Spirit of Shadows

| Chapter Fourteen |

Matthias scrambled back as soon as his boot stepped into a pile of unnameable slosh, his sword flying about in his hand. Em ducked and Jonah just dodged the blade as it passed right beside him.

"Mate, maybe next time you could refrain from almost killing me?" Jonah teased as Em helped Matthias right himself up.

Matthias grumbled something under his breath as he removed his boot from the bucket. Em wrinkled her nose at the smell and Jonah was on the cusp of saying some witty remark when Matthias turned around to glare at him. It shut him up but Em doubted it would silence him for long.

"Where are we?" Em asked, her dagger's light was illuminating very little. She could just barely make out the chalky stone walls and patches of mud on the ground around her.

"C'mon." Matthias said, avoiding the question.

Em was about to open her mouth to argue against him, wanting to know exactly where they were before they continued forward but, Matthias had gone quite pale. Wether it was from the small slip that just occurred or something else, Em was unsure.

"Mate–" Jonah tried.

"Zip it." Matthias seethed through clenched teeth.

Em and Jonah watched Matthias waddle forward a few paces before catching up to him. She couldn't tell if it was just her eyes playing tricks on her or what but the walls seemed to be closing in around them. Suddenly, she was having a hard time breathing.

"Matthias, I can't really..." Em began, not really knowing how to phrase what she was about to say. She didn't want to tell him that she was having difficulty breathing because that would just sound ridiculous. They've all been through worse than just a spell of claustrophobia.

Although, she trailed off on her sentence, Matthias seemed to take a hint. He reached back, his fingers brushing against Em's. She unfurled her free-hand and reached for his palm. Together, they clasped their hands and held on tightly to one another.

Em was once again thankful for the dark of the tunnel so that it hid her many blushes.

"Just a little further." Matthias said. Em nodded even though the boy couldn't see her face.

...

About five minutes later, the group was emerging on a strange opening inside the tunnel. Em could tell because Nightmare's aura wasn't illuminating any nearby walls and the ground beneath them seemed to have expanded in size.

Just as she was about to mention it to the boys, she heard a faint whisper and her blood chilled in her veins.

More demons? She thought bitterly.

Matthias had released her hand and walked forward, his heavy footfalls echoing off the distant stone walls. The whispering hushed and the tunnel was silent once more.

Em didn't like this, not one bit. For once, she was beginning to become terrified of the dark.

I thought the days of being afraid of the dark were over? She thought to herself.

Em raised her dagger, the blue aura expanding down the tunnel slightly. She could make out Matthias' silhouette a few paces ahead and felt Jonah's heavy breaths behind her. Everything seemed alright until Em took another step forward.

Loud bangs and whipping sounds could be heard a bit further down the tunnel. People were crying out in what could only be pain. She heard whimpering and sobs, followed by screams and begging.

What the hell?

Matthias suddenly dashed forward, pulling his hood over his head, the shadows wrapping around him as he hid beside a stone pillar. Em and Jonah followed after him, quickly doing the same.