Nate and Madison arrived at the spot where Bella had disappeared, the jungle unnervingly quiet around them. The ground bore no immediate signs of disturbance, and they stood there for a few seconds, waiting—half-expecting the earth to pull them in as it had done to Bella and the young man.
But nothing happened.
Nate exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling up. "Stay in front of me," he said to Madison, his tone firm. "I need to keep my eyes on you, and you need to keep your eyes on me. No surprises."
Madison arched an eyebrow. "I could argue that surprises are kind of my specialty, but sure, boss."
Ignoring her quip, Nate knelt and began digging into the ground with his hands. The soil was loose and disturbed, undoubtedly the work of Bella's abilities. As his fingers sank deeper, he felt a cool draft of air, and soon an opening appeared—a dark void that seemed to beckon them into the unknown.
Madison grabbed his arm, her powers flaring. Before he could protest, the world around them shifted violently, his stomach lurching as they were yanked downward into the darkness.
"A warning would be nice next time," Nate muttered as he steadied himself, fighting the nausea that accompanied Madison's rifting ability.
"Noted," Madison replied dryly, though her smirk betrayed her amusement.
Nate lit the torch he had carried, the flickering flame casting eerie shadows across the walls of the underground tunnel. As he raised it to survey their surroundings, his breath caught. The tunnel stretched endlessly ahead, twisting and turning into a labyrinthine maze. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming.
"This… this is insane," Nate whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.
Madison's gaze darted around, her usual confidence replaced by unease. "It's a maze," she said flatly. "How the hell are we supposed to find them in this?"
Nate scanned the walls and floor, searching for any clue, when Madison suddenly grabbed his arm. "Wait," she said, her voice urgent. "Look over there."
He followed her pointing finger, directing his torchlight to where she indicated. On the ground, there were faint marks—fresh, irregular lines cutting through the dirt. Something had been dragged along, and recently.
Nate crouched down to inspect the trail. "This is fresh," he confirmed, his voice grim.
Madison hesitated. "Do you think it's Bella?"
"It could be," Nate admitted. "But it could also be a trap."
Madison frowned, clearly uneasy. "Then what do we do? You're not seriously thinking of following it, are you?"
Nate stood, meeting her gaze. "Trap or not, it's the only lead we've got. Unless you want to wander around this maze aimlessly?"
She sighed, conceding his point. "Fine. But if we get ambushed, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so.'"
"Deal," Nate said, motioning for her to stay close.
They followed the trail cautiously, the atmosphere growing heavier with each step. The air felt damp and thick, the torchlight barely illuminating the oppressive darkness around them. The further they went, the more erratic the marks became, as though whatever—or whoever—had been dragged was struggling harder.
The trail abruptly stopped.
Nate and Madison exchanged a confused glance before looking down. On the ground, the dirt was disturbed, as though a violent struggle had taken place. Claw marks, footprints, and signs of thrashing were all etched into the soil.
Nate knelt to examine the scene more closely, his sharp eyes scanning every detail. Then he spotted it—a small hairband lying among the debris. His chest tightened as he picked it up.
"She was wearing this," he said quietly, holding it up for Madison to see. "She tied her hair back before we left camp. This is hers."
Madison swallowed hard, the weight of the situation settling over her. "Then she fought back. She was here, and she fought back."
"But where is she now?" Nate muttered, standing and looking ahead.
Before them, the tunnel branched into two separate paths, both shrouded in darkness. Bella's trail ended here, leaving them with no indication of which way to go.
Madison groaned, frustration evident in her voice. "Great. Two paths, no idea which one to take. What now?"
Nate stared at the diverging tunnels, his jaw tightening. His mind raced with possibilities, weighing the risks of each choice. One wrong turn could lead them deeper into danger—or worse, further from Bella and everybody else.
For a moment, he said nothing, the silence stretching unbearably.