The tunnel narrowed again — walls closing in, ceiling low.
Kael led — shadows probing ahead.
Miko followed — every step echoing, heart pounding.
The seal was quiet — but she felt it watching.
They rounded a bend — and stopped.
Ahead — silver threads blocked the path — forming a net across the tunnel.
Kael cursed — soft.
"They found us."
Footsteps — behind them.
Miko spun.
Three figures — masked, cloaked — silver blades drawn.
The net tightened — threads humming.
Kael's shadows surged — black wall rising, pushing against the net.
It held — barely.
The attackers from behind closed in.
Miko raised her hands.
Crimson shadows exploded — meeting the blades.
Metal screamed.
One attacker lunged — blade aimed at her throat.
Miko twisted — shadow tendril wrapping his wrist, yanking him off balance.
He hit the wall — hard.
Another swung — silver thread slicing toward her side.
Kael intercepted — shadows clashing with thread, sparks flying.
The third attacker flanked — blade flashing.
Miko spun — crimson spear punching through his guard, grazing his shoulder.
He staggered — blood blooming.
The net pulsed — tightening.
Kael pushed harder — shadows straining.
The net cracked — threads snapping.
They broke through — running.
The attackers followed — blades flashing, threads snapping.
The tunnel twisted — sharp turns, low ceilings.
Miko's head grazed rock — pain flared.
She kept running.
Ahead — a fork.
Kael chose left — without slowing.
The tunnel sloped downward — steeper.
Water dripped — louder.
Then — a drop.
A chasm — ten meters across, bottom lost in darkness.
Kael stopped — shadows probing.
No bridge.
Behind — footsteps closing.
Miko looked at Kael.
He met her eyes.
"Jump."
Miko stared.
"It's too far."
Kael's shadows coiled around them — lifting.
"Trust me."
Miko swallowed.
Nodded.
Kael leaped — shadows propelling them forward.
They soared — wind rushing.
Miko felt the seal surge — helping, pushing.
They landed — hard — on the other side.
Kael rolled — pulling her with him.
The attackers reached the edge — stopped.
Silver threads snapped across the gap — trying to reach.
Kael's shadows rose — wall blocking them.
The threads bounced off.
The attackers cursed — voices muffled.
Then — silence.
Kael stood.
Miko stood.
They looked at each other.
The seal pulsed — once, satisfied.
Kael spoke.
"We're not safe yet."
Miko nodded.
They kept moving.
Deeper.
Darker.
To be continued…