Kieran's breath came fast and sharp as he sprinted toward the narrow passage. Behind him, the howls grew closer—hunters closing in, their heavy footfalls echoing through the cavern.
The tunnel was barely wide enough for one person at a time. Good. That meant the hunters couldn't swarm them all at once.
Elias reached it first, pivoting on his heel to face their pursuers. His sword gleamed under the faint glow of the cave, dripping with dark blood.
Kieran skidded to a stop beside him. His muscles burned, but he forced himself to lift his weapon. "How many do you think there are?"
Elias didn't answer. Instead, he flicked a finger toward the darkness. "You cover the left. Kill anything that gets through."
No hesitation. No reassurance. Just orders.
Kieran swallowed his frustration. There was no time to argue.
Then the hunters arrived.
The first one lunged through the tunnel opening—too fast. Kieran barely managed to twist his body, avoiding its claws by inches. He slashed upward, his blade cutting through flesh. Not deep enough.
It shrieked and swung again. He ducked, then drove his sword through its throat.
The creature collapsed.
Kieran barely had time to catch his breath before another one took its place.
Elias moved like a storm beside him. Every step, every strike, was precise—one cut, one kill. He never wasted movement.
Kieran tried to mimic him. Read the attacks. React. Counter.
But he was slower. Sloppier.
His next opponent nearly gutted him for it.
A claw slashed across his ribs. Pain burned through his side. Kieran grit his teeth, pushing forward and slamming his blade into the hunter's chest.
Another kill. But he was bleeding now.
And the hunters weren't stopping.
Elias grabbed his collar and yanked him backward just as a spear whistled past his face, embedding itself into the rock. "Stay sharp," Elias muttered.
Kieran shoved him off. "I am."
Elias's gaze flickered to his bleeding side. "Then prove it."
Kieran scowled, but there was no time to argue. Another hunter charged in. He met it head-on.
The battle raged on, bodies piling at their feet.
But Kieran knew one thing for certain.
If they didn't find a way out soon—
They were going to die here.