They ran as if hell itself was at their heels, and perhaps it was.

  The tunnel stretched before them, its walls slick with scarlet moisture that gleamed in the light of the golden buds.

  Riven's lungs burned with each ragged breath, the sound of his heartbeat a furious drumming in his ears that nearly drowned out the scraping noises of the monster gaining behind them. His legs felt leaden and his muscles screamed in protest with each stride, but he pushed onward.

  Lya sprinted ahead of him, her green cape fluttering behind her like a banner, her boots barely seeming to touch the ground. Riven kept pace in the middle. Behind him, Aron brought up the rear, his massive frame forcing him to duck occasionally where the tunnel ceiling dipped low. The giant's footfalls were heavier and slower—making him the natural barrier between them and death.

  Riven's jaw clenched until his teeth ached. At this rate, the creature would eventually overtake them. The question wasn't if, but when.

  The violet border of his Spatial Eyes wavered at the edges of his perception, contracting slightly before he forced it outward again. The effort sent fresh lances of pain through his skull, as if someone were driving nails into his temples. His vision blurred momentarily, the tunnel ahead doubling before snapping back into focus.

  Even with his enhanced senses, he could tell the monster was gaining ground. Its claws scraped against stone in a terrible rhythm, the sound growing louder with each passing second.

  A sudden shift in the air current behind him—his enhanced senses felt it an instant before conscious thought could process the meaning.

  "Down!" he shouted, diving forward without breaking stride.

  Something whipped through the space where his torso had been a moment earlier—a pale, barbed tongue, hard as steel and just as deadly. It retracted with frightening speed before he could even turn to look.

  A second attack followed immediately, this time aimed at Aron. But the giant was ready. His spear shaft swept upward in a broad arc, intercepting the monster's tongue with a sound like metal striking stone. The impact should have sent him staggering, but Aron merely adjusted his stance and continued running, his breathing labored but controlled.

  "It's getting closer," Lya called over her shoulder, voice tight with fear.

  Riven didn't waste breath responding. Every step was a battle now, his body demanding rest while his mind screamed for speed. The tunnel curved ahead, forcing them to slow slightly as they navigated the bend.

  The moment's hesitation cost them.

  The monster surged forward, covering ground with terrifying speed. his field pulsed a warning as the creature's tongue lashed out again, this time sweeping horizontally to catch all three of them in a single strike.

  "Left!" he shouted, throwing himself against the tunnel wall.

  Lya reacted instantly, flattening herself against the opposite side. The barbed tongue shot between them, missing them by inches. It struck Aron's armored shoulder instead, the impact spinning him half around. Somehow, he maintained his footing, pushing off the wall to continue running without losing more than a step.

  They couldn't maintain this pace. Riven knew it with cold certainty. His head throbbed with each heartbeat, the pain intensifying as he struggled to keep his Spatial Eyes active. But without them, they'd have no warning of the creature's attacks, no chance to dodge. And more importantly, no hope of finding an escape route.

  Another curve in the tunnel loomed ahead. Beyond it, his perception grew hazy, the limits of his power evident as his Koras reserves dwindled. He pushed harder, forcing more energy into the field despite the agony it caused. His vision swam, darkness creeping at the edges, but he blinked it away.

  "Faster!" Riven gasped, though he knew they couldn't possibly run any faster.

  The creature's tongue struck again, this time from below. Riven leapt over it. But Aron wasn't so lucky. The tongue caught his ankle, coiling around it like a whip. The giant grunted, swinging his spear down in a vicious arc. The blow severed the end of the tongue, causing the monster to emit a high, keening sound that echoed painfully through the tunnel.

  But the severed appendage was already regenerating, the tissue knitting itself back together even as the creature charged forward, maddened by pain and hunger.

  Riven's vision blurred again, worse this time. The violet border of his field wavered, threatening to collapse entirely. The pain in his skull had become a constant, screaming presence, drowning out almost everything else.

  Don't let go. Not yet. Just a little longer.

  Then, he sensed something different ahead. An anomaly in the ceiling. A vertical shaft, narrow but deep, extending upward beyond the reach of his perception.

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  "There!" he shouted, voice cracking with the effort. "Fifteen meters ahead! In the ceiling!"

  Lya glanced back at him, her eyes wide with desperate hope. She nodded, then turned forward again, somehow finding the strength to increase her pace. Riven matched her, his legs burning with the effort.

  Behind them, the monster sensed their renewed purpose. It surged forward, closing the gap with frightening speed.

  They reached the spot just as Riven's Spatial Eyes gave him one last warning—the creature was preparing to lunge, its powerful haunches coiling for a final, devastating pounce.

  "Up!" he gasped, pointing to where thick, blood-red roots snaked down from the shaft overhead.

  Lya didn't hesitate. She leapt, her hands finding purchase on the lowest root. With surprising agility, she pulled herself up, climbing frantically toward the narrow opening above.

  Riven followed immediately, pushing every last drop of Koras through his exhausted body to enhance his strength. His fingers dug into the roots, heedless of the sharp edges that cut into his skin. He hauled himself upward, the muscles in his arms and shoulders screaming in protest.

