ELARA's POV
'Hmmm, so that's how he found it. To notice something so minor in a forest as dense as this...'
Turning my head to look at Griffin, I couldn't help but wonder.
'He called it luck, but I know better. He must know this forest like the back of his hand.'
A slight smirk suddenly crept up on my face.
'He gets more interesting by the minute.'
'Hmm?'
There were slight vibrations in the ground, the Shadowborns were moving.
'Two… no, three. They're closing in on my position, he doesn't seem to notice them, should I…'
My smirk widened
'Yeah, that'll be good.'
"How observant, I'm almost impress—"
'Right on time.'
Several hands wrapped themselves around me dragging me through the earth like a fish through water.
It was quite unpleasant.
My feet touched solid ground at last. Darkness thickened around me like ink—but my vision sliced through it with ease. Shadowy hands still slithered along my waist and shoulders, their touch cold and clinging, like oil with a mind of its own. Overhead, the ceiling pulsed—flesh-like, rhythmic. It twitched with slow, deliberate movement, as if breathing... or waiting.
'Ah, they must be self-sustaining Shadowborns.'
Judging from how many shadows I saw, I was much deeper in the womb than I thought I'd be.
'They must have brought me here to weaken, then consume me.'
Human and animal bones decorated the ground; The light was sucked out of them before they were eventually devoured. The smell of this womb was also quite… foul. The womb's stench wasn't just death—it was digestion. Something here was still eating.
'Let's go find out what.'
I rolled my shoulders, the shadowy hands falling away like brittle vines. They writhed, hesitated—then melted back into the stone. The ground beneath me groaned. Figures surged upward, shapes writhing as limbs hardened into jagged blades, iron clubs, and needlepoint spears.
A whisper of motion—steel sang to my left.
I tilted my head. The blade missed by inches.
A grunt echoed behind me. I twisted at the waist, driving my heel into the mace-wielder's chest. Bone snapped like dry twigs as it flew backward, limbs flailing.
The last shadow lunged—a spear aimed at my heart.
I raised one hand.
Clink.
The point halted against my fingertip, quivering like it had struck stone. I met its eyes—those black pits brimming with fear.
'Pathetic, I expected more.'
I slammed my fist into its chest, my hand sank deep, and I felt something wet and hot slither around my fingers as I ripped its heart free. The shadow's body shuddered once before going limp.
With a swift motion, I hurled the pulsing mass of flesh toward the sword-wielder. It collided with its skull in a sickening thud, the sharp crack of bone splintering through the air. The sword-wielder's head jerked back, a spray of black mist erupting from the shattered skull, and it dropped to the ground in a heap.
The other shadows froze for a moment, then a low, guttural growl escaped their forms. Their bodies rippled, dark tendrils twisting and snapping like enraged serpents. Without warning, they lunged, their jagged limbs cutting through the air toward me, all coordinated in a blur of motion.
I stood motionless, uninterested in their attacks. Until… They started to squirm and scream in pain.
I couldn't help but smile.
'So he's finally here, I wonder what he did.'
'Well, I can always ask him when he gets here.'
I started walking towards where the smell was coming from, as I got closer, the smell intensified, strange sounds started to pierce my ears and I could start to see a light.
Finally, I had reached the source of these unpleasantries. But what I saw was not what I was expecting.
'This is…'
***
GRIFFIN's POV
'This place is a maze, and the darkness isn't helping.'
I had been walking for what felt like hours, only being able to rely on my four senses. I haven't run into any other Shadowborns either.
'The size of this womb and the strength of these Shadowborns don't make any sense.'
'Even if this womb isn't as young as I thought, this is unnatural. There's something here, causing all these changes.'
"Krkkshh!"
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of a crunching sound, it sounded like… bones. I took a step forward and heard the sound again, it was enough for me to realize that I was stepping on the bones of some animals and… the missing townspeople.
