A tiny light source flickered, barely illuminating the ancient, cold sandstone walls that stretched endlessly on either side of the narrow tunnel. The air was stale and dry, with the faint, musty aroma of decaying stone, a smell that seemed to cling to the very walls themselves. Reno’s breaths were shallow and uneven as he pressed forward, his every step echoing softly in the silence that surrounded him.

The floor beneath his feet was mostly smooth, worn down over countless centuries, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Every so often, deep cracks and fissures snaked across the stone, their sharp edges threatening to trip him up if he wasn’t careful. Each time he stumbled, his heart skipped a beat, a jolt of fear shooting through him as he quickly regained his balance. He couldn't afford to fall here, not in this suffocating darkness where the slightest misstep could spell disaster.

The tunnel itself sloped gently downward, the descent so gradual that it was almost imperceptible, but Reno could feel it. The faint pull of gravity tugged at him, urging him deeper and deeper into the earth, into the unknown. He had no idea how far he had traveled or how much time had passed since he first entered the tunnel. Minutes? Hours? It was impossible to tell in this oppressive blackness that seemed to stretch on forever, swallowing up all sense of time and space.

As he ventured further into the eerie darkness, a biting cold began to creep into the air. It started as a subtle chill, barely noticeable at first, but it grew stronger with every step he took, wrapping around him like an icy shroud. Reno shivered involuntarily, his teeth chattering as the cold seeped into his bones. It wasn’t just the physical cold that unnerved him, though. There was something else, something intangible and deeply unsettling that seemed to permeate the very air around him.

The darkness itself felt alive, almost sentient, as if it were watching him, waiting for him to falter. With each step, Reno felt his tension rise, his muscles coiling with anxiety. His irrational fear, the one that had gripped him since the first day, but he had somehow tamed, still lingered at the edges of his mind. It was a constant, nagging presence, like a shadow that refused to be shaken off. He had managed to suppress it to some extent, to push it down where it couldn’t paralyze him, but it was always there, lurking, ready to spring back to life at the slightest provocation.

This fear mixed with the natural anxieties that had been building within him since the beginning of this ordeal. Worry for his family and the others gnawed at him constantly. Where were they? Were they safe? Had they managed to escape? Or were they trapped somewhere in this labyrinth of stone, just as he was? The thought of never seeing them again, of being lost and alone in this forsaken place, filled him with a deep, gnawing dread.

And then there was the fear for his own survival. The tunnel seemed endless, a winding, twisting path that led only to more darkness, more uncertainty. How long could he keep going? How much longer could he endure this relentless journey into the unknown, with only a faint, flickering light to guide him? The weight of these thoughts bore down on him, adding to the heavy burden he already carried.

Yet despite the tumultuous storm of emotions raging within him, Reno pressed on. He forced himself to move forward, driven by a stubborn will and a desperate hope that refused to die. It was this hope, however faint, that kept him going, even when everything else seemed bleak and hopeless. It was the belief, no matter how irrational, that there was a way out, that he would find his family, that they would all make it out of this nightmare alive.

Reno had no way of knowing how much time had passed since he had left the ancient building and descended into this tunnel. Time had lost all meaning in the darkness. He was aware only that he couldn’t afford to linger, not even for a moment. Every second counted, every step brought him closer to either salvation or doom. The only thing guiding him now was the tiny pupil lamp from his med kit, which he was using to light his way. It was a tool meant for checking pupil reflexes, not for navigating dark tunnels, but it was all he had. He didn’t know how long the battery would last, but he hoped it would be enough to get him where he needed to go.

He had already used the lamp in the massive hall he had fallen into, searching every corner for a way out. The hall had been vast, its ceiling lost in shadow, its walls lined with strange carvings and symbols that seemed to tell a story. Reno had spent some time examining these carvings, trying to make sense of them, but the meanings remained elusive, hidden behind layers of ancient mystery. He had found the entrance to the tunnel he was now in during this search, a narrow passage that seemed to lead away from the hall. It had been the only exit he could find, and so he had taken it, hoping it would lead him to safety.

