[Cave]

Skipping school wasn’t exactly a new concept for them, but skipping school to investigate a government-failed dungeon break? That was a first.

By the time they made it past the school gates, they already had a plan—or at least, a rough idea of what the hell they were doing.

Get to the city as fast as possible.

Assess the situation without immediately dying.

Figure out if they could actually do something without getting arrested… or worse.

Public transportation was a no-go—the entire city was already on high alert, with news crews and emergency responders flooding the streets. So, Kora—being the absolute menace she was—called in a favor.

Fifteen minutes later, they were speeding down the highway in a suspiciously high-end black SUV that Kora’s “friend” had oh-so-generously loaned them.

“…I don’t want to know how you got this,” Amira muttered, gripping her seatbelt as Kora definitely ignored the speed limit.

“Smart girl,” Kora smirked, weaving through traffic like she was in an action movie.

Aiden, who had claimed shotgun, looked two seconds away from having an existential crisis. “This is how I die. Not in a dungeon. Not fighting monsters. But in a stolen car with a reckless mechanic behind the wheel.”

Ruby laughed. “C’mon, this is fun!”

Sara groaned. “I hate that I’m agreeing to this.”

Liam checked his phone. “The government hasn’t released an update yet, which means they’re either covering it up or—”

“Or everyone inside is dead,” Dave finished grimly.

Silence.

None of them wanted to admit it, but the chances of the soldiers surviving weren’t looking great.

Amira exhaled slowly, watching the city skyline blur past them.

The feeling hadn’t gone away—that itch under her skin, the pull in her gut, like something was waiting for them.

She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a very, very bad thing.

Then, up ahead—

The dungeon.

It loomed over the city like a gaping wound in reality, a swirling mass of darkness where buildings should have been.

Amira felt her heart pound.

Whatever was inside that thing… was expecting them.

As Kora pulled the SUV to a stop a few blocks away, the scene outside the dungeon was pure chaos.

Reporters from every major news station had set up right outside the government’s blockade, their cameras rolling, microphones in hand, each one trying to get the latest scoop.

"We are live at the site of the largest dungeon break to date! As you can see behind me, the authorities have set up a perimeter, but questions remain—why has there been no further communication from the exploration team?"

"Speculation is running wild as experts fear the worst. Could this be an extinction-level event?"

Civilians crowded behind the barriers, some desperate for information, others just there for the spectacle. Military vehicles lined the streets, soldiers keeping the growing crowd at bay.

And then, there was the dungeon itself.

A swirling mass of darkness, the edges warping unnaturally, like reality itself was rejecting its presence. It felt wrong just to look at it.

Amira felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

"Alright," Ruby said, leaning against the car door. "So, uh… how exactly are we getting in?"

"Good question," Liam muttered, eyeing the heavy military presence.

Kora crossed her arms. "I could maybe hack into their comms, get us some intel, but actually getting past that barricade? That’s a different story."

Sara sighed. "Great. So we have a plan that amounts to absolutely nothing so far."

Amira wasn’t listening.

Her gaze was locked on the dungeon.

Because deep inside the swirling void—just for a second—

She thought she saw something.

Something watching them.

Her hands twitched. The flames inside her stirred.

She had a bad feeling about this.

A really bad feeling.

And then, as if answering her thoughts—

A blood-curdling scream echoed from inside the dungeon.

The moment the monsters lunged, fire erupted from Amira’s hands.

It wasn’t like before—no hesitation, no struggle, no blurry vision holding her back. The limitations she had just a week ago? Gone.

The flames responded to her like they were a part of her soul, roaring to life as if they had been waiting for this moment. They twisted and curled around her arms, flaring brighter than ever, licking at the air with raw, untamed power.

The first monster—a hulking, four-eyed beast with jagged claws—swiped at her, but she was faster.

She ducked, her body moving on instinct, and with a flick of her wrist, fire shot from her palm in a blazing arc.

The creature screeched as the flames consumed it, its body turning to ash before it even hit the ground.

More were coming.

Dozens of them.

Fangs, claws, glowing eyes in the dark.

And yet—Amira grinned.

The adrenaline was intoxicating.

The thrill of the fight, the heat of the flames—she felt alive.

With a sharp exhale, she raised both hands, fire swirling at her fingertips. The purple flames pulsed, growing hotter, brighter, forming something massive.

A sword, wreathed in fire.

The moment her fingers curled around the hilt, the dungeon shook.

And deep within the shadows, that same grinning figure watched.

Silent. Amused.

.

.

.

Amira heard them—footsteps pounding, voices echoing through the warped space of the dungeon.

Her friends.

They were chasing after her, calling her name.

