The only sound that accompanied Xavier through the darkness was the frantic rhythm of his own footsteps. They echoed endlessly through the twisting tunnels as he ran—one turn, then another—ducking beneath curtains of silk, squeezing past jagged walls without slowing. Direction no longer mattered. Instinct drove him. And the image of Elra trapped somewhere in this nightmare refused to leave his mind.
His chest burned, each breath ragged, yet he forced himself onward. The cave stretched deeper and deeper, swallowing every sound he made and throwing them back in distorted echoes.
Then—he froze.
The tunnel widened into a vast chamber. Unlike the nests he had passed before, this place was eerily bare. No dangling corpses. No swarms. Only masses of webbing clinging to the walls. Towering stalagmites rose from the ground like the fangs of some colossal beast, while stalactites hung jagged above, some so low they nearly touched the stone below. Moonlight seeped through thin cracks high above, painting the pillars in silver shadows.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance. Drip. Drip. Drip.
And between those lonely sounds—someone was crying.
Xavier's heart lurched. "…Elra?"
The sobbing continued, faint but unmistakable.
"Elra!" His voice rang out, bouncing off the walls. He hurried forward, weaving between the stone pillars. "Elra!"
No answer. Only quiet sobs.
He pushed deeper into the chamber, vision blocked again and again by the jagged formations. Until finally—he saw her.
Elra sat crouched against the far wall, her back turned, shoulders trembling. Relief surged through Xavier, nearly buckling his knees. He approached slowly, voice soft, almost pleading.
"Elra… it's me."
No response.
He took another step, closer now, the moonlight brushing across her figure.
"Elra? You can stop crying now."
Still nothing. Only the faint sound of her breathing.
Xavier's chest tightened. Something wasn't right. He knelt beside her carefully, reaching out with trembling fingers. "Elra, are you okay?"
The instant his hand touched her shoulder—she exploded into motion.
A guttural growl tore from her throat as she spun and hurled herself at him like a wild animal. Xavier's eyes widened, instincts snapping into place. The black soul bone spread across his arm just as her fangs sank into it, the force knocking him onto his back.
"E-Elra?!" His voice cracked.
Half her face had changed. Greenish-black scales stretched from her cheek to her neck, a golden slit pupil gleamed like a serpent's eye, and long fangs protruded from her mouth. Dark feathers jutted from beneath the scales. Her breathing was ragged, animalistic.
She bit down harder. Xavier gritted his teeth, pain searing through his arm. "Elra!"
No response. Her eyes were vacant, hollow.
"Come on…" His voice broke as he struggled beneath her weight. "It's me!"
She snarled again, feral and unrecognizing. His heart trembled—the mutation was spreading, her body dying before his eyes. Terrifying.
"Wake up!" His voice cracked, desperation clawing at every word. "Please!"
Elra thrashed against him, her strength overwhelming, but Xavier clung to her shoulders despite the danger. Tears blurred his vision. "You have to remember! Your sister—you said you wanted to see her again! You said she's waiting for you! You can't forget that!"
For a heartbeat, her movements faltered. The pressure of her bite weakened. Her monstrous eye trembled. Recognition flickered—faint, but real.
"That's right…" His voice softened, coaxing her back. "Come back. You still have someone waiting for you. You can't leave her alone. Elra… please."
She froze. Slowly, agonizingly, her jaws loosened. The feral gleam dimmed.
From Elra's perspective, the world blurred. The first thing she saw was Xavier beneath her, with one arm raised in defense. "…Xavier?" Her voice quivered. She blinked, then looked down at her body—and froze.
Half her body had changed. Scales. Claws. Dark feathers. The sight shattered her. "No…" Her voice broke. "No…" She stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground. Tears poured freely. "No… no… What happened to me? What happened?!"
Fear consumed her. She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling. "I'm scared… I don't want to die… I don't want to die here…"
Xavier forced himself up, ignoring the pain burning through his body. He rushed to her side, pulling her into his embrace.
Elra buried her face against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm turning into a monster… I'm scared…"
Xavier held her tightly, his voice gentle but steady. "It's okay."
She shook her head violently. "No, it isn't… What if I become one of them? What if I hurt you, or Raiden, or Xylo? What if I forget everything?"
Xavier cupped her face, forcing her trembling eyes to meet his. Moonlight spilled through the cracks above, illuminating the tears on both their faces. His voice was firm, unwavering. "No. You hear me? No. You are getting out of here. I'm taking you back to your sister. No one is dying. Not on my watch."
A painful smile tugged at his lips. "Not again."
