Amira's ears rang as the white light faded, replaced by a disorienting darkness. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus, but all she could see was shifting shadows and flickering red veins stretching in every direction. The ground beneath her felt unsteady, like she was standing on something alive. Panic clawed at her throat—she couldn't see Alex or the others.
"Luis?" she called out, her voice echoing unnaturally. "Jonah? Alex?!"
Her voice was swallowed by the oppressive blackness. Then, faintly, she heard movement behind her—a low, skittering sound that sent chills racing down her spine. Amira spun around, clutching the staff tightly, its faint blue glow barely illuminating the space around her.
"Hello?" she ventured cautiously, though she wasn't sure she wanted an answer.
A figure stumbled into the light, and her breath caught in relief. It was Luis, covered in dirt and scratches, his hair sticking out in every direction. His face was pale, but his familiar, exasperated expression hadn't changed.
"Okay, this is officially the worst day of my life," he groaned, leaning on his knees to catch his breath. "I fell into… I don't even know what. A shadow pit? A hell dimension? Someone owes me answers and snacks when this is over."
Amira stepped closer to him. "Are you okay? Where's Jonah?"
Luis straightened, looking around nervously. "We got separated. One second, I'm running from shadow tentacles, the next I'm falling through some glowing fissure. I think the fortress collapsed—or something way worse happened."
A low rumble echoed through the space, and both of them froze. The red veins along the walls pulsed ominously, as though responding to their presence.
Luis glanced at the veins, his face contorting with disgust. "Yup. Definitely worse."
Before Amira could reply, she felt a faint tug at the edge of her awareness. It wasn't physical, but something inside her—a connection to the staff, perhaps—pulled her toward the darkness. Her grip tightened instinctively, and she stepped forward, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Amira," Luis hissed, grabbing her arm. "What are you doing? That way looks like it leads straight to… uh, doom. Big doom energy over there."
"It's Alex," she said, her voice soft but resolute. "I can feel him. He's still alive."
Luis hesitated, his expression torn between concern and resignation. "Of course you can feel him. That's very on-brand for you two. Okay, fine, we're going after him—but if this ends with me getting possessed or eaten, I'm haunting you."
She smiled faintly, grateful for his attempt at humor, and the two of them moved deeper into the abyss.
The oppressive atmosphere grew heavier as they walked. The veins along the walls seemed to pulse in time with an unseen heartbeat, and the air grew colder with every step. Amira's thoughts churned as she led the way, the faint pull of the staff guiding her toward something she couldn't yet see.
"What do you think happened to Jonah?" Luis asked, his voice unusually subdued.
Amira hesitated. "He's resourceful. If anyone could survive this, it's him."
Luis nodded, though he didn't look convinced. "I mean, yeah, but still. This place feels like the kind of level in a video game where they don't expect you to make it out alive."
The faintest flicker of movement caught Amira's attention, and she stopped abruptly. "Did you see that?"
Luis froze, his eyes darting around. "See what? Don't tell me there's something else lurking down here."
Before she could respond, the shadows ahead shifted, and a figure emerged. Amira's breath caught—it was Alex. He was stumbling toward them, his movements unsteady, his head bowed. The red glow in his eyes was gone, but his face was pale, and his clothes were torn.
"Alex!" Amira ran to him, the staff's glow brightening as she reached his side. She grabbed his shoulders, relief flooding through her. "You're okay! I thought—"
He cut her off with a faint shake of his head, his voice hoarse. "Amira… you shouldn't be here. It's not safe."
Luis caught up to them, panting. "No kidding, it's not safe. We just walked into the literal belly of the beast, Alex. Speaking of which—what is this place?"
Alex looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and pain. "It's the core of the Veil. The shadow creature—it didn't die. It… pulled us here."
Amira's stomach dropped. "What do you mean it pulled us here? What does it want?"
Alex swayed slightly, and she tightened her grip on him to keep him steady. "It's trying to anchor itself. The fortress was just a shell, but now it's exposed. Vulnerable. If we don't stop it—"
A deafening roar cut him off, the sound reverberating through the space like a physical force. The shadows around them writhed, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. Amira spun around, her heart racing, as the shadow creature began to emerge from the darkness. Its form was even more massive now, its tendrils stretching out to connect with the glowing red veins.
Luis threw his hands in the air. "Of course! Of course it's back and bigger than before! Why wouldn't it be?"
Amira ignored him, her focus on the creature. The staff's glow brightened, and she stepped forward, positioning herself between the monster and Alex. "We have to weaken it again. The staff worked before—maybe it can finish the job."
"Amira, no," Alex said, his voice urgent. "It's too strong now. The Veil is drawing power from this place. If you get too close, it'll consume you."
She turned to him, her expression determined. "Then we'll cut off its power. Luis, you said this place feels like a video game? Well, every boss has a weak spot. We just have to find it."
Luis blinked at her, his expression a mixture of fear and admiration. "You are way too confident for someone holding a glowing stick in the middle of an alien nightmare, but fine. Let's find this thing's weak spot before it eats us."
The shadow creature roared again, and its tendrils lashed out, slamming into the ground with enough force to send cracks splintering through the surface. Amira raised the staff, its light pushing back the darkness as she and the others prepared to face the beast once more.
The battle was far from over.