Riley's pulse raced as the Tick-Tock monster shifted, its bony fingers stretching further toward him. The air seemed to thicken with every breath, the scent of rotting earth filling his lungs, and a faint whisper, like the ticking of a clock, began to echo in his ears. His heart thudded in his chest. Panic clawed at the edges of his mind, and without thinking, he turned and sprinted toward the exit.
The shadows in the crypt seemed to elongate, twisting and curling around him like vines. The dim torchlight flickered, casting eerie shapes on the walls as if the cathedral itself was closing in. He ran, his footsteps echoing in the stone chamber, but the exit felt impossibly far. The air was cold, biting at his skin, and the pounding of his feet seemed to match the erratic thumping of his heart.
But then it happened.
'Thud.'
