The man spat blood on the ground and squeezed my both wrists with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed through the tunnel, and a scream tore from my throat. Pain radiated up my arms, and I writhed helplessly in his grip. He finally released me, but only to deliver a savage headbutt to my nose. My head spun as I staggered back, blood pouring freely. My back hit the wall, and I slid down to the ground, gasping.

The giant shook his head, gathering his senses while inspecting the burn marks on his arms. His face twisted into an expression of pure rage.

Before he could close the distance again, Leo jumped down from the hole we’d fallen through. Wasting no time, he cast a wind spell that sent the man staggering backward. Leo rushed to my side, gripping my arm and helping me to my feet.

“Shit, are you okay?” he asked, glancing at my battered frame.

“No,” I muttered, wincing. “We… we can’t beat him.”

“Yeah, no kidding…”

“Watch out!” I shouted as the behemoth roared back to his feet.

The man hoisted a boulder from the ground and hurled it at us. It hit Leo square in the head, sending him crumpling to the ground, unconscious. Dusting his hands off, the man began striding toward me, slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring its prey.

Desperation clawed at me as I cast a fireball at the ceiling above him. The spell hit with a thunderous crash, and the rock gave way, collapsing onto him. Dust and debris clouded the air, and the ground beneath me began to tremble. The floor cracked and collapsed, and I plummeted through the opening.

I managed to grab the edge of the crumbling floor at the last second, my legs dangling over the void. Below, I saw raging waters, the sea churning violently. My arms burned as I tried to pull myself up, but my battered body refused to cooperate. On my third attempt, my strength gave out, and my grip slipped.

I fell.

The icy water swallowed me whole, and my head struck a jagged rock beneath the surface. Blood clouded my vision as I struggled to make sense of up and down. My lungs screamed for air. Just as the water cleared slightly, a hand clamped around my ankle and yanked me downward.

It was him. The giant, his face twisted in a bloody grin.

We struggled underwater, limbs thrashing violently. I managed to break free with a lucky punch to his nose, but before I could escape, his hand closed around my throat. He squeezed.

“Argh…” I choked, bubbles escaping my mouth as I struggled against his iron grip.

Planting both feet on his chest, I pushed off with all my strength, breaking free and swimming for the surface. I spotted light ahead, faint and flickering—the entrance we’d come through. Adrenaline fueled my strokes as I swam desperately toward it.

Breaking the surface, I dragged myself onto the rocky floor, gasping for air. My wrists screamed in agony, but I forced myself to keep moving. I stumbled into the left tunnel, my vision swimming.

Before I could get far, he caught up to me. His massive hand grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking me backward. My head slammed against the cave wall. He didn’t stop there, grinding my face against the rough surface like he was scrubbing a stain. Sharp pebbles bit into my skin, drawing fresh streams of blood.

“You’re… skilled,” he muttered, his voice low and menacing. “I’ll give you that.”

He shoved me to the ground, his boot pressing down on my chest before he mounted me. His knees pinned my arms to the floor, leaving me defenseless as he rained punches on my face. Each blow sent shockwaves through my skull, and my strength began to wane.

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Summoning my remaining energy, I pointed my hand upward and cast a fireball. The spell struck the ceiling, dislodging a massive chunk of rock. It fell directly onto the giant’s head, knocking him off me.

I didn’t wait to see the aftermath. My eyes locked onto a ladder extending upward through the hole my spell opened, its top disappearing into the faint glow of light. Hope flared in my chest. It was just within jumping reach.

“Shit. Shit…” I muttered, scrambling onto the boulder that had fallen onto him. I jumped, my fingers catching the ladder’s cold metal rungs. I began climbing, each movement a battle against my battered body.

Halfway up, I heard him. The unmistakable sound of grunting and metal clanging as he started to climb the ladder after me. He was faster, his sheer size making each ascent seem effortless.

When he reached me, he grabbed my leg and yanked hard. My grip on the ladder held firm, but barely. I kicked at his face with frantic desperation.

“Let me go!” I shouted.

“I already let you go once!” he roared back. “But you refused!”

The ladder was affixed to the cave wall by metal brackets on one side, holding it in place. However, the bolts creaked under our combined weight and struggle.

I kicked him again, harder this time. The upper bracket gave way with a loud snap, and the ladder tilted to the left. We slammed into the opposite wall, the lower bracket barely keeping the ladder from toppling completely.

I clung to the swaying ladder, my knuckles white, praying the remaining bracket would hold. The man below me cursed, his grip tightening as he tried to steady himself. The entire structure groaned ominously.

“Axel!” Aiden’s voice echoed below. “Where the hell is he?”

“Help!” I screamed, my voice raw. “I’m here!”

Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, I saw Aiden and Seker appear below us, peering through the hole. They were battered, their clothes torn and bloodied. Aiden had a gash across his forehead, but it wasn’t deep. Seker, however, had a nasty wound on his chest, the blood seeping through his tunic. He looked pale and unsteady, clearly losing blood.

Aiden’s eyes flicked up to the ladder, his expression sharpening. Thinking quickly, he cast a spell I’d never seen before. A black, whip-like tendril shot upward, lashing onto the giant’s leg with a sharp snap. Aiden then tied the dark tendril to the hilt of his sword, anchoring it. He planted his feet firmly and began to pull with all his strength.

The giant snarled, tightening his grip on my leg as he struggled against the force pulling him downward. The strain was agonizing, and I kicked at him desperately.

For five seconds that felt like eternity, the giant held on. Then, finally, his fingers slipped. His eyes widened as he fell, plummeting down.

The sickening sound of impact filled the tunnel as he struck the boulder below, his neck snapping violently. The fight was over.

“Ah, shit. Fuck,” I muttered, trembling as I clung to the precarious ladder.

Aiden froze, staring down at the body. His hands shook as he whispered, “I… I killed someone.”

Seker snapped his head away from the scene, his face pale. “Go up! We found another exit!” he shouted, his voice strained with urgency.

“O-okay.”

But before I could climb further, the ladder groaned and gave way entirely, tearing free from the remaining hinge. My stomach lurched as the world seemed to fall with me.

Instinct took over. I leaned my back against the right wall, my hands pressing firmly against the rough stone. My legs pushed against the left wall, supporting my weight. With a sharp breath, I pushed off the left wall, my legs trembling as I forced myself upward, inch by inch. The stone scraped against my back, but my hands stayed anchored to the right, helping me climb higher. I gritted my teeth, focusing on each push, each shift, as I fought to pull myself up.

“Come on,” I whispered through gritted teeth. “Come on.”

My hands strained with each push, but I didn’t let go. Slowly, painfully, I climbed the narrow space, dragging my legs higher with each movement.

After what felt like an eternity, I reached the opening. Daylight streamed down, and I hauled myself up with the last of my strength. Gasping for air, I collapsed onto solid ground.

I realized I was inside the hollow trunk of an enormous tree. The wood smelled damp and earthy, and faint beams of light filtered through cracks in the bark. With a groan, I kicked at a loose section of the trunk, forcing it open.

Rain poured in as I crawled outside, the downpour washing the blood and grime from my battered body.

I fell to my knees, my chest heaving. “Oh, fuck,” I muttered, my voice barely a whisper. “I’m… alive.”

The storm raged on, but for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt free.