His footsteps echoed through the underground passage.
The deeper he descended, the warmer the air became. At the end of the staircase stood a gigantic stone gate. He pushed against it.
Rumble…
The gate opened effortlessly. Beyond it stretched an endless tunnel.
Then a sound echoed through the darkness.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
It was not footsteps. It was a heartbeat, massive, heavy. Each pulse caused the surrounding walls to tremble. The deeper he walked, the louder it became.
Eventually the tunnel opened into an enormous underground world. The cavern was so vast that its ceiling vanished into darkness. Countless gigantic cocoons covered on each wall. Some had dried into empty husks. Others had split open long ago. Every single one was empty.
