The air grew thicker as he continued running, his breath ragged, his heart thumping like a drumbeat in his ears. The arches of the realm stretched endlessly, curving and bending in strange, unnatural ways that made him second-guess every step he took. His primary hand still refused to obey, the curse of its paralysis gnawing at him, but the dagger, still clutched in his left hand, felt like a distant memory—a thing he could never truly hold again.
The ground beneath his feet trembled. The sound of pursuit grew louder, echoing in the narrow passageways that twisted and turned like a labyrinth.
He didn't dare look back. He couldn't. The air was thick with the sense that something—someone—was out there, watching him. Something that was hunting him.
Then, as he sprinted through a narrow gap between two towering stone pillars, he heard it. A screech, a horrible, guttural sound that scraped against his bones. The ground shifted beneath him as if the earth itself was buckling in agony.
He turned sharply to his left and saw it—it—emerging from the shadows. The creature was enormous, its body covered in scales like blackened stone, jagged horns spiraling out from its skull. Its eyes glowed red, the pupils slits of fire. Its mouth was wide, filled with sharp teeth, dripping with venomous saliva.
It let out another deafening screech, charging at him with an inhuman speed that made his stomach lurch.
His pulse raced, panic surging through his veins. There was no time to think, no time to plan. The dagger in his left hand felt heavier than ever, the grip unsteady as he tried to adjust his stance, but his useless hand was still dragging him down.
His mind screamed at him to move, to run, to do anything to survive. He darted down another twisting corridor, barely dodging the creature's massive claws as they scraped against the stone walls, sending debris flying in every direction.
The creature was relentless, its speed and strength unmatched. Every time he looked over his shoulder, he saw those glowing red eyes getting closer, the screech of its jaws too close for comfort. He could feel the heat of its breath on the back of his neck, a vile stench of sulfur and death.
The ground shook again, and before he could register what was happening, the corridor ahead collapsed. A large slab of stone crashed down, sealing off his escape route. He was trapped.
He whirled around, trying to find an alternative way out, but the creature was closing in.
Desperation clawed at him as he sprinted toward the nearest opening, a darkened archway that loomed at the far end of the corridor.
But he wasn't fast enough.
The beast lunged, its claws slashing through the air. His heart skipped a beat as he dove forward, the creature's claws grazing his leg. Pain shot up his side, but he couldn't afford to stop.
He pushed through the archway, tumbling into the unknown. The world spun around him as he landed hard on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, panic flooding his mind, and then he froze.
Before him stood another altar—an ancient stone structure, its surface carved with symbols he couldn't decipher. The air around it shimmered, charged with an almost palpable energy. He had seen this before. The sense of familiarity, of something he couldn't quite grasp, twisted in his gut.
The creature, still hot on his heels, roared in fury. It charged at him, but as it approached the altar, it stopped—its body jerking as if held by an invisible force.
Then, a voice.
Soft at first, like a whisper against the wind, but then growing louder. Darker.
"You've come far, mortal," the voice purred. "So much sacrifice... for so little."
The creature bellowed, its roar cutting through the air, but it remained frozen just a few feet from the altar. The voice seemed to taunt it, a distant, mocking presence that sent chills down his spine.
"What... what do you want from me?" he gasped, his chest heaving with exertion.
The voice chuckled. "I offer you something, should you choose to kneel."
The creature's growls intensified, but it couldn't move. The pressure in the air thickened, the world around him seeming to warp and distort. His pulse raced. He could feel the power from the altar, seeping into his very bones.
A choice. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach—a choice between the altar, the power it promised, and the creature that would tear him apart if he didn't act fast.
The voice lingered, its words like honey mixed with venom: "All things come with a price. The dagger you cling to, the hope you possess—they are fleeting. But the power you seek? It comes with sacrifice."
He glanced back at the altar, the symbols glowing faintly as the creature strained against the unseen force that bound it.
"I will show you the way forward, but you must decide," the voice continued. "Kneel. Accept what is offered."
Without thinking, he fell to his knees, his gaze still fixed on the altar. The creature's roars grew louder, but it was no longer his concern.
The moment he knelt, something shifted. The ground beneath him trembled, and the altar pulsed with a sickly light.
Then, the voice spoke once more: "You may have your way out... but only if you are willing to leave everything behind."
And with that, the altar's glow intensified, a brilliant light swallowing everything around him as the creature's roars faded into nothingness.
End of Chapter.