As the dust settled, Ella found herself on the ground, coughing uncontrollably. Confusion clouded her mind as she tried to comprehend what had just occurred.
Right from the beginning, she had sensed that something was amiss in this place. Having spent years confined within the walls of her family home, she had turned to reading as her primary pastime. Her favorite books delved into the history of vamwolves, and she had developed a deep fascination for them. The cave bore a striking resemblance to the descriptions she had encountered in one of the captivating tales she had immersed herself in.
Centuries ago, a malevolent Vamlord, known as Bludmir, had devised a treacherous pathway filled with cunning traps. His sinister plan was to lead the vams, who were losing a war and being pursued by enemy forces, into the cave where they would meet their demise without any hope of escape.
Unfortunately for Bludmir, he perished before he could put his malevolent creation to the test. The knowledge of how to activate the cave's deadly traps was possessed by the ancient vams, known as the vamsages. Ella's father, a vamsage, held this knowledge, but he staunchly refused to unleash such peril, recognizing the threat it posed to all travelers, whether they were vams, wolves, or humans.
Discovering the truth about the ancient failsafe sent chills down Ella's spine, as she realized that she was now unwittingly placed in a perilous position. Her instincts screamed at her to swiftly find an escape route.
Drawing upon her exceptional memory retention, she delved into her recollections, visualizing the pages of the book as if they were unfolding before her eyes.
According to her research, the treacherous traps commenced at the wanderer's maze. Ella soon discerned that the cave was partitioned by walls that emerged from the ground, forming the intricate maze.
Her only recourse was to trace the path delineated by these walls until she found safety. With just one viable route at her disposal, she embarked on her journey through the maze. To her dismay, she encountered the last person she wished to see at the end of the path – Sara.
Sara, visibly shaken by the recent events, was grappling with the realization that she had inadvertently triggered the unfolding predicament. Refusing to shoulder the blame, she pointed an accusatory finger at the vam.
It fell upon Ella to explain how she had foreseen the perils lurking within the cave. As she pondered her predicament, a sudden footstep behind her jolted her senses.
In the midst of pondering her predicament whiles walking,Ella's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the shadow of a person standing before her.
The singular path through the maze inevitably led Ella and Sara to the same location. Having engaged in a heated altercation moments earlier, it came as no surprise that they regarded each other as potential threats, even in such dire circumstances.
"This is all your fault," Sara spat out, casting blame upon Ella. Unwilling to shoulder the responsibility for the unfolding chaos, Ella retorted, "My fault!!!, this wouldn't have occurred if you had conducted yourself like a civilized person." Sara, never one to tolerate insults, took a step forward, escalating the confrontation. However, her movement triggered another trap, causing the ground beneath her to crumble.
Reacting with lightning speed, Ella propelled Sara to safety on the other side. As Sara regained her footing, she ungratefully warned, "Pray I don't end up on your side." Exhausted and frustrated, Ella remained silent.
When Sara took a step backward, another trap was triggered, causing the ground to give way beneath her, and she plummeted into a deep, dark hole.
Knowing the risk was too great to pursue Sara, Ella stood there, feeling exasperated.
In that moment, just when she thought things couldn't get worse, the wall at her side suddenly broke, and from the cracked hole emerged a beast standing before her with blue gleaming eyes.
It was a creature that resembled a wolf, despite the widely held belief that wolves could not transform during daytime. This unexpected and perplexing sight left Ella grappling with the unsettling question of what exactly stood before her.
Ella, was way too terrified to move upon seeing the beast.She fell down and closed her eyes as it neared her.She heard it coming closer and closer but she never dared to look at it.
Ella found herself frozen in fear as the wall crumbled, and a creature with piercing blue eyes emerged from the shattered hole. It seemed like a wolf, but it was broad daylight, and everyone knew wolves couldn't transform during the day. She braced herself for the worst, closing her eyes as the creature drew near. Just when she expected it to pounce, she felt a reassuring touch on her shoulder.
Opening her eyes in surprise, she saw Jason standing before her. Her mind reeled with confusion. Where had the monster gone, and how did Jason appear out of nowhere? Stumbling over her words, she managed to ask, "Where... is...the..."
Before she could finish, Jason spoke, "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to." Ella couldn't believe her ears. Did Jason just admit to being the monster?
"You were the beast, but how?" she asked, still grappling with the shock of the revelation.
"I can transform at any time of day," Jason replied, his tone surprisingly calm.
The unexpected turn of events left Ella struggling to process the truth about Jason's ability to transform into the fearsome creature.
As Ella looked on in shock, Jason took a sudden step back and triggered a hidden trap. A massive arrow shot forth and impaled his chest, prompting a horrified scream from Ella. Jason, however, surprised everyone by kneeling down and, instead of dropping dead, he astonishingly pulled the arrow out of his chest with seemingly no pain or blood. In a mind-blowing display, his wounds emitted a radiant, blue glow, and in an instant, he was completely healed, leaving no trace of the injury.
Baffled and amazed by Jason's inexplicable abilities, Ella struggled to comprehend how he possessed such incredible powers, unlike anything she had ever seen. She knew that wolves had regenerative abilities, but Jason's rapid and illuminated recovery was beyond anything she had encountered before.
As Jason stood up with a grave expression, he urgently inquired, "Where is Sara?" Ella recounted the events leading to Sara's disappearance, unsure of how Jason would react. To her astonishment, Jason immediately transformed, issuing a low growl as he instructed Ella to climb onto his back before leaping into the dark chasm where Sara had vanished.
Ella voiced her objections, fearing that they might be walking into a deadly trap. What if Sara was already dead, and their reckless pursuit would only lead to their own demise? Disregarding her protests, Jason landed in a tunnel adorned with mysterious symbols, catching a scent of Sara's presence.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing water reached their ears, prompting Jason to swiftly assess the situation. As Ella deciphered the symbols, she realized the impending danger. However, to their horror, they mistook the sound for water when in reality, it was a deluge of corrosive acid hurtling towards them. With no time to spare, they made a frantic dash for safety, the perilous situation escalating beyond their wildest fears.
The duo found themselves in a race against time, navigating through the treacherous tunnel, desperately seeking escape from the imminent threat of the encroaching acid.