Though this theory is unsubstantiated, the mere fact that such an advanced civilization existed over ten millennia ago—does that not suggest Atlantis was not of Earth? If we entertain the notion that the Atlanteans were an extraterrestrial civilization, their final departure in flying saucers must have signified the completion of some profound mission.

But what exactly was that mission? My mind raced with countless possibilities until I lifted my gaze, fixing it squarely on the being before me who claimed to be Atlantean.

I watched him, but he wasn't watching me. He glanced toward the doorway, then turned and started to walk out.

Uncertain of his intent, I did not immediately follow. Once outside the door, he looked back at me, an unmistakable gesture signaling me to trail him.

After a moment of hesitation, I finally obeyed and followed. The corridor outside was pitch black, devoid of light, yet in that darkness, the towering giant before me emitted a soft, pale blue luminescence that held my gaze captive.

After what felt like an indeterminate time walking, the passage began to slope upward, and I noticed a sliver of white light filtering in from ahead. Emerging from the exit, I realized we had returned to the surface.

This time, however, we were significantly closer to the massive, glowing white entity in the center, now perhaps only two or three hundred meters away. Yet, proximity did not bring clarity; on the contrary, the blinding white light streaming from it forced me to squint, barely able to keep my eyes open.

It took a considerable period for my eyes to adjust to the intensity, but I noticed the colossal figure had not paused, continuing its slow procession toward the great white emanation. I hurried to catch up, beginning to speculate that he intended to lead me right up to the source of the light.

Regrettably, this giant claiming Atlantean lineage could not articulate fluid English, Russian, much less Chinese; thus, verbal communication between us was nearly impossible. As I walked alongside him, I surveyed the surroundings and observed that, apart from the ground-hole through which we had just emerged, numerous similar openings were scattered across the area.

Many of the long-faced beings were now filing out of these holes, their expressions blank, gazing forward at the colossal light source as they advanced slowly. I drew a deep breath, feeling the scene to be profoundly eerie yet imbued with a certain sacred aura.

After taking in the sight for a few moments, I withdrew my gaze and focused instead on the tall, receding back directly in front of me. He did not look back, continuing his steady pace.

With no alternative, I had no choice but to keep close behind him. As we proceeded, I began to notice white crystals gradually appearing on the rugged, rocky terrain surrounding us.

These crystals were exquisitely clear, shimmering with an inner luminescence. Whether they were affected by the immense white light source ahead or if they naturally glowed, they radiated a holiness so intense it created the illusion that we had arrived in paradise.

I stared, lost in awe, wondering if I might be dreaming. I pinched my thigh hard, only to be met with a sharp, piercing pain.

Knowing I was awake, I muttered under my breath, "What in the world is this chaos? First, time reversal, then encountering some genuine deity of the supernatural, and now I’m following a group calling themselves Atlanteans somewhere inexplicable.

This is far beyond what any ordinary person would ever experience, even in a lifetime of dreams." Just as I was pondering this, the tall figure ahead abruptly halted. I stopped immediately, glancing around to see that all the long-faced beings had stopped too, extending their hands while murmuring incantations under their breath.

I felt awkward standing among these giants, like a sparrow that had accidentally flown into a cage full of doves—utterly out of place. As this sense of awkwardness settled, the ground gave a violent shudder, causing me to stumble forward a couple of steps before regaining my balance.

Then, I witnessed the sight that would be permanently etched into my memory. The light emanating from the massive white form before me began to dim gradually, allowing me to discern its outline.

It was, astonishingly, a structure resembling a pyramid, but unlike the massive yellow stone blocks of the Egyptian variety, this one was constructed entirely from countless transparent crystals. The apex was not pointed; instead, there was a small platform at the very top.

Upon that platform stood a small, black object shaped like an eye, utterly motionless. I presumed it was a massive stone, but if a stone were shaped like that with such a narrow base, it seemed impossible for it to stand upright; I speculated there might be some hidden support structure beneath.

As I considered this, the crystal pyramid’s radiance dimmed further, and I saw the surrounding long-faced beings all throw open their mouths, revealing rows of black, pointed teeth. Simultaneously, their white tongues began to writhe and emerge from their mouths, lengthening, and growing ever longer.

Witnessing this grotesque spectacle, a cold sweat broke out across my brow. What was even more bizarre was that once these white tongues extended to a certain length, they detached entirely from the long-faced beings' mouths, shooting out like arrows from a bow toward the platform atop the pyramid.

Stripped of their tongues, the long-faced beings seemed suddenly drained of spirit and vitality; their arms fell limp, their eyes closed, and they collapsed to the ground listlessly. I managed to swallow hard, then turned my attention back to the pyramid.

The serpentine tongues had all landed upon that strange, eye-shaped black stone. Logically, this scene felt like something out of a nightmare or a science fiction film.

However, the supple texture of the tongues, combined with the viscous, transparent mucus clinging to them, rendered the scene startlingly real, possessing a nauseating quality. Watching the tangled mass of tongues writhe and intertwine like snakes, I felt my scalp prickle with unease.

But then, impossibly, these tongues began to coalesce, slowly forming a shape approximating a human figure. As I observed this bizarre, slime-covered entity, an overwhelming discomfort washed over me.

Yet, the thing inexplicably twisted its head and looked directly toward my location. Instantly, the form seemed struck by lightning, emitting a faint blue glow, and then, for a fleeting moment, I perceived the outline of a woman's face flickering within the mass of intertwining tissue.

Seeing that I was staring intently, the figure raised a hand and beckoned me forward. I was reluctant to move, but as I hesitated on the spot, a sharp pain pierced my head, and a woman's consciousness invaded my mind.

Though she uttered no words, my body began to move forward involuntarily. Even though my body was no longer under my command, my own consciousness remained perfectly lucid.

I watched as my body advanced several dozen meters until a vast hole, large enough perhaps to cover a basketball court, appeared on the ground before me. I walked step by painstaking step toward this bottomless abyss, the cold sweat soaking my clothes.

I was convinced the strange woman ahead intended to make me jump into the cavern to commit suicide. My terrifying assumption, however, lasted less than a minute.

Suddenly, a colossal white object burst forth from the depths of the massive hole, rocketing toward the sky. Startled, my body stopped moving.

At that moment, I clearly saw what it was: the gigantic worm I had observed coiled atop the hole earlier. Upon closer inspection, I realized the creature did possess a head, though it was almost the same thickness as its body, and its head was covered with countless black eyes.

After rocketing out of the pit, the white behemoth curved its body in mid-air, slowly lowering its head toward me. It brought its head down until it hovered right in front of my face, and all its innumerable eyes fixed upon me simultaneously.

My body remained paralyzed, utterly incapable of movement. But then, the woman's consciousness instructed me to slowly extend my hand toward the giant worm's forehead.

Frankly, I was deeply unwilling to comply; the creature's appearance filled me with a sense of dread. Yet, the moment my hand made contact with its forehead, a sensation of profound warmth flowed from my palm.

The enormous creature seemed to find this contact comforting, slowly closing all its eyes.