Alex woke up in the cave, the memory of the horrific experience still fresh in his mind. The artifact they had been sent to retrieve lay nearby, but the reality of what had happened overshadowed everything. His friends were gone, their absence a cruel reminder of the curse he now bore.
Alex: "I need to get out of here. I need to figure out what to do next."
With the artifact in hand and the weight of the curse on his shoulders, Alex began his journey back through the cave. His mind raced with thoughts of his friends and the new reality he had been thrust into.