The passage yawned before me, dark and endless, swallowing the last slivers of light behind me. The deeper I went, the heavier the air became, thick with dampness, carrying a strange weight that pressed against my chest. The walls gave off a faint shimmer where the rocks pulsed with light, their glow feeding the worms that clung to them, their slick bodies shining as they devoured the stone. My breath came shallow, my pulse hammering in my ears like a frantic drum.
Every part of me screamed to turn back, but there was no turning back.
I shouldn't be here.
Something was wrong. I said it out loud even though no one answered. It came out small, like a whisper: something was wrong.
My heart was knocking so hard I could feel it in my throat. My legs wanted to run. My feet kept moving instead, because moving felt safer than stopping and listening. Stop listening, I told myself. Keep walking. Keep moving.
If that ghost thing was real, then that trail did not end with a prize. It ended with them. Big things. Monsters that did not care about right or wrong. Monsters that moved like the ground obeyed them. How did you fight that? How did you fight something you could not even imagine?
Destroyer of life. The words cut through me again. What if he had been right? What if all my struggling to break free only shaped me into the very thing I feared? What if the freedom I sought came at a price too heavy, a price that turned me into something worse than what had caged me?
Breathe. Breathe. I forced air in and out until my chest loosened a fraction. It did not help. My hands shook. My boots slipped on a wet patch and I bit the back of my cheek so I did not scream.
This was ending. It had to be ending. I could feel it closing up behind me, like the cave was swallowing the trail. And ahead...what was it that was ahead? Man? Beast? Two beings that shouldn't even exist in the first place? I could still see their shapes, as if they were standing in the next room waiting for me to reach the light.
No. No. This cannot be real. It had to be a fever dream. I kept telling myself that. But the voice I had heard, spoke as if it all was happening in the moment. It sounded sure. It sounded here.
My knees went soft and for a second I had to press my palm to the wall as I continued to walk. The stone was cold, and it steadied me. I hated how small I felt. I hated how small I knew I was.
I had killed Añkantu but that was only survival. That was not power. That would not be enough to defeat that monster or to protect me from one that can control this cave itself. If those things were waiting, I was not ready. I was not strong enough. Not strong at all.
I kept moving as it was the only thing I could do. My breath came sharp and fast. I sounded like I was running, even though I was only walking. My voice came out thin.
Please, I whispered to whatever listened, please let there be another way.
The fear dug in sharper than the cold. I wanted to believe I could make it back home, back to my mother's arms. But what if I never left this place? What if the only thing waiting for me in the dark was death?
I stopped, pressed my palm against the wall, and forced myself to steady my breathing. I couldn't fall apart now. Not here. Not when the only way out was forward.
"Can't die yet," I muttered, voice rough in my throat. "I still have to punch Kofi really hard for getting me into this mess."
The thought made me grin weakly, just for a second. It wasn't strength, but it was something. A reason to keep moving.
I tried to remember the old stories people whispered back home, the ones meant to keep kids inside at night. The Ol' Hige, slipping into houses to suck blood. The Rolling Calf, dragging chains through the dark, eyes burning like fire. Duppies lurking at crossroads, cold fingers tugging at your shadow.
But what I had seen... those weren't them. The shapes in this cave were heavier, stranger, and far too real. Not tricks to scare children. Not fables. Something else.
I pushed away from the wall and walked on, gathering what little courage I had left. The passage twisted tighter, the stone damp and slick under my hand. The air reeked of rot, a draft curling low around my ankles like cold fingers trying to trip me. Step by step it drew me deeper, deeper, until the tunnel suddenly opened wide.
And I saw it.
A passage stretched ahead, long and vast, glowing faintly at the far end. But the glow wasn't welcoming. It was wrong. Too still. The kind of light that didn't belong in a place that had never known the sun.
And then I heard them.
Voices.
I froze, my breath hitching.
The voices drifted through the chamber ahead, their words warped by the cave's echo, twisting and overlapping like whispers from the dark. My stomach knotted. I wasn't alone.
I moved carefully, pressing myself against the cold rock, inching forward. Stay low. Don't make a sound. The cave's scent changed here, richer, more earthy. Like something long buried had been disturbed.
Then, I saw them.
The altar stood at the edge of the chamber, pulsing with dark, eerie light. Black and blue flames coiled around it, shifting in unnatural patterns, their glow casting long, twisted shadows that seemed to crawl along the walls.
And standing before it, two figures.
One was cloaked, still as death, its form vaguely humanoid but... off. Its posture was too rigid, its presence like a void, absorbing the flickering glow instead of reflecting it.
But the other...
My blood ran cold.
