The air shimmered where he once stood, and his voice echoed through the cavern–soft, yet chilling.
“Your journey continues, but beware… the shadows listen.”
Then, just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. A deep, rumbling sound filled the tunnel behind us, and before any of us could react, the passage collapsed into a wall of impenetrable darkness. Dust and small rocks rained down as the last echo of his warning faded.
I staggered back, coughing against the thick air. “Wait, what?”
Alex cursed under his breath. “Great. The spooky ghost guy vanishes, and so does our way back.”
Elijah stepped forward, running his palm along the rough stone where there had once been an open tunnel. His brow furrowed. “There’s no way through,” he muttered. “Looks like we’re going forward whether we like it or not.”
Isaiah let out a sigh. “Why is it never easy?”
A heavy silence settled over us, broken only by the faint drip of water somewhere in the distance. The only way out was ahead- deeper into the unknown parts of the cave. My gut twisted with unease. We had no idea what waited for us in the tunnels beyond.
And then–the whispers started.
At first, it was just a faint hissing noise, almost like the rustling of dry leaves. But there were no leaves down here. The sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the dim glow of Alex’s flames, I noticed the shadows along the walls begin to move.
Not with the flickering of the fire. No.
They slithered.
My breath hitched. “Guys…”
The shadows peeled away from the walls, stretching and twisting like living ink. Red eyes blinked open within the darkness, and long, clawed hands formed from the inky void. The cavern was filled with writhing creatures, barely distinguishable from the gloom
itself.
Elijah tensed, stepping in front of me. “What the hell are those?”
Isaiah’s voice was grim. “Shadow remnants.”
Alex’s flames flared brighter. “And let me guess… they’re not friendly?
As if in answer, the shadows lunged.
I barely had time to move before one lashed out at me. I stumbled back, heart pounding, but the tunnel was too narrow for me to shift into my wolf form. If I did, I’d get stuck–leaving myself vulnerable.
“Stormi, stay behind us!” Elijah ordered, already swinging at one of the creatures with his fist.
Isaian moved with precision, his movements fluid as he wove between the shadows, summoning weapons made of darkness to strike them down. His blades slashed through the creatures, but every time he destroyed one, another formed in its place, drawn from the lingering gloom.
1/2
Chapter 140.
Austin took a step forward to Shield me just as a clawed hand lashed out from the darkness.
“Austin!”
The sharp slashes tore across his chest, dark fabric ripping as blood lossomed across his skin. He let out a strangled gasp and stumbled, clutching the wound. Pain twisted his features.
Something inside me snapped.
“No!”
The creatures swarmed closer, but before they could land another blow, Alex threw out his hands. A wave of fire erupted from his palms, scorching through the shadows. The creatures let out an unearthly screech, recoiling from the blaze.
Isaiah’s eyes widened. “Fire. It hurts them.”
Alex smirked, his flames flaring higher. “Oh, you’re in trouble now, shadow freaks.”
With renewed determination, they fought back.
Alex’s flames carved a path through the dark creatures, pushing them away from us. Isaiah and Elijah moved with practiced ease, cutting down anything that tried to slip past the fire. Their teamwork was seamless, every movement precise, every strike intentional.
Meanwhile, I knelt beside Austin, pressing my hands against his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. His breathing was shallow, his skin pale from blood loss.
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