Awakening of power

David's brow furrowed with worry as they glanced around the cavern, their eyes scanning every corner in search of their missing companion. "He must be around here somewhere," David replied.

They began to search the cave, their footsteps echoing softly against the rocky walls as they combed through every crevice and alcove. "Fred!" Eamon called out, his voice reverberating through the chamber, but there was no response, only the eerie silence of the cave.

As they ventured deeper into the cavern, a sense of unease settled over them. They called out Fred's name with urgency, their voices laced with worry, but there was no sign of him.

With each passing moment, their concern grew, their minds racing with thoughts of what could have happened to him. "Where could he be?" David muttered.

But despite their efforts, Fred remained elusive. As they retraced their steps back to the main chamber, a sense of dread gnawed at Eamon's insides.

They noticed that Cassandra and Malakai were still absent, presumably still exploring one of the corridors to the side of the central chamber.

"We should perhaps go to the corridor where Malakai and Cassandra went and seek their help," David suggested. "But I fear Fred might have been caught by one of the monsters we saw earlier."

"It's possible, but given the message we received upon entering the cave, it seems unlikely," Eamon mused. "Supposedly, we're protected for seven days as long as we stay within the cave's territory. However, we can't just blindly trust it. We need to stay cautious."

He paused than glanced at David. "And I agree with you. Let's join the others. It's best to regroup as soon as possible."

As they approached one of the narrower corridors of the cave, a dull thud resonated from the depths, causing both men to startle. Then, they heard footsteps approaching.

Eamon and David quickly stepped back, then froze, their breath caught, senses alert, eyes fixed on the dark entrance of the corridor.

Eamon quickly scanned his surroundings, searching for an object he could use in case of danger. His eyes settled on a sharp-edged stone lying on the ground. With swift movements, he snatched it up and discreetly slipped it into his pocket.

A figure emerged from the darkness, slowly advancing toward them. It was Malakai, but something was wrong. He was alone and covered in blood, his face pale as death under the dim light of the cave.

"Eamon, David," he called out in a trembling voice. "We need to get out of here. Quickly."

Eamon and David exchanged worried looks, a shiver of horror running down their spines. "What happened? Where is Cassandra ?" Eamon asked, fear gripping him.

Malakai approached them, his breathing erratic. "Cassandra... She's dead," he said in a barely audible voice. "There was something... something horrible."

Malakai's words weighed heavily in the room, enveloping the three men in an atmosphere of terror and confusion.

"How?" David asked, his eyes wide with fear.

Eamon watched as Malakai swallowed hard, his expression tense as if he struggled to find the words to convey the horror he had witnessed."We were exploring the corridor. I thought she was right behind me, but at some point, we got separated. Suddenly, she screamed. I looked for her, following the sound of her screams, and that's when I saw this... this thing."

A chill ran down Eamon's spine at Malakai's words. "What thing? What do you mean?"

Malakai shook his head, horror etched on his face. "I don't know. It was... indescribable. I saw her disappear into the darkness, taken by this thing, this skeletal creature."

David exchanged a worried glance with Eamon. "That doesn't sound like the monsters we've seen."

"Indeed," agreed Eamon before turning to Malakai. "Are you sure she's dead ? Maybe she's still alive."

Malakai looked at David with surprise. "You've seen monsters?" Then, he quickly shook his head vigorously, the surprise disappearing from his face as quickly as it had appeared. "You'll explain it to me later. And yes, I'm sure she's dead. I saw it... this thing killed her before my eyes."

Eamon felt a wave of terror wash over him as the magnitude of the situation began to manifest in his mind. "And where is this thing now?"

Malakai shrugged, his face marked by helplessness. "I don't know. I ran as soon as I could. I didn't want to end up like her."

Silence fell heavily in the cave, only interrupted by the distant murmur of water dripping from the rocky walls.

"We need to get out of here," Malakai declared, finally breaking the heavy silence. "There's something evil in these depths. We're not safe here."

"The cave was supposed to protect us for seven days," remarked Eamon, scrutinizing Malakai's gaze carefully. "How could this happen?"

Malakai averted his eyes from Eamon and stared into the distance. "We went much deeper than the limits of the cave. The moss is rarer there and the darkness deeper. We probably exited the cave's protection territory."

"I have other questions for you," continued Eamon without taking his eyes off Malakai, who seemed to become nervous.

"Why did you first say that Cassandra was grabbed by a creature, and then when I asked if she was dead, you changed your story and said you saw the creature killing her?"

