The only thing accompanying Xavier through the darkness was the frantic rhythm of his own footsteps.
They echoed endlessly through the twisting tunnels as he ran. He took one turn, then another, ducking beneath curtains of hanging silk and squeezing past jagged walls without slowing. There was no sense of direction anymore. Only instinct. Only fear.
And only the image of Elra trapped somewhere inside this nightmare.
His chest burned as his breathing grew ragged, yet he forced himself onward. The cave stretched deeper and deeper, as though it had no end, swallowing every sound he made and throwing it back at him in distorted echoes.
Then—
He froze.
Ahead of him, the tunnel widened.
Xavier stepped into a vast chamber.
Unlike the previous nests, this place was eerily bare.
No dangling corpses.
Only masses of webbing. Towering stalagmites rose from the ground like the fangs of some giant beast. Stalactites hung from above, sharp and irregular in shape, some stretching so low they nearly touched the ones below. Moonlight seeped through thin cracks high above, casting pale beams across the cavern floor and painting the countless stone pillars in silver shadows.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
And between those lonely sounds—
Someone was crying.
Xavier's heart skipped.
"...Elra?"
The sobbing continued.
"Elra!"
He hurried forward, weaving between the stone pillars.
"Elra!"
His voice bounced off the walls.
No answer.
Only quiet sobs.
He pushed deeper into the chamber, his vision constantly blocked by the countless stone formations rising around him. Until finally—
He saw her.
Aura sat with her back turned to him, crouched against a wall, her shoulders trembling.
Relief flooded Xavier. He approached slowly.
"Elra, it's me."
No response.
He took another step.
"Elra? you can stop crying now."
Still nothing.
Only the faint sound of her breathing.
His heart sank.
Something wasn't right.
He knelt beside her carefully and reached out.
"Elra, are you okay?"
The instant his hand touched her shoulder—
GROWL!
She exploded into motion.
Xavier's eyes widened.
She spun around and threw herself at him like a wild animal.
Instinct took over.
The black gauntlet instantly spread across his arm.
CRACK!
Fangs sank into the armored limb.
The force knocked him onto his back.
"E-Elra?!"
She snarled. Half her face had changed.
The right side of her face had become something monstrous.
Greenish black scales stretched from her cheek to her neck. One golden slit pupil stared back at him like that of a snake. Long fangs protruded from the corner of her mouth, while strange dark feathers grew from beneath the scales.
Her breathing was uneven.
Animalistic.
She bit down harder.
Xavier gritted his teeth.
Xavier gritted his teeth.
"Elra!"
No response. Her eyes were vacant, hollow.
"Come on…" He struggled beneath her weight, desperation clawing at his voice. "It's me!"
She growled again, feral and unrecognizing. His heart trembled. The mutation was spreading—meaning her physical body was dying. This was suffering to see. Just terrifying.
"Wake up!" His voice cracked. "Please!"
Elra thrashed against him, her strength overwhelming, but Xavier's eyes blurred with tears. He clung to her shoulders despite the danger.
"You have to remember!" His words were frantic, pleading. "Your sister! You said you wanted to see her again! You said she's waiting for you! You can't forget that!"
For a heartbeat—her movements faltered. The pressure of her bite weakened. Her monstrous eye trembled. Xavier saw it: recognition, faint but real.
"That's right…" His voice softened, coaxing her back. "Come back. You still have someone waiting for you. You can't leave her alone. Elra… please."
The girl froze. Slowly—agonizingly slowly—her jaws loosened. The feral gleam in her eyes dimmed.
From Elra's perspective, the world blurred. The first thing she saw was Xavier beneath her, tears streaking his left face, one arm raised in defense.
"…Xavier?" Her voice quivered. She blinked, then looked down—and froze.
Half her body had changed. Scales. Claws. Dark feathers. The sight shattered her.
"No…" Her voice broke. "No…" She stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground. Tears poured freely. "No… no… What happened to me? What happened?!"
Fear consumed her. She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling. "I'm scared… I don't want to die… I don't want to die here…"
Xavier forced himself up, ignoring the pain in his arm and the pain burning through his body. He rushed to her side, pulling her into his embrace.
Elra buried her face against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm turning into a monster… I'm scared…"
Xavier held her tightly. His voice was gentle, steady. "It's okay."
She shook her head violently. "No, it isn't… What if I become one of them? What if I hurt you or Raiden, Xylo? if I forget everything?"
Xavier cupped her face, forcing her trembling eyes to meet his. Moonlight spilled through the cracks above, illuminating the tears on both their faces.
His voice was firm, unwavering. "No. You hear me? No. You are getting out of here. I'm taking you back to your sister. No one is dying. Not on my watch."
A painful smile tugged at his lips. "Not again."
And for the first time since waking in that cursed cave—Elra cried not out of fear, but because, despite everything, He, still believed she could be saved, that they would make it out alive.
