Kaya was about halfway across when Cutie suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Wait," he hissed. "Do you hear that?"
Everyone froze.
Kaya strained her ears, trying to filter out the ambient sounds of dripping water and their own breathing.
Then she heard it.
Breathing.
Not theirs.
Something else.
Something 'big'.
---
The sound was coming from the far side of the cavern, where the shadows were deepest.
Slow, rhythmic breathing. Deep and resonant, like wind moving through a tunnel.
Kaya's hand went to her knife. Beside her, she felt Veer tense, his body shifting slightly as if preparing to transform.
"Don't move," she whispered.
They stood absolutely still in the middle of the pool, water lapping around their legs.
The breathing continued. Steady. Unchanging.
Whatever it was, it hadn't noticed them yet. Or if it had, it wasn't reacting.
