𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

𝙭𝙭𝙞𝙭.

"Here is it. The Hissing Chasm." Soobin announced as soon as they stopped before a cave yawned open for the sun's rays to light up the entrance. But beyond it was another story.

It was eerily dark.

"So what's the plan, Soobin?" Dawn found herself asking.

She tried to stifle her shudders because as soon as they stepped into the cave; she felt like someone was watching them from the shadows. A deep, unsettling silence surrounded them, and she could almost feel their heartbeats pounding loudly, even though none of them were saying anything.

"If we're lucky, we could make the guardian agree to let us use the Quill for a while," Soobin replied casually. Still, there was an underlying tension in his voice.

"And if they don't?" Dawn questioned with a frown, already knowing the answer. They all knew it.

Soobin had stopped walking, a grimace of uncertainty evidence in his tone. "Let's just hope for the best... For now." He looked around the dark, vast space they were standing in.

It seemed like there was an unspoken agreement of staying silent because the entire walk towards the inevitable was such.

Only their breathing that grew harsher was heard that it echoed in the gloomy and cold darkness. The cavern was enormous but didn't stretch further than the cave's entrance. There was no doubt about it; whoever or whatever residing inside is really powerful because they could make anyone feel uneasy.

Tired of squinting her eyes in the dark, Dawn had wordlessly lit up one of her hands. The warm but fiery red magic cast a glow that made the three sigh in relief. The air was still freezing, but at least it wasn't pitch black anymore.

"Are we there yet?" She had asked after what felt like hours of silence.

Soobin shook his head before answering. "We'll see when we get closer. Maybe it will take less time if we go a bit quicker. Or maybe the way gets longer?" Dawn had rolled her eyes playfully at him as he chuckled in response. She knew he was just trying to elevate the mood so everyone would feel more relaxed.

Well, until something had grabbed hold of her arm and harshly pulled her down. "What the—?!" The sudden movement had startled her. And when she opened her mouth, there was a sharp taste of copper in her mouth, reminding her of how hard her tongue had collided against her teeth and lips.

Frozen in place, her wide eyes met Taehyun's. Her gaze was full of surprise. Fear. The fear spread across his features. He put a finger to his lips, telling her not to make any noise, or they will attract the attention of whatever might be lurking around them. Her tensed shoulders relaxed but tensed up soon.

She thought that it was the guardian who had grabbed her.

The moment her mind registered why he was gesturing that to her was when she realized they weren't alone after all.

Her breath hitched in horror.

A low, rumbling growl reverberated in the air, making all three of them jump in fear.

She got up quietly and followed Taehyun's action, who was silently looking at something. Getting to his side, she followed his line of sight, and almost immediately, she felt like the air was punched out of her lungs when her mind registered what was in front of her.