And for the first time since waking in that cursed cave, Elra cried not out of fear—but because, despite everything, Xavier still believed she could be saved. That they would make it out alive.
Elra buried her face against Xavier's chest, her shoulders trembling as quiet sobs escaped her lips. Xavier held her tightly, one hand gently stroking her hair while the other rested on her back. Neither of them spoke. They simply remained there in each other's embrace beneath the pale shafts of moonlight that slipped through the cracks above, trying to forget, if only for a few seconds, the nightmare that surrounded them.
Then, from somewhere between the stone pillars, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"So..." came Xylo's weak, exhausted voice. "Should we give these two some room, or what?"
Xavier and Elra immediately turned.
Behind one of the stalagmites were Raiden and Xylo. Raiden was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, while Xylo remained slung over his back like a sack of potatoes, looking half-dead and somehow still smiling.
"Hey!" Xylo protested weakly. "Put me down already. My dignity died three tunnels ago."
"Shut up, Xylo," Raiden grunted between breaths. "There's no time to be funny."
Raiden closed the distance quickly, but the moment his eyes fell on Elra, his expression hardened. Half her body had already succumbed to the mutation—scales rippled across her skin, dark feathers jutted from her shoulder, and one eye gleamed with the cold slit of a reptile.
His jaw tightened. "We need to move," he said, voice clipped and urgent. "We need to get her out of here. Fast."
Xavier nodded, though his voice faltered as he asked, "Did you find another exit?"
Raiden shook his head. "No."
The single word struck like a blade.
"We tried a tunnel after you left," Raiden continued grimly. "It was a dead end. Just rocks and collapsed passages."
Xavier rubbed his temple, frustration bleeding into his tone. "That's not good."
Elra's eyes widened, disbelief trembling in her voice. "So how are we supposed to—"
The chamber convulsed.
A thunderous detonation ripped through the cavern, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Dust cascaded from the ceiling, filling the air in choking clouds.
Everyone froze.
A scream rolled through the tunnels, long and ragged, steeped in agony. " Raiden," Xavier called as he turned to look at him. "Please tell me that's not who I think that is"
The four of them turned toward the entrance. At first, only flickering orange light danced against the walls. Then the glow shifted, moving closer as the light got brighter. Something vast emerged from the shadows.
It staggered forward, slamming into the left wall. Stone burst apart in a shower of debris. Stumbling to the right, she struck again, shattering rock with grotesque force. The fire consuming her body had warped every movement, twisting her into something unsteady, like a giant staggering under its own weight.
One step— then collapse. Another— then a stumble. She dropped to one knee, trembling, then dragged herself upright again.
Her spider legs quivered violently, scorched and cracked. Smoke rose in thick coils from her charred flesh. Half of her once-beautiful face had been reduced to ruin, blood mingling with ash. Her eyes—gone, burned and slashed, leaving her blind at the mercy of her other senses
And yet… Mother Celeste still lived.
She advanced slowly, each step a grotesque struggle, each movement a testament to her refusal to fall. Her ruined body was a silhouette of horror covered in flames, a queen stripped of her crown yet clinging to her throne of grief. The air reeked of smoke and scorched silk.
Her lips parted, voice rasping from a throat torn raw. "My babies…"
Another step dragged her forward, smoke curling from her ruined flesh. "You took them from me…" The words carried the weight of grief twisted into rage. Xavier's arms tightened protectively around Elra, his voice low and trembling. "What the hell did you do to her?" he whispered to Raiden.
Raiden blinked, sweat streaking his face. "Kid… don't tell me you liked her."
"What? No!" Xavier shot back, frustration sharp in his tone. "That's not what I mean! Why does she look like that?"
From atop Raiden's back, Xylo coughed weakly, his grin faint. "We sort of… um… we sort of burned her children."
"Weee? Sort of?" Raiden's voice flattened, iron in its edge. "Wee burned the whole nest?, It was you!"
Mother Celeste halted. Though blind, she lifted her head, her ruined face twitching as if the sound of their voices guided her.
"You…" she rasped, each syllable scraping against the stone. "I know you're here."
She limped forward, trembling violently. Her hands rose, clawed fingers dragging across her scorched skin, tracing the cracks in her exoskeleton, pressing against the ruin of her face. Her touch lingered on the hollow sockets where her eyes had once gleamed, then slid down her cheeks, smearing ash and blood across her pale skin.
"Look at me…" she screamed, her voice breaking into madness. Her hands clawed at her own body, tearing at burned flesh as if to force them to see. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!"
