Silence.
Total.
Heavy.
Aria"…did anyone else hear that?"
Jonas"Hear what?"
Aria"Breathing."
Kael steps closer to her.
Protective.
Kael"There's nothing here."
A sound.
Soft.
Wet.
From the tunnel ahead.
Mira's voice echoes in Aria's memory.
Run.
Aria whispers.
"…something is moving."
Elias grips the wall.
Elias"This place feels wrong."
Jonas raises his weapon.
Jonas"Stay behind me."
The darkness shifts.
A shadow slides across the tunnel floor.
Too long.
Too thin.
Lena steps forward calmly.
Lena"Don't move."
Aria"You know what that is?"
Lena"Yes."
Kael"What is it?"
Lena looks directly at him.
Lena"A memory."
The shadow suddenly stretches.
Up the wall.
Across the ceiling.
Then—
A face forms.
Eyes opening in the darkness.
Aria gasps.
"…that's impossible."
The face whispers.
Broken.
Distorted.
"Kael."
Kael freezes.
The voice continues.
"You should have stayed dead."
The ground trembles.
Jonas whispers.
"Okay I officially hate this place."
The face melts back into shadow.
But something remains.
Footsteps.
Coming closer.
Aria's fingers grip Kael's arm.
Tight.
Aria"…it knows you."
Kael doesn't answer.
But his eyes say everything.