The carvings in the hall had been fascinating, though. They depicted scenes that seemed to be part of some kind of narrative, arranged in a specific sequence on the walls. Reno had only been able to decipher bits and pieces of it, but what he had seen was enough to intrigue him. One of the carvings had been a large, detailed map, though it was old and crumbling, its edges worn and broken. Another carving had shown one of the strange creatures he had seen before, standing beside what appeared to be a tree laden with fruit and tangled roots.

These images had sparked memories of an old piece of parchment his father had shown him once, back in the safety of their tent. The map carved into the wall had seemed like a more detailed version of the one on the parchment, and the creature and tree were also present, as if they were part of some ancient, forgotten lore. These mysterious symbols and images had stirred something in Reno, a curiosity that he had no time to indulge. There was so much he didn’t understand, so much that he wanted to unravel, but his situation didn’t allow for idle speculation.

As Reno moved further into the tunnel, the unsettling feeling that had accompanied him in the hall began to return. There was something about the carvings that made him uneasy, a strange sensation that crept over him whenever he looked at them for too long. It wasn’t as intense as the irrational fear that still haunted him, but it was there, lurking at the edges of his consciousness. It was as if the carvings were watching him, their silent, ancient eyes following his every move. He could feel their presence even now, in the darkness, though the carvings were far behind him.

Despite this, Reno pressed on. He had no other choice. The only way was forward, into the unknown, into the depths of the tunnel. His mind was filled with thoughts of escape, of finding his family, of getting out of this place before it was too late. He didn’t let the darkness deter him; he pushed through it, refusing to let it hold him back.

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The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, a never-ending path that led deeper and deeper into the earth. Reno’s footsteps echoed in the silence, the sound bouncing off the stone walls and fading into the distance. He had no idea where he was going or what he would find at the end of the tunnel. All he could do was keep moving, keep hoping, keep fighting the fear that threatened to overwhelm him.

Just when Reno thought the tunnel might never end, the faint beam of his pupil lamp caught something up ahead—a stone wall, blocking the tunnel, with a small, rectangular wooden door set into it. The door was old, its wood darkened and weathered by time, its surface covered in cracks and splinters. Reno stopped in his tracks, staring at the door with glazed eyes, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

A moment later, he stepped forward, reaching out to touch the door with the tip of his tiny flashlight. The wood was brittle and fragile, crumbling under the lightest pressure. Dust puffed out of the cracks, filling the air with a fine, powdery cloud that clung to Reno’s skin and clothes. For a brief moment, a flicker of relief flashed through Reno’s mind—finally, a sign of progress, a sign that he was getting somewhere. But the relief was fleeting, quickly replaced by a sense of urgency.

Without wasting any time, Reno set to work. He pressed his uninjured shoulder against the door, pushing with all the strength he could muster. The door groaned under the pressure, more dust filling the air as the ancient wood began to give way. Reno closed his eyes against the dust, gritting his teeth as he forced the door open.

After a few moments, the door broke apart with a loud crack, the pieces falling away to reveal a dark passage beyond. Reno nearly stumbled through the opening, catching himself just in time. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before stepping into the passage.

He opened his eyes, blinking against the dust, and lifted the pupil lamp to examine his new surroundings.

As the light from the lamp swept over the stone surfaces, Reno began to piece together his current situation.

His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. If his reasoning was correct, he was now in one of the tunnels leading to the cavern beneath the ancient city. The thought sent a new surge of hope through his body, a flicker of light in the darkness. Perhaps this passage would lead him to safety, to an exit, or at the very least, to a place where he could regroup and plan his next move.

But how could he be sure?

Firstly, the tunnel was immense, even larger than the hall he had been in before. The ceiling was so high that his lamp barely reached it, and the tunnel’s diameter stretched far in both directions, disappearing into the shadows. The tunnel sloped consistently downward in one direction and upward in the other, a steady incline that suggested it was leading somewhere important.

