Their footsteps raced against fear. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, hearts pounding like war drums. Branches lashed against their faces, roots stretched out like twisted hands trying to trip them.
Nova nearly stumbled, but Axel grabbed her hand. "Move!"
They ran blindly, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the horrifying creature that had been chasing them. Logan and the stranger they had found struggled to keep up, exhaustion evident on their faces.
Then, amidst the chaos, Nova spotted something between the trees.
A narrow gap between two massive boulders.
"A cave!" she shouted.
Axel followed her gaze. Without hesitation, he pulled Nova toward the opening. Logan and the stranger rushed after them. They squeezed through the tight entrance, their bodies scraping against the rough stone.
Once inside, Logan hurried to find something to cover the entrance. The stranger stood frozen, gasping for air, as if he had barely escaped hell itself.
The sound of footsteps outside gradually faded… then vanished.
Silence.
Only the sound of their ragged breaths filled the cave. Nova leaned against the rocky wall, trying to calm herself.
"For now, we're safe," Axel murmured.
Logan flicked on a small flashlight, illuminating the cave's interior. The moment the light touched the stone walls, a chill ran down Nova's spine.
There, drawn across the rock, were strange symbols in dark red.
The symbols looked primitive—swirling patterns, shapes resembling eyes, and human-like figures with raised arms. Dried blood coated the drawings, making them appear even more sinister.
Nova swallowed hard. "Blood?"
Axel moved closer, running his fingers over one of the symbols. The surface was rough, crusted over with something that felt… old. "This isn't just some ordinary painting."
Logan directed the light to another part of the cave. More symbols appeared—grotesque figures with hollow, black eyes, surrounded by kneeling humans.
"This…" The stranger's voice trembled. "This is a warning."
Nova turned sharply. "You know something about this?"
The man nodded, fear etched deep into his features. "I've seen these symbols before. In a research facility. They found similar carvings underground… and after that… people started disappearing."
Axel's eyes darkened. "What do you mean?"
The stranger took a shaky breath. "These aren't just failed experiments. They've been here long before humans arrived."
Nova clenched her fists. "And we just walked into their place of worship…"
Ssshhh…
A whisper.
But this time, it came from inside the cave.
Ssshhh…
The sound grew clearer. Like someone breathing right next to their ears—cold, eerie, making the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.
Nova's eyes darted around the cave, but no one else was there. Just the four of them—Logan, Axel, the stranger, and herself.
"You hear that?" Logan's voice wavered.
Axel didn't answer, but his jaw tightened. He raised his knife, ready to strike at whatever lurked in the dark.
Logan's flashlight wobbled slightly as his hands trembled. Nova squinted, trying to get a better look at the symbols on the wall.
Then, something even more terrifying happened.
One of the symbols moved.
Nova stumbled back. "Oh my god… it's moving!"
Logan quickly aimed the flashlight at it.
And then they saw it.
The symbol shaped like an eye slowly opened. Thick, black liquid seeped out, oozing down the rock like it was bleeding.
The stranger collapsed backward, shaking. "W-we need to get out of here!"
Axel tightened his grip on his knife. "Stay calm. Don't panic."
But Nova couldn't shake off the fear clawing at her chest. "Calm? These drawings are bleeding, and that whispering won't stop!"
Ssshhh…
The whispers intensified, growing louder, multiplying.
Suddenly, Logan clutched his head, groaning in pain. "Agh… shit! The voices—it's in my head!"
Axel grabbed his shoulders. "Logan, fight it! Don't let it take over your mind!"
Nova tried to steady her breath, but her body was tense. The stranger was trembling, looking as if he was reliving a nightmare.
Then, a new sound echoed through the cave.
Crack.
Like something breaking.
Nova turned—and what she saw drained the blood from her face.
At the far end of the cave, shrouded in darkness, something stood.
A creature with the body of a human… but its head was not human at all.
Its face was covered in dozens of blinking eyes, moving in an unnatural rhythm. Where its mouth should have been, there was only a gaping, oozing void, dripping with black ichor.
The creature remained still, unmoving, yet its entire body seemed to pulse, as if something was alive inside it.
Nova stepped back, her voice barely a whisper. "A-Axel…"
Axel turned, and the moment his eyes landed on the creature, his expression hardened.
"Shit…"
Logan was still struggling against the voices, but when he finally saw the creature, pure terror flashed across his face.
"W-we need to get out of here!" he yelled.
The creature didn't move. Just watched them with its countless, shifting eyes.
Then, in a blink—
DUARR!
Logan's flashlight flickered off.
The cave was plunged into complete darkness.
"Logan, turn it back on!" Nova nearly screamed.
A scraping sound filled the air—something moving fast through the cave.
Axel yanked Nova close. "Don't move!" he whispered sharply.
Silence.
Then, slow, heavy breathing.
Right next to them.
Nova could feel it. A presence looming over her, impossibly close. She didn't dare move, didn't even breathe.
Then—Logan managed to turn the flashlight back on.
And when the light returned…
The creature was right in front of them.
Nova's breath caught. Her eyes locked onto the writhing mass of blinking eyes, all staring directly at her. From the gaping void on its face, something emerged—dark, slimy tendrils slithering toward them.
Axel reacted instantly. He swung his knife.
SRET!
His blade struck one of the tendrils, but instead of slicing through, it wrapped around the knife, tightening like a snake.
Axel cursed, yanking his weapon back.
Logan grabbed the stranger and pulled him backward. "Run!"
Nova didn't hesitate. She grabbed Axel's arm and bolted.
They didn't know where they were going, only that they had to escape.
Behind them, the creature let out a shrill, bone-chilling screech and charged after them.
Nova could hear its rapid, unnatural footsteps against the cave floor. It was fast.
"Right!" Axel shouted.
They veered down a narrow tunnel. The walls closed in, the space getting tighter.
Nova's heart pounded. If they didn't find a way out soon, they'd be trapped.
Logan stumbled, nearly falling. Nova grabbed him, dragging him forward.
Then, she saw it.
A small opening up ahead—an exit!
"There!" she pointed.
Axel sprinted toward it. "Move!"
They pushed forward, but then—
The creature grabbed Logan's leg.
"Agh!" Logan screamed.
Nova turned, horror-stricken.
The creature was pulling Logan back into the darkness.
"No!"
Axel acted fast. He lunged and slashed at the tendril wrapped around Logan's leg.
SRET!
The tendril snapped. Logan collapsed forward.
Nova and the stranger grabbed him, dragging him toward the exit.
One by one, they scrambled out.
Axel was the last to emerge. He shoved a massive rock over the entrance, sealing the cave.
THUD!
Silence.
They collapsed onto the ground, panting, drenched in sweat.
From behind the sealed entrance, the creature's distant screech echoed.
Nova clutched her arms, shaking. "What… was that?"
The stranger exhaled shakily, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That's what they tried to hide."
Axel stared at the cave, his expression grim.