Episode 52 – Awakening

  The cavern shook. A low rumble thrummed beneath their feet, as though the entire world beneath them was waking up. The ancient stone walls groaned in protest, and the black veins pulsed brighter, more erratically, as if feeding off something deep below.

  Kade’s eyes darted around the room, his heart hammering in his chest. The whispers had stopped, but the sound of the earth shifting was louder now—closer.

  “We need to move,” Naomi said, her voice low but urgent. She was already scanning the perimeter, her rifle gripped tight in both hands. “Now.”

  Mason didn’t wait for Kade’s order. He moved forward, instinctively taking the lead toward the dark structure ahead. But something in the air felt wrong—too wrong to ignore. Kade could almost feel the weight of it pressing down on his chest, like the entire cavern was suffocating them.

  “Stay close,” Kade said, his voice tight. “Don’t get separated.”

  Naomi fell into step beside him, and Owen, still pale but more determined than before, followed behind them. The ground beneath them continued to tremble with a steady, rhythmic pulse—too regular, too calculated.

  They were getting closer to the structure. The closer they got, the more the air itself seemed to hum with energy. The stone walls surrounding them became smoother, almost slick, as if carved by hands that weren’t human. A black, sticky substance clung to the edges, and in the dim glow, it looked almost like veins of some kind of ancient blood running through the stone.

  The structure before them was colossal—an obelisk-like tower, its surface covered in the same dark growths that lined the walls. It was impossible to tell how high it reached into the cavern, as the darkness above obscured its peak. But Kade could feel its presence—almost like it was watching them.

  “How is this even possible?” Owen whispered, voice barely audible.

  Kade didn’t have an answer. He wasn’t sure any of them did. But they had come this far. There was no turning back now.

  As they reached the base of the monolith, Kade paused. His hand twitched towards his sidearm, though he wasn’t sure why. There was something in the air—a subtle change, a shift that he couldn’t explain. Something was about to happen.

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  Mason stepped forward, his footfall echoing against the stone floor. He reached out to touch the surface of the obelisk.

  “Don’t,” Kade said quickly, his voice sharp.

  But it was too late.

  The moment Mason’s fingers brushed against the stone, the ground beneath them shuddered violently. The rumbling intensified, and the black veins running through the structure flared to life, glowing a sickly red. The air grew warmer, heavier, as if the entire cavern had suddenly come alive.

  A low, guttural hum resonated from deep within the monolith, and Kade felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was as if the structure was responding to Mason’s touch, like it had been waiting for it.

  “Owen, what’s happening?” Kade demanded, eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.

  Owen was frantically tapping his tablet, trying to make sense of the readings. “I don’t know,” he said, voice trembling. “The energy readings—this is—this is something else.”

  Suddenly, the wall in front of them cracked. A jagged line spread across the surface, splitting open like a wound. The black veins twisted and churned as though something was pushing its way through from the inside.

  “Get back!” Kade shouted, already pulling Naomi toward him.

  But it was too late.

  With a deafening crack, the monolith split apart, and something huge and dark poured out from within it. The creature that emerged was indescribable—a mass of black tendrils, eyes that flickered like dying stars, and a form that seemed to shift and warp as it moved, as if it existed in multiple dimensions at once.

  The ground beneath their feet buckled again, throwing them off balance. Kade stumbled, but he didn’t stop. He grabbed Naomi’s arm and pulled her toward cover as the creature’s twisted form loomed above them.

  Owen screamed in terror as the creature’s many eyes turned toward them, a chorus of otherworldly voices emerging from its depths. The sound was deafening, like a thousand screams layered over each other.

  Then, in a sudden burst of clarity, Kade realized something.

  The creature wasn’t attacking them—not yet. It was watching them. Studying them.

  “What the hell is that?” Naomi gasped, her rifle aimed at the creature, but her hands were shaking too badly to steady the weapon.

  “I don’t know,” Kade said through gritted teeth. He tried to keep his voice steady, but the truth was, he didn’t have any answers. “Whatever it is, it’s connected to this place. And it’s not happy we’re here.”

  The creature’s tendrils writhed, reacting to their presence. It seemed to sense something in the air—something that Kade couldn’t quite grasp, but he could feel it pulling at his mind, tugging at the edges of his thoughts.

  It was trying to communicate. But how?

  Before Kade could even begin to process that, the ground beneath them shook again. The creature moved—faster than Kade could follow. One of its tendrils shot forward, wrapping around Mason’s leg before he had a chance to react.

  “Mason!” Kade shouted, his hand reaching for his weapon.

  But Naomi was already on it. She fired a shot, and the creature’s tendril recoiled, but it didn’t release Mason. Instead, it dragged him toward the monolith with terrifying speed.

  “Mason!” Owen shouted, reaching for his friend, but he was too far away.

  Kade’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew they didn’t have much time. If they didn’t act fast, Mason would be lost—pulled into the depths of whatever this thing was.

  “Move!” Kade barked. “We can’t just stand here!”

  Naomi didn’t hesitate. She dropped her rifle, unslinging a small explosive charge from her pack. “I’ll create a diversion,” she said, her voice calm despite the chaos. “You two get Mason.”

  Kade nodded, his mind already working in overdrive. They didn’t have many options, but Naomi’s plan was as good as any.

  “Be quick,” Kade said, turning toward Owen. “We don’t have long.”

  Naomi sprinted toward the creature, hurling the explosive charge toward its mass of writhing tendrils. The blast was deafening, and for a moment, the creature recoiled, releasing Mason from its grip.

  But the explosion didn’t stop it. It only made it angrier.

  Kade and Owen sprinted toward Mason, and just as they reached him, the ground gave way once more. This time, the tunnel they were standing in collapsed entirely, sending them all tumbling down into a deeper, darker abyss.

  End of Episode 52.