The fear instilled by their escape from the worm-like creature gradually receded, replaced by a dull, all-consuming exhaustion. The adrenaline had burned out, leaving only an ache in their muscles and a heavy weight on their minds.
"I think it's safe enough here." — Arielle said, leaning against the cold metal wall and closing her eyes. — "At least there are no writhing shadows or hungry worms with human heads."
"Well, by our modest standards, this is a veritable resort." — Lloyd quipped hoarsely, taking off his backpack.
They had settled in a small, semi-destroyed room resembling an old guard booth. Lloyd sat by an opening that had once been a window, gazing at the night sky visible through breaks in the fog. The moon was unnaturally large and pale, and most importantly—it was perfectly split in half. One half glowed with a cold, grey light, while the other was nothing but a dark, gaping void.
"I wonder what kind of force could do that to the moon... so neatly, right in half?" — he said quietly.
"I don't know. And honestly, I don't want to know. If something can take a bite out of the moon, it wouldn't even consider us a snack." — Arielle followed his gaze.
"Maybe it's just sitting over there right now, watching us?" — Lloyd mused darkly.
"Now I'll be able to sleep much more soundly, Lloyd." — Arielle said, puffing out her cheeks in mock annoyance.
Night fell upon the ruins. They divided the watch in half. Lloyd took the first shift. He sat, listening to the silence, which was occasionally broken by strange, distant sounds.
The night dragged on agonizingly long. Lloyd, on watch by the entrance, was already nodding off when he was jolted by desperate screams. Human screams.
Lloyd instantly jumped to his feet, his heart hammering in his throat. He bumped his foot against Arielle. She awoke without a single sound, her hand already resting on the grip of the metal pipe she'd picked up earlier.
"You hear that?" — he whispered.
She nodded. The screams were not loud, but they were filled with raw, animalistic panic.
"They're coming this way." — Arielle was already on her feet. — "And they're definitely not here for a picnic."
"We have to help." — Lloyd's decision was instantaneous.
"Just no heroics. Agreed?" — Arielle looked at him for a second, then gave a sharp nod.
"Agreed." — Lloyd instantly concurred.
They slipped out of their shelter and, pressing themselves against the walls, moved towards the sound. The screams grew louder, mingling with heavy, uneven footsteps and... a strange, dry rustling, as if someone was dragging a sack of bones behind them.
Around the corner, a horrifying scene unfolded, one that would be forever seared into Lloyd's memory. Three guys in tattered work uniforms, their faces twisted in absolute terror, were desperately running, stumbling over scattered debris. And behind them...
A creature. It moved on long, thin, spider-like legs that clicked and crunched dryly on the stones. Its body resembled a desiccated, muscular human torso, covered in pale, flaking skin of a strange pearlescent hue. Instead of a head, a long, serpentine neck grew from its shoulders, crowned not with a face, but with a cluster of pale, blindly groping tentacles. They writhed in the air, as if feeling it, and from them came that same dry rustling sound.
One of the fugitives, the youngest with dark, curly hair, tripped and fell. In horror, he scrambled back against a wall, clamping his hands over his ears as if trying to block out the sounds the monster was making.
The creature, without slowing, inclined its serpentine neck. One of the tentacles, thin and sharp as a stiletto, shot forward and pierced another fugitive's chest with a dull, wet smack. The man gurgled, a crimson trickle flowing from his mouth, and slumped lifelessly to the ground. The second guy was ensnared by the long neck, coiling around him like a boa constrictor, and the tentacles buried themselves in his face. The same bubbling, muffled gurgle they had heard from afar echoed out.
Only one survived—the dark-haired guy. He stood frozen, paralyzed with horror, watching the creature drain the life from his friend. His eyes were wide open, filled with silent despair.
Arielle was the first to move. She didn't shout or hesitate. Like a shadow, she lunged forward, grabbed the stunned guy by his jacket, and forcefully pulled him out of the creature's direct line of sight.
"Lloyd!" — Her voice cut through the air like a whip.
Lloyd's heart was pounding wildly. He clenched the heavy metal pipe in his sweaty palm. Throwing it was useless—he lacked both the strength and the skill to hit and cause damage. Instead, obeying instinct, he swung the pipe hard against the rusty body of a wrecked car standing nearby.
A deafening clang, loud and unnatural in the oppressive silence, echoed through the stone canyon. The sound was so sharp and unexpected that the creature jerked, freezing for an instant, its tentacles stiffening in the air. It turned its blind "head" towards them, emitting a quiet, questioning hiss. That moment of disorientation was enough.
"Run!" — Lloyd roared, already grabbing Leo's arm and shoving him forward.
The three of them bolted away without looking back. Behind them, a furious, grating screech erupted, followed by the dry, rapid clatter of limbs on stone—the monster had given chase. They raced through the dark alleys, their heartbeats deafening, their legs buckling, but animal fear drove them onward. Gasping for air, Lloyd swerved into the first narrow gap he found between slabs, pulling Leo in after him. Arielle slipped in last.
From outside came the sound of furious scraping. The creature, too bulky to squeeze through the crevice, was savagely beating against the stones. But after a minute, the blows ceased, replaced by a quiet, malevolent hissing that gradually faded into the distance.
They collapsed in the darkness, unable to utter a word, listening to their own breath escaping in ragged, rasping bursts.
The rescued guy, whom they later learned was named Leo, sat on the ground, head in his hands, his shoulders shaking convulsively. He made no sound, but his entire body spoke of the shock he had endured.
Morning found the three of them back in their old shelter. Grey, bleak light filtered through the cracks, illuminating the dust hanging in the air. Leo silently laid out his meager rations before them—a few compressed nutrient bars labeled "Kronos" and a small aluminum canteen of water.
"Here." — his voice was hoarse and strained from the ordeal. — "Without you, I'd... well, you know."
They ate in oppressive silence, dividing the food three ways. The bars were tasteless, like cardboard, but offered an illusion of normality.
"How did you end up on the surface?" — Lloyd was the first to break the silence, breaking off another piece of his bar.
Leo slowly looked up at him. His eyes were red, but the panic was gone, replaced by a deep, draining weariness.
"We were... forcibly ejected onto the surface too." — Lloyd continued, seeing his hesitation. — "In Pleraz. The ground beneath our feet just... turned liquid."
"So it's not just us? Not just in Kronos?" — Leo looked at Arielle with a spark of hope, as if seeking confirmation.
"It seems the underground is betraying us everywhere." — Arielle concluded grimly, taking a sip of water from the canteen.
"I'm just an energy engineer's apprentice." — Leo shrugged, and a bitter irony sounded in his voice. — "Learning to make the stones work for us, to draw energy from them. And they... they decided to work against us."
Lloyd looked at their new companion, then shifted his gaze to Arielle. Their eyes met, and there was understanding in them. The path ahead was dangerous, unpredictable, and possibly led straight into the jaws of something terrible. But traveling as a trio, with someone else who understood the full horror of their situation, felt less unbearably frightening.
"Leo." — Lloyd said, and his voice sounded firmer than he expected. — "We... have a direction. I don't know if it's safe, I don't know where it leads. But sitting here waiting for the next abomination to find us isn't an option. Do you want to come with us?"
Leo looked at him, and the frozen emptiness in his eyes gradually gave way to a spark of resolve. He had lost everything he had in one night. All that remained was to move forward.
"Where to?" — he simply asked.
Lloyd pointed a finger into the misty distance, beyond their shelter, to where his inner compass pulled him relentlessly.
"There. To the temple."