The cave shuddered as the roar of the great beast echoed through its tunnels, dust raining down from the ceiling like falling sand. The team stumbled, their bodies already weakened from the oppressive pressure of the monstrous creature's presence. Its growl wasn't just sound—it was weight, a force that pinned them down and made their hearts pound like war drums.
"Move! We need to move!" one of the boys shouted, gripping his bruised shoulder as he staggered toward the faint glow of the cave's entrance.
Another crack split the air. The beast reared back, its rocky tusks scraping against the cavern wall as it slammed a foreleg down. The ground buckled. A jagged spike of stone ripped upward and tore through the leg of the smallest boy in the group. He screamed, collapsing in agony. Feyla darted forward, sliding to her knees beside him.
"Stay still!" she snapped, voice trembling with fear. She pulled the SOS beacon from her belt with her free hand and slammed her thumb down on it. A high-pitched signal pulsed into the air—an emergency flare only their instructor could hear.
The beacon blinked red in her palm. Come on, Jorin… please hurry.
The team pressed forward, dragging their injured classmate with them, the beast's shadow stretching longer with every step. The rumble of its pursuit shook the cave like an earthquake. Kael felt it too—the tremor, the closeness of death.
He stopped.
"Kael, what are you doing?!" Feyla's voice was sharp with panic.
Kael turned his head, dust sticking to the sweat across his face. His chest rose and fell, his breathing uneven, but his eyes burned with determination. "If I don't stop it… none of us make it out."
Feyla's hand shot out, fingers brushing his sleeve. "No! You're not strong enough! Don't you dare—"
Kael pulled free, the weight of his choice heavy in his chest. "I'll get its attention. You lead them out." His words were steady, but his heart hammered like a war drum.
The beast roared again, louder, closer. Kael ran.
The ground quaked under his steps, his feet pounding against the stone as he turned back toward the shadowy mass of the creature. It noticed him instantly. Its eyes—jagged, crystalline slits glowing faintly with earthen light—locked onto his small frame.
"HEY!" Kael shouted, voice cracking but echoing through the cave. He picked up a loose rock and hurled it at the beast. The stone clinked harmlessly off its armored hide, but the sound echoed, sharp enough to draw its attention.
The monster's maw opened. A grinding noise filled the cave as its body shifted. Then— crack. A rock-shot, jagged as a spear, burst from its chest and launched toward him.
Kael barely had time to see it.
It slammed into his chest with a sickening thud. The air left his lungs in an instant. Pain exploded through him as his body was thrown back, skidding across the dirt floor. He gasped for breath but found only dust and blood. His vision blurred, and the taste of iron filled his mouth.
"KAEL!" Feyla's scream split the chaos.
For a moment, she faltered. Her legs wanted to turn back. Her heart screamed to run to him. But ahead—beyond the smoke—she saw it. Flashes of blinding white light cutting through the cave's dust. Lightning.
Jorin was coming.
Feyla clenched her teeth, tears stinging her eyes. She grabbed the injured boy under the arms, shouting at the others. "Don't stop! Move! Now!"
They stumbled, half dragging, half running, until the cave mouth's dim daylight finally bled into their vision. And there he was.
Jorin.
He came like a storm incarnate, his steps crackling with energy, arcs of lightning leaping off his arms and shoulders with every stride. His expression was grim, his yellow hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, but his eyes burned brighter than the storm itself.
The students collapsed into the open air, panting, coughing, and clutching at their wounds. Jorin's gaze swept over them in a heartbeat.
"Where's Kael?" His voice was hard, commanding.
No one spoke. They were too stunned, too terrified. Finally, Feyla lifted her tear-streaked face to meet his. Her lips trembled. "He… he turned back."
Jorin froze.
"With the beast," Feyla whispered, her voice breaking. "He took the hit. He's still inside."
The storm in Jorin's eyes sharpened. For the first time, the iron-willed instructor faltered, his face tightening with a flicker of fear.
"A… type three?" he asked, voice low, barely audible.
Feyla nodded, her hands clutching the SOS beacon until her knuckles turned white.
Jorin's eyes widened, lightning cracking louder around him. His jaw tightened as his voice roared over the students.
"MOVE! ALL OF YOU—MOVE AWAY FROM THIS CAVE!"
His thunderous tone brooked no argument. The students scrambled back, dragging each other to safety, fear pushing them faster than their wounds should allow.
Jorin turned back toward the darkness. His storm followed him, sparking across the earth and stone as he entered the cavern's maw.
"Hold on, boy," he muttered, lightning flooding his fists. "You'd better still be breathing."