THE TUNNEL

Thania's sobs echoed through the dark chamber, each sound heavy with something raw and broken. They weren't just cries, they were jagged, painful sounds that scraped against the silence, as if her soul itself was being torn apart.

"Thania," I whispered, reaching for her. My fingers brushed against the warmth of her trembling arm. her skin felt damp and feverish, her temperature was abnormally high.

She didn't move or utter a word.

She just stood there frozen with her breath coming in sharp and uneven gasps. Each inhale was too fast or too shallow, as if she couldn't get enough air. Her chest rose and fell erratically, her entire body rigid like a statue carved from glass. Quite fragile but on the verge of shattering to pieces.

"Thania," I said again, firmer this time, my voice cutting through the suffocating silence. "We need to keep going."

She remained silent and continued sobbing.