Story 827: The Hunger Below

The flames raged, swallowing the tunnel in a howling inferno, but the laughter… it didn’t stop.

The Maw was still alive.

Mia, Lucas, and Evelyn scrambled through the collapsed tunnel, dragging a barely conscious Leon. His arm hung limp, twisted at an unnatural angle.

Behind them, something moved within the fire—a shadow shifting, twisting, growing.

Then the flames bent inward.

Like a breath being taken.

A horrid screech tore through the air, followed by a wet, slithering sound.

Mia’s stomach dropped. “It’s not burning.”

The smoke parted, revealing the Maw… changed.

The flames had seared its flesh, but instead of weakening it, the fire had fused into its body. Its exposed brain pulsed, the veins now glowing with embers.

Worst of all…

Its tongue had split.

Two barbed tendrils, twitching, each ending in gnashing, toothy maws.

Lucas cursed. “We’re dead.”

Evelyn’s mind raced. The Maw wasn’t just a monster—it was adapting.