The crevice walls pressed against their shoulders as Caleb and Gorrin squeezed through, every breath ragged, every scrape of stone against skin a reminder of how close death was. Behind them, the Cragfangs howled in frustration, claws scratching against the rock where the passage was too narrow for their bulk. The echoes followed Caleb like a phantom heartbeat.
Caleb staggered forward, his arms trembling from the climb. "They… they're not stopping."
"They won't," Gorrin replied, his voice low but steady. "Cragfangs don't relent. But this crevice buys us time. Use it."
The path widened into a sloping tunnel, the air damp and cold. Caleb leaned against the wall, gulping for air. His whole body ached, every muscle screaming in protest. Yet, beneath the exhaustion, a strange spark of exhilaration flickered. He was still alive. They were both still alive. Who said running away from a fight was cowardly? Better be a living coward than a dead brave
Gorrin placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. "We can't stay here. They'll circle around if they find another way through. We move deeper until they lose our trail."
Caleb nodded, forcing his legs to obey. As they trudged, the distant snarls grew fainter, replaced by the quiet drip of water echoing through the cavern. For a fleeting moment, the oppressive tension lifted.
"Back there," Caleb said, his voice soft, as though speaking too loudly might summon the beasts again. "When you kicked that one off me… if you hadn't been there—"
"Don't dwell on what-ifs," Gorrin cut him off. "You fought well enough. Better than most fresh Riftborn would've in your place. You shaped under pressure. That's not nothing."
Caleb almost smiled at the rare compliment. "Still… I thought fighting one Alpha was bad enough. Now the whole pack wants us."
"They'll keep hunting us," Gorrin admitted, his expression hardening. "But prey that keeps running becomes harder to catch. And hunters get impatient. That's when they make mistakes."
They pressed deeper into the tunnel until it opened into a cavern with a thin stream running through the middle. The water glowed faintly with Riftenergy, casting ghostly light on the stone. Caleb knelt, cupping it in his hands, drinking greedily. The cool liquid steadied his shaking body, though the tang of energy stung his tongue.
Gorrin drank as well, then crouched low, scanning the shadows. "We rest here for a short while. But don't let your guard down. The Cragfangs aren't done with us."
Caleb sat against the wall, Riftenergy humming faintly at his fingertips, the memory of the monsters' glowing eyes still seared into his mind. For now, they had escaped, but the chase was far from over. Somewhere out there in the dark, the pack was waiting, hungrier than ever.