The narrow corridor felt suffocating, the walls pressing in as James adjusted his grip on the trident, its cold iron comforting in its solid weight. The sound of Joey's shuffling footsteps echoed behind him, sending an involuntary shiver up his spine. The air was thick and stale, carrying a heavy sense of foreboding that threatened to crush his spirit. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay focused, even as his body shook with nerves.
"Fate be with you, James," Joey whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of his own heart.
"And with you, Joey. We've got this." James managed a grin that he hoped looked confident, even though his stomach twisted with anxiety. Joey nodded and turned, his silhouette disappearing into the gloom of the cavern as he moved to lure the creature. James closed his eyes, steeling himself, then quickly checked the corridor behind him—nothing but shadows and eerie silence. Good. He planted the shaft of the trident into the rocky earth, positioning himself just like last time. The jagged stone bit into his knee as he adjusted his stance, but the pain was grounding, keeping him anchored in the moment.
He heard Joey's distant shout, the unmistakable growl of something monstrous following close behind. A chill ran through James, the sound scraping against his nerves. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run, to abandon the plan, but he couldn't. He had to stay. He had to protect Joey.
"I wish Dad were here," James muttered to himself, bracing his stance. He imagined his father's steady hands guiding his own, the comforting weight of his presence. The growl grew louder, a guttural, menacing sound that sent waves of terror crashing over him. Joey's screams turned into terrified shouts, desperate and panicked.
"Two—can't—AHHH!" Joey’s voice echoed. James felt his heart drop, realizing in an instant that their plan had a fatal flaw. The corridor, meant to be a funnel, was now a death trap—there was no way out, and Joey couldn't even get past him. Fear turned to ice in his veins.
"I'm coming, Joey!" James yelled, tearing the trident free from the earth. The weight of it felt wrong now, like a burden too heavy to carry. He ran from the narrow corridor, heart hammering as he caught sight of Joey. His friend was sprinting toward him, eyes wide with terror, two massive salamanders hot on his heels, their bodies undulating with a sickly, rhythmic motion that made James' stomach churn.
"We have to fight them out here!" James shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
"WHAT?!" Joey screamed back, barely able to process James’ words as he hurtled past. There was no time to think—just act. James pivoted, turning his eyes to the salamander on the right. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, its jaws dripping with a viscous, dark fluid.
"AHHH!" James charged, the trident before him, the prongs catching an unseen guiding force. The center prong drove straight into the creature's eye, the impact knocking James off his feet and sending him tumbling backward, the weight of the beast on top of him. He struggled, gasping for air, dazed by the fall. The smell of decay filled his nostrils, and he fought the urge to retch.
Joey, having run past, turned, his eyes wide in horror as he saw James go down. The other salamander, eyes glowing and mouth frothing, lunged, jaws snapping. James barely had time to scream before its teeth clamped down on him, a searing, indescribable pain tearing through his body. He felt the world blur, the edges of his vision darkening.
"JAMES!!!" Joey’s voice cracked, a deep anger rising in his chest. Something primal, raw and untamed, flooded his mind, erasing his fear. He turned back, sprinting toward the scene, no longer running away but toward the danger. The trident-wielding salamander had begun to dissipate into a dark mist, and Joey felt rage replace everything else in his heart—he had one purpose now. Save James.
He dropped the broken hilt of his weapon, his fists clenching into something that felt truer, more real. He had no formal training, no techniques—only an instinct that said hit hard, hit fast, and don’t get hit. He launched himself onto the salamander's back, wrapping his legs around it to keep himself in place. The creature bucked, throwing its slimy weight, but Joey held on, teeth gritted. He could feel the muscles shifting under the creature's skin, the ripples of its movements vibrating through him.
"Get away from him!" Joey roared, smashing his fists into the salamander's head. His hands screamed in pain with each impact, his skin scraping against its scaly hide, knuckles splitting open, blood mingling with the beast's foul-smelling mucus. A mist seemed to seep from his knuckles—a subtle, ethereal energy he did not understand, but he embraced it. Each punch began to deform the beast's head, chunks of flesh and sinew crumbling under the onslaught of his rage. The mist grew thicker, swirling around his fists with every blow, amplifying his strength, feeding off his desperation.
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The salamander bucked again, but its struggles grew weaker until, finally, it slumped, unmoving. Joey slid off, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his hands covered in a dark ichor, bruised and bloodied. The adrenaline began to wear off, and the pain flooded in—sharp, hot, and overwhelming. His vision swam, but he forced himself to stay on his feet. He stumbled over to James, dropping to his knees beside him. His friend lay limp, blood staining the earth beneath him, his eyes half-open, staring at nothing. Joey’s eyes widened, tears spilling as he gently pulled James’s head onto his lap.
