As Emily ventured further into the left tunnel, the temperature dropped sharply. Her flashlight flickered, casting distorted shadows on the walls. The whispering grew louder, more distinct, like a thousand voices speaking in unison.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she rounded a corner and entered another chamber—this one smaller, more intimate. In the center of the room stood a massive stone structure, similar to the altar they had found earlier. But this one was different. It was adorned with strange symbols that pulsed with an eerie, dim light.
Emily approached the structure, her breath catching in her throat. This was it—the heart of the cave. The source of the whispers.
As she drew closer, her vision blurred. The walls seemed to pulse, shifting between reality and something else—another realm, one where the beings Sarah had described dwelled. She could see them now, lurking just beyond the veil of this world. Twisted, malformed entities, their eyes glowing with hunger.
And they were watching her.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the chamber, shaking the ground beneath her feet. The structure began to glow brighter, the symbols blazing with an otherworldly energy. The cave was coming alive, responding to her presence.
Emily's mind raced. She should have listened to Marcus, to Tommy, to Sarah. But now it was too late. The beings were waking up—and they were hungry.