  Behind him, Aron grabbed the roots with his massive hands, his golden eyes fixed on the charging monster. The giant climbed with surprising grace despite his size, his feet finding purchase where it seemed impossible.

  Below them, a tremendous crash reverberated through the tunnel as the monster slammed into the wall at full speed, unable to stop its momentum in time. The impact shook loose fragments of stone that rained down on them, dust filling the air in choking clouds.

  They had seconds, nothing more, before the creature recovered.

  "Move!" he gasped, almost lying flat against the shaft wall as he shoved Lya higher with his shoulders.

  Aron joined the push, his massive hands propelling both of them upward. The giant's face was a mask of concentration.

  A scraping sound erupted from below—the monster turning itself around in the narrow tunnel, claws scrabbling against stone as it reoriented toward its escaping prey.

  Riven didn't need to see it to know what was happening.

  The creature's roar echoed up the shaft, so close and sudden that Lya flinched, nearly losing her grip. Riven steadied her with a hand against her lower back, pushing her upward once more.

  "Don't look down," he warned, though he himself couldn't resist a downward glance.

  What he saw made his blood run cold. The monster had reared up on its hind legs, front claws digging into the shaft walls for purchase. Its elongated neck stretched upward, jaws gaping wide to reveal rows of grinding teeth.

  "Climb!" he shouted, desperation edging his voice. "Climb now!"

  They scrambled upward.

  The creature's claws dug deeper into the shaft walls, anchoring it as it pushed its body upward. Its long, barbed tongue shot out, probing the darkness, searching for prey. The appendage missed Aron's boot by inches, slapping wetly against the stone beside him.

  The giant grunted, pulling himself higher with powerful movements. But he was slower than the others, his massive frame requiring more effort to lift.

  "It's coming!" Aron called, his voice remarkably steady despite the danger.

  Riven looked down again just in time to see the creature's jaws snapping shut where Aron's foot had been a moment earlier. The giant had pulled himself up just in time, but the monster was learning, adjusting its attacks with each attempt.

  They wouldn't make it at this rate. The shaft extended at least another dozen meters upward, and the monster was gaining ground with every passing second. Its claws dug into the stone with terrible efficiency, allowing it to climb almost as quickly as they could.

  A desperate idea formed in Riven's mind.

  "Aron!" he shouted. "Smash the walls!"

  A second of confusion crossed the giant's face. Then understanding.

  He braced his feet against opposite sides of the shaft, wedging himself in place with his powerful legs.

  "Bury that bastard and block the path!" Riven shouted.

  Aron's fist connected with the shaft wall in a devastating blow, golden energy flaring around the impact point. Stone cracked and splintered beneath the force, a spiderweb of fractures radiating outward from his knuckles.

  The monster sensed the danger too late. It lunged upward in a final, desperate attempt to reach them, jaws stretching impossibly wide.

  Aron struck again, his foot this time, driving it into the weakened wall with bone-crushing force. The entire section gave way, collapsing inward. Chunks of stone and tangles of roots plummeted downward, directly into the monster's open mouth.

  The creature's scream was cut short as debris filled its throat. It finally lost its grip and fell, taking half the tunnel wall with it.

  The impact when it hit the ground below shook the entire shaft.

  For several long moments, the only sounds were falling rocks and the diminishing thrashing of the trapped creature.

  Then, silence.

  Riven sagged against the wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The adrenaline that had carried him this far began to fade, leaving him trembling with exhaustion. His head throbbed with such intensity that black spots danced at the edges of his vision.

  Above him, Lya had found a small ledge formed where the shaft widened slightly. She lay draped across it, her body awkwardly positioned but stable, her chest heaving with exertion.

  Aron remained wedged between the walls, his legs braced against opposite sides. Sweat poured down his face, and thin wisps of golden steam rose from his skin. His massive hands had dug handholds directly into the stone, creating his own anchors in the shaft wall.

  None of them spoke. The only sounds were their labored breathing, punctuated occasionally by the soft patter of loosened stone falling into the darkness below.

  Riven tilted his head back, looking up through the shaft.

  Above, he caught a glimpse of something that made his heart leap—light. Not the sickly golden glow of the buds, but something brighter, purer. Daylight spilled down into the upper reaches of the shaft, illuminating the path ahead.

  "We need to keep moving," he said finally, his voice rough with exhaustion. "But we can take it slower now."

  The climb that followed was methodical, painful. The roots grew thinner near the top, forcing them to rely more on the irregular surface of the stone walls.

  His fingers were raw, bleeding from countless small cuts where sharp edges had sliced his skin.

  When they finally reached the opening, Riven braced himself against the shaft wall and pushed Lya through first. Her slender form disappeared into the light above, and for a moment, he feared he lacked the strength to follow.

  He heaved himself toward the opening, his strength nearly gone. He slipped, but Lya's fingers locked around his wrists. Her face appeared above, pulling him to safety. He collapsed beside her onto something his exhausted mind couldn't immediately comprehend.

  Grass. Soft, normal grass.

  Aron emerged a moment later, his massive frame barely fitting through the opening. He collapsed beside them, golden eyes squinting against the sudden brightness.

  They had made it. They were on the surface again.