Malakai's expression darkened as Eamon pursued. "And my second question is as basic as it gets. You are covered in blood. When the creature took Cassandra, you're supposed to have fled, unable to do anything to help her. Where did the blood come from? You don't seem injured."

Eamon continued "which leads me to my last questions, what really happened to Cassandra ? What did you do to her ?"

Malakai's face twisted, turning from friendly to aggressive.

"I'm tired of trying to find excuses to convince you two pathetic people." Malakai's voice dripped with disdain as he spoke.

"An old man and a frail sick-looking man. What danger could you pose to me?"

"What are you talking about, Malakai?" David replied, a look of confusion on his face as he approached Malakai. Then he turned his gaze to Eamon. "And you, Eamon, explain to me!"

As David spoke, a rank odor began to fill the air, the stench of death and decay overpowering Eamon's senses.

Malakai slowly retreated into the shadows of the corridor, arms crossed and a smile on his lips as he watched David and Eamon.

Eamon's breath caught in his throat. He took a step back, his eyes darting around the chamber, and then he saw a strange creature in the corridor behind Malakai, slowly moving in the shadows.

"David, watch out!" Eamon cried out in alarm, but it was too late. Before David could react, a creature emerged from the shadows and lunged forward.

Eamon's heart lurched in horror as he watched helplessly.

It looked like an undead version of Fred, his once ordinary features twisted into a grotesque visage. His skin was moist with budding decay. His lifeless eyes were clouded with a milky film. His gaping mouth let strands of drool mixed with blood slowly drip down his emaciated chin.

But it was his movements that truly sent shivers down Eamon's spine. His gait was jerky and unnatural, as if his limbs were controlled by some unseen force, his head lolled to one side, revealing rows of jagged teeth in a sinister grin. Eamon could only watch in horror as Fred's twisted and discolored fingers closed around David's trembling form, a strangled cry escaping from David's lips, his voice stifled by the overwhelming horror of the moment. His eyes widened in terror as he struggled against the iron grip of the undead creature, but it was futile. He could only watch as Fred's jagged teeth loomed closer, tearing into his flesh.

Eamon's breath quickened; he could feel the familiar tightening in his chest, a warning sign of an impending coughing fit.

But he pushed the sensation aside.

In the blink of an eye, Eamon's mind raced through the possibilities, weighing the consequences of his actions. He knew that intervening to save David could expose him to an attack from Malakai, who likely controlled the grotesque creature that now threatened them.

With a heart heavy with dread, Eamon made a split-second decision.

In a surge of adrenaline-fueled determination, Eamon propelled himself towards Malakai, his muscles tense. He reached into his pocket and grasped the small rock.

Malakai's eyes widened in surprise as Eamon closed the distance between them in a matter of heartbeats. The corridor seemed to narrow around them, the walls closing in as the tension in the air crackled with anticipation. With a swift and decisive motion, Eamon brought the rock crashing down, aiming for Malakai's brow ridge with all the force he could muster.

As the rock collided with Malakai's flesh, a sharp cry of pain tore from his lips as he staggered backwards, his arms instinctively rising to shield his face from the blow and lower his head, exposing his nape.

With frantic determination, Eamon lifted the stone and slammed it against the back of Malakai's neck, causing him to buckle under the impact. At the same moment as Malakai reflexively attempted to protect his neck, Eamon raised the stone again and struck with all his might, crushing one of Malakai's fingers in the same time.

Malakai's body collapsed to the ground.

And as Eamon leaned over him to continue his assault, he felt a cold hand seize his arm.

Turning around, Eamon recognized Cassandra with horror, now a zombie like Fred, her lifeless eyes fixed on him.

Eamon quickly disengaged from Cassandra, and despite the imminent threat, he didn't falter.

He lunged at Malakai, who, dazed by the blows, struggled to control his limbs and painfully attempted to rise.

Eamon didn't react when Cassandra grabbed him again, just kept striking Malakai, who no longer had the strength to defend himself.

Eamon no longer thought, ignoring the pain and fear, ignoring Cassandra's fingers, ignoring when she bit his shoulder, focused solely on his objective: to beat Malakai until he died.

After another stone blow on Malakai, Eamon noticed that Cassandra's movements on his back ceased, her body collapsing to the ground.

Eamon observed Malakai's bloody, lifeless body.

Suddenly, a notification flashed before Eamon's eyes, pulling him from his stupor.

Then, another notification appeared.

Before he could fully grasp this new identity, a third notification appeared.