Aura buried her face against Xavier's chest, her shoulders trembling as quiet sobs escaped her lips. Xavier held her tightly, one hand gently stroking her hair while the other rested on her back. Neither of them spoke. They simply remained there in each other's embrace beneath the pale shafts of moonlight that slipped through the cracks above, trying to forget, if only for a few seconds, the nightmare that surrounded them.
Then, from somewhere between the stone pillars, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"So..." came Xylo's weak, exhausted voice. "Should we give these two some room, or what?"
Xavier and Elra immediately turned.
Behind one of the stalagmites were Raiden and Xylo. Raiden was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, while Xylo remained slung over his back like a sack of potatoes, looking half-dead and somehow still smiling.
"Hey!" Xylo protested weakly. "Put me down already. My dignity died three tunnels ago."
"Shut up, Xylo," Raiden grunted between breaths. "There's no time to be funny."
Though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Relief flooded Xavier's face.
"Raiden, Xylo"
He let out a long sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Even Elra's eyes widened slightly.
Raiden approached quickly, but the moment his gaze landed on Elra, his expression changed. Half her body had already mutated. Scales covered parts of her skin, feathers protruded from her shoulder, and one of her eyes had become that of a cat.
His face darkened.
"We need to move," he said immediately. "We need to get her out of here. Fast."
Xavier nodded before suddenly asking,
"Did you find another exit?"
Raiden shook his head.
"No."
His answer froze everyone's hearts.
"We tried another tunnel after you left. Dead end. Just rocks and collapsed passages."
"What?" Xavier's voice rose.
Elra's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So how are we supposed to—"
BOOOOM!!
The entire chamber shook violently.
Dust rained down from above.
Everyone froze.
Then came the scream.
It echoed through the cave.
Long.
Painful.
Unnatural.
The four of them slowly turned toward the entrance they had come from.
Something was coming.
At first, all they saw was flickering orange light dancing against the walls.
Then the light moved.
Closer.
Closer.
Something enormous emerged from the darkness.
THUD.
It slammed into the left wall.
CRASH. Stone exploded.
Then it stumbled to the right—another impact, more rocks shattering. The thing was struggling to walk. It was burning. The fire consuming her body had twisted her movements into something grotesque, like a drunken giant desperately trying to stay on its feet.
One step—crash. Another step—stumble. It collapsed onto one knee, then slowly dragged itself back up.
Its spider legs trembled violently. Smoke rose from charred flesh. Half of its once beautiful face had been reduced to blackened ruin, blood mixing with ash. Its eyes—gone. Burned and slashed into uselessness.
Yet somehow… Mother Celeste still lived.
Xavier's eyes widened. "What the hell did you do to her?!"
Raiden blinked. "Kid… don't tell me you liked her."
"What? No!" Xavier shot back. "That's not what I mean! Why does she look like that?"
From atop Raiden's back, Xylo coughed weakly. "We sort of… burned her children."
"Weee?...Sort of?" Raiden deadpanned. "We burned the whole damn nest?, it was you!!"
Mother Celeste suddenly stopped moving. Though blind, she slowly lifted her head. Her ruined face twitched.
"You…" she rasped. "I know you're here."
She took another limping step. "Look at me…" Another. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!"
CRASH! One of her massive spider legs smashed into a stalagmite, shattering it instantly.
"Look what you've done to my children!"
CRASH!! Another stalagmite broke.
"You ruined them!"
CRASH!!
"YOU TOOK THEM FROM ME!"
Like a maddened beast, Mother Celeste lashed out blindly, destroying everything around her in a desperate attempt to find the voices she could hear.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" "EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" "EVERY—"
"Shhh," Raiden whispered. "Nobody move."
Then suddenly—he felt it. A cold breeze.
Raiden frowned. Cold? Down here?
Slowly, he lifted his head. Hidden high above the stalactites was a narrow opening. Moonlight poured through it. And drifting gently from the crack… snow.
Raiden's eyes widened. Outside.
He lowered his gaze toward Xavier, then leaned closer and whispered,
"Xavier…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I think I just found our way out."
Xavier followed Raiden's gaze upward. High above the forest of jagged stalagmites, beyond the countless hanging stalactites, moonlight filtered through a narrow opening. Snowflakes drifted down lazily from the outside world.
"So, I guess we're going to have to find a way to distract her."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Raiden's mouth.
"Exactly."
Keeping low, Xavier crept toward one of the thick stalagmites. Planting his feet firmly, he wrapped both hands around its pointed tip and snapped it clean off. The broken stone weighed more than it should have, but ever since obtaining his newfound strength, such things had become possible.
He inhaled deeply.
Then hurled it.
The stone flew through the chamber before smashing violently against the far corner of the cave.
CRASH!
Mother Celeste froze.
Then she screamed.
"YOU!"
Her burning body lurched forward.
Spider legs stabbed into the ground as she charged toward the sound. Blind and maddened, she crashed through stone pillars and shattered webs, reaching the corner of the cave and immediately tearing into empty air.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
CRASH!
