"It's here," Gabby said with certainty, her finger pointing steadily toward the old storeroom just ahead of them.
The place was a ruin—dark and decaying, filled with years of neglect. Dust clung to every surface like a stubborn memory. Crumbling wood and broken shelves lined the walls, while torn sacks spilled rotting grain across the cracked floor. The pungent stench of filth and urine from rodents filled the air. Infected mice skittered between the shadows, their beady eyes reflecting the dim light. The air itself seemed sick, heavy with mold and silence.
"Let's take here rather. That's what Z-12 suggested," Skyler said, her voice trembling slightly as she took a tentative step toward the route.
Gabby's eyes widened slightly, scanning the growing darkness outside. "There's no time!" she urged, her tone sharp with urgency.
But Skylar hesitated, her body tense. "No. I'm not coming with you," she protested defiantly, her voice rising with fear, her feet refusing to move forward.
Gabby turned to her, unblinking. "Every escapee runs. The way out doesn't matter," she said, her voice calm but edged with determination.
"Let's get in," Tony added, stepping in before emotions could swell too high.
Together, they pushed through the half-hinged wooden door and slipped into the shadows of the storeroom. A cold silence wrapped around them as they entered. Their footsteps echoed slightly on the cracked concrete floor. The scent of decay grew stronger. The space felt haunted by time itself.
They paused—still, quiet, unsure.
The only sound was their breathing. Even the mice had gone silent, as if waiting.
"Yeah… now I remember," Gabby muttered under her breath. She moved with purpose, brushing aside a tangled mess of broken barns and moldy sacks. Mice squeaked and darted away as she disturbed their nest.
As she cleared a patch of dirt-streaked floor, her hand stopped over a small, rust-stained plate of metal. She brushed more dust away, revealing an old iron handle embedded into the ground. Without hesitation, she gripped it tightly with both hands and pulled, her knuckles turning white from the strain.
But it didn't budge.
Her face clenched with frustration.
Seeing her struggle, Tony stepped beside her. Wordlessly, he reached for the handle and joined her. Their strength combined. After a tense moment and a grinding groan of metal against stone, the cover gave way with a loud creeeaak and slammed open with a harsh clunk.
They stared into the hole below.
A deep, black space met their eyes. Utter darkness. Not a single light source. Not a single sound—aside from their breaths and the occasional drip of moisture falling into the abyss.
"There's a staircase," Gabby said softly, squinting into the depths. "It leads through the tunnel beneath the forest plain… all the way to the lowlands. The Cave of Storms."
She looked at the others, her expression solemn but brave. "Like a ladder—it descends with courage," she added.
A cold gust of fear wrapped around the others like an invisible hand.
Even Tony felt it—though not as strongly. Something about the dark made his instincts sharpen.
"What if there's a monster in there… or snakes? Traps? Something deadly?" Skylar whispered, her voice barely above the wind in the gaps.
"It's alright," Tony said calmly, anchoring their spirits. "Everything begins with a first step."
He stood still for a moment, letting that truth sink in—then moved forward and watched.
From below, a muffled thud echoed up.
Gabby had landed.
Suddenly, a streak of light flared from the dark below, striking their eyes and forcing them to blink. Then it disappeared. Another flicker followed—then a steady glow.
Click.
Gabby had lit a lantern. She'd deliberately left it there before—already filled with kerosene. Its flame wavered as it burned, casting warm orange glows and long shadows against the walls of the chamber below.
Tony didn't wait.
He stepped up, grabbed the wooden rungs on the right side of the stair-like ladder, and began descending into the pit one careful step at a time. His body moved cautiously, muscles tensed for balance, eyes focused on each motion.
The wood creaked beneath his weight, but he continued without pause.
Gradually… he reached the ground.
He turned around and looked up.
Only Elsie and Skyler remained at the top. They stood frozen, their eyes locked on the blackness below. Tony raised a hand and motioned gently, silently urging them to come. His face was calm—assuring.
But fear still gripped them both. Convincing these girls to climb down? That was a different mission entirely—one that both Gabby and Tony understood would take patience.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then, little by little, bravery stirred in them. They stepped forward.
Together, Elsie and Skyler began to descend. Skylar below, Elsie above, each gripping the rungs with shaky fingers, their legs unsure but determined.
Skyler moved faster, her focus sharp. She reached the bottom first.
Elsie wasn't far behind—but just as she neared the final steps, her foot slipped. Her fingers lost their hold. A wave of panic surged through her as she tumbled forward—but instead of hitting the ground, she landed with a small gasp...
Right into Gabby's arms.
Gabby had seen it coming.
She caught her with a soft grunt, staggering just slightly from the weight, then steadied herself.
A few breaths passed before anyone spoke.
The metal cover above them was still open, letting in a sliver of night light.
Gabby didn't hesitate. She climbed back up alone, took a breath, and with careful effort, shut the cover from the inside.
There was no lock.
Only darkness and trust.
When she came back down, they were all together again.
And the journey began.
But just then, Elsie's mind lit up with a thought that sent a chill across her spine.
"There may be wild beasts out there," she whispered. "Let's move slowly. It's still midnight."
The others looked at her, then nodded silently. She was right. Only Gabby knew what lay ahead.
One by one, they crouched low and began crawling forward. The tunnel was tight and narrow, barely tall enough to sit upright. The ground was rough. Their palms brushed against cold stone.
Their breathing grew louder. The space felt alive with stillness.
Then suddenly—
"Ah! Ah!" Elsie shrieked.
Everyone stopped.
She stared at the ground in front of her, pointing.
"I saw… it looked like a lizard!" she cried, her voice trembling.
But there was nothing.
No movement.
No sound.
They hesitated—but didn't retreat.
Gabby pushed forward, eyes sharp. She turned her head slightly to speak.
"Keep pushing. We're almost there," she said confidently. "This is a journey… and we're in it together."
Her voice was steady. Hopeful. Strong.
Their spirits rose slightly.
And so—they continued. Bent low, crawling step by step, deeper into the unknown… and closer to whatever waited beyond the tunnel's mouth.