Kneeling down I touched the bones, The moment my fingers brushed the bone, I felt a feeling of dread and guilt. It was dry, desperately so, like wood left to rot in the sun. The surface was rough, pitted with tiny nicks and grooves where time or teeth had gnawed it down. Some pieces flaked under pressure, crumbling into a fine, powdery dust that clung to my skin like decay. Others were slick—coated in a waxy film that hadn't yet dried, a grim reminder that something here had died not long ago. When I closed my hand around one, it felt light but unnervingly solid, like brittle glass that might snap with the wrong movement.
'I'm sorry.'
They would never be able to get a proper burial. Dying in such a dark and unfamiliar place must have felt frightening and lonely. Judging from how these bones felt, weighed, and sounded, this womb must at least be four months old.
'I was too complacent, I should have noticed where this womb was sooner.'
I let the bones slip from my fingers, their brittle weight dragging them to the ground with a faint clatter. My legs felt heavy as I rose, the air around me thick with dread.
'Focus. I can't afford to let this slow me down. Elara's still out there.'
The thought barely settled before the screech sliced through the air, a sound that rattled my bones and clung to the walls.
'The balefire! It's gone out!!'
A cold rush of panic twisted my gut. I had left my sword behind, trusting the flames would burn long enough to hold back the shadows. Now, without the light, they would stir once more.
My pulse quickened, but I couldn't just charge blindly through the darkness.
'I need to hide, but where?'
The words barely registered before a disturbing thought wormed its way into my mind.
My gaze drifted to the bones of the townspeople. The cold sweat that had already begun to form on my brow now slid down in streams, but I didn't have a choice. I couldn't afford to hesitate.
I plunged into the mound, the bones clattering like dry teeth as I buried myself. Cold ridges scraped my skin, splinters of ribs, jagged femurs, hollow sockets pressed against my spine.
Then came the sound, skittering, wet, wrong. Shadows. About a dozen. Racing toward me.
I could hear the shadows approaching, there were multiple of them rushing towards my position. The ceiling also regained its life and started moving again, but this time it didn't stay dormant in one place, pulsing like a vein. It started to slowly move in one direction, the center!!
'I see, following the ceiling will lead me to the heart of this place, and maybe, Elara too.'
The sound of footsteps broke my concentration. Shadows appeared at the far end of the corridor, moving with purpose. They froze, their gaze snapping upward to the ceiling, then shifted toward each other, subtle gestures speaking louder than words. Three of them advanced, their shapes melding into the dark. Two turned, retreating toward the entrance, and four became one with the ceiling, disappearing into the stone. Two remained behind, scanning the ground, their cold eyes sweeping over the bones.
'This isn't ideal but I can work with this.'
One of the shadows started to look a little further down the way while the other remained in the same place scanning the bones for me.
'Their senses must be dull because they aren't connected anymore.'
Despite this the shadow drew closer and closer to my position. It stopped right in front of me, staring at the bones like it knew I was there. Maybe it did. That didn't matter though, it was right where I wanted it. Its face drew closer to the bones, like it smelled something beneath them.
Using this opportunity, my hand shot out, slamming into its open mouth. Fingers clawed around its neck, wrenching its jaw free with a sickening crack. I didn't hesitate. Still gripping its throat, I twisted, snapping its spine with a single, brutal motion.The shadow grew limp and flopped on the floor, all this happened in the span of a few seconds.
My exoskeleton wouldn't remain in overdrive for much longer, I couldn't waste any time. I plunged my hand into the shadows leg, removing its femur. My focus snapped to the other shadow, its hands raised to seize me.
I twisted, narrowly evading its grasp. In one fluid motion, I vaulted over it, slamming the femur into its back. The point drove deep, puncturing its heart. The shadow fell to the ground and silence returned to the womb.
My exoskeleton hummed softly as it exited overdrive, and my muscles started to relax. I could only use this one more time today before my body would start to break down.
'I have to use the last one wisely.'
Turning my attention away from my exoskeleton, I looked at the shadow that had collapsed in front of me.
'Weird, just like the ones at the entrance, this one tried to grab me instead of attack me.'
'Why not kill me outright like the others. Unless the others weren't killed immediately…'
The question gnawed at me as I turned, pushing the thought aside.
'I'll get my answers at the center.'
I exhaled slowly, steadying my breath. I couldn't afford to linger. It was time to move.