What Was Left Behind

Chapter 18: Breathe of Desperation

The walls of the tunnel pressed close around Maia, the air damp and stifling as she crawled on hands and knees, her heart thundering in her chest. Every breath was shallow, and the tight space made her feel like the darkness itself was swallowing her. The metallic taste of fear coated her tongue, and the raw scrapes on her hands burned from the rough, rusted surface beneath them. It was suffocating.

Levi was just ahead of her, his movements quick and determined as they crawled through the narrow space. Behind her, Camilla's labored breathing filled the tunnel, weak and strained, every exhale like a painful reminder of how fragile she'd become.

The air in the tunnel grew colder with each passing second, and Maia's skin prickled as if the darkness was alive, creeping along her back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The creature's snarls and growls from the other side of the grate still reverberated in her ears, but it had faded now—too far behind to be heard, yet not far enough for comfort.

Her pulse quickened, the tight space making it hard to breathe. The weight of the stone and metal above them felt like it was collapsing inward, pressing down on her shoulders, pushing the air from her lungs. Every time she moved, the metallic scrape of her knees against the floor sent a shock of pain through her body, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.

A loud clatter echoed ahead as Levi kicked something loose, sending a shower of dust and debris into the air. Maia coughed, covering her mouth as the thick cloud of dirt made her choke. Her vision blurred, and the stale, acrid taste of the air made her stomach twist.

"Are you okay?" Levi's voice was tense, strained, but still steady as he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Maia managed, swallowing down the panic that was rising in her throat. "Keep going. We have to keep moving."

Levi nodded, pushing forward, his shoulders brushing against the sides of the narrow tunnel. The walls were closing in tighter, the air thicker, as if they were descending into the belly of the earth. Maia's hands were shaking, her arms burning from the effort, but she forced herself to keep moving, even as the oppressive weight of the darkness seemed to pull her down, deeper.

Behind her, Camilla's soft whimpering made Maia's heart clench. She risked a glance back. Camilla's face was pale, her eyes half-lidded, her body weak and trembling. Whatever they had done to her, it had broken her spirit, her strength. She was barely hanging on.

"We're almost there," Maia whispered, more for herself than for Camilla. But she knew they were nowhere near safety. Not yet.

A sharp sound pierced the tunnel—a metallic screech, followed by the faint echo of footsteps. Maia froze, her body rigid. The creature. It had found another way. It was still hunting them.

Levi must have heard it too. He glanced back at Maia, his eyes wide, and without a word, he pushed harder, crawling faster through the tight space. Maia followed, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps as the suffocating fear clawed at her lungs.

The footsteps were getting louder now, echoing through the tunnels like the pounding of a drum. Heavy, unnatural footsteps that reverberated through the metal, sending vibrations up through Maia's hands and knees. It was close. Too close.

"Faster!" Levi hissed, his voice tense with urgency. His muscles strained as he pushed ahead, his breath coming in sharp bursts. Maia didn't need to be told twice—she moved as fast as she could, her limbs burning with the effort.

Camilla whimpered again, her movements sluggish and weak behind her, but Maia couldn't stop. She couldn't slow down. They had to get out of here. The air in the tunnel seemed to thicken, as if it was pushing back against them, slowing them down, while the creature moved effortlessly through the dark, closing in.

The tunnel shifted ahead, sloping downward, the floor slick with condensation. Maia's hands slipped as she scrambled to keep her balance, her pulse racing as she felt the incline steepen. Levi was already halfway down the slope, his movements hurried, but the ground beneath them was treacherous—slick with grime and moisture. One wrong move and they would slide out of control.

Maia's fingers scraped against the metal, her nails catching on rusted edges, but she held on, forcing herself forward. The sound of the creature was deafening now, its guttural snarls echoing off the tunnel walls, each one closer, more desperate, like it could smell them, like it knew they were trapped.

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up, and Levi slipped through a gap at the end of the passage, his body disappearing into the darkness. Maia followed without hesitation, pulling Camilla with her, their bodies sliding out of the tight tunnel and into a wide, open space.

They landed hard on the cold stone floor, the air rushing out of Maia's lungs as she hit the ground. The space was enormous—a massive underground chamber, dimly lit by the faint glow of ancient, flickering lights embedded into the walls. It smelled of mold and decay, a space long forgotten by time.

Levi groaned as he stood, shaking the dirt from his clothes. Maia pushed herself up, her hands and knees burning from the fall, her heart pounding with the rush of adrenaline. She turned to Camilla, who was lying on the ground, her chest heaving, her face pale and gaunt. They couldn't rest.

Before Maia could even catch her breath, a loud, echoing roar filled the chamber. The creature was close, and it wasn't stopping.

"Come on, we have to keep moving!" Levi shouted, pulling Maia to her feet. He grabbed Camilla's arm, forcing her upright despite her weakened state. There was no time for tenderness now. They had to run.

Maia's lungs burned as they sprinted across the chamber, the ground uneven and slick beneath their feet. The walls stretched high above them, cracked and crumbling, but there were no doors, no obvious exits. Just endless darkness and the looming threat of whatever horror was chasing them.

"There!" Levi pointed to a rusted metal ladder bolted to the far wall, barely visible in the dim light. "It leads up. Maybe to another floor. We need to get out of this level."

Maia nodded, her legs shaking as they ran toward the ladder, their footsteps pounding against the stone. Camilla was barely able to stand, her body swaying with exhaustion, but they couldn't stop now.

Levi reached the ladder first, his hands gripping the cold metal as he began to climb. Maia followed quickly, pulling herself up with every ounce of strength she had left. The sound of the creature below grew louder, its roars shaking the very ground beneath them. It was almost here.

Camilla struggled behind Maia, her arms weak, her movements slow. Maia could hear her breathing, ragged and uneven, and she turned to look down just as Camilla's grip faltered. Her hand slipped, and she let out a small cry as she lost her hold on the ladder.

"No!" Maia screamed, her hand shooting out to grab Camilla's wrist just in time. The weight of her friend's body pulled her down, nearly yanking her off the ladder, but Maia held on with everything she had.

Levi looked down, his eyes wide with panic. "Hold on!"

Maia's arms burned, her muscles screaming in protest as she tried to pull Camilla back up. The creature was at the bottom of the ladder now, its massive, twisted form clawing at the stone, its eyes locked on them. It was coming for them.

With a final, desperate heave, Maia pulled Camilla back up onto the ladder, her body trembling with the effort. Camilla clung to the metal rungs, her breath shaky, her eyes filled with tears.

"I've got you," Maia whispered, her voice hoarse. "We're almost there."

They climbed faster now, their hands slipping on the rusted metal, the air thick with tension. Levi reached the top of the ladder, pulling himself onto the next level—a narrow platform that led into another passage.

"Hurry!" Levi shouted, reaching down to help Maia and Camilla up.

Maia grabbed his hand, pulling herself onto the platform just as the creature's claws scraped against the ladder, sending sparks flying. She pulled Camilla up behind her, her heart racing as the creature roared below them, its body too large to follow them onto the narrow platform.

They scrambled into the passage, the walls tight and claustrophobic again, but Maia didn't care. They were alive. They had made it.

But the sound of the creature's frustrated snarls filled the air, and Maia knew—this was far from over.