One of her massive spider legs swung sideways, splintering a stone pillar into fragments that scattered across the cavern floor.
"Look what you've done to my children!"
Another leg lashed out, striking a pillar and sending shards tumbling.
"You ruined them!"
Her fury grew, each strike shaking the chamber, dust raining from the ceiling, the air thick with smoke and grief.
"You took them from me!" Her voice thundered through the cavern, broken yet relentless, every word dripping with anguish and rage.
Xylo watched the monster he just created."Ohh, goodness," he said," I really overdid it this time." As He watched her, a cold breeze brushed against his skin, followed by a snowflake on his nose.
" Cold? Down here?" he thought, clearly looking confused
Slowly, he lifted his head. Hidden high above the stalactites was a narrow opening. Moonlight poured through it. And drifting gently from the crack… snow. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I think I just found our way out," he said, looking above
The three followed Xylo's gaze upward. High above the jagged forest of stalagmites, beyond the countless hanging stalactites, moonlight filtered through a narrow opening. Snowflakes drifted down lazily from the outside world, fragile reminders of a world untouched by the nightmare below.
"So, I guess we're going to have to find a way to distract her."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Raiden's mouth. "Exactly."
Keeping low, Xavier crept toward one of the thick stalagmites. Planting his feet firmly, he wrapped both hands around its pointed tip and snapped it clean off. The broken stone weighed more than it should have, but ever since obtaining his newfound strength, such feats had become possible.
He inhaled deeply. Then hurled it.
The stone flew across the chamber, striking the far corner with a violent impact that echoed through the cave.
Mother Celeste froze.
Her ruined body trembled, then she screamed, voice tearing through the cavern. "YOU!"
Her burning frame lurched forward, spider legs stabbing into the ground as she charged toward the sound. Blind and maddened, she tore through stone pillars and shredded webs, reaching the corner and clawing furiously at empty air.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Her voice reverberated like thunder. She swung her limbs wildly, pulverizing stone as fragments scattered across the floor.
"COME OUT!"
Another pillar splintered beneath her claws, shards raining down around her.
Her fury grew with each strike, the chamber trembling beneath her wrath, dust falling from the ceiling, the air thick with smoke and grief.
"Look at me!" she shrieked, dragging her hands across her scorched body, fingers clawing at her ruined face as if to force them to see. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!"
Her voice cracked, raw and venomous, echoing through the cavern. "You destroyed them… you took them from me!"
Behind her, Raiden whispered urgently.
"Now."
"Move."
The four of them carefully began making their way toward the opening above. Their footsteps were light; even Xylo, slumped weakly against Raiden's back, forced himself to stay silent.
Behind them, Mother Celeste continued smashing apart the cavern.
"I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" She screamed
"COME BACK!"
Her voice echoed through the chamber like the cries of a madwoman.
They were almost there—so close to escape that Xylo could already feel the tension in his chest beginning to ease.
Then his nose twitched.
He stiffened.
No...
The familiar itch crept through his nostrils, growing more insistent by the second. Xylo clenched his jaw and tried to suppress it, but his efforts only made his expression more strained.
"Ah..."
His breath caught.
Not now...
"Ah—"
"ACHOO!"
The sharp sneeze rang through the cavern.
Silence descended.
Their hurried footsteps ceased, and one after another, they turned their heads, every gaze settled upon Xylo.
He remained perfectly still for a moment, his expression blank.
Then he opened his eyes.
"...My apologies," he said with an awkward smile.
Mother Celeste whipped around.
Though blind, she had heard them.
And she was coming.
The burning monster charged through the chamber with terrifying speed. Her massive limbs struck the stalagmites jutting from the cavern floor, reducing them to fragments of stone. The spider-like legs extending from her body pierced the walls and ceiling as she forced herself forward, heedless of the damage she caused, guided only by the sound of the sneeze.
"RUN!" Raiden barked.
There was no longer any reason to remain silent.
The group broke into a desperate sprint.
Behind them came Mother Celeste's shriek.
"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!"
Her voice reverberated through the cavern as she tore through every obstacle in her path, smashing stalagmites beneath her limbs and sending fragments of stone scattering across the ground.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Another wall gave way beneath the force of her advance.
"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"
The opening was just ahead.
"Xavier!" Raiden shouted.
His voice thundered through the passage.
"You and Elra—get on my back!"
"What?!"
"JUST DO IT!"
There was no time to argue.
Xavier hurriedly passed Elra into Raiden's arms while Raiden shifted Xylo's limp body across his back. Elra wrapped her trembling arms around his shoulders, while Xavier clung to him from behind.
