'What's… happening?'
Eli squirmed helplessly against Kairo's shoulder, his body jostling with each deliberate, heavy stride the hunter took through the black water.
His stomach pressed into iron-hard muscle, uncomfortable and suffocating, every movement a reminder of how utterly trapped he was.
The world tilted and swayed with him. His view was a blur of shifting shadows, flickering drone lights glinting faintly off slick cavern walls.
Zaira's shrill screams cut through the air, splitting the cavern into raw, jagged echoes. Each note made Eli's pulse spike faster, a frantic rhythm pounding in his ears.
He craned his neck, desperate for a glimpse of her—or Mel—but his vision was nothing but a blur of water and shadow.
"Don't."
Kairo's voice rumbled from above him, sharp, unyielding—like a blade pressed to his throat. "Look down. Check me instead. Tell me if I have leeches—where, and how many."
Eli froze, his breath catching in his chest.
