Scene 1 – The Pull Below
The shadow hand burst from the hole with impossible force, its fingers like iron bands as they clamped around Kael and Elena.
Kael struggled, teeth gritted, as he tried to wrench free. The grip wasn't physical—it was inside him, dragging at his chest, at his heartbeat, trying to sync it with the cabin's pulse.
Elena cried out, her nails digging into his arm as the floor dissolved beneath their feet. Boards snapped and curled away, revealing a gaping maw of darkness below. The red glow of the heart pulsed brighter, as though welcoming them into its depths.
"Kael—don't let go!" Elena's voice cracked, half command, half plea.
"I'm not letting you go!" he roared, pulling her tight against him.
The hand yanked harder. The cabin groaned all around them, beams splitting, chains rattling overhead. The storm outside shrieked through the broken windows as though it too was being drawn inward.
Then—the floor gave way completely.
