A sharp whistling sound cut through the void, snapping Kaelix's attention upward. His eyes widened as several jagged black spikes hurtled toward him. Reacting on instinct, he twisted to the side, barely dodging them as they sliced through the air where he had been standing.

Wait... standing?

Kaelix's eyes widened as he remembered that he had never actually reached solid ground. Then almost like gravity was waiting for him to notice, he began falling.

"Fuck?!" he yelled, flailing momentarily before righting himself, his body tumbling downward into the endless darkness. "When the hell did I stop falling?! You fucking rainbow shit, answer me!"

No answer came, just the hiss of another volley of spikes cutting through the air beside him. Kaelix twisted sharply mid-fall, narrowly avoiding them as they shot past him, their sharp tips glinting faintly in the crimson light emanating from the XenoArch on his chest.

He looked up, the red glow from the chest piece illuminating a horrifying silhouette against the void. The creature was large, basically three times his size, and grotesque. Its form was vaguely humanoid but had limbs that were too long and jagged and a canine-like head. Its most prominent feature was its tail—a thick, sinewy appendage covered in jagged spikes that shimmered ominously as it twisted behind the beast.

And the worst part it was falling right after him.

The XenoArch's voice finally chimed in, calm as ever. "The creature appeared during our bonding process. Your focus must have distracted you."

Kaelix scowled. "What else was I supposed to be focusing on?! I was a bit busy getting my chest split."

More spikes erupted from the creature's tail, spiraling toward him with deadly precision. Kaelix shifted his body, letting himself curve whilst falling to evade the barrage. The projectiles whistled past, vanishing into the void below.

"Great. Just me, some overgrown pincushion, and a bottomless pit," Kaelix muttered, his sarcasm masking the adrenaline surging through his veins.

The creature roared a guttural sound that vibrated through Kaelix's bones as it continued to plunge after him.

The creature unleashed an even larger barrage of spikes, dark projectiles whistling through the air toward Kaelix as they both plummeted through the suffocating void. Kaelix twisted mid-air again, narrowly avoiding some of the deadly shards, but his luck finally ran out as a few pierced his limbs with sickening precision. One lodged into his upper arm, another impaled through his thigh. He grimaced silently, clenching his jaw against the pain, his mind racing.

Damn it, Kaelix cursed inwardly, his thoughts a storm of frustration and frantic calculation. His muscles burned, and blood seeped from the wounds, staining his already battered figure. He glanced around, his sharp eyes catching faint outlines in the distance. Walls—massive and far off—loomed, slowly closing in as if forming a tunnel. The realization struck him like a jolt: this wasn't a random free fall. He was descending through some kind of colossal, narrowing space.

"How the hell did this thing even get that high up anyway?" he muttered under his breath, eyes darting to the creature. Its grotesque form, spiked tail thrashing wildly, seemed to loom closer with every second.

He felt the XenoArch's presence flare within him, its voice dripping with detached amusement. "You'll understand in a few minutes if you survive this, Kaelix."

"Oh, great," Kaelix growled through clenched teeth, "That's just what I need, you useless rainbow."

Another spike shot toward him, forcing him into a sharp twist that sent fresh pain flaring from his impaled limbs. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus. The creature was closing the distance with alarming speed, and his situation felt more desperate by the second. His mind raced, a frantic chorus of what now? and how long until the ground?

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, defiance flaring within him. When have I ever been the type to panic? he thought, the memory of past scrapes surfacing. Sure, none of them involved falling through an endless tunnel chased by a spiked nightmare, but danger was never a stranger to him.

Kaelix exhaled sharply, focusing his resolve. "Fine," he muttered. "Let's see what this damn XenoArch can actually do."

He made his decision, spreading his body wide to act as a brake, allowing even more spikes to tear into him. Pain erupted anew, each puncture burning like fire, but he barely flinched. The added resistance slowed his descent, just enough for the creature to close the gap. It roared, eyes gleaming with malicious intent as it barreled toward him, but Kaelix was ready.

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With a forceful twist, Kaelix latched onto the creature's grotesque neck. Its skin felt coarse and sickly beneath his fingers, but he didn't hesitate. Gripping tightly with one arm, he swung his other wounded arm like a hammer, driving the spike embedded in it into the creature's neck with brutal force.

The impact jolted his entire body, and to his surprise, the spike sank deep into the creature's neck. A thin dribble of black ichor seeped from the wound, barely a few drops, but it didn't matter. Kaelix's eyes widened as he felt the superhuman force behind his strike. He'd meant only to drive the spike out of his arm, yet it pierced through the creature's thick hide.

