The part of the cave we were in was cramped, with two tunnels branching off in different directions. Aiden and the others had small flames flickering in their palms, casting shadows that danced along the uneven walls. I, on the other hand, stuck to my phone’s flashlight. Trusting myself to cast a spell in this situation wasn’t an option. Luckily, the ultra-battery-saving mode kept it alive, though calling someone or using the internet was a long-lost dream.

Aiden moved toward the left tunnel while Leo and Seker checked the right. I stayed back, watching their movements, unwilling to dive headfirst into another risky situation. My mind was already set: if I made it out alive, I was heading straight back to my dorm to sleep like a log and avoid quests forever.

Aiden returned, his expression tense. “So, left or right?”

“Should we split up?” Leo asked, half-turning to the group.

“That is officially the dumbest idea I’ve heard in my life,” Aiden shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Leo smirked. “Alright, man, calm down. Just tossing ideas around.”

“More like tossing nonsense around.” Aiden quipped.

“Alright, alright!” Leo rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

Seker stepped forward, his voice quieter. “Let’s just go left. If it’s a dead end, we can turn back.”

“We should mark the tunnels,” Aiden suggested, running his hand along the wall. “Don’t want to get lost.”

“Good call.” Leo nodded. “Let’s move.”

Our group fell into formation. Aiden took the lead, Leo followed closely behind, and Seker and I stayed at the rear, his steps just ahead of mine. The tunnel was narrow, forcing us into a single file. Oddly enough, it was probably still wider than my dorm room. Maybe Liam had been right—I should’ve switched rooms after all.

Leo’s grip on his dagger was as tight as ever. Aiden and Seker’s eyes darted to every shadow ahead, scanning for any signs of movement.

Seker cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “So… there was never an artifact, huh? Just a setup to ambush whoever took the quest?”

“Exactly,” Aiden replied, his voice laced with disdain. “Evil bastards. Gods curse them.”

“They mentioned being customers of Suzan…” Seker trailed off. “That name rings a bell. Where have I heard it before?”

“Probably from that psycho cannibal and her maniac mother,” Leo chimed in, glancing back briefly. “They ran a tavern—selling dog meat and, well… people.”

“Ugh, gods, why’d you have to remind me of that?” Seker groaned, his face contorting in disgust.

Leo smirked, gesturing toward me with a nod. “Our quiet friend here had a hand in shutting that place down.”

I sighed, keeping my eyes on the uneven path ahead. “Word gets around fast, huh? Yeah, I ran into her.”

“What happened?” Seker asked, his curiosity evident.

“Long story short, she tricked me, strapped me to a table, and was ready to chop me up. By some miracle, I escaped,” I explained, my tone flat. “Didn’t stop her myself, though. Just alerted the guards.”

Aiden abruptly stopped, dropping to a crouch. “Quiet!” he hissed, holding up a hand.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I immediately turned off my flashlight. The others extinguished their flames, and we pressed ourselves against the rough cave walls. The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance—two, maybe three sets. It was hard to tell, but one thing was clear: we weren’t alone.

Our silent decision to backtrack was cut short when another set of footsteps echoed from the left tunnel, much closer this time. Whoever it was, they were heading toward the cave entrance or somewhere else close to it.

“Shit,” Aiden muttered, glancing down the right tunnel. “We’ve got no choice. We keep moving forward.”

Leo grimaced. “They’re already here?”

“That means there’s another entrance,” Aiden whispered, his voice tight with urgency. “We need to find it.”

“And how do we do that?” Leo asked, his tone sharp. “This place is huge. People always said it was a labyrinth.”

“I don’t know,” Aiden admitted, his jaw clenched. “But we don’t have a choice. Let’s go.”

With no further debate, we pushed deeper into the tunnel. The air grew damp, and the narrow passage opened into a wider space. The walls, previously dull and gray, were alive with patches of color—vibrant mushrooms and flowers clinging to the rock, their bioluminescent glow casting an eerie light. Thorny vines snaked along every surface, breaking up the monotony of stone with bursts of green. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming scattered puddles that splashed underfoot as we moved.

The tunnel eventually split into two paths—one leading forward, the other curving to the right. Faint light flickered on the walls to the right, casting long, distorted shadows. One shadow stood out—a man sitting against the wall, his silhouette shifting with the flicker of a lantern.

“Shit,” Aiden muttered, lowering his voice. He motioned toward the forward path. “Let’s keep going straight. Avoid as many of these guys as we can.”

Leo raised a hand, halting us. “Wait.” He pointed toward a structure barely visible in the gloom. “Look at this. These aren’t the same people hunting us. They’ve been here… before we got here. Like months ago.”

I followed his gaze. There, tucked into the cavern’s edge, was a weathered wooden structure lit by dim lanterns. The beams looked old, their edges rough and splintered, as though thrown together in haste months ago. It was hard to discern much more in the darkness, but Leo had a point. The people here weren’t the same as the group from earlier.

Aiden frowned, staring at the ground as if weighing our options. His silence mirrored my own thoughts. Could we trust these people? Asking for help might get us out of this nightmare—or it could land us in even worse trouble.

“Oi!” a coarse voice growled from the right, cutting through the silence. “It’s my turn with that little slut.”

“It’s mine,” another snapped back. “You had her yesterday!”

The first man’s tone turned petulant. “Come on, I only lasted five minutes. I’m going another round.”

“Then go screw one of the adult elves,” the second retorted.

“Those old hags?”

“They’re not even old, idiot. They’re eighteen at most!”

The words hung in the air, vile and repulsive. Aiden, Leo, and Seker all froze, their faces twisting in disgust. Their expressions quickly hardened, determination setting in like a flame being fanned. Aiden leaned forward, peering down the right tunnel to check the area.

When he turned back, his voice was cold and clipped. “Tell me I didn’t just hear that.”

“They’re slavers,” Leo growled, his grip tightening around his dagger. “They’re taking elves. Selling them—or worse.”

“A kid?” Seker asked, his voice trembling with barely contained rage. “They’ve got a kid? And they’re… they’re---doing stuff to her. Disgusting… fucking disgusting!”

I took a step back, trying to inject some logic into the moment. “We can report this later. Alert the guards. We’re students, not soldiers. These guys are professionals—we don’t stand a chance.”

“Hells no,” Leo snapped, his voice low but seething. “We’re not waiting. We’re helping them. Now.”

Aiden rubbed his temple, torn. “I mean… most elves would kill us if they got the chance. But kids? That’s different. That’s—”

“Off-limits,” Seker finished, his fists clenched.

Leo looked around, his eyes blazing. “What’s the plan? Because I’m not walking away from this.”

Before anyone could answer, the second man’s voice cut through the cavern again, filled with vile glee. “Now… where’s that little whore, huh?” His shadow shifted, disappearing from the wall as he stood.

The air felt electric, heavy with the weight of the decision we were about to make.

“Ah, fuck it. Fuck everything.” Aiden said. “We’re saving that kid. Only that kid. Then we’ll report this to the guards.”