Elaine, stirred by his grave expression, snapped back to her senses. Her eyes widened, following his gaze slowly upward. As she locked eyes with the serpent's cold, unblinking stare fixed on them, her body froze, her complexion draining to an ashen white. She stifled a gasp, clasping her hands over her mouth, barely able to breathe.
Kaires gently clasped Elaine's wrist, applying a subtle pressure, signaling her not to panic. His gaze was calm and resolute, an unspoken attempt to soothe her fear. His thoughts raced—this giant serpent, clearly a long-term "resident" of the cabin, didn't seem inclined to attack without provocation. Yet this delicate balance wouldn't hold for long. The more time passed, the greater the danger became. They had to escape this treacherous cabin swiftly.
"Listen," Kaires whispered, his voice soft as the wind, but his eyes sharp as blades. "We can't alarm it. Move slowly, carefully. Wake Josier first, and then we'll retreat—silently, not a sound." His gaze met Elaine's, and in a silent accord, they both nodded.
Kaires extended his hand, gently shaking the still-slumbering Josier. Groggy and half-awake, Josier rubbed his eyes, mumbling incoherently, "Is it time for dinner…?"
Elaine's expression changed swiftly. She darted her hand to cover Josier's mouth, her other hand pointing to the ceiling. Josier followed her gesture upward, his pupils constricting in an instant. When he saw the massive serpent coiled on the wooden beams above, his face turned deathly pale, a surge of fear gripping his heart.
"A... a huge snake!" Josier gasped, his voice breaking into a terrified cry.
Kaires' heart sank—disaster had struck. The situation spiraled out of control in an instant. The serpent stirred, its massive body shifting, the sound of its scales scraping against the wooden beams unnervingly loud in the stillness. There was no time to lose. Acting on pure instinct, Kaires barked, "Run! Grab Josier and move!"
He seized Josier's wrist as Elaine swiftly followed, and the trio bolted towards the cabin door. Behind them, the serpent's dark figure slithered from the beams with lightning speed, its enormous body moving with terrifying swiftness. Outside, the rain poured in relentless torrents, drenching the ground and engulfing the forest in a murky haze.
They sprinted across the muddy terrain, their footsteps drowned by the unrelenting downpour, but Kaires knew the oppressive weight of the serpent's presence still loomed dangerously close. The serpent's pursuit was relentless, as though it would consume them at any moment.
"Faster!" Kaires urged, his voice tense and low, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any potential refuge or hiding spot.
The rain fell heavier, like a thousand galloping horses, masking the sound of their frantic footsteps. Kaires, Elaine, and Josier raced through the mud-soaked ground, their clothes drenched, but there was no time to worry about that. Behind them, the serpent's hissing grew louder, closing in with terrifying speed.
"There!" Elaine gasped, pointing towards a rocky crevice not far ahead. "We can hide there!"
Without hesitation, Kaires led the two of them into the narrow crevice. Breathless, they huddled in the cramped space, their soaked clothes clinging to their bodies as they shivered from the cold. But at least, for now, they had escaped the serpent.
"My God... what was that?" Josier muttered, trembling.
"Judging by its size... at least 18 to 20 meters long," Kaires exhaled, his voice steadying. "Thankfully, its massive body makes it slower to move, otherwise we might not have escaped its attack."
Elaine whispered anxiously, "Is it still out there?" Her voice quivered with unease, her body growing more rigid in the confined space. Just then, the serpent's shadow passed over the crevice, the ominous sound of its scales scraping the ground sending a chill down their spines. Startled, Elaine lost her balance and collapsed onto the cold, hard ground.
Kaires frowned, his gaze sharp. "We can't just wait this out... Serpents are master hunters; it'll linger near its prey for as long as it takes." His eyes scanned the surroundings, focusing on the dark depths of the cave. "Is there another way out? We need to find an escape route."
"The space here is tight... and it's pitch black..." Josier's voice trembled with tension as she groped around in the darkness, clutching Elaine's hand tightly, as if it were her only lifeline.
Just as Kaires was about to pull out his smartphone and switch on the flashlight, a sudden blur crossed his vision. In an instant, Josier vanished, and a piercing scream echoed through the cave: "Ah—!"
