Throne of Bones

The same familiar black, gory slime was smeared across the walls of the cave, its slimy texture glistening faintly in the dim light. The smell was stronger here—pungent, putrid, and overwhelming. Ezra instinctively brought a hand to his nose, gagging slightly as he took another step forward.

A sharp crack sounded under his boot, making him freeze. His breath hitched as he slowly lifted his foot, glancing down. The faint outline of something brittle and white caught his eye. He crouched low, squinting into the oppressive darkness. "What the hell?" he muttered under his breath.

"Why is it so dark? I can't see a damn thing," he grumbled, standing upright and stretching his hands forward as if to feel his way through.

A sudden warmth pulsed in his palm, followed by a faint hum. Startled, Ezra glanced down, his lavender eyes widening as a bright light emitted from his hand. It was warm and steady, casting golden rays that illuminated the cavern around him.

Bones.

They were everywhere.

The scattered remains of creatures—human, animal, and… something else entirely—were strewn haphazardly across the stone floor. Some were shattered, others gnawed clean, their stark whiteness a sharp contrast to the black slime that dripped from the walls.

"Okay… that's not unsettling at all," Ezra muttered, his voice tinged with nervous sarcasm. He stepped carefully now, the light from his hand sweeping across the grim scene. His boots crunched softly against bone fragments, each step echoing faintly in the cavernous space.

The further he went, the thicker the air became, suffocating and cold. The black slime seemed almost alive, pulsating faintly as it clung to the walls, its texture thick and viscous.

The cave stretched far deeper than Ezra had anticipated, the path winding endlessly into the earth. His footsteps echoed faintly, swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence that surrounded him. The air grew colder, heavier, each breath feeling like it carried a weight.

The narrow pathway forced him to slow down, the walls closing in tighter with each step. He dragged his fingers along the slimy surface, leaving small markings in the black ooze to track his progress—a makeshift breadcrumb trail for the inevitable retreat he was already dreading.

"Damn, this cave just keeps going," Ezra muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The light from his hand illuminated only a few feet ahead, casting eerie shadows on the walls as the tunnel twisted and turned.

The deeper he ventured, the louder the sound became—soft, rhythmic, unmistakable. Footsteps. They weren't his own, and they weren't far off.

Ezra froze, his heart pounding against his ribs. He strained his ears, his breath shallow as he tried to pinpoint the direction. The footsteps echoed unevenly, slow but deliberate, their cadence unnervingly steady.

"Great. Just what I needed," he whispered sarcastically, gripping the hilt of his dagger with a sweaty hand. The blade felt heavier than usual, a cold reassurance in his palm.

The sound grew clearer the further he went.

The footsteps were heavier now, accompanied by an occasional scraping noise, as if claws were dragging against the stone. The once-narrow tunnel began to open up, revealing a wider cavern ahead.

There, in the center of the cavern, it sat—the abomination. Ezra's breath caught in his throat as he took in the grotesque sight.

The creature perched atop a crude, makeshift throne fashioned from jagged rocks, decayed wood, and bones. The throne was enormous, towering and uneven, its dark surface slick with the same black, viscous slime that seemed to mark its dominion.

The abomination's form was even more terrifying in the dim light of the cave. Its skeletal frame was massive, grotesque, draped in patchy, matted fur and sinewy flesh that clung to its bones like an afterthought. Spindly limbs ended in razor-sharp claws, and its elongated skull was crowned with jagged horns that curved upward like a mockery of a crown.

Its glowing amber eyes burned with cold malice, scanning the cavern as if it were the ruler of this forsaken domain.

Ezra noticed how its hollow gaze seemed to pierce through the shadows, its movements deliberate yet oddly regal. Surrounding the throne were piles of bones, discarded remains of what must have been countless victims—humans, animals, perhaps even monsters like itself.

Ezra felt his heart hammering in his chest as he instinctively pressed himself against the cavern wall, his light dimming slightly. 'This is bad,' he thought, his mind racing.' Really, really bad.'

The abomination shifted slightly on its throne, the grinding sound of its movement echoing in the cavern. Its clawed hand idly tapped against the armrest, sending small tremors through the ground. It tilted its head as though sensing something—or someone. Ezra froze, his breath caught, willing himself to be invisible.

Around the base of the throne, smaller minions milled about, grotesque and rabid in their movements. These were the same creatures Ezra had trailed earlier, but now there were more—many more.

Their glowing eyes flickered as they scuttled aimlessly, their forms twitching with unnatural spasms.

Ezra's grip tightened on his dagger, sweat slicking his palms. 'Why did I think coming in here was a good idea?' he wondered bitterly. He needed a plan, and he needed one fast—because the abomination's eyes had started to turn in his direction.

Ezra ducked behind a large, jagged slab of rock, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might give him away. His mind raced, desperately grasping for a plan, but every thought was drowned out by the overwhelming fear gripping him.

His body was trembling, slick with cold sweat despite the suffocating heat of the cavern. Every breath felt shallow and labored, the oppressive aura of the abomination pressing down on him like a physical weight.

There was something about the creature—its very presence—that made his instincts scream to run, to hide, to bury himself in the deepest hole he could find and never come out. The sheer malevolence radiating from it seemed to seep into the air itself, poisoning his resolve.

Ezra clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms in an attempt to steady himself.

'Get it together. Come on, Ezra, you've faced worse. Haven't you?'

But even as he thought it, he knew it wasn't true. This was different. The abomination wasn't just a monster—it was something far beyond anything he'd encountered before. Something ancient, something primal.

The scraping of claws against stone snapped him back to reality. He risked a glance around the edge of the slab, his eyes darting toward the throne.

The abomination hadn't moved, but its smaller minions were scuttling closer, their glowing eyes scanning the cavern like predators scenting prey.

Ezra swallowed hard, forcing himself to remain still despite the growing urge to bolt.

'Think. Think, damn it!'

But his mind was blank, paralyzed by the oppressive aura, the crushing fear that this time, there was no way out.