The air in the cave was cool and damp, carrying a faint earthy tang that clung to their breaths. Steven kept a steady hand on the wall, the jagged texture giving him some sense of stability as the faint glow of Noah's Nintendo cast eerie, dancing shadows across the uneven surfaces. It was the only source of light apart from the glow coming from within, and its bluish hue painted everything in a ghostly tone, making the creeping darkness even more oppressive.

"Remind me again," Tristan said nervously, his voice breaking the tense silence, "why none of us thought to bring real torches?"

"Technically, I did bring one," Noah replied defensively, holding up his console. "It’s just multifunctional."

"Multifunctionally useless when the battery dies," Everett quipped, drawing a laugh from Liam.

Grayson’s backpack jostled as they stepped carefully over a particularly jagged patch of ground. He glanced behind him. “I did pack water bottles,” he offered, a little defensive but still reserved.

“Well, unless you plan to splash the scary cave noises to death, that’s not gonna help us right now,” Everett teased, but his tone lacked malice.

As they pressed further, the soft rhythm of their steps merged with the low hum that had grown steadily stronger. It was a vibration they could all feel now, settling in their bones like the quiet thrumming of an unseen machine.

“Okay, I’m calling it,” Noah said, glancing nervously around. “This is officially the creepiest thing I’ve ever done.”

“You’ve lived a boring life,” Liam said with a smug grin. “At least when people ask, ‘What’s the scariest place you’ve been?’ you’ll have a solid answer.”

Steven rolled his eyes. “Assuming we make it out of here. Otherwise, no one’s going to be able to answer any questions.”

Grayson gave Steven a sidelong look, a faint grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Ever the optimist, aren’t you?”

As Liam opened his mouth to add another quip, his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl. The sound echoed ominously, drawing laughs from the group despite their unease. “What? Don’t act like you’re not hungry too.”

Noah smirked. “Let me guess. Spicy chicken wings?”

Liam crossed his arms, a mock-serious expression on his face. “Always. Great fuel for a hero.”

“Heroes need teriyaki chicken don,” Tristan countered. “Balanced, flavourful, actually good.”

“Ramen,” Steven declared firmly. “That’s a real hero’s food. You can’t beat a perfect bowl.”

Grayson shrugged casually, a small twinkle of mischief in his eye. “Bubble tea.”

“You always say that,” Everett groaned. “It’s a drink, not a meal. Iced tea is better anyway.”

“Burgers,” Noah added quietly. “Simple, reliable, satisfying. Like me.”

Liam burst out laughing. “I can’t tell if you’re bragging or describing a fast-food chain.” His teasing brought a ripple of chuckles from everyone, the tension easing momentarily.

But as the laughter faded, that strange hum returned to the forefront of their awareness. The vibrations seemed to grow in strength, pulsing in tandem with their nervous breaths.

Steven took a slow step forward, gripping the console of Noah’s Nintendo as if to steady its glow. “Whatever this is… we’re close. I can feel it.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances but didn’t speak. Silently, they fell into step behind him, drawn deeper by the mysterious hum, their whispers and nerves drowned in the quiet pull of the cave.

~ ~ ~

The hum that had been gently vibrating the walls of the cave had grown louder, and now, it throbbed in Steven's chest, each pulse resonating deep within his bones. The cave stretched out before them like a darkened cathedral, its walls adorned with peculiar markings. But it wasn’t the ancient carvings that drew their attention now. It was the seven trinkets scattered across the stone platform ahead.

They were beautiful, almost hypnotic. Each one shimmered with an otherworldly glow, their surfaces smooth and gleaming. The colours were as vivid as the stones themselves - obsidian black, deep amethyst purple, a brilliant sapphire blue, fiery ruby red, lush emerald green, radiant gold - and then, there was the pink one. It pulsed faintly, almost sadly, as if waiting for something - or someone.

Steven’s gaze flickered over the trinkets, a sense of unease settling into his stomach. The others were already edging closer, but none of them moved to touch them, as though an unspoken hesitation held them back.

“So, who’s going to pick first?” Liam’s voice broke the silence, and his casual tone didn’t quite hide the nervous tension in it.