Kaires froze for a moment, then swiftly activated the flashlight, the beam cutting through the suffocating darkness. What he saw made his heart skip a beat—a steep, shadowed slope, hidden in the blackness. Josier and Elaine had tumbled down, their forms swallowed by the gloom.
"Josier! Elaine!" Kaires shouted into the void, his voice taut with worry. "Are you alright?"
A faint response echoed back from the darkness, "We're okay... it's just so dark down here..."
Kaires breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the danger remained. He knew staying put was futile; he had to catch up with them. His eyes hardened, and without hesitation, he leapt forward, sliding swiftly down the slope.
He descended quickly, and before long, his feet touched solid ground, and he steadied himself. The beam of his flashlight swept across the area, illuminating Josier and Elaine sitting on the ground not far off. Though disheveled, they were unhurt. Elaine still looked shaken, while Josier, holding her up, had a faint look of panic in her eyes.
"Are you both alright?" Kaires asked softly as he approached.
Josier wiped the dust from her face and forced a smile. "We're fine, but this place..."
Kaires directed the weak light of his flashlight around the area and suddenly noticed some peculiar protrusions on the wall above. He frowned and said to Josier, "Josier, look up there... are those torches?"
Josier paused for a moment before standing up with Elaine. She cautiously reached out to touch the protrusions. "Yes, they're torches!" she exclaimed in surprise.
Kaires stepped closer, snapped his fingers, and in an instant, a faint current sparked from his fingertips, igniting the torch. A soft glow illuminated the stone walls, dispelling some of the darkness within the tunnel.
"Why would there be torches in a place like this?" Josier asked, her face filled with confusion.
Kaires didn't respond. He merely cast his gaze deeper into the tunnel, lighting several more torches as they advanced. The once narrow passage gradually opened up until they stood before a massive stone wall, carved with strange engravings.
Josier stared at the stone wall, sighing in disappointment. "No way... it's a dead end."
But Elaine's expression grew serious, her eyes lingering on the odd patterns. "This is..." she muttered under her breath.
Sensing something amiss, Kaires asked quietly, "Elaine, what have you noticed?"
Elaine nodded slowly, pointing to the engravings. "These are force seals. I never expected to see such ancient magic here."
"Force seals?" Kaires asked, perplexed. "What does that mean?"
Elaine patiently explained, "The principle of a force seal is that when you attack it, it moves according to the force applied. The greater the force, the more the seal loosens... but breaking it requires an immense impact."
Josier glanced around anxiously. "It looks like this is our only way out. What do we do if we can't break the seal? We'll be trapped here!"
Kaires stood in front of the stone wall, fists trembling slightly, sweat dripping down his temple. He had just unleashed a powerful electric strike, but the wall had barely budged, clearly not enough to break the seal entirely. He could feel the energy within him waning, but he knew there was no turning back.
"One hundred million volts..." he whispered, the flash and power from earlier had rattled the wall, but it had also nearly pushed his body to its limit.
"It moved! The wall moved!" Josier and Elaine shouted in excitement, jumping to their feet.
"Do it again, Kaires! You can do it this time!" Josier urged, her voice filled with hope.
Breathing heavily, Kaires felt his muscles twitching from the strain. He smiled wearily. "That last strike... took a lot out of me..." His voice carried a note of exhaustion, but he knew now was not the time to give up.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his head, his gaze unwavering. "Once more... this time, I'll focus everything," he murmured, his fists crackling as blue arcs of electricity danced between his fingers, emitting a faint sizzling sound.
Kaires steadied his stance, closed his eyes, and summoned every ounce of his willpower. The air around him seemed to still momentarily, and the electricity surrounding him grew fiercer, building in intensity. The flickering torchlight paled in comparison to the force he was gathering, and the ground beneath them began to tremble slightly.
"This time... it has to work," Kaires thought to himself, determination swelling within him. The buildup took longer than before, the electricity inside him surging until every muscle strained under the weight of the energy.
