Liam's P.O.V.
I didn't even hesitate.
The instant Mai's back was turned, I took off. My heart pounded in sync with my footsteps, the rough terrain threatening to trip me with every frantic step. Every fiber of my being screamed one thing—run. The cave's exit loomed ahead, an open maw of darkness promising freedom.
I lunged forward—
And crashed into something.
Something solid.
Something unmovable.
It was like slamming into an invisible barrier. The shock rippled through me, rattling my bones as I stumbled backward, my breath hitching.
I reached out, fingers trembling, skimming over what should have been empty space—but it wasn't. Something was there. Something I couldn't see.
"What the—?" My hands flattened against it, pressing hard.
Nothing.
No movement. No cracks. No way through.
Just an unseen force, cold and hard, sealing me inside.
A slow clap echoed behind me.
