Minutes stretch like hours as they sprint at full speed. The exit still lies far beyond reach, and there's no room to slow down. Let alone rest.

  If only they could float like Cocoa.

  The predators are hot on their heels now. Finn glances back and sees them gaining. They're the same kind as the solitary one from earlier, which means that the first predator was only bait. It’s a trap to lure them in.

  How many others have fallen for this? Someone hears the cry of a lost boy, follows it deep into the cave, and never returns; ambushed and devoured by a pack lying in wait.

  To slow their pursuit, Finn summons a wall of twigs to block the tunnel. But the predators leap over it before the branches can weave fully shut, or simply rip through the barricade with fangs and claws, tearing it apart with overwhelming numbers.

  He fires off a barrage of spells: fireballs, wind arrows, more thorny barriers, but they’re quick, darting away from the blasts. If one falls, another surges forward to take its place.

  “Don’t look back!” Finn shouts, throwing a flash spell behind them.

  A shriek echoes through the tunnel. Several predators collapse, their pursuit faltering.

  Living in the dark has made their eyes sensitive to sudden light. It buys them a sliver of time, but not enough. More predators pour in from different directions, emerging from side tunnels and shadows to join the chase.

  “It’s never-ending!” Finn yells, casting another flash behind him.

  “Watch out!” Risa grabs his arm and yanks him backwards just in time. More predators lunge from the front.

  They’re surrounded.

  Trapped in the heart of the pack, nowhere left to run.

  The predators pause, circling them, claws scraping against the ground. A breath away from striking.

  Finn steps in front of Risa, shielding her with his body. “I’ll burn a path. Shield yourself and Cocoa with a water barrier. And the moment you see an opening, run.”

  “Got it. I’m ready.”

  He conjures a blaze unlike anything a typical Disciple could manage. Flames roil across the cave, roaring through the air. The front line of predators shrieks in agony as the fire scorches them, forcing the crowd to scatter. Amidst the chaos, a narrow path clears.

  “Now!” Finn urges.

  Risa cloaks herself and Cocoa in water and dashes through the opening. She glances back, expecting Finn behind her—but he hasn’t moved.

  He overexerts his body. Finn clutches his mouth. Blood trickles between his fingers.

  “Finn!” she calls again and again, heart racing.

  “Just go! I’ll manage!” He lowers his hand, waving her forward.

  “No! We’re leaving together!” she shouts and turns back, but a predator slams into her, knocking her down.

  “You’re not helping me by staying here!”

  “I—I’ll run ahead and bring help!” It tears at her to leave, but she knows he’s right.

  She turns to run, then freezes.

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  A predator in front of her is suddenly pierced through by a small, bloodied hand.

  Nyx.

  Hand slick with predator blood, the boy walks towards her. “Risa?”

  “Nyx!” she gasps. “Go help Finn! He’s still in there!” She points behind her.

  But Nyx hesitates. “Finn… where?”

  “What—wait, your eyes!” Risa catches a glimpse of his face. His eyes have changed—the blackness receded, revealing the white.

  But… his eyes cannot focus.

  “You can’t see?” she realises. “We’ll talk about this later. Grab my hand—I’ll lead you. Attack when I say!”

  She pulls Nyx into the fray, guiding him through the chaos. “Left! Front!” she shouts, and he slices through oncoming predators with eerie precision and domineering force.

  They finally reach Finn. He’s on the brink of collapse, blood at the corners of his mouth.

  “Risa… Nyx?”

  “No time. Nyx’ll clear the way—we’re getting out together,” Risa says, lifting Finn’s arm over her shoulder.

  “Behind you!” Finn shouts.

  A predator strikes Nyx’s head with full force. Too late to stop it.

  Blood pours from the wound, but Nyx doesn’t flinch. Unfazed, he turns and drives his hand through its chest.

  “Nyx, are you—” Risa’s words falter.

  Dark mist curls around the wound. Within seconds, it seals completely.

  Relief crashes over them. Nyx is still absurdly strong, even in this form and condition.

  She supports Finn with all her strength. “Nyx! Watch our rear—we’ll handle the front!”

  “He can’t see?” Finn murmurs.

  “Yeah. We’ll take the lead.”

  The predators, recovering from the earlier fire, now roar with renewed fury.

  Their howls rattle through the cave as they swarm again. One falls, two take its place. There’s no time to rest. They push forward inch by inch, toward the exit.

  Risa shields the front, Finn casting spells when he can to help hold the line. Behind them, Nyx takes the brunt of every assault. Slashes and bites tearing at him. He doesn't stop. He doesn't stumble. He keeps them safe.

  Cocoa floats between them, unbothered and untouched, as if invisible to the predators.

  They’re just a few turns from escape when the predators change tactics.

  Realising Nyx can’t be harmed, or perhaps simply bored with trying, they shift focus to Finn and Risa.

  With Nyx blind, he can’t respond quickly enough to help.

  Finn and Risa struggle to advance, each step met with a new barrage of attacks. Then—

  A predator lunges at Risa, slamming her head into the other side of the cave wall.

  “Risa!” Finn stumbles, nearly falling, then forces himself up. She hasn’t moved. The predators are closing in on her, striking the flickering magic shield she barely manages to raise.

  He can’t watch this. He won’t.

  He rushes back to Nyx and positions himself behind him. “Sorry, Nyx. This is the only way I could think of,” he says, guiding him toward Risa’s position by using Nyx’s body as a shield to push forward.

  Predators claw and bite at him, but Nyx doesn’t flinch. Their attacks leave wounds, yes—but each gash vanishes in the blink of an eye, the torn fabric of his clothes restoring along with his flesh. With every step, he looks untouched, as if reborn anew.

  Still, Finn’s nerves are fraying. His patience stretched to the edge. Every second feels like a lifetime as they fight through the throng.

  Risa’s magic barrier is failing. He feels it. He feels her fading, and panic bursts in his chest like wildfire. He draws magic from his vault with reckless desperation, beyond what his body can handle.

  He’s on the verge of collapse when—

  Cocoa floats toward where Risa falls, button eyes shimmering. With a soft pulse of light, her barrier is restored just in time to block a brutal wave of attacks.

  Then, silently, Cocoa drops to the ground, drained.

  “We’ve got multiple predators in here! Move in!” a young female voice roars through the cave.

  A knight, clad in armour, charges into the scene, soon followed by more. They cut through the predators, engaging them head-on.

  The predators howl in fury, turning their attention to the new threat.

  Finn, drained to the brink, trembles. His vision swims, but he stays standing, eyes searching for Risa.

  Her barrier flickers—then fades.

  The knights reach her in time, forming a shield wall around her as the predators descend.

  Relief floods through him, and for a heartbeat, the world holds its breath—silent, secure.

  But exhaustion surges in, heavy and unstoppable.

  He surrenders to the darkness, slipping away.