Kaelix stared at the creature, his expression shifting from disbelief to a grim, determined calm. "So," he murmured, his voice low and steady, "I can hurt you after all."

Kaelix barely had a moment to revel in his small victory before the creature reacted with feral ferocity. It let out a guttural, ear-splitting roar that reverberated through the narrowing tunnel, then twisted its neck unnaturally, swiping its jagged claws at Kaelix. He tried to dodge, but with his arm still nailed into the creature's neck, his movement was limited.

One of its claws ripped through his shoulder, tearing away a significant portion of flesh and muscle. Blood sprayed out in an arc, and Kaelix gasped sharply, but his grip didn't falter. He clung to the creature like a predator unwilling to let go of its prey.

The creature thrashed wildly, twisting and turning as they both plummeted further into the abyss. Kaelix's thoughts were fragmented, filled with pain and frustration. The burning agony in his shoulder screamed at him to let go, to retreat, but he silenced the voice with sheer willpower. His focus narrowed. His world became the creature, the fight, and the encroaching darkness.

Its spiked tail lashed out at him repeatedly, and Kaelix barely managed to avoid the deadly strikes, twisting his body to reduce the impact. A spike grazed his ribs, another embedded itself in his thigh. Each blow sapped his strength, but he retaliated with vicious efficiency, slamming another loose spike into the beast's side. He struck again and again, each blow finding its mark, but the creature's thick, sinewy hide seemed almost impervious to significant damage.

The tunnel walls were closer now, their smooth but uneven surfaces flashing past in Kaelix's peripheral vision. They were no longer distant markers; they loomed ominously, closing in with terrifying speed. Kaelix's mind began to clear, his thoughts sharpening as the immediate threat demanded his full attention. The frustration that had clouded his judgment gave way to cold, calculating aggression.

Focus, he told himself. You've faced worse. This is just another fight.

The creature's glowing eyes narrowed as if sensing the shift in Kaelix's demeanor. It lunged with its massive jaws, aiming to bite him in half. Kaelix raised his free arm to block, gritting his teeth as the creature's serrated teeth clamped down on his torso. Pain shot through his body like a lightning bolt, but he pushed back with every ounce of strength he could muster. His muscles strained, veins bulging as he locked his arms against the creature's jaws, preventing them from closing entirely.

"You… stubborn… bastard!" Kaelix growled through clenched teeth.

The creature growled in frustration, its spiked tail whipping furiously as it twisted its massive body mid-air. Kaelix barely had time to process the movement before the distant wall rushed toward them at breakneck speed.

What the hell is it…

The impact was bone-shattering. Kaelix's back slammed into the unyielding wall, the jagged surface tearing through his flesh like paper. His back muscles and tendons were shredded, and parts of his spine were dangerously close to exposure. He bit down hard, stifling a scream as his vision blurred from the sheer agony. Blood poured from his wounds, staining the wall before freezing in mid-air, a surreal effect he barely registered.

The creature's jaw snapped partially under the force of the collision, but it refused to let go, its grip still like a vice around his torso. With a guttural snarl, it pushed off the wall with its free limbs, sending them both hurtling back into the void.

Kaelix's breaths were ragged, each one a battle as the pain from his mangled back threatened to overwhelm him. The XenoArch's voice cut through the haze.

"Brace yourself! It's going to do it again."

"No shit," Kaelix muttered weakly. He could already feel the creature shifting its weight, preparing for another brutal collision. The next impact came faster than he expected. This time, the creature twisted violently, slamming his body against the wall at an even sharper angle. Kaelix's vision darkened for a moment as fresh waves of agony coursed through him. He retaliated blindly, jamming another spike into the creature's side, but it barely reacted.

"Enough of this," the XenoArch's voice interrupted, almost irritated. "When it pushes off again, help it. Push with everything you have."

"Are you insane?" Kaelix snapped internally. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because it will create distance, you fool. Do you think I want my host dead? Trust me."

Kaelix gritted his teeth. He didn't have the luxury to argue. "Fine. But if this gets me killed, I'm dragging you with me."

"Charming."

The moment the creature braced itself against the wall, Kaelix moved. Despite the searing pain in his limbs and the exhaustion weighing him down, he dug his free arm into the jagged surface and pushed with all his might. The combined force of their effort sent them rocketing away from the wall, the gap between them and the looming surface larger than before.

Kaelix panted heavily, his body screaming in protest. He didn't know what the XenoArch had planned, but whatever it was, it better work—and fast. The creature, snarling in frustration, twisted mid-air, its glowing eyes locking onto him once more. Kaelix tightened his grip on the spikes in his hand, his resolve hardening as they continued their deadly descent into the abyss.