Even the usually fearless Eleanor was stricken with terror, her face pale as she peered from the entrance to the lair, watching the screechers rise.
Before Jack could even think of a plan, the screechers unleashed another shriek, a chorus of high-pitched screams that reverberated through the cavern, amplifying the agony a thousandfold.
Jack screamed out in pain, his hands desperately clutching his ears, but it was futile—his ears bled, crimson streaks running down his neck as the sound tore through his skull.
Eleanor, who had been watching in horror, was not spared from the torment. Her body convulsed with pain as she clutched her ears, her screams mingling with the screechers' cries.
Tears streamed down her face, the agony too much to bear. The torch she held slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground and extinguishing with a soft hiss, plunging her into complete darkness.
