"Move, you worthless rat!" Carson’s angry voice sounded from somewhere behind me.

I shut my eyes tightly, already knowing what would follow. And in the next moment came the whip, mercilessly connecting with my poor skin. I twitched, feeling the inevitable round of searing pain.

Ah, how I hate that bastard... With a heavy sigh, I slowly opened my eyes and reluctantly resumed the slow march forward.

The tunnel’s jaws loomed before me, and the only thing separating me from the ever-present darkness was the tiny circle of light emanating from my old trusty lantern.

It’s fine, just a bunch of old bones, nothing to be afraid of… I tried to convince myself, tightly clutching the small lamp in my trembling hand, straining my ears for any sound that might signal approaching danger.

Drop… drop… drop…

But no matter how much I tried, the only thing I could pick up was the annoying sound of dripping water, slowly driving me mad.

Well, there are also those brutes behind me, but I would rather not think about them if I don't have to.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to suppress my growing anxiety, forcing myself to continue while watching the flickering flame cast long shadows across the tunnel's rough walls.

I was a so-called Scout for the expedition. However, such a noble title didn't quite epitomize what I truly was - a bait, plain and simple.

My purpose was also quite simple - when some harrowing abomination would inevitably ambush our small party, I would be its first snack, hopefully giving enough time for the others to get ready. 

Or, more likely, give them enough time to run away… I chuckled to myself as so deep below, there weren't many things a mere human could face and live to tell the tale.

My only consolation was that with a bit of luck, any would-be monster would look up at my thin, scrawny figure and pass me up for a more juicy meal further back, but given where I ended up, I'm guessing my luck isn't any good.

However, so far, our group hasn't stumbled upon anything too terrifying except a few mutated rats that named this horrid maze - The Ratways.

It was a peculiar place—an intricate labyrinth of tunnels dug deep underground. Nobody knew who built them or for what purpose, as they were here long before the Shelter.

My eyes briefly moved across the countless claw marks and scorch burns— evidence of past battles with the twisted creatures that now inhabited these abandoned corridors.

I shuddered at the thought of what horrors might now dwell here, trying my best to suppress the growing fear. It was getting harder and harder the further we went, and since I had never been so deep into the Ratways before, my imagination was running wild.

Yet, I had no other choice but to soldier on unless I wanted to experience the taste of Carson's whip once again, and I had zero doubts that this sadistic excuse for a man would hesitate even for a second to use it.

Still, the deeper we went, the bigger the chance of our luck running dry. Thus, holding my breath, I cautiously moved forward, painfully aware that each step could be my last.

***

Damn it! I came to an abrupt stop, spotting what looked like another crossing further down the road.

Those were the absolute worst since we could be easily ambushed from multiple sides. So, I quickly turned around, frantically signaling for the others to stop.

Tension hung heavy as Carson, our presumed leader, cursed before taking out a fragile piece of ancient-looking paper from his front pocket with a clear annoyance on his ugly face.

He then traced the faint lines with a finger, seeking the correct path. The others assembled around him, arguing in a low voice as everyone knew the gravity of choosing the wrong turn.

Since nobody cared about my opinion, I moved to the side and decided to use this short respite to lean against the tunnel's wall, loosening some of the pressure from my sore legs. 

Looking at the ragtag mix of thugs and scavengers, I couldn't help but scoff. I still vividly remember the day when I borrowed the money from Rowan—one of the most powerful gang leaders and the de facto ruler of the Shelter's Outskirts.

It was shortly after I finally became an adult, and they threw me out of the orphanage. Back then, I was still full of hopes and dreams about fighting the mighty monsters, awakening some amazing Ability, and becoming a real Hunter.

In the Outskirts, there were very few opportunities for someone like me, yet despite everything, I still wanted to make a name for myself.

But when my dreams inevitably clashed with the harsh reality, and I realized I couldn't pay him back, I ended up like this, no better than a slave forever bound in servitude to the cruel whims of Rowan's thugs.

Not long ago, Rowan apparently got his hands on some old map showing a potential hidden depot left over by the Army from when the Shelter was first established, which resulted in this crazy foray into the depths.

"How much further?" An old, seasoned scavenger whose name I didn't bother to remember asked Carson in a rasping voice.

Carson threw a quick glance across his shoulder before confidently answering. "We're not far... It should be somewhere behind this fork."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Another one chimed in, smiling crookedly.

Soon, we were back on the move, me once again walking in the front, albeit reluctantly. I sneaked along the wall, praying that nothing jumped up at me from the darkness. Luckily, it seemed that all the saints stood with us on this day.

We turned right, entering a straight, spacious corridor that spanned as far as the eye could see. I cautiously looked around, noting the thick layer of dust and grime everywhere, which made it more than clear that nobody had walked through there in a long, long time.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Carson's mouth widened into a sly grin as he eagerly urged us forward. Then, a massive steel door slowly manifested before us. Holy…

I looked ahead in awe, as, until now, I had not actually believed those wild tales of a hidden treasure trove one bit. But seeing the old gate with my own eyes, I couldn't help but get giddy, hoping I could steal a few scraps for myself.

There even was a rusty plate on the wall with a barely readable sign [Supply Depot C-12]

Carson moved to the front and roughly pushed me aside. "We're he..." He began eagerly exclaiming.

But alas, he never got to finish his sentence, as an intense tremor ran through the tunnel right at that moment.

The thugs’ excited smiles froze on their lips, and we all tensed up. Another tremor followed the first one, and the whole place began violently shaking.

