Kael stretched his arms wide, a deep groan escaping him as he flopped backward onto the bed.
"That's it for me. Eat, sleep—perfect way to end the day."
Max rubbed his eyes, swaying slightly where he stood. His breath slowed, heavy and steady.
"Yeah… I'm suddenly getting really tired."
Ash yawned.
Then his body went still. A cold unease snaked down his spine. His fingers curled into fists, nails biting into his palm.
'This is too sudden. Something's wrong,' he thought.
His gaze flicked to the others.
"Guys… don't you think it's weird that we're all feeling this at the same time?"
Max's half-lidded eyes snapped open. A sharp intake of breath. His fingers twitched, dragging his hand to his ear.
"Scan body."
The mechanical voice hummed to life, too calm for the panic crawling through Ash's veins.
"[Body scan complete. You have been poisoned by a potent sleeping herb. Removal is impossible—body suit inactive.]"
Max's muscles locked. His knees buckled beneath him, the weight dragging him toward the floor. He cursed, his body struggling against the thick, invisible chains wrapping around him.
"Damn it… We've been poisoned."
Kael blinked slowly, the room tilting in and out of focus.
"Huh."
His head rolled, eyes unfocused. He parted his lips, but his next words never came.
Ash clenched his jaw. His pulse hammered in his skull, every thud a sharp reminder that he was losing control.
"I knew they couldn't be trusted."
His legs dragged with each step he tried to take. His body felt like it wasn't his anymore.
"But nooo, you guys didn't wanna listen."
His voice cut through the haze, but his own body betrayed him. The room spun. Each breath grew heavier, suffocating him little by little.
Max's fists clenched, trembling at his sides. His body seemed to fight against him.
"We've only got a few minutes before it fully kicks in."
His vision blurred, everything around him warping. He looked toward Ash, desperation creeping through the fog.
"I don't know if it'll work… but right now, we need that."
Ash's thoughts were sluggish, like trying to catch a falling star in a storm. His body swayed on the edge of collapse.
"Need what?"
The words slipped from his mouth softer than he intended. His control was slipping away, his awareness waning.
————
The inn's wooden door groaned open, its hinges straining as they shifted. A man stepped inside, the weight of his boots echoing through the room. His gaze swept over the unconscious figures spread across the floor. A slow smirk tugged at his lips.
"Good. They're out."
Another figure followed, shoulders drawn tight. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his breath a shallow whisper.
"Are we really doing this?" His voice barely rose above the flickering lantern light.
The first man's eyes flickered. A shadow passed across his face.
"Yes. Unless you want to send your own kid down there instead."
A thick silence settled between them. Then, the second man gave a reluctant nod, his head lowering.
"No choice, then."
The footsteps that followed seemed to multiply, heavier, more deliberate. Three men emerged from the dimness, their forms cutting through the weak light. One, a hulking figure with arms like slabs of stone, crossed them over his chest. He studied the trio lying still on the floor.
"They'll do," he muttered, his voice low, almost guttural.
Without a second thought, he reached down and hoisted Kael's limp body onto his shoulder, as if he weighed nothing.
The others moved with practiced efficiency. Max's body went slack over one man's back, his head lolling to one side. Ash's form was lifted next, his limbs hanging like dead weight as they moved through the inn.
Through the narrow hallways, down a winding corridor, they reached a stone wall. One of the men pressed his palm flat against the surface. The wall rumbled, grinding against the floor before shifting aside with a heavy, stone-on-stone sound, revealing a passageway that led deeper into the earth.
The air grew cold with every step they took. Moisture hung thick in the air, clinging to the rough walls as the wooden beams overhead creaked under the weight of the settlement above. Crystals embedded in the rock pulsed with a faint, sickly light, their glow casting shifting, jagged shadows that seemed to move of their own accord.
Ash's eyelids fluttered. His body felt as though it were sinking, weighed down by invisible chains. His mind fought to claw its way to consciousness, but it was slow—distant, like trying to grasp at something just beyond reach. Colors bled together, his vision a blur of shapes and shadows.
'Where the hell are they taking us?'
Then, beyond the wavering haze, it came into view.
A door.
It loomed at the end of the tunnel, massive and uneven, as if it had been thrown together in haste. Layers of stone and rusted metal reinforced its surface, but the cracks were still visible. Thick chains hung from its frame, some snapped, others twisted, barely holding together.
A deep vibration rippled beneath them, not like the shifting of earth, but slower, deliberate. Something alive. Something breathing.
The door groaned as it creaked open.
Standing in the doorway, Old Man Mark watched them, his face as unreadable as the darkness beyond him.
But behind him…
A hole.
It stretched into nothingness, an endless void that seemed to swallow all light. The walls around it were unnaturally smooth, their surfaces gleaming faintly under the sickly glow of the crystals. Something had carved through the stone here, leaving nothing but cold, perfect lines.
The air pulsed, thick with more than just dampness. It felt alive, a presence in the shadows, pressing in from all sides.
Ash's breath hitched, his stomach twisting in protest. He didn't need to see it to know. Something waited down there.
Old Man Mark stood at the edge, his face unreadable.
"Good," he muttered.
"Just in time. It was about to wake."
One of the men shifted, tightening his grip on Max.
"How long will three of them last?"
Mark's gaze lingered on the pit.
"Three weeks. Maybe less. The thing feeds when it wants."
A long pause filled the space. Then a slow nod.
"Let's start."
Mark lifted a hand, pointing at Kael.
"The one with the red stripe. First."
Ash's heart skipped a beat.
'Kael.'
The man holding Kael hesitated, his arms tightening around the unconscious boy. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, guilt flashed across his face.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, lost in the rumble rising from the pit.
"But if it's not you… it's my son."
Without another word, he stepped forward, lifting Kael over the edge.
Then, he let go.
The earth trembled.
A deep, guttural noise rumbled from below, a vibration that clawed its way up through the stone and into Ash's bones. Dust rained from the ceiling. The chains rattled, shaking like restless ghosts.
The man holding Max took a step forward.
Ash's pulse roared in his ears. His body still felt sluggish, but his mind sharpened, cutting through the haze.
'Kael is strong. But not like this. If he wakes up too late—'
His body moved before his thoughts could catch up.
A sharp twist. Elbow snapping backward. The man holding him staggered. Ash wrenched himself free, feet slamming against the stone floor. His legs wobbled, exhaustion weighing him down like chains, but he stood.
Mark's eyes flashed.
"He's still awake—throw him in!"
Ash turned, locking eyes with him. His voice, low and steady, cut through the tension.
"You better pray I don't come back alive."
His fingers curled into fists.
"And if anyone touches my brother—"
His gaze darkened, flames smoldering in his eyes.
"I'll make sure you regret it."
For the first time, Mark hesitated.
Ash didn't.
His eyes flicked to Max.
Then, without a second glance—
He jumped into the hole.