The moment we stepped into the cave, I couldn’t see anything—not even my own hand in front of my face.

“I can’t see anything in here.”

Fennel’s amused chuckle cut through the darkness. “It’s not that bad. Give it some time, your eyes will adjust.”

“Not that bad? I can’t even see my own hand! How are you all walking around like this doesn’t bother you?”

Grizmar grunted ahead of me. “Humans,” he muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Kael’s calm voice chimed in, “we beastkin have an innate advantage when it comes to darkness. Our night vision is far superior to most races, and compared to humans? Well... you know.”

“it’s good training for your other senses. Builds character.” Fennel teased.

“Of course it is... ,” I muttered bitterly, adjusting the straps of my bag.

Lila, perched on the edge of my pouch, piped up, her voice uncertain. “Maybe… we could make a light? It’s too dark for Leon, and I can’t see anything either.”

“She’s right. We’ll need some light for both of you if we’re going to move quickly. Hold on, I’ve got it covered.” Kael said.

I heard the rustling of his pack as he dug through it, followed by the faint clinking of glass. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Making a torch,” he replied simply. “Preparedness is the difference between surviving and not surviving. As the support of this party, i try to be ready for all sorts of situations.”

Kael started. “First, we need the base—something sturdy enough to hold everything together. Luckily, I already prepared a branch that could be used as the base of the torch before entering the dungeon."

I could hear the soft scrape of wood against his gloves as he tested its strength. “Then, I’m wrapping the end of the branch with something absorbent. I’ve got bandages in my pack. They’re lightweight, burn evenly, and can soak up the oil.”

“Now, I’m securing the bandages tightly around one end of the branch. Can’t have them slipping off mid-burn.”

He tightened the bandages with a soft rustle, wrapping them carefully. “Alright, bandages are secure. Next, I need a flammable accelerant. That’s where this comes in.” I heard the soft clink of glass. “A small bottle of oil. Always carry a vial—it’s one of those things you’ll thank yourself for when you’re stuck and need a quick fire.”

“Smart,” I chimed in.

“I’m pouring the oil over the bandages now—soaking them thoroughly. This is the base fuel for the flame. Once it catches, it’ll burn steadily for a good while.”

A faint splashing sound followed, and I imagined the liquid seeping into the fabric. “Alright, now comes the webbing.”

“Webbing?” I asked, surprised. “You’re actually going to touch the spider webs?”

“They’re flammable,” Kael explained, “and they burn slower than just the oil-soaked bandages. Think of them as reinforcement."

“The webbing sticks naturally, so I don’t need to tie it down. Now for the last step.”

A faint scratching sound followed, and I realized he was striking a match. “Lighting it up. Stay back for a second.” The tiny flame hissed as it caught the oil-soaked fabric and webbing. “There we go. And just like that, we have a torch.”

A soft orange glow illuminated the space around us.

“Not bad,” Fennel said, clearly impressed. “You really are a walking toolbox, aren’t you?”

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Kael gave a small laugh, his voice carrying a hint of pride. “Like I said, preparedness is the key to survival.”

Lila, peering out from the bag, whispered, “It’s so much better now. I can actually see!”

Grizmar grunted his approval. “Good work. Now let’s keep moving. Stay sharp, though. The light might push back the darkness, but it’s bound to draw in it's inhabitant.”

Kael led the way, holding the torch high.

As we walked deeper into the cave, the only sounds were the faint crackling of the torch and the soft shuffle of our footsteps against the uneven ground. No skittering, no clicking mandibles, no signs of spiders anywhere. It was unsettling.

"Is it just me," Fennel began, his voice low and cautious, "or is this way too quiet? Like, too quiet?"

Lila poked her head out of the bag, her tiny face etched with worry. “What if... what if they’re waiting for us? Like, hiding?”

"That's what I'm thinking," I muttered, my gaze darting to every shadowy corner. “They know this place better than we do. If we haven’t seen them, it’s because they don’t want us to see them.”

Grizmar, who usually radiated confidence, seemed on edge.

“I don’t like this,” he said, his voice gruff. “We’re walking right into their territory, and they’re just... letting us?”

