The ledge was cold beneath Havyn's hands, jagged stone biting into his palms as he pulled himself up. His muscles burned from the climb, but he ignored the ache, twisting to help Selene. She was breathing hard, her silver eyes sharp with lingering adrenaline as she took his hand. With a final heave, she scrambled onto the ledge beside him, rolling onto her back with a groan.
Above them, the creatures still watched. Their hollow eyes glowed through the twisted branches, their grotesque forms shifting in the moonlight. But they did not jump. They did not climb.
They simply waited.
Selene propped herself up on her elbows. "They're not leaving," she murmured.
Havyn wiped a smear of ichor from his jaw. "They don't need to." His gaze drifted downward. The ledge they had landed on wasn't the bottom of the ravine—far below, more rock formations jutted out like jagged teeth, disappearing into the thick blackness of whatever lay beneath.
Selene followed his gaze. "We have nowhere else to go."
Havyn's fingers flexed. "Then we go down."
Selene exhaled through her nose. "Figures." She pushed herself up, dusting off the torn edges of her cloak. "Do you even know what's down there?"
"No." Havyn stepped toward the edge of the ledge, peering into the darkness. "But I'd rather face the unknown than wait up here until they decide to get hungry."
Selene muttered something under her breath, but she didn't argue. That was one thing he liked about her—when the choice was between danger and certain death, she always picked the former.
Together, they began their descent.
The Descent Into Darkness
The rock face was treacherous, slick with condensation and unstable in places. More than once, Havyn's fingers scraped against loose stone, sending small showers of debris tumbling into the abyss. He listened carefully, waiting for the sound of them hitting the bottom.
He never heard one.
Selene climbed just below him, her smaller frame making it easier for her to maneuver the narrow footholds. She moved too well for someone who wasn't a natural climber. Another reminder that she was trained—but by who, and for what purpose, she never said.
They had an unspoken agreement not to ask about each other's pasts.
It made things easier.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It wasn't just the creatures waiting above—it was the air itself. It grew thicker the lower they climbed, pressing against his skin with an unseen force.
Then he felt it.
A pulse. Faint, but there. A slow, rhythmic thrum, like a heartbeat deep within the rock.
Havyn stilled, one hand gripping a narrow outcrop. "Do you feel that?"
Selene paused just below him. "Yeah," she murmured. Her voice was hushed, as if speaking too loudly might wake something.
The pulse grew stronger.
Then, suddenly—
A crack split the air.
Havyn's foothold gave out.
For a brief, heart-stopping moment, he was in freefall.
Selene's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist just before he dropped into the abyss. "Hold on!" she snarled, her grip iron-strong despite her size.
Havyn twisted, finding a new hold, his fingers digging into the rock. His body slammed against the cliffside, the impact rattling through his ribs. But he held on.
His breathing was sharp as he met Selene's gaze. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," she gritted out. "Just get moving before something else—"
Another crack.
The entire section of rock they were clinging to shuddered.
Then, all at once—
It collapsed.
Falling Into the Unknown
Havyn and Selene plunged into the darkness.
Wind rushed past his ears, his stomach lurching as the world spun. He twisted midair, instincts screaming at him to shift, to take a form that could survive the fall.
But before he could—
Water.
The impact was like hitting solid stone. Ice-cold liquid enveloped him, the shock stealing the air from his lungs. The current dragged him under, spinning him in the black depths like a discarded rag doll.
For a terrifying moment, he couldn't tell which way was up.
Then a hand latched onto his arm.
Selene.
Even underwater, she was strong, her grip unyielding as she pulled him toward the surface.
They broke through with a gasp.
Havyn's lungs burned as he sucked in air. Around them, pitch-black water stretched into the void, the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi dotting the cavern walls.
Selene coughed, pushing wet hair from her face. "Next time," she panted, "I vote we don't climb into mysterious abysses."
Havyn huffed out a breath. "Noted."
They treaded water for a moment, regaining their bearings. The cavern was massive, the ceiling arching high above them, shrouded in shadows. Stalactites jutted down like jagged fangs, and the water beneath them was eerily still—too still, as if it were waiting.
Havyn's muscles tensed. They weren't alone.
Something moved beneath the surface.
Selene saw it too. Her fingers twitched, dark magic curling around her hands. "Tell me you have a plan," she whispered.
Havyn's answer was cut off—
Because something massive rose from the depths.
The Guardian Awakens
The water parted, revealing an enormous, serpentine form.
Its body was covered in thick, iridescent scales that shimmered in shades of green and black. Its head was sleek, adorned with jagged spines, and its eyes—glowing, eldritch orbs—locked onto them with an unnatural intelligence.
A Leviathan.
Selene swore. "Of course."
The creature's throat rumbled, the sound vibrating through the water like an earthquake.
Then, it lunged.
Havyn barely had time to react before the Leviathan's coiled tail swung toward them. The force of it sent a wave crashing over their heads, dragging them back into the depths.
Havyn shifted mid-motion, his limbs extending, muscles hardening as he took the form of a great beast—a monstrous hybrid of wolf and bear, built for the water.
He kicked hard, surging upward, breaking the surface just in time to see Selene standing—not swimming, but standing—on the surface of the water.
Her silver eyes burned, and black sigils pulsed beneath her skin.
The Leviathan reared back, preparing to strike again.
Selene raised a hand.
And shadows erupted from the water.
Dark tendrils shot upward, latching onto the beast's form, dragging it toward the depths. The Leviathan shrieked, thrashing violently, but Selene's grip was unrelenting.
Havyn didn't waste the opening.
He launched himself at the creature's head, his claws tearing into its scaled hide. Ichor burst from the wound, the beast's body convulsing beneath him.
But still, it fought.
With a final, desperate thrash, it broke free of Selene's hold.
Havyn barely had time to leap away before it disappeared beneath the surface, vanishing into the abyss.
The cavern fell silent.
Havyn shifted back, panting as he treaded water. "Is it dead?"
Selene frowned. "No."
The water rippled.
Then, from the darkness, came a voice.
"You are not welcome here."
Havyn froze.
Selene's eyes widened. "That wasn't the Leviathan."
From the depths of the cavern, something else stirred.
And the pulse—the same pulse that had called to them before—grew stronger.