Max pressed deeper into the labyrinthine structure, his steps echoing in the silence. The dim light from the crystals lining the walls flickered like dying embers, casting jagged shadows that seemed to reach for him.
The Codex of the Waking Depths felt heavier in his bag with each step, as though it carried not just knowledge but a burden of responsibility—and danger. The alien script swirled in his mind, the diagrams burning into his memory despite barely understanding them.
Ahead, the corridor split into two paths. The left descended sharply, a wet, acrid smell wafting from its depths. The right was straighter, the faint glow of symbols pulsing steadily along its walls.
Max hesitated, his instincts battling his curiosity. The left path seemed alive, the air heavy with something predatory. The right felt more inviting, but he couldn't shake the feeling it was a lure.
Which way?
Before he could decide, a faint sound broke the silence. A scraping, rhythmic noise—like nails dragging against stone—echoed from the left path.
Max gripped his flashlight tighter, his pulse quickening. Against his better judgment, he turned toward the sound.
The air grew colder as he descended, and the acrid smell became overpowering, burning his nose and throat. The walls grew slick with a strange, dark substance that shimmered in the faint light.
The scraping sound grew louder, more insistent, until Max reached another cavern. This one was smaller, more claustrophobic, its walls lined with jagged crystals that jutted out like fractured bones.
At the center of the room stood a figure.
Max froze, his breath catching in his throat. The figure was humanoid but impossibly thin, its limbs unnaturally long and its skin a mottled, grayish-black. It stood with its back to him, its head tilted unnaturally to the side.
The scraping sound continued. Max realized with a chill that it was coming from the creature's hands, which were raking slowly across the floor.
"Hello?" Max's voice trembled, the sound barely above a whisper.
The figure stopped.
For a moment, the silence was deafening. Then, slowly, the figure turned to face him.
Its face was a void—a featureless black expanse that seemed to suck in the light around it. Yet Max felt its gaze, heavy and penetrating, as though it saw through his very soul.
The locket around his neck burned against his skin, flaring to life with a brilliant light. The creature recoiled, a guttural, animalistic growl rumbling from its chest.
Max stumbled back, his flashlight shaking in his hand. The creature's form twisted, its limbs elongating unnaturally as it lurched toward him.
Instinct took over. Max turned and ran, the locket's light casting wild shadows as he sprinted back up the corridor.
The growl behind him rose into a shriek, and the scraping sound turned into a rapid clatter as the creature pursued him.
"Why did I go left? Why did I go left?" Max cursed under his breath, his lungs burning as he ran.
The corridor ahead narrowed, the walls closing in as if trying to trap him. He could hear the creature gaining, its shrieks echoing in his ears.
Just as he thought he wouldn't make it, the locket flared again, and a brilliant, golden light erupted from its surface.
The walls trembled, and the creature let out a deafening roar. Max didn't stop to look back as the light seemed to consume the darkness, driving the beast away.