"Earthquake! Run!" The old, seasoned scavenger shouted from behind.

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I scrambled back into the main tunnel as the ground quaked and trembled violently beneath my feet, trapping me in its relentless grip.

Fear twisted everyone’s faces as the quake's magnitude intensified, shaking us to the core, followed shortly after by a deafening roar in the tunnels.

Oh, crap! I looked up with widened eyes, struggling to stay upright.

The ceiling groaned in protest, showering us with dust and debris. Panic set in, and our small group scattered in a desperate attempt to escape the impending doom, yet it looked like we were a moment too late.

***

"Cough, cough." I slowly opened my eyes but immediately realized I couldn't see anything. Great...

I scrambled around, trying to locate my lantern, yet I couldn't find it anywhere. Luckily, I still had a few matches left in my pocket, so I took one out and lit it on a nearby chunk of concrete.

A tiny flame illuminated my surroundings. Blinking dazedly, I looked around and realized I was in a small cavity supported by a lone steel beam that apparently saved my life, miraculously blocking all the falling debris from burying me alive.

However, the bad news was that it also trapped my legs, and I couldn't move at all. I tried to squeeze my way out of its crushing weight, straining my muscles with all my might, but the beam wouldn't budge.

Then, the match burned out, submerging me once again in a pitch-black darkness. With growing panic, I strained my ears, listening for any signs that the others had made it out, but all I could hear was a faint echo of my own breath.

"H...Hello? Is anyone there?" I shouted, not yet giving up hope, but there was no answer.

It continued like this for several minutes as I frantically tried to find a way to free myself from this concrete hell until I froze, catching the faint sound of someone moving on the other side of the massive pile of rubble.

"Hey! I'm here! Help me!" I shouted again, and after a while, I could hear the footsteps coming closer.

And then all my hopes were mercilessly crushed as I heard a rugged laugh followed by a scoff. "Ha! Of all the people, it's you... But I guess you've finally run out of luck. Who would bother digging up a worthless rat like you? Better luck in the next life..."

When the footsteps began fading into silence, I desperately yelled out. "Hey, Carson! Help me! Don't leave me here!"

I shamelessly begged, tears flowing down my cheeks, but he didn't come back, and after that, I didn't hear anything else. That bastard... After everything I did for the gang, he will simply leave me to die like that?

I felt an intense anger bubbling up inside me. I cursed at both Carson for abandoning me as well as that bastard Rowan for sending me here in the first place.

I also threw into the mix all those high and mighty citizens of the Shelter who never gave me a chance to prove myself, and I had to endure living in such a ruthless society that valued nothing but strength.

Still, while grimacing, I had to admit that if there was someone to blame, it was me - and my own weakness that led me to this mess.

Yet, as I lay there for what seemed like hours, my sorrow and anger began slowly morphing into a fierce determination. I refuse to die here! If only to spite them...

I focused on every bit of strength I had left and tried to lift the beam again. But it didn't budge. To hell with this! 

I tried again and again until my hands bled, finding strength I didn't even know I had. I gritted my teeth and screamed as I threw all my energy into it, and then, finally, the beam moved.

It moved only by a tiny bit, probably thanks to my repeated attempts that seemed to loosen the surrounding debris. But still, it moved! I concentrated, straining every muscle in my body, and the beam finally relented, lifting enough to free one of my trapped legs.

I collapsed backward, totally exhausted. "Hahaha!" I laughed crazily, a victorious smirk painting my face. This might work! I quickly went back to work with a peculiar feeling I was convinced I would never be able to feel again - a hope.

Now that I had one leg out, the rest was much more manageable. Instead of relying solely on my arms, I could push with one leg and slowly wrench my other leg out, too.

One…Two…Three… “Arghhhh!” Then, with one last push, I was finally free. Of course, I had no time to celebrate as I was still buried under a literal mountain of debris, but at least I could move.

Plus, while hastily patting myself down, I discovered that, as if by some miracle, I hadn't had anything broken.

Being now able to move about a little, I decided to light another of my precious matches as I carefully observed my surroundings.

However, when I slowly turned my sore body around, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes as I realized that the only way back to the Shelter was utterly blocked.

With a panic tightly gripping my heart, I desperately looked for something, anything that would allow me to escape this concrete grave.

But before I could fully give in to despair, I discovered that the narrow cavity I was in extended further, and there was a small opening behind me.

I tried to move toward it, and as I began sifting through the loose debris, my heart leaped in joy. With a little bit of luck, I could maybe, just maybe, squeeze through it. So, I crawled forward, desperately praying that no monster would be waiting for me on the other side.

After what felt like an eternity but was perhaps only a meter or so, I emerged from the pile of rubble, panting with exhaustion. My match had gone out a long time ago, yet even though I was surrounded by utter darkness, I couldn't help but smile as I realized I had made it out.

Quickly lighting up another match, I discovered I was in a somewhat undamaged part of the tunnel. It was the very same corridor we came through not that long ago while searching for that supply depot.

However, something didn't quite add up. What's this? I wondered as I looked to my right, staring at the dark maw of an unfamiliar tunnel.

I was pretty sure this entrance was not here before. Had it been uncovered by the earthquake? I simply stood there, unsure what to do, as now I had two options in front of me, each equally harrowing.

Do I continue through the main tunnel, which would lead me deeper underground and further away from the Shelter, or do I take the risk and explore this new path that could harbor unknown dangers but also bring me closer to home?

Weighing my options briefly, I threw one final dejected look at the insurmountable pile of rubble blocking the way back before taking a deep breath and plunging into the unknown.