The Jewel of Zecaj | ONC 2022

16🔸Ayaz

Ayaz imagined a thousand and one ways in which he would die an honorable death, but he never thought a punch in the stomach was the way to end.

When Badriya struck him senseless, the only thing Ayaz could see was light. A light so bright and searing he thought he had gone blind.

Is this what happens when a person dies? He wondered.

A violent tremor sent Ayaz back to reality. His eyes snapped open to the mounds of treasure around him.

He wasn't dead. Well, at least not yet.

Ayaz struggled to set himself upright, grimacing at the slightest movement he made. The quaking made it even harder for him to stand up.

His eyes widened as the thought sunk in. The gold coins rattled and shifted beneath his feet. Rocks and debris began to rain down.

The cave was going to collapse.

"Badriya." Ayaz searched around him. "Badriya! Where are you?"

As if in response, someone cried from above.

At the top of the golden hill, Badriya was on her knees, her back hunched over. Ayaz couldn't see what caught her full attention for her to ignore the sudden earthquake. But one thing was clear to him: the jewel that once floated and glowed in the peak was nowhere to be seen.

"Laa, laa." He could hear her say in panic. "T-this can't be happening. This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Get down there!" Ayaz shouted. "We have to leave before the cave goes down!"

Badriya turned around, peering over him. "N-no! I have to fix this! I have to—"

Like a clap of thunder during a rare storm, a loud boom sounded inside the cave, and the quaking became more relentless. Ayaz stumbled and fell on his back again. Badriya yelped as the hill of gold came tumbling down into a tide.

In no time, Ayaz was buried under the treasures, almost crushing him as if boulders sat over his body. He tried to move and get himself back at the surface, but with the weight of the gold pressing him down and his injuries making it even harder to pull a muscle, he was essentially stuck.

No. I will not die like this.

Gritting his teeth as hard as he could, Ayaz used his good arm to sweep the coins away from his body, kicking his legs along. He pushed and kicked until he was finally up the surface, gasping for his breath.

When Ayaz calmed himself and regained a little of his strength after a while, he looked around and Badriya kneeling down nearby as if she were still at the top.

"No no no. . ."

"Badriya." Ayaz attempted to go to her, but his hand clutched his side as a searing pain flared from it. He stopped in his tracks.

"H-how could this be?" Badriya asked no one in particular. "The cave had called for me. I am worthy of the jewel, just like the glyphs had. . ." Her gaze strayed to Ayaz. "You. You did this. This is your fault!"

"W-what?" His brows shot up. "I don't understand—"

"Don't pretend that you know nothing!" Badriya snapped as she stomped towards him. "Unworthy are the worthy and the loved. You came in here and the jewel turned to dust!"

A stalactite dropped nearby, taking Ayaz by surprise.

The shaking was getting worse. They had to get out of there. He should've been glad that the jewel was gone for good, but he couldn't help but feel frozen in his feet at the sudden revelation.