"Prepare yourselves!" Kaires growled, hurling his fists toward the stone wall. This time, the electric current was even more ferocious, blue lightning tearing through the air like a tempest, engulfing the stone wall in a storm of raw power. A deafening roar echoed through the cave, and the wall began to shudder violently, the ground beneath them shaking in response.
With a resounding crash, the wall groaned and finally started to move, shifting aside as the seal shattered, the ancient engravings no longer barring their way.
"We did it!" Josier exclaimed in joy, while Elaine let out a sigh of relief. The two rushed forward to inspect the now-open passage.
Kaires lowered his fists slowly, his breath labored, his body trembling from the exertion. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and forced a smile. "That was close... I almost thought I wouldn't make it."
Elaine approached him, concern evident in her voice. "Are you alright? That was an immense amount of electricity—must've drained you."
Kaires nodded slightly, bracing himself against the wall to steady his steps. "I'll be fine... but we should keep moving. We don't know what else lies ahead."
Josier grabbed a nearby torch, its faint flame casting a dim light on the path before them. The three moved cautiously, their steps silent except for the occasional drip of water from the stone walls.
After what felt like hours, they arrived at a vast chamber. A narrow shaft of light filtered in from above, along with a soft drizzle, casting a hazy glow on an ancient gravestone standing in the center of the chamber.
"Why is there a gravestone here?" Josier whispered in disbelief, her voice tinged with fear. "And sealed away in a place like this... it's eerie."
Elaine raised her head, frowning as she stared at the gravestone, deep in thought. "Let me see what's written on it..." she began, but before she could step closer, a blinding light burst from the gravestone, forcing them to shield their eyes.
"The light... it's too bright!" Josier cried, covering her face.
As the light gradually faded, Kaires' heart clenched with instinctive dread. He immediately stepped back, his voice tense. "Get back! There's something there!"
Startled by his tone, Josier and Elaine retreated quickly, their eyes fixed on the shadow now standing before the gravestone. It was a towering figure, cloaked in darkness.
Kaires knew something was terribly wrong. Without a second thought, he summoned the last of his strength, electricity surging between his fists once more. "One hundred million volts!" he roared, hurling the lethal current toward the shadow, the air crackling with destructive force.
But to their astonishment, the shadow merely raised its right hand, and with a casual wave of its fingers, the deadly lightning vanished, swallowed by the black mist surrounding it as if it had never existed.
Kaires stood frozen, cold sweat trickling down his face as disbelief washed over him. "How... how is that possible..." he muttered, his voice filled with shock.
"Kaires... your power... it had no effect?" Josier's eyes widened in terror, her trembling hand gripping the torch tightly, her expression brimming with unease. "Is it because you exhausted your strength breaking the seal, and now your 'hundred million volts' has lost its potency?"
Elaine, however, kept her gaze locked on the shadow, her voice steady as she analyzed the situation. "No... it's not that Kaires' power has weakened. It's because he absorbed it."
The shadow spoke suddenly, its voice deep and laden with an unseen pressure. "Attacking the moment we meet? Such poor manners," it sneered, its tone laced with contempt as if their actions were nothing more than a childish farce.
The unexpected words sent a shiver down their spines, and the already tense atmosphere grew even more unsettling. None of them had expected the shadow to speak.
"Such a pitiful current... and yet, it managed to break the seal I placed here," the shadow mused, as though speaking to itself. But the gravity of its presence weighed heavily on them, instilling a bone-deep fear. "It seems... time has weakened the seal more than I anticipated."
Kaires blinked, still wary, but seeing that the shadow made no further move, he cautiously asked, "Who... who are you?"
The shadow raised its head slightly, revealing a faint outline of a face, though still shrouded in mist. Yet, its eyes, dark and fathomless as an abyss, stared back at them with a piercing gaze, as if sizing up something insignificant.
"Heh... heh..." A low chuckle escaped the shadow, dripping with mockery. "Insects... you dare to ask who I am?"
His tone grew colder, more scornful, as though Kaires' question was beneath him.
Josier and Elaine exchanged uneasy glances. The power and presence of this shadow far exceeded their expectations. Kaires' full-strength attack had been effortlessly nullified, leaving them with a growing sense of dread.