Ellie quickly began closing off the crevice entrance with stones, her hands moving in frantic, yet deliberate, motions. The sound of mobs outside grew louder—groaning, clattering bones, and the unsettling hiss of something unseen. Azad was beside her, panting, his heart racing as the tension mounted.
"That should hold them off for now," Ellie muttered, standing back to inspect her makeshift barricade.
Azad wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice shaking. "You really think that'll keep them out?"
"Better than nothing," she replied sharply. "I'd rather not take my chances with a horde of zombies and skeletons right now."
Azad glanced at the narrow crevice that stretched ahead of them, its walls closing in as if trying to squeeze the life out of them. The air was damp, cool, and heavy with the scent of earth. It was almost claustrophobic, and every sound seemed amplified in the tight space. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, the only noise beyond their ragged breathing and the faint growls outside.
"Great. We're stuck in a crack between rocks, and now what? We just crawl like rats?" Azad asked, his tone edged with frustration.
Ellie shot him a look. "You got a better idea? There are too many of them to fight, so unless you feel like becoming a pincushion for arrows, we're taking the crevice. It's narrow, and they can't follow us easily. Now stop whining and move."
Azad grumbled, "I wasn't whining, just... making an observation." He adjusted his grip on his worn-out pickaxe and followed Ellie, the tight passage forcing them to walk single file. The rock walls scraped against their armor, and every step seemed to echo in the confined space.
As they pressed forward, the path seemed endless, a winding tunnel that felt more like it was closing in with every step. The light from their torches flickered against the stone, casting eerie shadows that danced along the jagged walls.
"How much farther do you think this goes?" Azad asked, his voice bouncing off the rock.
Ellie didn't slow down. "No clue, but it's better than standing still. We just need to find a way out. There's always a way out."
Azad sighed, his nerves fraying. "That's easy for you to say. This place feels like it's going to swallow us whole."
As if on cue, the crevice began to narrow even more. It was barely wide enough for them to slip through now, and Ellie cursed under her breath when the path ended abruptly. In front of them, solid rock blocked their way, and there was no more room to walk.
"Damn it, looks like we'll have to dig our way out," Ellie muttered.
Azad gave her a helpless look. "Mining through solid rock in the dark? What could possibly go wrong?"
Ignoring him, Ellie raised her pickaxe. "Shut up and start digging."
They both set to work, the clinking sound of their pickaxes echoing in the confined space. But as they began to make headway, a rumble sounded from above.
"Wait… that's not good," Azad said, his eyes widening.
Suddenly, gravel started raining down from the ceiling, a thick cloud of dust filling the air as chunks of stone came crashing down around them.
"Move!" Ellie shouted, diving backward as the gravel poured in like an avalanche. Azad scrambled back, narrowly avoiding being buried alive.
Coughing, they managed to stumble away from the collapsing tunnel, their hearts pounding. Dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe, and for a few moments, all they could hear was the sound of gravel settling around them.
Azad wheezed, his voice hoarse. "That was too close. You were saying something about how this plan was better?"
Ellie, still catching her breath, shot him a glare. "Shut up, Azad. Just shut up."
After a tense moment of silence, Ellie spoke again, her voice steadier. "We can't go that way anymore. We'll have to find another route."
Azad groaned, leaning against the wall. "Of course. Nothing can ever be easy, can it?"
They both paused, surveying the now-blocked path. With no other options, they picked a new direction, mining carefully to avoid triggering another collapse. The crevice began to widen slightly, giving them more room to breathe, but the oppressive darkness pressed in from all sides.
After hours of slow, cautious mining, they finally broke through into a smaller cave. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make them both pause in relief.
The new cave was modest compared to the vastness of the one they had left behind. It had rough, uneven walls with veins of coal still embedded in the stone. The air was cooler here, and tiny water droplets clung to the rocks, reflecting the dim light from their torches. A small underground stream ran along the cave's edge, its soft trickle the only sound that broke the silence.
Azad wiped his face, leaving a streak of dirt across his cheek. "Okay, I don't know about you, but this is starting to feel like a nightmare I can't wake up from."
Ellie leaned against the cave wall, catching her breath. "Welcome to reality, Azad. No one said survival was easy."
He gave her a tired look. "You could at least pretend to be a little freaked out."
Ellie smirked, though there was a hint of weariness in her eyes. "Trust me, I'm terrified. But sitting here complaining about it won't get us anywhere."
Azad slumped against the wall, his stomach growling. "You know, between being nearly buried alive and this never-ending darkness, I think I'm starting to miss the surface."
Ellie raised an eyebrow. "You mean the surface where we were getting shot at by skeletons and chased by zombies?"
Azad sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, that surface."
Ellie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Let's rest for a moment. We'll need our strength if we're going to survive."
As they sat in the dim light of their torches, the air felt thick with tension and relief. They had escaped the mobs for now, but the deeper they went, the more perilous their journey became. Yet, somewhere in the shadows of this cave, hidden resources and dangers waited for them to
Now they could only hope that the next step didn't bring more chaos.