The Hidden City of Xerob

The Beginning

The journey had been going on for what felt like an eternity. Day after day, stopping only to sleep and eat. All that mattered was getting to the end of the world. Getting to the place where no one dared to tread. The place of myth, the legend of all legends, the place that no one knew existed: The Hidden City.

It was said that at the very end of China, there lied a city built in honor of a dead god whose name had long since been forgotten. It was said that this god once ruled over China, but had been overthrown by their sibling gods and forced into exile until they died. Now, in their honor, the people who worshiped them built this hidden city as a gift when they died, so that they would not have to travel far if they ever wanted to see their people again. No one knew for sure if this story was true or not, but it didn't stop people from trying to find out.

Marzia was one of those people. She had set out a long time ago with the rest of the exploration team, looking for something more than just a life among ordinary people. She wanted adventure! She wanted glory! And she was willing to do anything to get it! Even if it meant following in the steps of people who had done it before her and failed miserably. But that wasn't going to stop her now! Not when she was so close! After weeks of traveling up and down China's endless mountains and forests, she could finally see something gleaming in the distance! It was shining like gold! Like jewels! Like diamonds! And she knew it was real because it didn't disappear after she blinked! It was real and it was right in front of her! All she had to do was cross this bridge and then--

*BANG*

Marzia jolted awake as her bedroom door slammed open and hit the wall with enough force to make everything rattle around inside her room. An older man burst through the doorway, his face twisted beyond belief as he yelled with unrestrained anger. He looked like he could kill someone with his bare hands given half a chance at this point. Marzia winced visibly in response; apparently her father wasn't happy about having woken up at such an early hour on a Sunday morning...

"What is it?" Marzia asked timidly as she sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side so that they dangled off the edge. Her father moved forward until he stood right next to her bed, towering over her as he glared down at her impatiently with bloodshot eyes and clenched fists. He opened his mouth again only to pause as he took a deep breath; clearly he wasn't even slightly calm yet...

"You're going on another expedition!" He exclaimed loudly with no regard for how loud he actually needed to be so that everyone else in the house could hear him too; "You're joining that damn cult!"

Marzia winced again; she knew exactly what he meant by 'cult'. It wasn't anything good either...

Her father continued speaking despite seeing how much his words were affecting his daughter; "I won't have you running off into some deathtrap just for some stupid adventures you think are worth dying for!" He seethed angrily as he jabbed his finger violently into Marzia's shoulder; "That cult is nothing but trouble! They will manipulate you and use you until you're too broken to live without them anymore!"

Her father's tirade stopped suddenly as he finally noticed how upset Marzia seemed right now; he took another deep breath so that he wouldn't yell again, instead choosing to speak quietly so that his words would have more impact on his daughter than just yelling them: "This isn't about your mother." He paused for just a moment before continuing on; "She left us because she thought I would be better off without her." His expression softened slightly as memories from long ago began flashing through his mind unbidden; "She thought I'd be happier without someone constantly pulling me away from my work." He shook himself mentally before returning back to reality and fixing Marzia with another hard stare; "She left us because she wanted us all alone together."

He sighed heavily before closing his eyes and rubbing his face tiredly with both hands before looking back at Marzia once again; "I don't want you leaving because I'm lonely." His tone was softer now, but still firm as he looked straight into his daughter's eyes while speaking; "I want you here because I love living with you here." He smiled slightly as he placed both hands on Marzia's shoulders gently; "I don't want you moving away from me."

Marzia bit her lower lip nervously before hesitantly reaching up and placing one hand over each hand of her mother's which were currently on her shoulders; "But Daddy..." She started slowly before trailing off worriedly when she saw how unhappy her father looked; "...what if I can't find any other way?" Her voice cracked slightly towards the end of that sentence, letting out just a hint of how scared she really was inside at what might happen if she didn't join up with that cult...