The door sealed behind them with a metallic clang, the sound reverberating through Simon's chest. The three of them sat there for a long moment, backs against the cold stone, gasping for breath.
They had barely made it out.
The monster's roars still echoed from the depths below, muffled by layers of rock and the heavy door between them. Even knowing it couldn't reach them here, Simon could still feel it—like something had marked him, its presence lingering just beyond sight.
Kayla was the first to move, shoving a shaking hand through her hair and muttering a curse under her breath. "This is a nightmare."
"Could be worse," Daniel wheezed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Could be dead."
Kayla shot him a sharp glare. "Not helping."
Simon pulled himself upright, his legs still burning from the climb. "We need to keep moving."
Kayla let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah? Where exactly do you think we're going?"
Simon turned and froze.
The platform they stood on was not a dead end.
It was an overlook—a viewing platform that stretched outward, lined with a low stone railing. Beyond it, stretching as far as the eye could see, was something enormous.
A labyrinth.