The descent changed everything.
Arjun reached the bottom first, his steps slowing just enough to adjust to the new terrain. The ground here wasn't open like above. It dipped unevenly, rising in small ridges and breaking into shallow pockets that disrupted any straight movement.
Nisha followed immediately, scanning left and right before moving forward again. Raghav and Meera came down right after, keeping close.
"Keep moving," Nisha said.
No one argued.
They shifted direction instead of continuing straight.
The terrain demanded it.
Nothing here allowed a straight path.
Arjun angled left, guiding the group through a series of broken ground sections. Each step required control, but it gave them something in return—distance from anything following them.
Behind them, the sound still lingered.
Not gone.
But weaker.
Raghav exhaled slowly."Feels like we finally got space."
"Not enough," Arjun replied.
Meera glanced back once."They're still coming."
Nisha said, "Then we stay ahead."
They kept moving.
The ground shifted again.
Less uneven.
More stable.
And then—
Arjun slowed.
"Wait."
They stopped instantly.
Ahead—
a structure.
Not fully collapsed.
Not intact either.
But standing.
Raghav frowned."We going in?"
Arjun studied it.
Then said, "We check it."
No hesitation.
They moved toward it.
The entrance stood open.
No door.
No barrier.
Just darkness inside.
Nisha stepped in first.
Arjun followed.
The others stayed close.
The air changed immediately.
Cooler.
Still.
Their footsteps echoed faintly as they moved forward.
The inside wasn't random.
Paths existed.
Clear ones.
That meant something.
"Someone uses this," Meera said quietly.
"Recently," Arjun added.
Nisha didn't slow."Then we don't stay."
They moved deeper.
A turn.
Then another.
The structure twisted in on itself, forcing direction changes.
Then—
a sound.
Close.
All four stopped.
Raghav whispered, "There."
Ahead.
Movement.
Arjun stepped forward.
A figure appeared.
Fast.
Too fast.
Raghav reacted first, striking and forcing it down.
Arjun finished it immediately.
Silence returned.
Brief.
"More?" Meera asked.
"Maybe," Nisha replied.
"Then we don't wait."
They moved again.
The path opened slightly.
Then narrowed.
Then—
a door.
Half open.
Arjun pushed it.
It opened fully.
Light.
Not strong.
But enough.
"Exit," Raghav said.
"Move," Nisha replied.
They stepped out.
The outside felt different.
Not as exposed.
Not as tight.
A middle ground.
Arjun scanned quickly.
"We go through here."
No one questioned it.
They moved.
Faster now.
The terrain allowed it.
Their pace picked up.
Then—
Arjun stopped again.
"Hold."
All four froze.
Ahead—
figures.
Still.
Watching.
Raghav exhaled."Again."
Nisha stepped forward."We're passing through."
One of them spoke.
"You all say that."
Arjun didn't waste time."We're not staying."
A pause.
Then—
they moved aside.
"Go."
That was enough.
The group moved forward without stopping.
Past them.
No looking back.
No slowing down.
Because now—
they understood something clearly.
Every place—
every path—
every group—
was temporary.
Only one thing mattered.
Keep moving.
Because the moment they stopped—
they would be caught.
And this time—
there would be no way out.