They had been running for what felt like forever, yet the exit remained nowhere in sight. The forest thickened, shadows swallowing the fading light as panic crept in. It was clear—they'd gone the wrong way. Again.
Zee doubled over, gasping for breath, her heartbeat thudding like war drums in her ears. Just as she looked up, she froze. A dark figure emerged from the distance, moving fast—too fast.
Her scream tore through the silence as she stumbled backward, her foot catching on a jagged rock. She hit the ground hard. Maxwell rushed to her side, yanking her up just in time. But before they could bolt again, he paused, eyes narrowing.
The shadow was no longer alone.
Two figures appeared through the gloom—Starr and Tari—dragging someone between them. A boy. His clothes were torn, his face bloodied and pale, barely conscious. Zee's knees nearly gave out from the sheer relief of seeing familiar faces.
But Maxwell wasn't convinced.
"Who the hell is that?" he asked, eyes flicking to the injured figure. "Didn't they say this thing can shapeshift?"
His voice was low, edged with suspicion.
"What if—
"Don't," Starr snapped, cutting him off mid-thought. "Relax. This is Anderson. From our class. You don't recognize him?"
Maxwell squinted. "Oh… Anderson," he muttered, but his tone said otherwise. He clearly didn't remember him—and that only made it worse.
The injured boy groaned faintly, but didn't speak.
"But what is he doing here? And what happened to him?" Zee asked, her voice trembling slightly as she eyed the unconscious figure.
Starr shrugged, breathless. "I don't know… I just found him. He was lying under a slab of broken stone—barely moving. We couldn't leave him."
She hesitated, then leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
*"I don't think we're alone in here."*
Zee's eyes widened. "Yeah, I know. I saw it… whatever *it* is. And it's hideous," she said, her tone dramatic but laced with real fear.
"No, no," Starr said quickly, grabbing Zee's arm. "I mean *other* people. Not that thing. Real people. Humans. I think there are more of us trapped here—wait..."
Her eyes narrowed as realization struck.
*"Did you just say you *saw* it?"*
Zee nodded slowly, her face pale. "Yeah. It was watching us… and then it laughed. Like a freaking possessed owl—or a hyena with rabies, I don't know. It sounded insane."
She shivered. "We need to get out of here, now."
Max's voice cracked as he stepped closer. "We don't even know where *here* is… How do we get out?" he said, desperate.
"There has to be a way."
Zee turned, pointing to a barely visible shadow in the corner of the cave. "That passage," she said. "That dark alley—it's the only way I can see."
Max squinted into the darkness, a cold chill crawling down his spine. "And how do you know that's the only way?" he asked. "There could be another exit. Look—over there…"
But even as he spoke, a low, unnatural sound echoed from deeper within the cave. A growl—or a laugh. Or something in between.
Whatever it was… it was getting closer.
Max pointed into the shadows. "There—stairs. If we climb, we might find another opening."
His voice was hopeful, but the doubt behind it was loud.
Everyone turned toward the direction he pointed. The staircase was barely visible, crooked and worn—wooden steps bent like they hadn't held weight in decades. It looked like it could collapse with a single touch.
Still, it was a chance.
No one moved. Fear rooted them in place—until someone shoved Tari forward.
Startled, he stumbled, catching himself before hitting the first step. He looked back, panicked. But there was no time to argue. Gritting his teeth, he started up slowly, each step creaking beneath him. The air grew colder the higher he went.
Behind him, Starr rounded on Zee.
"What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "Why would you push someone like that? What if he falls? What if something *gets* him?"
Zee, unbothered, shrugged. "We're all going to die anyway," she said flatly. "Might as well let him go first."
"Zee," Max snapped, eyes narrowed.
Even Starr went silent, shocked.
"That's twisted," Max said. "And for the record—we're trying to *survive*. That's why we're looking for a way out, remember?"
Zee rolled her eyes. "Relax. I've heard you all. Just survival instinct, okay? It won't happen again."
As they argued, the sound still echoed from below—soft, guttural. Something... laughing. Or breathing.
Just as they prepared to ascend the staircase, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the air.
Tari came barreling back down, wild-eyed, his voice raw as he shouted, "RUN!"
He looked like he'd seen death itself—his face pale, body trembling.
Behind him, a strange *green fog* slithered through the air, glowing faintly, pulsing with something… unnatural.
Starr froze. Her eyes locked on the fog, widening in horror.
"Run!" she screamed.
Zee didn't hesitate. She *stepped over Anderson's broken body* without a second glance and bolted, leaving Starr behind, still struggling to lift him.
Max saw it—hesitated—then rushed back to help.
Together, he and Starr hoisted Anderson up. There was no time to think, no time to argue. With the fog creeping closer, they sprinted toward the only path left—the dark corner of the cave.
It was pitch black. An abyss. But fear drove them forward.
*This wasn't about choice anymore. It was survival.*
Behind them, the air thickened with a strange, metallic scent. The fog hissed, almost like it was alive.
*Unbeknownst to them*, hidden just beyond the smoke, the creature with no face tilted its head and smiled.
A mouthless, skinless grin.
It had known they would choose the alley. It always knew.
And now… they were exactly where it wanted them.