Golden continued to climb deeper into the ventilator shaft, her breaths coming in ragged, shallow gasps.
The monster, which had somehow forced its way into the narrow shaft, followed her with relentless determination. Its guttural growls echoed through the confined space, each sound reverberating against the metal walls. The deafening noise sent waves of terror coursing through Golden, her limbs trembling as she fought to move forward.
Her vision blurred, a mix of exhaustion and fear clouding her senses. Her hands, slick with her own blood, struggled to grip the cold, slippery metal as she pulled herself upward. The sharp, acrid scent of blood mingled with the foul stench of the monster's hot breath wafting up the shaft.
Pain seared through her abdomen with every movement, but she gritted her teeth, forcing herself onward. The shaft stretched endlessly before her, a twisting maze of suffocating darkness and unforgiving steel.
