The left path narrowed, the walls closing in around them.
Fred's breath grew shallow.
The air was damp, heavy with the stench of decay.
Clara squeezed his hand tighter.
"It's too quiet," she whispered. "It's waiting."
Fred nodded grimly.
He could feel it, too—the oppressive weight of something lurking just out of sight.
Suddenly, the growl rumbled from the darkness—louder, more menacing than before.
Fred's heart skipped a beat.
"It's too close," Clara said, panic creeping into her voice.
Fred didn't answer.
He was already moving faster.
---
The passage twisted further into the dark, its curves impossible to navigate in the dense gloom.
Fred's instincts screamed.
There was something wrong with the tunnel itself.
The walls were too smooth, the ground uneven, and the air—thick with the sting of something sour and metallic.
Clara's voice trembled.
"Fred, this isn't just a tunnel. It's a trap."
Fred didn't look back.
He kept walking, feeling the pressure closing in.
"It's too late to turn back," he muttered.
Another growl.
This time, much closer.
A hot, rancid breath brushed against his neck.
Fred spun around, knife raised.
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
But the sound of claws scraping against stone was undeniable. The creature was here.
---
Without warning, a shape lunged from the shadows—fast, too fast.
Fred barely had time to react as claws slashed at his arm.
Pain exploded across his skin.
He staggered back, clutching his bleeding arm.
Clara screamed.
The creature was upon them.
Its form was a blur—a shadow wrapped in darkness, with eyes that burned like fire.
Fred struck out blindly, but the creature was faster.
It snatched the knife from his hand, tossing it aside as if it were nothing.
Clara shoved herself forward, throwing herself against the beast in an attempt to pull it away from Fred.
"Clara, no!" Fred shouted, his voice hoarse.
---
But Clara didn't stop.
The creature howled in fury as she kicked at it, trying to dislodge its claws from Fred's throat.
It screeched as it slashed at her, sending her flying back against the wall.
Fred's world tilted.
His heart pounded.
Clara's blood spilled across the ground.
He couldn't move.
Then, in the distance, Fred heard something—footsteps, rushing from behind.
It was another person.
"Clara!" Fred screamed again, but his voice cracked.
---
A silhouette appeared from the shadows.
A figure, tall and lithe, with a hood that hid their face.
They rushed forward, their footsteps lightning fast.
Before Fred could even react, they were already upon the creature.
A dagger flashed through the air—faster than anything Fred could have imagined.
The creature screeched one final time, a howl of pure agony, before it crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Fred's mind reeled.
The figure had killed it in an instant.
The stranger turned to face him, revealing piercing blue eyes—eyes filled with secrets.
"Are you Fred?" the figure asked in a low voice.
---
Fred barely registered the question.
His body was still numb, his gaze locked on Clara.
Her blood pooled around her.
"Clara…" he whispered, kneeling beside her, trying to stop the bleeding with his hands.
"Clara, wake up. Please."
The figure watched, impassive.
After a long silence, they spoke again.
"I can save her."
Fred's head snapped up.
The figure's eyes met his, unwavering.
"I can save her," they repeated, this time with more certainty.
Fred swallowed, shaking.
His heart raced.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
The figure hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a voice that was both soft and commanding.
"I am someone who can offer you the help you need."
---
The air around Fred thickened as the figure stepped closer, their presence overwhelming.
"What do you want?" Fred asked, his voice trembling with desperation.
The figure smiled faintly, their eyes darkening.
"Nothing for now," they said, their words sending a chill down Fred's spine.
"But when the time comes, you'll know where to find me."
Fred didn't have time to question their words.
Clara's breath was shallow.
The blood still flowed from her wound.
The figure kneeled beside them, pulling out a vial from within their cloak.
It was filled with an iridescent liquid.
Without asking, they poured it onto Clara's wounds.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, Clara's breathing deepened.
Fred's heart nearly stopped.
Was it working?
---
Clara stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open.
She gasped, struggling to sit up.
"What happened?" she whispered, looking around in confusion.
Fred let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"You're alive," he said, voice thick with emotion.
But the figure didn't move.
They simply stood, watching the reunion without a word.
---
As Clara gathered herself, Fred turned to thank the stranger—but when he looked back, the figure was gone.
Vanished.
He didn't hear footsteps.
He didn't see the figure leave.
It was as though they had never been there at all.
---