“I’m not touching the pink one,” Noah declared firmly, a hint of distaste in his voice.

Everett raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t even if it was the only one left?”

Noah shot him a glare. “Absolutely not. It looks like it’s been forgotten, and I don’t like it.”

“There are six of us and seven trinkets,” Tristan pointed out. “One of us has to take the pink one, unless we’re all going to start arguing about it.”

“Leave it for last,” Grayson suggested, his voice low and steady, as if making sure his choice was final. “We’ll work our way through the others first.”

Steven wasn’t sure he agreed with that. Something about the pink one gave him a strange feeling, like it was waiting. Watching. But before he could voice his thoughts, the others had already started edging closer to the other trinkets.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Obsidian’s mine,” Grayson said, his tone matter-of-fact as he strode toward the black stone, its surface shimmering like molten midnight.

“I’m taking the amethyst,” Noah muttered, his hand already reaching for the purple gem, but not before he glanced back at the others, as though checking their reactions. “You’re all just going to stand there, then?”

“You’re too fast,” Everett complained, clearly annoyed as he eyed the sapphire stone. “I was thinking of that one.” He didn’t wait for an answer but reached for it anyway, the blue glow lighting up his face with an unspoken promise of power.

Liam grinned as he made his move. “Ruby, obviously. Only a stone as fiery as me will do.”

Tristan, hands in his pockets, lingered a moment before nodding to himself. “Emerald suits me.”

The only one left was Steven. He looked down at the gold trinket, its gleaming surface warm and inviting, though the glow seemed a little softer compared to the others. “Gold it is,” he muttered, not even realising he’d been holding his breath.

But as his fingers brushed against the golden stone, the hum in the air intensified. The vibrations seemed to echo in the very air around them, the pressure growing with each passing moment. And then, just as Steven was about to pull away, he felt it - a strange connection, an unexplainable pull, as though the trinket had chosen him.

The air shimmered faintly, like heat rising from the pavement on a summer day, and a soft glow surrounded the stone, wrapping his fingers in warmth.

“Alright, we’re all touched,” Grayson said, his voice rising with some unspoken excitement. “Now what?”

Tristan frowned, his brow furrowing as he glanced around. “I don’t know. This doesn’t feel… normal.”

“You think?” Steven replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He tried to pull his hand back from the gold trinket, but it was as if it were reluctant to let him go. Something tugged at his wrist, and the vibration grew stronger, almost like a pulse of energy being shared between him and the stone.

“This is bad, isn’t it?” Liam said, his voice tinged with worry as he shifted on his feet.

“Something’s happening,” Noah murmured, his usual confidence faltering.

Then, suddenly, the hum grew louder, the shadows stretching across the cave like creeping vines. The trinkets pulsed in unison, their glow brightening and dimming as if they were communicating with each other.

And in the midst of all this, the pink trinket - untouched, waiting - began to glow brighter.

“That’s not a good sign,” Everett muttered, stepping away from his trinket, his hand instinctively reaching for his friends. “Something’s wrong.”

Steven didn’t have time to respond. The dizziness came first. It was like the world had tilted sideways, a wave of nausea crashing over him. He staggered backwards, blinking rapidly to clear the swirling colours from his vision.

“Whoa, what the hell - ” Liam began, but his voice cut off abruptly as he too lost his balance.

The world around them spun in chaotic bursts of light, and Steven felt the ground slip away beneath him.

And then, as quickly as it had started, the sensation stopped. They were all on the ground, groaning and disoriented, the trinkets now lying quietly where they had once been vibrant with energy.

But when Steven blinked and lifted his head to look around, the pink trinket was gone.

No sign of it. No trace.

Just an empty space, and a deep, unsettling silence.

The others were starting to stir, glancing around with confusion. But all Steven could feel was a gnawing, deep sense of dread settling in his chest.

Something had changed. And it wasn’t just them.

~ ~ ~

The cave’s darkened interior no longer felt comforting, like it was when they first entered. The trinkets’ strange glow had faded completely, leaving behind only the faint buzzing hum and an eerie silence that gnawed at their nerves. Steven was the first to gather himself, standing shakily and glancing around, trying to shake off the dizziness that clung to him.