But the deeper she went, the farther their voices felt, as if the dungeon itself was stretching, twisting reality to pull her away.

The shadows flickered unnaturally, shifting like they were alive. The flames in her hand barely kept them at bay, but something about this place was wrong.

It wasn’t like the other dungeons.

It felt… aware.

Her grip tightened around her sword. The monsters circling her hesitated now, as if sensing something had changed.

Then—

A voice.

Not her friends.

Not human.

“You’re waking up.”

The air grew heavy. A sharp ringing filled her ears.

Then—pain.

A searing pain behind her eyes, like fire was burning through her skull.

She staggered, nearly dropping to her knees. The world blurred, flickering between the dungeon’s darkness and something else.

Something older.

Something ancient.

For just a second, she saw it—a throne of fire, chains hanging from the sky, and a figure sitting above it all, watching her.

Waiting.

Then—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

“AMIRA!”

The vision shattered.

She blinked, breath hitching, and found herself staring into Kora’s worried face.

Behind her, the rest of the group had caught up, panting, weapons drawn.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kora snapped. “You can’t just run into a goddamn dungeon alone!”

Amira opened her mouth to respond—

Then stopped.

Because in the distance, where she had seen the throne—

The figure was still watching.

And this time, it was smiling.

The Smiling Shadow

Amira’s breath caught in her throat.

The figure in the distance didn’t move. It didn’t blink. It simply stood there, its grin stretching impossibly wide, as if it knew something she didn’t.

And then—

It took a step forward.

The entire dungeon shuddered. The flames around her flickered violently, struggling against the oppressive force pressing down on her. The monsters—ones that had been circling her like predators—suddenly recoiled, shrinking into the darkness.

Even they were afraid.

Kora must’ve noticed Amira’s sudden tension because she tightened her grip on Amira’s wrist and pulled her back.

“Hey—what is it?” she asked, her voice edged with concern.

Amira’s mouth was dry. “There’s… someone here.”

Liam, still catching his breath, frowned. “What? Who?”

Amira pointed.

But—

The figure was gone.

Only the swirling abyss of the dungeon remained, as if nothing had ever been there.

She blinked, her heart hammering. Had she imagined it?

No.

No, she felt it.

It was real.

“Amira.” Ruby’s voice was serious now. “Are you okay?”

Amira hesitated. Her hands were still shaking, the heat of her flames burning a little too hot. She could still feel that thing watching her, even if she couldn’t see it anymore.

But she forced a smirk, shoving the unease down.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

Sara raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Because you looked like you were about to pass out a second ago.”

“I said I’m fine.”

Lies.

But she wasn’t about to break down now. Not here.

She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders. “Anyway, we should keep moving. If this dungeon isn’t acting like the others, we need to figure out why before something worse happens.”

Her friends exchanged uncertain glances, but ultimately, they nodded.

Kora, though, didn’t let go of Amira’s wrist right away.

“You tell me if something’s wrong,” she said quietly. “I mean it.”

Amira swallowed. “Yeah.”

But as they moved forward, deeper into the dungeon, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had just stepped into something far bigger than she could understand.

And worst of all—

She wasn’t sure she could escape it.

.

.

.

The deeper they moved into the dungeon, the more unnatural everything felt.

No monsters. No sounds. No shifting shadows.

Nothing.

It was as if the dungeon was holding its breath, watching.

“This is wrong,” Dave muttered, gripping his weapon tighter. “Dungeons aren’t supposed to be this quiet.”

They all felt it—the eerie stillness that clung to the air, thick like fog. It wasn’t the usual tension before a fight. It was worse.

It was like they had already stepped into something’s trap.

Then, up ahead—

A cave.

The entrance was massive, jagged rocks lining the opening like the fangs of some ancient beast. A low, humming vibration pulsed from within, making the very ground tremble beneath their feet.

Amira stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. “It’s coming from inside.”

Ruby hesitated. “So… do we go in?”

Kora let out a dry laugh. “Oh yeah, because mysterious ominous cave in a cursed dungeon screams safe.”

“Exactly,” Liam said, cracking his knuckles. “Which means whatever’s in there is important.”

Sara sighed. “I hate that you’re probably right.”

Amira didn’t wait for more discussion. She adjusted her grip on her sword and stepped forward. “Stay close.”

As they entered, the temperature dropped. The heat from Amira’s flames barely reached beyond her fingertips, the darkness swallowing the light faster than it should have. The cave walls pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, the vibrations growing stronger with each step.

Then—

A whisper.

Low. Inhuman.

“You are not ready.”

The moment the words echoed through the cave, the ground collapsed beneath them.

They barely had time to scream before they were falling, swallowed whole by the abyss below.

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