The thing with five legs and too many claws. It shifted unnaturally, its slick, oily skin glistening in the flickering light. Its wolf-like face twisted into something monstrous, its breath a deep, rattling snarl. When it moved, its wings twitched, the membrane glistening with some kind of black sludge that dripped to the floor, hissing on impact.
I swallowed thickly.
It wasn't just a monster. It look determined as if it was just inches away from its goal.
And it was speaking.
"The Ring," the beast growled, its voice thick with something more than greed, something primal. "Give it freely... or I will tear it from your hands."
The words crawled into my ears, too heavy, too unnatural. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to move.
The cloaked figure shifted, his voice cutting through the chamber like a blade. "You are not worthy."
I forced myself to stay still. To breathe.
Was this what lay at the end of the trials? Was this what I had been racing toward? A ring?
The guardian spoke again, his tone colder now, steadier. "This artifact was never meant for the likes of you. It was forged to seal a great evil, not to be wielded by one."
The beast laughed, slow and deliberate. The sound crawled under my skin. "Or unseal it."
The flames around the altar bent low, shadows stretching across the stone.
"Still playing keeper?" the beast sneered, talons dragging sparks along the floor. "Tell me, Papa Bois, son of-"
"Do not call me that." Papa Bois' voice shook the chamber.
The beast's grin widened, jagged teeth glinting in the firelight. "Ah, so the name still stings. Perhaps I should ask after your blood. Your sister, Riva Mama... still threading her rivers through Jamaica? Still pretending her waters can wash away what festers in the underneath?"
Papa Bois' head turned sharply. For a moment the flames guttered. "Do not speak of her. Nor of me."
The beast chuckled. "Always hiding. Always ashamed. But I know what you are, Keeper. A relic clinging to scraps of the old world."
Papa Bois' voice cut sharp, his words filled with steel. "And what does a Lagahoyie, a mere chimera, know of my family?"
The name struck me like a stone. Lagahoyie. Chimera. I sucked in a breath before I could stop myself. So that was what he was... not one creature, but many, stitched together by some darker hand.
The Lagahoyie's eyes burned hot at the word. "Do not call me that."
"Why not?" Papa Bois pressed, unflinching. "It is the truth. You were fashioned from hunger. A servant. A gatherer of chains."
The Lagahoyie stepped closer, the ground trembling with each heavy stride. "I was made to bring the three. When the last is in my grasp, he will rise. And when he rises, Keeper, you will break first."
Papa Bois' cloak rippled, though no wind stirred. "The Ring is not yours. I am its keeper."
The Lagahoyie leaned forward, his grin splitting wide, too sharp to be human. "Keeper, coward, it makes no difference."
The flames around the altar dipped low, their light shuddering as if the chamber itself recoiled.
"You guard what you cannot control."
A low vibration rolled through the stone beneath my feet. Dust sifted down from the ceiling, settling on Papa Bois's cloak.
"You protect what you do not understand."
Papa Bois's staff struck the ground once, sharp and deliberate. The tremor stopped. Aldrov's grin widened.
"And when your strength fails, as it always will, the choice will fall to children who stumble through caves and call themselves brave."
The air thickened, every breath sharp and cold. The chamber itself seemed to listen. Papa Bois spoke again, his voice heavy, final. "Better children with a choice than a Lagahoyie without one."
A snarl broke the silence, low and dangerous.
I felt the name echo inside me. Lagahoyie. I clung to it, Knowing what the beast was made him feel more real... and more terrifying.
I needed to move.
I needed to run.
But I couldn't.
Because deep down, I knew.
The fight was about to begin.
A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, and I wiped it away with trembling fingers. The cave felt tighter, the weight of the air pressing down on me like an unseen force. My legs threatened to give out, my breath shallow and quick, but I forced myself to stay steady.
I couldn't move. Not yet. Not without knowing more.
I shifted slightly, pressing my back against the uneven rock, the cold seeping through my clothes. Even more proof that I wasn't dreaming. That I was really here, trapped in this waking nightmare.
I peered around the boulder, pressing myself deep into the shadows, straining to see what lay ahead. The altar stood before me, pulsing, alive in the dim glow of black and blue flames. The flickering light threw warped shadows across the walls, stretching and twisting as if something inside the fire was moving, watching.
The Ring.
I squinted, barely making out its form. It was hollow, circular, resting on the altar like a relic of something ancient, something waiting. My heart pounded against my ribs as the voices filled the chamber, low and tense, their weight thick in the air.
I edged forward an inch, each breath a battle against the silence, praying that neither of them would notice me.
A shadow shifted, and for a terrifying moment Aldrov's head turned slightly, nostrils flaring, before his attention snapped back to Papa Bois.
And then I heard the Papa Bois' voice, his fury barely contained beneath a veil of control.
