Marcus and Sarah burst into the chamber at full speed, their hearts pounding in their chests. But as they entered, they skidded to a stop, horrified by the scene in front of them. Emily stood frozen, facing a creature that defied explanation. The thing was barely human, its flesh writhing like it was being pulled apart from the inside.
"Emily!" Marcus shouted, but she didn't respond. She was paralyzed with fear, her eyes wide and unblinking.
The creature turned toward Marcus and Sarah, its mouth stretching into a horrible, twisted grin. "You're all part of it now," it rasped, its voice dripping with malice.
Marcus grabbed a nearby rock, his mind frantic with desperation. He hurled it at the creature, but it passed right through its grotesque body, hitting the cave wall behind it with a dull thud.
"What are you?" Marcus demanded, his voice shaking.
The creature's grin widened. "We are what was and what will be. We hunger, and we feed."
Emily finally seemed to snap out of her daze. She stumbled backward, her voice shaking. "We... we can't fight it. We have to leave."
But as the three of them backed toward the tunnel, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble again. The walls of the cave seemed to close in, the pulsating rhythm growing faster, more insistent.
"There's no escape," the creature hissed, advancing on them slowly, deliberately. "You are already part of us."