Rin is yet to figure out the distance they walked, but the convoluted tunnels and the deprivation of breathable air clouds her concentration. The further they venture, the colder it gets, and she cannot dismiss the lingering presence of a slithering odious chakra.
Her grip tightens on Tobi's. She is terrified of the unseen forces that may be 'living' in the confinements of this underground.
Several metres further 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 sit directly below a black circular gape in the ceiling. It is only then that Rin registers the cavern roof as the ebony coloured sky.
"I thought we were deep underground," she says rigidly.
"We are, we definitely descended," Tobi answers.
Withdrawing from her grasp, Tobi moves to the stone panels and examines something with an air of suspicion.
"It doesn't feel like we are deep underground. This chamber isn't deep enough. What's up here?" Rin says curiously.
She attempts to climb the jagged edges to survey the outside, but Tobi catches her arm at the last minute. There is a strong sense of displeasure exuding from him.
"Don't be reckless," he says angrily.
Then, he drags her from the chamber walls.
"Don't you speak to me like that," she yanks from his steely grip.
She may be soft, but she is no pushover.
"We don't know anything about this place, you could have put yourself in danger," Tobi says.
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."
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, "please?" He adds forcibly.
Well played. He knows her weakness, or one of them. That thirst for curiosity will backfire on her some day.
She keeps her expression haughty and indifferent as she moves to stand beside him.
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 strongly reminiscent of the stars and planets.
Meanwhile, Tobi is 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."
"…chakra sacrifices…"
"You can see all that?" Rin asks in bewilderment.
He looks to her without speaking. Her question is redundant.
"This place is a sacrificial chamber," he says attentively.
"Similar to the others?"
"I think so."
They remain in silence. 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 he has 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," 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,"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.
Rin flickers her watch across the dreary dungeon in search of the culprit. Then, something brushes her shoulder.
"Did you feel that?" she asks feebly.
"No," Tobi answers.
Something brushes her again, followed by a guttural sound in the distant.
"Did you hear that?" she asks fearfully.
He does not speak, yet his watch is focused on something hovering in the corner. She tracks his gaze and sees it. Pearly white, distorted in shape and floating ever so serenely against the cold dreary underground.
"W-What is that?" Rin squeaks.
"Spirits," Tobi answers disinterestedly.
The petrified scream escapes her in a sickening vibration.