"You don't understand the power that comes with this ring," he said, his voice like distant thunder. "You think he's on your side, but he doesn't care about anyone. He's lost that part of himself, long ago. He'll use you, just like he's used everyone else. And when he's finished, he'll drive you mad, break you, and then discard you like all the others."
The words hung like an omen, the weight of them settling in my chest.
Who were they talking about?
I held my breath, sweat cooling against my skin as the monster let out a slow, rumbling laugh, the sound thick with something worse than amusement.
"Oh, I know more than you think." The creature's voice was guttural, like gravel scraping against bone. "You, the so-called guardian, are blind to the truth. The Ring was never meant for you to protect. It belongs to him. And I will have it...I will set him free."
A cold shiver raked down my spine.
Papa Bois' stiffened, and for the first time, I saw it, a flicker of something beneath his composure.
Fear.
Not fear of Aldrov. Fear of what lay beyond the Ring.
The black and blue flames flared higher, licking the cavern walls, casting flickering patterns against the Papa Bois' cloak as he took a slow, measured step forward. And then, with deliberate control, he pulled back his hood.
The sight of him stole my breath.
He was mostly human, but not entirely. His presence was old, ancient, like something that had walked this world long before humans ever existed. His skin bore faint lines of something deeper than age, his eyes burning with a golden glow, unreadable yet filled with unspoken knowledge. But it was the horns, two massive ram's horns that curled from the sides of his head, gleaming in the eerie firelight, that made my stomach tighten.
This wasn't just a guardian.
He was something more.
The staff in his hand was gnarled and twisted, the wood looking as if it had been plucked from the roots of the earth itself. His long, slender fingers flexed, the claws at their tips barely visible in the shifting light.
Power radiated from Papa Bois like an unshaken storm.
The monster's grin widened, jagged teeth glinting in the firelight. "There is more at work here than even you understand, Papa Bois."
Papa Bois's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the staff. "Speak plainly."
The beast let out a low, pleased growl, dragging its claws across the stone. Sparks spat into the dark. "Plain words for hidden truths? No. I will give you only this. There is a prophecy. One you have never heard. One my master whispered into me when he forged me from hunger and bone."
Papa Bois's face hardened, but I caught it... the faintest flicker of unease. "Prophecy?"
The Lagahoyie chuckled, savoring the sound. "You clutch a ring without knowing the truth of it. You call yourself Keeper, yet the prophecy it belongs to was never given to you. Blind, Papa Bois. Watching the gate without ever hearing the words carved to its lock."
Papa Bois's staff dug into the stone, sparks spitting where wood struck rock. His voice was steady, but I heard the weight in it. "I know what I guard. I know that if what is sealed should ever be released, this ring will be needed to bind it again. That is enough."
The cavern held its breath, shadows flickering against the walls.
Papa Bois stepped forward, eyes narrowing, his voice dropping to something colder than the stone around us. "Enough riddles. Tell me your name."
The beast tilted its head, the grin never leaving its face. Its claws scraped the floor, slow and deliberate, leaving deep scars in the stone. The sound echoed like chains dragged through the dark.
"Aldrov," it said at last, savoring every syllable. "But what good is a name to a man who will not live long enough to remember it?"
Papa Bois's voice was ice. "Then I will remember it for you, Aldrov. And I will not forget the threat you bring."
The flames around the altar guttered low, shadows stretching across the walls.
Aldrov's grin widened, cruel delight in his eyes. "What use did a dead man have with my master's words? All you needed to know was this. The Ring was one chain. And my master was restless. He would not wait forever."
His words hung in the cavern, heavy as stone, until even the fire seemed to flinch.
I stood frozen, clinging to the name. Aldrov. The word "prophecy" echoed in my skull, each beat of my heart hammering it deeper.
I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting with nausea.
Papa Bois, however, did not flinch.
"You think you can defeat me, Aldrov?" His voice carried something else now, something cold, confident. Something deadly.
Aldrov's snarl deepened, the air shifting around him.
"You and that Ring have always been his, Papa Bois. Whether you admit it or not, you were born from him. You cannot deny that fact. You are simply too proud to face it."
Papa Bois's golden eyes darkened, the weight of his silence enough to crush the air in my lungs.
"You will give me the Ring," Aldrov continued, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a low, slithering whisper. "And when I return to him with it, he will finally see your true nature."
Papa Bois' expression did not change.
But something in the room did.
The flames bent and flickered, their colors bleeding into unnatural hues. The ground groaned beneath my feet, the weight of something unseen pressing into the space around me.
When Papa Bois finally spoke, his words were ice.
"A monster like you will never touch the Ring."
The finality in his tone sent a visible shudder through Aldrov.
But the beast recovered quickly, his claws flexing against the stone.
And for the first time, I saw it. True rage.
Aldrov's muscles coiled, his lips peeling back in a vicious snarl.
"I do not need your permission to take what is his."
