"No Risk, No Story"

Running through the dark, empty and seemingly endless halls, I was out of breath. I knew I'd collapse if I didn't stop to take a breather but all the voices that chased me just wouldn't let me.

All I could hear was my rapid heartbeat and the echo of my heavy breaths. My steps came to a halt when i found myself at a concourse - the hallway I was running in now led into three, and while I paused to think which one to choose I started hearing more voices- whimpers and muffled crying from the left, distant chattering voices from the right, clatter of metal from the front. My attempt at processing that information failed miserably as my thoughts were interrupted by a loud, high pitched scream coming from the back and loud and heavy footsteps following it. I figured the path right in front of me seemed the safest, I mean how bad can clashing metal stuff be, right?

I started sprinting again and after what felt like 5 miles, but definitely less; I couldn't hear the voices anymore so I decided to stop for a while to think and figure a way out. I scanned my surroundings, the stone walls had something engraved on them. I couldn’t see enough to make out what the inscriptions read, given the darkness of the place, which was definitely eerie but also very intriguing. My eyes couldn't leave the inscriptions and my mind was occupied with the thoughts of what they said. And, while I was trying to decipher that, the voices came back again,

this time louder. The voices kept getting louder and louder as I started running again. As I was running, I couldn't get those inscriptions out of my head when I saw some light. I started running towards the light as it was my only hope of finding a way out. I ran with all my might and slowly got closer to the light. The voices were getting faint, and my footsteps felt lighter, I could breathe

again. In no time, I found myself at the end of the tunnel. Standing there, I blissfully forgot the fact that I was running through the interminable grotto like a fugitive not many moments ago. I was just relieved that I had lost whatever that was in the pursuit of me and that there still lay a path ahead of me, only I couldn't see where it led to. I looked around, trying to figure out what this place might be, when my eyes fell on yet another inscription on a giant rock, I believe it was

the same as the ones inside the tunnel. Intrigued, I moved closer, it read-

"This is an illusion, an elaborate disguise;

Don't get carried away, Don't surmise,

For you are alone in your mind;

Between two worlds yet not unbind."

As I let those words soak in, I realized, The choice was now mine, whether to turn back and be adrift in those voices or to move on and find what lies in the brighter light.