JOKO fumbled with his weapon as anxiety spasmed through his hands. He envied Dada’s cool expression and attempted to collect himself only dropping his gun with a loud clatter, both freezing as the sound reverberated down the hall with a chorus of snarls rumbling in response.

Joko begged his heart beat to quieten and his breaths to slow, starting when cold metal brushed his arm. Dada shook his head and moved on when the growls faded. His friend picked up his gun once more and held it tighter than ever.

The followed endless curves, staircases, wide halls and ramps through the castle. Thoughts of being lost filled Joko’s mind with the familiar scenes of Tyrant versus Matoki. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, over and over but his heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

Dada kept himself as silent as possible as he slid with Joko through the corridors. He only heard the patter of his paws mixing with the sound of his friend’s own steps and breath. Soon Dada hushed his companion, pressing himself to the wall and his hand against Joko’s chest. It was still deathly silent but the floor had shine to it that wasn’t there before. They stayed there few a minutes until they were sure nothing was moving, and stepped around the corner into a well-lit corridor.

“What is that?” Joko grunted in Dada’s ears, making them twitch.

“I’m not sure, but it looks almost,” he searched for the right word, “natural.”

The glow was not from a lamp, a torch or any sort of machinery. Dada’s memory flickered back to a few weeks earlier, when the sun had danced along his hand but disappeared behind the cloud cover. He stretched out his hand into the light and watched it dance, once again across his palm and wrist. He felt its warmth across his fingers, sending a small tingle through his arm. It wasn’t particularly warmer than the corridor, but he could sense difference from the light they usually had.

“Where’s it coming from?” Joko pushed against Dada, wanting to be closer but worried at what the source might be.

“How am I supposed to know more than you?” Dada looked at the former with sarcastic eyes, his friend only stuttering in response but still urging him on. They shared a final glance and began to move forward again.

They followed a sharply curving wall that led to a bright hallway at the end of which was a large archway with a tattered curtain across it and light shining through. They pulled their paws to the base of their ears. A shrill sound echoed from beyond the archway and the two Matoki quietened themselves again with the exception of their footfalls. Dada nudged Joko forward with the of his gun and the latter moved up to the curtain, at the edge of the fabric while light glinted off his bright eyes. With a quiet whoosh, Joko pulled the curtain aside.

Gasps rushed out of their lungs as the stepped past the archway. Their eyes darted across the large room, delving and investigating into every part. There was no source to the light. The room seemed to glow on its own, as if it was alive. But beyond anything the two were dumbfounded by what they did see, and more surprising to the two, what made the noise that no longer forced their hands to their ears, but soothed them, as if they’d a good night’s sleep.