"No... no, no, no..." Joey sobbed, his voice breaking. "Why are we here, James? It's not fair. We were supposed to go with our parents. I didn't want to come here." His voice quivered, each word a knife to his chest. The memories flashed in his mind—of their village, of their parents' laughter, of the simple joys they once knew. "We could have waited... we could have waited for you to get your status..."
James let out a final shuddering breath, a rattling sound that seemed to echo across the cavern. Joey felt his heart drop into a void as he saw the life leave his friend’s eyes. The boy fell silent, his sobs swallowed by the vast emptiness around them. The cavern, once filled with noise, now felt like a hollow tomb. The weight of loss settled on Joey's chest, crushing him.
The air felt still, unnaturally heavy, as if the world itself mourned. Joey looked up, his tear-blurred vision catching the faint shimmer of an ethereal mist forming over James’s body—a pale, translucent glow, swirling gently. The trident fell to the ground with a dull clang, the defeated salamander dissipating entirely into a dark mist. Joey’s eyes blurred, tears streaming as he whispered into the emptiness.
"We could have waited..." he repeated, his voice lost in the overwhelming quiet, as he clung to James’s lifeless body. Blood mixed—Joey's own from his battered fists mingling with the pool beneath his friend—the cavern echoing only silence and despair.
Minutes passed like hours as Joey sat there, his body trembling from exhaustion, from pain, from loss. The glowing mist over James seemed to intensify, swirling in intricate patterns that Joey could barely comprehend, as if the very essence of his friend was trying to tell him something. He watched, transfixed, the glow illuminating James's face, casting it in a soft light that made him look almost peaceful. The mist began to rise, spiraling upward, and Joey reached out, his fingers brushing against the ethereal tendrils.
"Please... don't leave me," Joey whispered, his voice cracking. The mist shimmered in response, and for a brief moment, Joey thought he heard something—a whisper, a soft echo, a fragment of James's voice. But it was gone before he could grasp it, leaving only the empty cavern and the dull ache in his heart.
Suddenly, with a rush, the energy plunged into James's body. His back arched violently off the ground, his mouth gaping open as a raw, agonized breath was forced from his lungs. His face contorted, a rictus of pain that seemed to seize every muscle. The glow enveloped him, the energy writhing like a living entity, twisting and surging around his small frame.
Joey stumbled backward, pain lancing through his chest as he watched his friend being overtaken by these strange, conflicting forces. His eyes widened in terror and confusion—he could barely make sense of what he was seeing, only catching the faintest glimpses of ethereal shapes and shadows coiling around James, sinking into his skin. James's body jerked and spasmed, the energy seeming to both tear at him and rebuild him, a brutal metamorphosis that left Joey feeling utterly helpless.
The mist swirled faster, an overwhelming pulse of light that seemed to resonate with the very air around them. Joey could feel it in his bones, the vibration rattling through him, making his teeth ache. He wanted to move, to do something, anything, to help his friend, but he could only watch, rooted to the spot by fear and awe.
James let out a choked cry, his eyes snapping open for a fleeting moment—pupils blown wide, filled with an intensity that Joey had never seen before. Then, just as quickly, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp, collapsing against the blood-soaked earth. The glow dissipated, fading into nothingness as if it had never been there, leaving behind only the silence of the cavern.
Joey's breath caught in his throat. "James?" he whispered, his voice trembling. He crawled forward, his battered hands reaching out, shaking as he touched James's shoulder. His friend was still, eerily so, but there was a faint rise and fall to his chest—a shallow breath that sent a surge of hope through Joey's heart.
"You're alive..." Joey breathed, tears spilling down his cheeks once more. His entire body ached, exhaustion threatening to pull him under, but he forced himself to move. He had to get James somewhere safe, somewhere they could rest. The cave—they needed to get back to the cave.
With a grunt, Joey hooked his arms under James's shoulders, dragging him across the rough ground. Each step was agony, his hands screaming in pain, his legs trembling under the weight. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Not now.
It felt like an eternity, every inch a battle against his own body, but finally, the familiar, narrow entrance of their previous hiding place came into view. Joey pulled James inside, collapsing beside him, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He laid James down gently, checking once more for the rise and fall of his chest.
Satisfied that James was still breathing, Joey let his head fall back against the stone wall, his eyes fluttering shut. "Just... hold on, James," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Just hold on."
And with that, Joey let the exhaustion take him, slipping into an uneasy sleep, the sound of James's faint breathing the only comfort in the oppressive darkness of the cave.