Deeper into the caverns he went, searching for monsters to fight. The darkness was suffocating, pressing in from all sides, but it no longer bothered him. After all the time spent within the dungeon, he had grown accustomed to its depths, feeling more at ease every day.

Even now, as he traveled through unknown territory, he walked with confidence, prepared for anything he might face.

The myriad of tunnels, chambers, and caverns intrigued him. Just how big was the dungeon? It was something he thought about a lot, and he wondered if anyone knew.

With the stealth granted by the sneaking skill, he moved like a fish in water, slipping through the darkness with practiced ease. The cold, damp air clung to him, and the faint echoes of dripping water added to the eerie silence.

Arriving at a fork in the tunnel, Kaden felt a warm breeze brush against his face. He paused, savoring the unexpected warmth, a nostalgic longing welling up within him. It had been so long since he felt anything like it, and it reminded him of summer days, the sun’s rays toasting his skin.

Though his skeletal frame thrived in every temperature, his mind did not. He still yearned for the familiar warmth he once knew, and the comforting body heat that used to follow him everywhere he went. Eager to get out of the cold for once, he turned toward the passage from which the breeze blew.

The air came in faint, stale gusts, carrying a scent that wasn’t exactly pleasant, and would’ve made his nose wrinkle if he had one. With each step, the heat increased, his joints loosening and his bones filling with a comforting relaxation.

The passage soon gave way to twisting tunnels and caverns, spreading in every direction. His keen eyes caught sight of long, deep grooves etched into a nearby wall. He leaned in to inspect, running his bony fingers over them as he tried to figure out what it was.

Claw marks, he realized, from some sort of beast… and a massive one at that. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

The deeper he delved, the more frequent these marks became, scarring the rocky walls and littering the ground beneath his feet. His foot brushed against something soft, and he glanced down, spotting several long strands of hair—no, fur—clinging to his skeletal foot.

Brushing it away, a faint noise caught his attention—a high-pitched squeak, almost too soft to hear, followed by the rapid scurrying of claws against stone. Kaden froze, his senses flaring as he crouched low behind a jagged outcropping. His bones creaked softly as he tightened his grip on the bone spike, ready to strike.

Whatever it was, it was quick—very quick. The sound grew louder, circling him and bouncing off the walls. Kaden struggled to follow it, eyes darting around as he tried to pinpoint the source. Whenever he turned, it was already gone.

The cavern fell eerily still, and time seemed to pass unfathomably slow as he waited, not hearing a thing. Silent seconds stretched on, and then a noise came from right behind him. Kaden spun around, expecting to see his target, but there was nothing.

Was he imagining things? Hearing things? No, he couldn’t be.

A blur of movement hurtled out of the darkness, far too fast for him to react. The impact was brutal, slamming into him with such force that it sent him flying backward, his ribcage creaking and collapsing under the pressure.

Kaden crashed into the rough cavern wall, the collision jolting every bone in his skeletal frame. His weapon slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground with a hollow echo that reverberated through the cavern.

Pain blurred his vision as he struggled to focus on the looming threat. He could barely make out a shape approaching—a massive, brown, furry creature taking up more of his field of view at an alarming rate.

The creature’s steps were grating, the scraping of rock filling Kaden with dread. He had to do something, but the pain was intense and he could hardly move. Already too close for comfort, the figure became clearer to him and his eyes widened in realization—right before him, almost within touching distance, stood a monstrous rat, far larger than a horse, and wider too. Its fur was thick and matted, clinging to its grotesque form in patches, long sharp claws sticking out between its toes. Thick strands of saliva dripped freely from its mouth as it regarded him, staining its fangs with a glistening coat.

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Gritting his teeth, Kaden forced himself to rise, his bones aching with every movement. The rat’s beady eyes locked onto him, its thin whiskers twitching. With a shriek, it charged again.

Kaden attempted to dodge, but his body was slow, uncooperative, and the rat far too fast. It collided with him once more, sending him sprawling across the stone floor. The sheer force of the impact left him stunned, pain surging through his body like wildfire.