Grayson was already on his feet. His eyes darted anxiously between the others, but there was something different about his expression. It was like he, too, was struggling to grasp the unnatural feeling that hung heavy in the air.

“Well, that was... weird,” Liam muttered, brushing the dust off his clothes. His usual cheekiness was muted now, replaced by an apprehension he wasn’t even trying to hide.

The others slowly gathered up their bearings, looking over the spot where the trinkets had lain. Except for the pink one, which had vanished, everything looked unchanged. There was no indication that anything extraordinary had just happened... nothing except the deepened weight in the pit of their stomachs.

"Erm," Steven piped, his voice a bit thinner than normal, "Noah, your Nintendo is running low on battery..."

Noah blinked at the console in his hand, a frown forming as he took a quick look at the device. "Huh. It’s fine now... I guess. What are the odds, right? Last time it was dead, but not now. Weird." His uncertainty was obvious, but he quickly dismissed it, switching off the screen to save whatever power was left.

But even as Noah said this, Steven’s mind was swirling. He couldn’t help it; the feeling he had earlier - of the trinkets, the lights, the pulse - lingered in the air, faint but ever-present. It felt too unnatural to shake off.

"I’m just thinking about what happened to the pink one." His words were quieter than he intended, like he didn’t want the others to hear his unease. “Like, where did it go? And if it was taken, how fast were they to do it without us noticing?” He turned to face them, his gaze lingering on Grayson, whose eyes were narrowed in thought.

No one answered right away. Noah adjusted his grip on his now-dimmed console, his lips slightly pursed as though weighing the reality of what Steven had said. Liam gave a small shrug, unsure of how to interpret the disappearing trinket, but the slight unease in his posture was clear.

There was another moment of tense silence before Tristan spoke, his voice subdued but urgent. “Guys, I don’t like this. It feels wrong. What if - what if we weren’t supposed to touch them? Or worse - what if someone was expecting us?”

The suggestion hung in the air, like an ominous cloud threatening to burst. Everett swallowed hard. “We should leave. Now. This whole place gives me bad vibes.” He started toward the cave entrance, taking the lead. But despite his words, his hurried steps were evidence that even he wasn’t entirely confident about leaving.

Yet none of them could ignore the sensation that crept up, unbidden. Something was wrong - something far worse than an eerie feeling or fading battery power. It pricked through the space around them, felt deep in their chest as though their very instincts were screaming for them to act. Or run.

It was almost predatory.

Grayson slowed his steps, his hand instinctively going to his side, as though feeling for something, like he was expecting the trinkets to respond - or maybe even for a threat. But nothing happened. The light from Noah’s console barely illuminated the cave in front of them, but enough to see the rocky pathway sloping up, showing the way out.

There was still an unnerving weight in the air, and it was as though something out there had shifted, focusing entirely on their movement. Watching.

Liam looked over his shoulder, half-expecting something to follow them. "Tell me this is just nerves. Because I really don't want to be here when whatever it is decides to turn up."

"I can’t explain it," Grayson admitted. His voice, normally so calm, was edged with something far less certain. "But I feel it too. Like someone’s... watching us. But there’s nothing around.”

The sensation grew stronger, like eyes boring into them from all directions. The group shared glances of confusion, even fear starting to replace some of their earlier bravado. None of them knew who or what was watching, but they didn’t have to say it aloud.

It was there, undeniable and sharp.

Tristan’s breath hitched, and even Noah couldn’t hide the tension in his grip on the Nintendo. “Alright,” Steven said quietly, finally breaking the suffocating silence. “Let’s go. Just get out, fast.”

As they made their way toward the exit, their pace quickened, unsure whether the growing sensation of being observed was just an instinctual fear or something more. The oppressive atmosphere pressed down around them like invisible hands trying to keep them in place.

But eventually, the familiar light of day greeted them as they stepped out of the cave, the cool air washing over their flushed faces. Safe for now - but none of them felt at ease.

Not with the unseen watcher still lingering at the edge of their consciousness.