The cavern shuddered under Eris's glow. The spirals on the walls blazed like veins of fire, throwing long shadows across the stone. The creatures hissed and recoiled, but they did not retreat. They pressed against the invisible barrier of light, twitching, writhing, waiting for the moment his strength failed.
Eris's knees buckled. His hands shook violently as if every vein in his body carried molten iron. The Heart thundered inside him, too strong, too fast, every beat threatening to split him apart.
Mara rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "Eris, stop! You're burning yourself alive!"
He gritted his teeth, sweat dripping into his eyes. "If I stop… they'll reach us."
The words came ragged, his voice nearly breaking.
Jonas cursed under his breath. "Then we're finished." He raised his rifle again, but Selene snapped, her voice like steel.
"No. There's another way."
All eyes turned to her. She pointed to the far side of the cavern, away from the collapsing archway. The shadows of the wall there shimmered oddly, rippling like water though the stone was solid.
"It's a fracture," Selene said quickly. "I found it years ago, but it only opens when the Heart stirs. It leads deeper, yes—but it leads away from this."
Jonas glared. "Deeper? We'll be burying ourselves alive!"
"Better than dying here," Selene shot back. "You think bullets will save you? You've seen what happens."
Another screech ripped through the cavern. One of the shadow-creatures hurled itself against Eris's barrier, sparks exploding where its form met the light. Eris staggered backward, almost dropping to his knees. His glow flickered.
"They're breaking through!" Liora cried.
Selene didn't hesitate. She shoved Mara and Jonas toward the rippling wall. "That's your choice—follow me or die here."
Mara dragged Eris's arm over her shoulder, half-carrying him despite his protests. His chest still glowed, every heartbeat like a hammer against his ribs.
Jonas cursed again but followed, firing a few hopeless rounds at the shadows. Liora guided Selene, steady but wide-eyed, trusting her instinct that this broken survivor truly knew the path.
The wall shimmered as they reached it, light bending unnaturally. Selene pressed her palm flat against the stone. The carvings flared, spiraling outward in patterns too complex to follow.
The stone melted into liquid darkness.
"Go!" Selene barked.
One by one, they plunged through, the shadows screeching behind them. The sound of claws on stone grew deafening, but as Eris stumbled last through the rift, the barrier snapped shut with a thunderclap, sealing the cavern away.
They collapsed into silence, their breaths ragged. The ground beneath them was solid, but the air felt heavier, colder. Strange lights flickered in the distance, like stars buried underground.
Eris lay gasping, his glow dimming back into his veins. Mara pressed a trembling hand to his chest, feeling the thunder still shaking his heart.
Selene leaned against the wall, exhausted but unyielding. Her voice was low, grave.
"Welcome to the Deep Paths. Few who enter ever leave."