skyscrapers however, there were these massive columns reaching from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. Built into the columns were rooms, and little houses and buildings. They were mostly made of stone and dried mud, but their architecture was nice. They had little windows, each glowing with light from torches. There were maybe thirty massive columns and each had ten to fifteen little houses built into them from top to bottom.

On top of that, the whole room seemed to have crystals growing in it. The crystals were massive, some bigger than Cole, and they pulsed different colors, bringing light to the cavern. Around the columns there were little pathways of cobblestone where people were walking. Strung around the paths, between columns, there were strands of glowing crystals like Christmas lights.

Cole looked around more, and noticed the people walking around. Half of them were more cave people, doing everyday things, but a few of them wore silk like Zane and Cole's.

Also among the people were more strange creatures Cole had never seen before. There were creatures flying in the air that looked somewhat like fish with humming bird wings. There were creatures on the ground that looked like cats with scales, and some had multiple tails. There were creatures that peeked out of the ground. Cole couldn't get a good look before they burrowed back where they came from.

"Come, I will show you your room in the Camosos building." Zane said, taking Cole's hand and leading him down the path. But Cole pulled away and stopped.

"Camosos. That's what that kid said before he went out and killed some guy in that arena pit. What does it mean?" Cole asked nervously.

"Oh, you're talking about Kai. Camosos means champion in the old language. Kai is the main champion of The Gladiator Pit. But they call Glatori Rigari." Zane explained. Cole blinked. That made a lot more sense.

"So wait, you know the crazy language those cave people speak?" Cole asked.

"They are not cave people Cole. They are called Un'dirians. I do not know their language very well, but I am trying to learn." Zane explained.

"Oh." Cole said, not really knowing how to respond to this.

"Can I show you the Camosos building now?" Zane asked him.

"Yes, yeah. Lead the way." Cole agreed, and followed Zane once more. As they walked, Cole couldn't help but gaze at the new world around him. He kept blinking hard to assure himself again and again that he really wasn't dreaming.

He really wasn't.

However, with Zane here acting so calm and kind, and Cole not being in a freaking death pit with giant scorpion monsters, everything was a little less terrifying than it was before.

Zane led him down the main pathway, and then down a smaller one until they reached a column with really nice buildings built into it. Zane walked over to the column and began climbing the ladder that was there. Cole followed him. Zane didn't stop climbing for a long time, in fact they began to get extraordinarily close to the top and it took all of Cole's remaining willpower not to look down.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Zane stop climbing the ladder, and instead stepped into the window of a large building. Cole followed him. When he looked up, there were all kinds of other silk wearing people in there.

"Camosos, this is Cole. He spells it C-O-L-E." Zane introduced him. Cole waved shyly at the very mean looking crowd in front of him. Some of them still wore armor, and there were weapons lining the walls. They were standing very close together, like they'd known each other their whole lives. They eyed Cole suspiciously. Please tell me this is a nightmare. Cole thought, all peace abandoned.

"Um . . .hi?"

OKay so chapter five, what'd you all think? I swear, he will finally meet all the others in the next chapter. . Anyways i hope you all liked the chapter. I'll try to have the next one out soon. Please reveiw with any feedback, i love hearing it! Btw, if you're looking for something fun/funny to read, i also write some oneshots that are basically taken from comedy scripts/incorrect quotes and I take request of there, it's a lot of fun, so if you're interested in something stupid check it out! Shameless advertiesement, heh heh. Anyways . . .

Keep Writing Keep Reading, Nova out ;)