"COME OUT!"
Another stalagmite exploded beneath her claws.
Yet no cries came.
No scent.
No breathing.
Nothing.
Confusion mixed with rage.
Behind her, Raiden whispered urgently.
"Now."
"Move."
The four of them carefully began making their way toward the opening. Their footsteps were light and deliberate. Even Xylo, slumped weakly against Raiden's back, forced himself to stay silent.
Behind them, Mother Celeste continued smashing apart the cavern.
"I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!"
"COME BACK!"
"COME BACK TO MOTHER!"
Her voice echoed through the chamber like the cries of a mad ghost.
They were almost there.
Almost.
Then—
"Ah..."
Xylo's nose twitched.
His eyes widened.
"No..."
"Don't—"
"ACHOO!"
Silence.
Everyone stopped.
Everyone slowly turned to stare at him.
Xylo blinked.
"...Sorry."
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream shook the entire cavern.
Mother Celeste whipped around.
Though blind, she had heard them.
And she was coming.
The burning monster barreled through the chamber. Stalagmites shattered beneath her limbs. Massive spider legs punched through stone as she crashed against walls and ceilings, desperately forcing her way toward the sound.
"RUN!" Raiden barked.
There was no more need for silence.
The group sprinted.
Mother Celeste screamed behind them.
"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"
They reached the opening.
"Xavier!" Raiden shouted.
Raiden's voice thundered through the chamber. "You and Elra get on my back!!"
"What?!" Xavier shouted.
"JUST DO IT!"
Without hesitation, Xavier handed Elra over. Raiden adjusted Xylo's limp body against his back while Elra wrapped her trembling arms around his shoulders. The weight nearly drove him to his knees—three people, one body. His muscles screamed, sweat poured down his face, but there was no time to complain.
Behind them, Mother Celeste was closing in. The madwoman's flames cast twisted shadows across the cavern walls.
Raiden spread his wings—wider than ever before. The feathers trembled as he crouched low.
"Xylo!" he barked.
The wounded man weakly raised his head.
"When I say now, use everything you've got! The last drop! Blast us upward!"
Xylo nodded faintly. "…Got it."
Mother Celeste was only yards away now. One more second. One more breath.
Raiden's wings exploded outward. BOOOOM! A violent gust erupted beneath them, stone shattering as snow and dust blasted outward. The four of them shot upward—higher, higher—until gravity clawed them back down.
Raiden gritted his teeth, veins bulging along his arms, wings trembling under the crushing weight.
"Xylo!" he roared. "NOW!"
Xylo's eyes flared. He thrust both hands downward. "HHAAAAAA!"
The last reserves of his power erupted from his palms. Fire exploded beneath them. BOOOOM! Like a rocket, they shot upward, past the narrow tunnel—
CRASH!
They burst out of the cave. The world exploded into white. Snow. Fresh air. Moonlight. Cold wind.
They tumbled across the frozen ground before finally coming to a stop. For several seconds, no one moved. Then Xavier laughed—a laugh filled with disbelief.
"We made it… We actually made it…"
Elra buried her face against his chest. Raiden lay flat on his back. Xylo simply stared at the stars.
"…I missed the sky."
Then—CRACK.
Everyone froze. Another sound. CRACK. Something was climbing. Their heads turned slowly. The hole they had emerged from trembled. Something inside was forcing its way upward. And they all knew exactly who it was.
Raiden's eyes widened. "Oh, come on!"
Xavier wasted no time. He tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and ran to Xylo. The man's fingertips still burned faintly. Xavier pressed the cloth against them—instantly, it caught fire. Sprinting toward the opening, he stretched out his gauntlet and unleashed the strange black-blue fog hidden within.
It poured into the tunnel like a river. Mother Celeste's enraged screams echoed from below. The smoke choked her, blinded her, trapped her in the narrow shaft as she clawed desperately upward.
"YOU!" "I'LL—"
Xavier hurled the burning rag inside. The moment the flame touched the fog—
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The opening shook. Fire erupted, a pillar of flames bursting into the night sky. Deep below, Mother Celeste screamed—one final scream—then silence.
Raiden stared at the burning hole. "…How exactly did you know that stuff was flammable?"
Xavier blinked. "I didn't." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I just hoped it was."
Xylo burst into laughter, then immediately coughed. "Well thank goodness your hope was right."
Raiden pulled Xylo to his feet. Xavier carefully lifted Elra into his arms.
"Come on," Raiden said. "We need to move."
Xavier looked up—and froze. His eyes widened. Far above, splitting the heavens themselves, a colossal pillar of light pierced the sky. Curtains of blue and green swirled around it like the Aurora Borealis. The sky itself looked cracked open.
Xavier stared in awe. "So that's our way out?"
Raiden followed his gaze. "Yeah." His expression hardened. "But we need to hurry. We have no idea what's happening right now."
And without another word, they began running through the endless snow.
Because time—time was no longer on their side.