The darkness wasn’t empty.It was alive.It pressed against my skin like a wet blanket, heavy and suffocating, and the air tasted metallic, like blood and old rain. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel the tunnel moving around me. The walls weren’t solid anymore. They were shifting, breathing, adjusting like the spine itself was learning my shape.I stumbled forward.My hands reached out blindly, searching for something, anything to hold onto. But the darkness offered nothing but cold air and the faint vibration of the system’s pulse.The key in my pocket burned against my skin, as if it was trying to crawl out.“Cassie,” the voice whispered again, but closer now.Not from the tunnel.From inside my head.I froze.My breath came in shallow, panicked gasps.“No,” I whispered. “No, no, no.”The voice was soft, familiar, and filled with a kind of sad patience.“Don’t be afraid,” it said.I swallowed hard.“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice shaking.The darkness seemed to hum in res
Last Updated : 2026-01-17 Read more