As Ortynos clung to Darius's hand with all his strength, the ground convulsed violently, sending sand cascading like a waterfall into the depths of the abyss. Suddenly, a terrifying roar rose from below, and from the heart of the darkness emerged the massive head of a giant sand worm. Its skin was rough as stone, and at the center of its head burned a single enormous eye, glowing a blood-red light—its gaze locked directly onto Darius, hanging helplessly in midair.
Darius (screaming hysterically):
"Why me?! Ortynos, tell it that Pikos has more meat! Let go of my hand and run!"
Pikos (crawling backward in panic):
"Even now you're thinking about my stomach?! By the gods—it's opening its mouth!"
The worm spread its circular jaws, lined with thousands of razor-sharp teeth, and lunged toward Darius. In a split second, Ortynos heaved Darius backward with inhuman strength, flinging him to safety, then drew his sword and drove it into the edge of the pit to anchor himself.
Romilius:
"Don't fight it, Ortynos! No human weapon can harm this beast! Run toward the rocks!"
Nikos:
"To the right! There's an opening in the rock wall—it looks like a tunnel!"
They raced in a desperate sprint against death itself. The worm dragged its colossal body from the ground and slammed the sand with titanic force, sending shockwaves through the earth that made balance nearly impossible.
They burst into the tunnel, chests heaving. The passage was narrow and damp, its walls covered in strange carvings unlike anything from Acadian civilization. For a brief moment, silence fell—broken only by their ragged breathing and the thunderous impact of the worm's body striking the mountain outside.
Pikos (leaning against the wall):
"Is… is it gone? I swear I saw my stomach reflected in its red eye."
Darius:
"It wanted you as the main course, Pikos. I was just the appetizer."
Nikos:
"Enough! We're in a place we don't understand. Romilius—have you seen these markings before?"
Romilius (studying the wall):
"This is an ancient language… it speaks of the Guardians of Balance. This isn't just a tunnel—it's a passage for something far greater."
As they moved cautiously forward, Ortynos stumbled over something glowing faintly in a dark corner. He bent down and picked it up: a blue feather, impossibly soft yet hard as metal, radiating a gentle warmth.
Ortynos:
"Look at this… a feather? But not from any ordinary bird."
Romilius (in awe):
"The color is strange… like a fragment of liquid sky. Keep it, Ortynos. It may be the key to our escape from this hell."
Darius:
"Wonderful. We're being hunted by a worm the size of a ship, and now we have a blue feather. What—are we supposed to fly with it?"
Darius had barely finished speaking when the entire tunnel shook violently. The worm had not retreated—it was burrowing through the mountain, trying to collapse the passage on top of them. Massive rocks began to fall from the ceiling.
Ortynos:
"The tunnel is collapsing! Run for the exit!"
Nikos:
"Hurry! The walls are closing in!"
They ran in blind panic as dust filled their vision. Pikos stumbled and rose again, Darius shoving him forward. The rocks shattered just behind their heels, the noise deafening.
Pikos:
"I see light at the end! The exit is there!"
Romilius:
"Don't stop! Death is right behind you!"
They reached the end of the tunnel and leapt out into open air—only for a greater horror to strike them.
They had not escaped the worm. They had run straight into its trap.
The giant sand worm was coiled entirely around the tunnel's exit, its massive body blocking every path of escape. Its hideous head loomed above them, the red eye blazing with dreadful triumph. Slowly, it opened its mouth, ready to swallow them all in a single bite as they emerged from the passage.
Darius (stammering):
"Well… it seems we're back where we started."
Nikos (readying his spear):
"Prepare yourselves. This is either our end—or our beginning."
Ortynos (tightening his grip on his sword, the feather hidden in his pocket):
"I will not die in a pit… not before I reach Actanus!"
The worm paused for a single moment—then lunged at them with lightning speed.
And in that instant… time itself stopped.