He lay there, gasping, as the rat loomed over him, its foul breath hot against his bones. With a vicious snarl, it sank its teeth into one of his legs, the sharp fangs piercing with a crack.

The pain was excruciating, a burning agony that threatened to overwhelm him. But Kaden was no stranger to suffering, and desperation sparked a fierce resolve within him. He fought back with every ounce of strength in his body, kicking, pushing, pulling. His bony fist relentlessly striking at the creature’s head in a frantic attempt to break free.

The rat growled, tightening its grip on his leg as it dug deeper, slowly making its way through the bone. Refusing to give in, Kaden kicked down hard with the captured leg, feeling the rat’s soft tongue and the warm saliva.

The creature twitched, rearing back and raising its head, dragging his body with it. His skull bumped into the ceiling hard and he let out a painful groan.

Mind racing, he looked into those large, beady eyes staring back at him and had a sudden burst of clarity.

Shifting his focus, he aimed his strikes at one of the rat’s eyes, hitting it with his fist. The creature slowed and screeched in pain. But it wasn’t enough.

Kaden straightened his hand, driving the pointed ends of his fingers into the eye. His entire palm sank in with a sickening crunch, blood and slimy eye matter coating his hand. The effect was immediate—the beast recoiled, releasing him with a pained howl.

Kaden collapsed to the ground, his leg nearly severed and useless beneath him, barely still hanging on. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, relying on his one good leg.

The rat, now half-blind and enraged, thrashed wildly as blood oozed out of its eye. Clearly struggling with its vision, it stumbled around in confusion and charged once more. This time, Kaden dove out of the way, and the creature crashed into the wall with a force so powerful it shook the cavern, rocks tumbling from the ceiling.

Kaden was shocked as he felt the cavern shake, but knew this was his chance. He kept moving, hobbling along the wall for support, his useless leg dragging behind him. With grim determination, he retrieved his weapon, the piece of bone familiar in his grasp.

The rat’s enraged howls filled the cavern as it lashed out in all directions. Kaden remained calm, leaning against the wall and clutching the spike tightly. He watched the rat’s movements, preparing himself.

After its frantic outburst, the creature slowed and turned to face him. Kaden knew the charge was coming, and didn’t think he could dodge it again.

‘So be it.’

With resolve, he clutched the spike as tightly as he could, standing firm as the creature came towards him, moving at a blinding speed. It hit into him like a train, the pain in his skull so intense his vision flashed black. But amid the agony, he heard the rat’s cries and felt a warm spray of blood splash onto him and drip down.

Opening his eyes, he saw the spike sticking out of the rat’s other eye. The creature panicked from the total loss of vision and spun around desperately, lashing out with its claws. Kaden pressed himself back as far as he could, staying just out of its reach.

He remained silent, not giving it a chance to hear him, and watched as it began to sniff the air.

Could it smell him? He doubted his bones gave off a distinct scent.

But he was wrong… and the rat was clearly smelling something as it turned right towards him, getting closer and slowly sniffing out his position. Making a hasty decision, Kaden grabbed a loose rock and flung it over the rat.

It hit a wall further down the tunnel and the clatter echoed. The rat spun around sharply to face the noise, breaking off into a charge without a second thought. It struck the wall and fell over with a bang, its body convulsing on the ground.

Kaden briefly wondered if it was a trick, hesitant to approach. But he had to end it. He couldn’t afford to let it recover. Unable to stand up, he crawled along the ground, slowly approaching the rat.

Despite his best efforts, he failed to stay silent as he approached, but the creature didn’t react. The convulsing had ceased, but it was still alive. He could see the faint rise and fall of its chest.

Feeling emboldened, he got as close as possible and sat up against a wall. Steeling himself, he took a moment and then… with a swift, decisive motion, he kicked the spike with his foot, driving it further into the beast’s skull.

The rat yelped in pain, weakly convulsing, but Kaden simply kept kicking, each strike pushing the spike deeper until the integrity gave out and it cracked all the way through, shattering into pieces.

After one last twitch, the rat fell still, the life completely drained from its monstrous body, confirmed by the accompanying chime. With a weary sigh, Kaden slumped back in exhaustion, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes.

The cavern was silent once more.