For a moment, the sheer weight nearly forced Raiden to his knees.
Three people.
One of them barely conscious.
His muscles strained beneath the burden, and sweat ran down his face despite the cold air filling the cavern.
But there was no time to complain.
Mother Celeste was closing in.
The glow of her flames stretched across the cavern behind them, casting grotesque shadows upon the walls. With every passing second, those shadows grew larger.
Raiden lowered his body.
Then he spread his wings.
They unfurled to their greatest span yet, the feathers shivering as he gathered what remained of his strength.
"Xylo!"
The wounded man raised his head with considerable effort.
"When I give the word, use everything you have left. Every last drop of power to shoot us upward."
Xylo stared at him for a moment before giving a weak nod.
"...Got it."
Mother Celeste was almost upon them, getting closer and closer.
Then Raiden moved.
His wings swept downward with tremendous force.
The air beneath them compressed violently before bursting outward, sending loose stones skittering across the ground and driving a cloud of dust and snow through the cavern.
Their bodies were shot off the ground, soaring through the opening, almost making their way out
For one fleeting moment, it seemed as though they might clear the passage.
Then their ascent faltered.
Gravity seized them once more.
Raiden's arms trembled. The veins along his forearms stood out beneath his skin as he struggled to keep himself upright, while his wings strained beneath the combined weight of their bodies.
"Xylo!"
His voice rang through the cavern.
"NOW!"
Xylo's eyes opened.
A faint glow gathered within them.
He drew in what little strength remained in his body and thrust both hands downward.
"HHAAAAAA!"
The last remnants of his power surged forth.
Flames erupted beneath them, their heat washing over Raiden's legs as the sudden force drove their bodies upward with startling violence.
They shot through the narrow passage like a firework, scraping against the stone as they ascended, until the darkness of the tunnel gave way to the pale radiance of the night.
Then they were free.
They emerged from the cave and were immediately swallowed by the vast white expanse beyond it.
Snow covered the ground beneath the moonlight, while the frigid night wind swept across their faces.
Their bodies struck the frozen earth and rolled several times before finally coming to rest.
For several seconds, none of them moved.
The only sound was their ragged breathing and the distant howl of the wind.
Then Xavier began to laugh.
It was not laughter born of amusement, but the helpless, disbelieving laughter of someone who had just escaped death by the narrowest of margins.
"We made it..."
His breath came unevenly.
"We actually made it..."
Elra buried her face against his chest, her trembling finally giving way to quiet sobs.
Raiden lay flat upon his back, staring blankly into the heavens as he struggled to catch his breath.
Xylo said nothing.
He simply lay upon the snow and gazed upward.
The stars stretched endlessly above them, untouched by the horrors beneath the earth.
After a long silence, a faint smile appeared upon his exhausted face.
"...I missed the sky."
Then—CRACK.
Everyone froze. Another sound. CRACK. Something was climbing. Their heads turned slowly. The hole they had emerged from trembled. Something inside was forcing its way upward. And they all knew exactly who it was.
Raiden's eyes widened. "Oh, come on!"
Xavier wasted no time. He tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and ran to Xylo. The man's fingertips still burned faintly. Xavier pressed the cloth against them—instantly, it caught fire. Sprinting toward the opening, he stretched out his gauntlet and unleashed the strange black-blue fog hidden within.
It poured into the tunnel like a river. Mother Celeste's enraged screams echoed from below. The smoke choked her, blinded her, trapped her in the narrow shaft as she clawed desperately upward.
"YOU!" "I'LL—"
Xavier hurled the burning rag inside. The moment the flame touched the fog—
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The opening shook. Fire erupted, a pillar of flames bursting into the night sky. Deep below, Mother Celeste screamed—one final scream—then silence.
Raiden stared at the burning hole. "…How exactly did you know that stuff was flammable?"
Xavier blinked. "I didn't." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I just hoped it was."
Xylo burst into laughter, then immediately coughed. "Well thank goodness your hope was right."
Raiden pulled Xylo to his feet. Xavier carefully lifted Elra into his arms.
"Come on," Raiden said. "We need to move."
Xavier looked up—and froze. His eyes widened. Far above, splitting the heavens themselves, a colossal pillar of light pierced the sky. Curtains of blue and green swirled around it like the Aurora Borealis. The sky itself looked cracked open.
Xavier stared in awe. "So that's our way out?"
Raiden followed his gaze. "Yeah." His expression hardened. "But we need to hurry. We have no idea what's happening right now."
And without another word, they began running through the endless snow.
Because time—time was no longer on their side.