After the chaos, everything had fallen silent. There was no trace of the roar, the screams, or the creature. Only the four of them remained, advancing through a tunnel shrouded in darkness. Each footstep echoed louder than usual against the stone, and Rhys and Eun-woo's labored breathing filled the tunnel, ragged and uneven.
Nebu floated ahead, guiding them with its faint glow. The creature moved silently. The glow it emitted barely reached the outline of the tunnel, but it was enough to keep them from stumbling.
Rhys kept an arm around Eun-woo, almost carrying him. He felt the tremble of his body beneath his palm. Every few steps, the other stumbled, as if his legs no longer knew how to support him.
Then Eun-woo stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't say anything, but his breathing became more ragged, as if he couldn't catch his breath. He fell to his knees without warning, one hand on the floor, the other clutching the damp wall.