Reno had studied the scans of the tunnels beneath the city enough to know their rough layout. The shape of this tunnel seemed to match the ones he had seen, the ones that led to the vast cavern deep beneath the city. The thought filled him with a mixture of hope and fear. If this was one of those tunnels, then he was on the right track. But it also meant that he was heading deeper into the earth, closer to whatever ancient secrets lay hidden in the darkness.

A new glimmer of hope surged through Reno's body as he considered the possibilities. He directed the lamp’s beam upwards, trying to peer into the darkness above. Maybe—just maybe—this tunnel was a way out. Maybe the others had found their way into the cavern and used it to escape the storm. Or maybe there was no barrier at all, and he would find a way out, a path that led to safety and freedom.

However, this hope was quickly dampened by the harsh reality of his situation. He remembered that many of the paths leading to the massive and unknown cavern beneath were buried hundreds of meters underground, their entrances blocked or hidden by layers of stone and sand. The chances of finding an open passage were slim, almost impossible. And even if he did find a way out, there was no guarantee that it would lead him to safety. There were too many unknowns.

But what other choice did he have? Wander deeper into the ruins, into the maze of tunnels and chambers that lay beneath the city? Never. The others wouldn’t have done that either, if they had fled here. If they had escaped the storm, they would have taken the most direct route, the safest path. They wouldn’t have risked getting lost in the ruins.

Reno made a decision. He would move uphill through the tunnel, following the incline in the hopes that it would lead him to the surface, or at the very least, to a place where he could find his bearings. He didn’t spare a single glance at the darkness behind him as he pressed forward, his heart pounding in his chest.

At first, he moved at a moderate pace, conserving his strength as he climbed the steep incline. But the further he went, the faster he moved, driven by the growing hope of escape. Time passed in a blur, the tunnel stretching on and on as Reno pushed himself to the limit. His breathing grew ragged, his muscles burning with exertion, but he didn’t slow down. He couldn’t afford to.

The echoes of his footsteps and breathing were the only sounds that accompanied him as he climbed higher and higher. The darkness seemed to close in around him, the tunnel narrowing as it wound its way upward. Reno’s mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: escape. He didn’t think about the fear that still lingered at the edges of his consciousness, the dread that gnawed at him with every step. He didn’t think about the darkness that pressed in on him from all sides. All that mattered was finding a way out, finding his family, and getting out of this nightmare alive.

Then, suddenly, Reno came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened in shock as the beam of his lamp illuminated something on the ground ahead of him. Lying there, partially covered in dust and debris, were the remnants of a standardized meal ration—one he had often seen the workers using.

For a moment, Reno simply stared at the remnants, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. Then, without warning, a surge of hope and excitement shot through him. He wasn’t alone. Someone else had been here, someone who had left behind these signs of their presence. It could only mean one thing: he was on the right track. He was getting closer to finding the others, closer to finding his way out.

With renewed energy, Reno pressed on, moving even faster now. Just a few meters ahead, he found more signs of human presence: wrappers, scraps of linen clothing, and even a makeshift campsite. The sight filled him with a mixture of hope and desperation. He was close—so close to finding the others, to finding a way out.

His heart pounded in his chest as he hurried past the campsite, his hope and excitement mounting with every step. The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, but Reno didn’t care. He was driven by the anticipation of what he might find next, the belief that he was finally on the verge of salvation.

But then, just as suddenly as his hope had been rekindled, it was brutally snuffed out. The beam of his lamp fell upon something that made his blood run cold: a nearly straight, solid wall of polished stone blocking the tunnel ahead.

Reno stood frozen, rooted to the spot. His face still bore the same expression of hopeful but fearful anticipation, but the air around him had fallen deathly silent—even his breath had halted.

'W-What... What is this?' His expression began to change. His eyes widened as a desperate panic took hold of him, soon reflected on his face.

The brutal realization struck him like an unrelenting hammer.

'No, no, no—no!'

He fell to his knees, his entire body beginning to tremble.

The lamp slipped from his hand as he leaned against the solid wall, this impenetrable barrier of terror.

His head drooped toward the floor, and then the breakdown began.