The air in the cavern was thick and heavy, each breath dragging in the damp smell of stone and water. Lena’s pulse hammered in her ears, so loud it almost drowned out the sound of dripping water from the pool behind them.The creature stood between them and the only exit, its body still half-wet from the pool. Its black eyes glistened in the faint light, and that strange, cold smile never left its face.Kai shifted his stance, placing himself slightly ahead of Lena. His arm was still bleeding, but he didn’t seem to notice. His grip on his blade tightened, the muscles in his shoulders tense.Lena’s eyes darted around, searching for anything—anything at all—that might give them an advantage. But there was only wet stone, jagged walls, and the yawning shadows of side tunnels that looked far more dangerous than inviting.The creature tilted its head slightly, studying them. Its claws tapped against the stone, slow and deliberate. “You think you can escape me,” it said, voice low and almos

The shaking started as a faint tremor, but within seconds, the ground rumbled so hard Lena had to grab the wall to keep from falling. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the blue light in the chamber flickered like a candle about to go out.Kai moved instantly, stepping in front of Lena while keeping his weapon fixed on the woman. “What’s happening?” he demanded, his voice sharp over the deep, rolling growl of the earth.The woman didn’t flinch. If anything, she looked almost pleased. Her long fingers traced the edge of the stone table beside her, as if she were feeling for something hidden. “The seal,” she murmured, almost to herself. “It’s weakening.”The strange pressure in Lena’s head grew stronger, making it hard to focus. Her vision blurred at the edges, and faint whispers seemed to curl into her thoughts—words she didn’t recognize, yet felt like she had always known them. She pressed her palms to her temples. “What… what’s happening to me?”The woman’s black eyes slid toward her.

The ground shook hard enough to rattle the blue light that swirled above them. Dust fell from the stone ceiling in lazy spirals, but the air was anything but calm. It thrummed, vibrating deep inside Lena’s chest like a low drumbeat no one was playing.The woman didn’t flinch. She stood perfectly still, her strange silver hair floating as if underwater, her eyes locked on Lena’s face. That smile never wavered.Kai moved in front of Lena, his stance wide, one hand gripping his weapon, the other raised slightly as if he could shield her from whatever was coming.“What did you do?” he demanded, his voice sharper than the rumble beneath their feet.The woman’s gaze flicked to him for the briefest moment. “It’s not me,” she said softly, almost with amusement. “It’s her.”Lena felt her stomach knot. “Me?”That was when the pressure in her head doubled, swelling into something almost physical. She staggered, one hand flying to her temple. Images she didn’t recognize flashed in her mind—shapes

The ceiling groaned above them, stone and dust raining down in thick clouds. Lena’s lungs burned with each breath, the air heavy with grit. The ground kept shuddering under her boots, each tremor sharper than the last.“Kai—” she started, but her voice was drowned out by another deafening crack from above. A long fissure split the wall behind them, glowing faintly with the same unnatural blue light that had been pulsing from the chamber’s heart.The woman-creature didn’t flinch. She stood as if the chaos around them didn’t matter, her strange eyes locked on Lena. “You think this place is falling apart,” she said, her voice almost calm, “but it is waking up.”Kai stepped between them, his arm still bleeding from earlier, but his stance steady. “Whatever this is, it ends here. You’re not taking her.”The woman’s lips curled into a faint smile, though there was no warmth in it. “You still believe you can stop me. How… charming.”Another crack split the floor, the pool behind them sloshin

Dust still floated in the air like pale smoke, swirling through the faint blue light that refused to die even though the chamber itself had nearly been destroyed. Lena coughed hard, her throat raw from breathing in the fine grit, and used her sleeve to cover her mouth. The ground trembled beneath her boots, weaker now than before, but still carrying the threat of another collapse.Kai had his arm around her, steadying her as loose chunks of stone tumbled from the jagged ceiling. His eyes were fixed on the shadowy figure that stood only a few paces away — the woman.She hadn’t moved during the chaos. Her long black hair hung over one shoulder, perfectly still despite the drifting dust. Her pale skin looked almost luminous in the dim glow, her strange eyes catching every flicker of light. She was calm in a way that made Lena’s heart race faster.“What are you?” Lena finally managed to ask. Her voice sounded small in the cavernous ruin of the chamber.The woman tilted her head slightly,