"Let's move," Alice said, her voice steely.
The team began to step away from the large chamber, their steps hesitant and weighed down by the loss of Lila. The silence that had settled in the room felt oppressive, as if the very walls were mourning the bloodshed.
Just as they reached the threshold of one of the tunnels, a sound stopped them in their tracks.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
Noah froze, every hair on his body standing on end. The sound echoed through the chamber, each step deliberate, heavy, and unnervingly calm.
"Do you hear that?" Ezra whispered, his voice trembling.
"Stay quiet," Alice hissed, her hand tightening around her sword.
The footsteps grew louder, reverberating through the stone walls. They weren't chaotic or rushed like the Aberrations' movements. These steps carried an air of confidence, of calculated purpose.
From the same tunnel where the Aberrations had poured in during the trap, a figure began to emerge.
At first, it was just a shadow, shifting unnaturally in the dim light of their lanterns. Then, as the figure stepped closer, its form became clearer—and with it came a wave of dread that clawed at their very souls.
It was humanoid, but only in the most basic sense. Its elongated limbs were covered in a sickly, pulsating flesh that seemed to writhe with a life of its own. Its face—or what should have been a face—was a grotesque mockery of humanity, with too many eyes, too many teeth, and an unnatural symmetry that hurt to look at. Its torso was riddled with gaping wounds that didn't bleed but instead oozed a black, tar-like substance.
The creature exuded an aura of sheer malevolence. The air around it seemed to shimmer, as if reality itself was struggling to contain its presence.
Alice's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper. "High-level Aberration…"
Noah's HUD flared to life, flashing warnings in bright red text. [Threat Level: Extreme. Survival Probability: 0%.]
"Run," Alice said, her voice barely audible but filled with urgency. "RUN!"
Noah didn't need to be told twice. His legs moved before his mind could process what was happening. He sprinted into the tunnel, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Behind him, he could hear the others scrambling to follow.
The creature's footsteps didn't quicken. They remained steady, methodical, but the sound seemed to grow louder with each passing second.
Ezra, who had been at the back of the group, suddenly screamed. Noah glanced over his shoulder and immediately wished he hadn't.
The creature's arm had stretched unnaturally, its clawed hand wrapping around Ezra's torso. With a sickening crunch, it crushed him like a paper doll, tossing his lifeless body aside as if it were nothing.
"Keep running!" Alice yelled, pushing Mira forward as she struggled to stay with the group.
Noah's heart pounded in his ears. His mind screamed at him to stop, to help, but his body refused. He knew—deep down, in a place he didn't want to acknowledge—that there was nothing he could do.
The tunnel twisted and turned, but the creature followed them with unnerving precision, as if it already knew the layout of the labyrinth.
Another scream echoed behind Noah. This time, it was Mira. She had tripped, her crossbow clattering to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, but the creature was already upon her. Its claws sliced through her, leaving behind only a bloody smear on the stone floor.
"NO!" Dante roared, turning to face the creature. "Go! I'll hold it off!"
"Dante, no!" Alice shouted, but it was too late.
Dante charged at the creature, hammer raised high. For a moment, Noah dared to hope that Dante's strength might slow it down. But the hope was fleeting.
The creature caught Dante's hammer mid-swing, its claws crushing the weapon like brittle wood. It grabbed Dante by the neck, lifting him effortlessly before slamming him into the ground. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the tunnel.
Noah didn't look back again. His lungs burned, his legs felt like they would give out, but he kept running. Alice was right behind him, her breathing labored but steady.
"Keep going!" Alice urged, her voice hoarse.
The tunnel began to widen, the oppressive walls giving way to a larger space. In the distance, Noah saw it—a Rift Node, glowing faintly with the same unstable energy they had seen before.
"There!" he shouted, pointing toward it.
Alice nodded, her face pale but determined. The creature's footsteps were closer now, its presence a constant weight on their backs.
The Rift Node flickered, its energy pulsing erratically. It wasn't just a node—it was a massive tear in reality, its edges frayed and unstable. Whatever lay beyond it was unknown, but in that moment, it didn't matter.
It was their only chance.
Noah and Alice ran toward the node, the sound of the creature's pursuit growing louder with every step.
And behind them, the tunnel collapsed into darkness.
End of chapter 16.