The cavern widened, walls pulsing faintly as if alive. Janae's flashlight trembled in her hands, but her heartbeat was steadying. She could feel the tunnel vibrating beneath her feet—and, most importantly, the predator closing in.
Sezzle's voice quivered. "It's… it's getting closer. I can feel it."
Janae's jaw tightened. "Stay close. Whatever's coming, it won't get us if we stick together."
From the darkness ahead, a shadow detached itself, towering and humanoid, eyes glowing like embers. It moved with silent precision, each step deliberate, its malice pressing against Janae's mind.
"Watch out—right behind you!" Janae shouted.
Sezzle spun, nearly tripping, as the creature lunged—but Janae's instincts kicked in. Energy throbbed from her chest into the cavern, and the shadows writhed, recoiling from her presence. A blast of force hurled the creature back, though it didn't disappear—its glowing eyes narrowed, calculating.
Janae gasped. Her power wasn't just a warning; she could repel it. Tingling fingers reached outward, and she drew the fear and anger from the predator, shaping them into a pulse.
"Run!" she urged.
They darted through twisting tunnels, symbols on the walls pulsing in response to Janae's energy. Jagged rocks and shifting floors turned every step into a trap. Ghostly figures flickered in the corners of their vision, mocking them, testing their nerves. But Janae's power guided them, pointing out danger—and where the creature wasn't.
Sezzle stumbled, a strangled yell escaping her throat, but Janae grabbed her, steadying her. "I've got you. Don't fight it."
The shadow followed relentlessly, growls reverberating through the cavern. Janae felt a surge of power in her chest—a mix of fear, adrenaline, and something she didn't fully understand. She pushed it outward in a protective pulse, and the creature screeched, halting, then vanished into the darkness ahead.
Janae dropped to her knees, gasping. "I… I think I controlled it."
Sezzle sank beside her, trembling. "Damn… that… that was insane. You just… scared the hell out of me!"
Janae shook her head, a shiver running down her spine. The power was real—but dangerous. And whatever had followed them from the theater? It wasn't gone. It was waiting.
The tunnel ahead shimmered, revealing a new passage. Faint pulsing light beat like a heartbeat. Janae's senses screamed: this wasn't just deeper—it was something bigger.
She looked at Sezzle. "Ready?"
Sezzle swallowed hard, gripping her arm. "Do we ever have a choice?"
Janae nodded. Together, they stepped forward, leaving temporary safety behind, plunging into darkness that promised even greater horrors.
From somewhere deep in the shadows, the thing that had hunted them from the theater waited, patient, intelligent… and hungrier than ever.