I pressed myself harder against the cold stone, forcing my spine into the jagged surface of the rock as if I could sink inside it.
My palm clamped over my mouth, fingers trembling, sealing in every breath so not even the smallest sound could escape.
The… the cave air was damp and thick, heavy with the smell of wet earth and something older— something thats… I don't even know how to describe it.
Then I heard it.
Thud.
Another.
Then many.
Slow at first. Heavy. Uneven.
Footsteps.
They echoed through the rock behind me— too many to count, each one vibrating faintly through the stone I leaned against. Dust trickled down from the ceiling in soft grains, landing in my hair, sliding down my neck. I didn't even dare to move.
They stopped.
Right behind the rock.
So close I could hear the scrape of something dragging across the ground.
Then—
A growl.
Low.
Wet.
Breathing that doesn't sound human.
"Human… find human."