Kael’s nose twitched again, and he held up a hand to stop us. “Her scent’s stronger now. We’re close—really close. She’s just ahead, but…” His ears perked up, his voice dropping to a cautious whisper. “Stay quiet. There’s something else. I can smell the spiders too. Lots of them.”

My stomach tightened. Of course, this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Alright, everyone,” Grizmar grumbled, his voice laced with tension. “We move slowly. Stay low, stay quiet, and keep that torch down. Kael, lead the way. Fennel, keep your focus ready.”

“Always,” Fennel replied, his voice soft but confident.

Lila whispered from my bag, “Leon… what do we do if they spot us?”

I glanced down at her, trying to mask my own uncertainty with a calm expression. “We stick to the plan. No matter what happens.”

Kael crouched low, his movements smooth and deliberate as he crept forward. The rest of us followed his lead, lowering ourselves into uncomfortable crouches to avoid drawing attention.

Then we saw it.

The tunnel opened into a massive chamber, and Kael stopped just short of the entrance, motioning for us to do the same. We crouched beside him, peeking into the space ahead.

The chamber was enormous, filled with faintly glowing white crystals that softly illuminated the cave's interior. The ceiling stretched high above, its end obscured by the darkness.

Webbing coated every surface. It draped down from the ceiling in thick, dangling strands, connecting to the walls and the ground in an intricate network.

Scattered across the floor were dozens—no, hundreds—of cocoon-like structures. Some were small, globe-shaped, and about the size of the spiders we’d encountered earlier. These were likely unhatched spiderlings, waiting for their time to emerge.

But then there were the larger cocoons.

They were elongated, wrapped tightly in layers of webbing, their shapes disturbingly familiar. Human-like forms, some larger than others, were suspended in clusters throughout the chamber. These weren’t spiderlings.

These were people—adventurers who had been caught and dragged here.

Fennel whispered, his voice tense, “This is the feeding ground… the nest.”

Grizmar’s jaw tightened, his usual gruff demeanor replaced by something colder. “No time to think about them now. Focus on Tasha. Kael?”

Kael sniffed the air again, his brows furrowing. “She’s here. Her scent’s strongest in that direction.” He pointed toward a cluster of larger cocoons hanging near the far wall.

“Which one?” Fennel asked.

Kael hesitated, his nose twitching. “I… I think it’s the second one from the left. But I can’t be sure.”

Fennel’s eyes darted toward the cocoons, his sharp claws flexing in anticipation. “I’ll have to get closer to check.”

Kael stepped forward, his voice tense as he tried to halt the plan. “Wait, this isn’t right. I can smell a lot of spiders around here. Just because we don’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not here. It’s too dangerous to just rush in blindly.”

Fennel clenched his fists, clearly struggling to hold himself back, itching to act. “There’s no movement,” he said sharply. “If they were here, we’d see them by now. The scent is probably from the unhatched ones. They’re giving off that smell.”

Kael shook his head, his ears twitching anxiously. “We can’t assume that. What if they’re hiding? What if this is their trap? We can’t—”

Grizmar stepped in, his deep voice cutting through the argument like a blade. “Enough.”

“The plan is already made,” Grizmar said. “Fennel rushes in, grabs Tasha, and gets her out. If any spiders show up, I’ll keep them busy. Will stay here, and assist Fennel if needed. If we’re fast enough, we might just pull this off without a confrontation.”

Kael hesitated, his tail swishing in agitation, but he finally nodded, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Alright…,”

Fennel didn’t wait for further confirmation. “I’m on it,” he said. His muscles coiled like a spring as he prepared to dash toward the cocoons.

I tightened my grip on my bag, my slimes wriggling slightly as if sensing the tension. My gaze flicked between the group, my gut twisting at the risk we were taking. But we already agreed to put the plan in action, we can't hesitate now that where here.

“Stick to the plan,” Grizmar rumbled again, his eyes scanning the chamber for any signs of movement. “You move on my signal.”

Grizmar gave Fennel a curt nod. “Go.”

And with that, Fennel shot forward, darting toward the cocoons.