The words were a death sentence.
The flames surged, throwing monstrous shadows against the walls, and in that single, terrible moment, I knew that there was definitely no going back now.
The battle was inevitable.
Aldrov lunged, a blur of shadow and malice, his five legs gouging into the stone as he propelled himself forward. The cavern trembled beneath the force of his charge, claws glistening with oily venom as they sliced toward Papa Bois.
But he was ready.
With a single fluid motion, Papa Bois slipped aside, his cloak flaring as he twisted his body just enough to evade the strike. Crack. His staff snapped downward, intercepting the next blow as Aldrov's talons clashed against enchanted wood, the collision sending a shockwave through the chamber. Sparks erupted where claw met staff, the stone floor splintering beneath them.
Aldrov snarled, his wolfish jaws snapping for Papa Bois's throat.
Papa Bois ducked, his staff pivoting like a lever as he spun, his opposite elbow slamming into Aldrov's ribs. The beast let out a guttural roar, staggered for a breath, then twisted midair with unnatural agility. Bat-like wings snapped open, catching the air as his hind legs lashed out, tearing toward cloak and flesh.
Papa Bois planted himself low, knees bent, and swung his staff upward in a vicious arc. The strike hammered into Aldrov's chest, launching him backward across the cavern. Claws raked deep scars into the stone as the Lagahoyie skidded, struggling to regain balance.
There was no pause.
Aldrov slipped under Papa Bois's attack with a feral growl, lunging low. His weight crashed into Papa Bois' side, lifting him from his feet. His body slammed against the altar with a bone-shaking thud.
The Lagahoyie did not relent.
Before Papa Bois could rise, Aldrov's clawed hand shot forward, closing around his throat with crushing strength. He hoisted Papa Bois from the ground, grip tightening as his glowing eyes locked onto golden ones.
"You fight well, Papa Bois," Aldrov rumbled, rancid breath filling the space between them. "But you should never have been given this task."
Papa Bois struck back in an instant. His hands clamped down on Aldrov's wrist, iron grip locking tight. With a snapping twist, he rolled his body midair, wrenching himself free.
Crack.
His knee smashed into Aldrov's forearm, forcing the claws to release him. He landed in a crouch and drove his palm into Aldrov's chest, the impact sending the beast stumbling backward.
Papa Bois pressed in fast.
This time he abandoned the staff. His clawed hand shot out, seizing Aldrov by the throat. Muscles tensed, he spun his body and hurled the monster over his shoulder with crushing force.
Aldrov's body cratered into the floor, the impact shaking the cavern. Dust and fragments rained from above.
The beast roared, his rage unbroken. Claws extended to unnatural lengths, he slashed wildly, each swipe tearing through the air like a storm of blades.
Papa Bois leaned back, avoiding three swipes by inches. The fourth grazed his cloak, the enchanted fabric sizzling as venom burned into it.
Papa Bois's eyes flared.
He dodged the next strike and caught Aldrov's wrist midair, his grip locking like a vice. Bones creaked, strained. With a brutal twist, he bent the arm at an impossible angle until it popped with a sickening crack.
Aldrov howled, tail whipping in fury.
His hind leg lashed out toward Papa Bois's stomach, but the Papa Bois caught it, claws digging deep into fur and flesh. The Lagahoyie writhed, body contorting unnaturally as he fought to break free.
Papa Bois moved first. With explosive force, he lifted Aldrov completely off the ground and slammed him spine-first into the cavern wall.
The entire chamber shook.
Cracks split the stone. Blue-black flames flared, whipping violently as pressure thickened in the air.
Papa Bois stepped back, chest heaving, horns casting jagged shadows across the walls.
And Aldrov, battered and bleeding, began to rise.
"You're persistent," Papa Bois muttered.
Aldrov chuckled, wiping away the thick, dark ooze dripping from his mouth. "And you're holding back."
Papa Bois narrowed his eyes, his staff flying back to his outstretched hand with a mere thought.
"You don't deserve my full strength."
Aldrov's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Then you're a fool."
Without warning, the monster rushed forward, this time faster than before. His entire form blurred, his claws, wings, and tail all striking at once.
Papa Bois matched him.
Their fight became a storm of raw power, the cave walls quaking under their blows. Staff met claw, flesh met stone. Their movements were so fast they became a blur of dark figures locked in brutal combat.
The flames at the altar surged higher, the air thickening as something unseen stirred.
I watched, trembling in the shadows, my breath barely a whisper against the cavern walls. My heart pounded like a war drum, my fingers digging into the cold stone as if clinging to the last thread of safety. Then, in the charged silence before the storm, a chilling thought settled over me like a shroud...this fight was far from over. But even more terrifying was the question I couldn't shake: What happens if Papa Bois loses?