Chapter 12: The Escape

The chamber shook violently, dust and debris cascading from the ceiling as the cursed king's laughter echoed through the cavern. Elena's heart pounded as she sprinted forward, Rafael and Tobias right behind her. The ghostly figures swarmed around them, their hollow eyes glowing with a malevolent light.

"Faster!" Tobias shouted, dodging a spectral hand that nearly grasped his shoulder.

Elena clenched her jaw, her lantern swinging wildly in her grip. The path ahead was crumbling, stone slabs shifting beneath their feet. Behind them, Aurelian raised a skeletal hand, dark energy crackling around his fingers.

"You cannot escape," he intoned. "You are bound to the gold now."

The very air thickened, turning to an oppressive force that slowed their steps. Shadows twisted and writhed, reaching out to drag them down.

Elena gasped as her foot slipped on loose gravel, her balance tipping dangerously. Rafael grabbed her arm and yanked her forward just as a spectral claw swiped through the space where she had been.

Tobias reached a set of stone steps leading upward, barely visible through the swirling darkness. "There—stairs!"

Elena didn't hesitate. She pushed herself harder, leaping onto the steps two at a time. The others followed, but the ghosts were relentless, their eerie wails rising to a deafening pitch.

Halfway up, the air grew even colder. A force yanked at Elena's ankle, sending her sprawling forward. She barely caught herself, but icy fingers locked around her boot, pulling her back.

"Elena!" Rafael turned, his eyes widening.

The grip tightened, an unnatural chill seeping into her bones. She kicked desperately, but the spectral hand didn't loosen. Aurelian loomed at the base of the stairs, his skeletal form barely visible through the churning shadows.

"You belong to the gold now," he whispered.

A sudden flash of steel—Tobias's dagger slashed through the ghostly hand, disrupting it just long enough for Elena to scramble free.

"Move!" Tobias urged, dragging her upright.

They reached the top of the stairs, finding themselves at the entrance of a narrow tunnel. Rafael glanced over his shoulder. The cursed king had begun ascending the steps, his movements slow but unstoppable.

"We can't fight him," Rafael said, panting. "Not like this."

Elena's mind raced. They had seen how the ghosts had been bound to the treasure. If Aurelian was cursed to guard the gold, then—

"We need to separate him from the treasure," she said, her voice urgent.

Tobias frowned. "How?"

"I don't know yet, but we have to get out of here first."

Rafael pointed ahead. "This tunnel has to lead somewhere. Go!"

They plunged into the narrow passage, the air thick with dust. The tunnel twisted and sloped upward, but Aurelian's voice still echoed behind them, chilling and relentless.

"You can run, but the curse will follow."

The tunnel opened into a vast cavern. In the center stood a stone bridge spanning a deep chasm. Beyond it, a faint glow hinted at an exit—freedom.

Elena's relief was short-lived. The moment they stepped onto the bridge, the cavern trembled, and cracks splintered through the stone.

"This whole place is falling apart!" Tobias yelled.

No time to think. No time to hesitate.

They ran.

But as they neared the other side, a final, bone-chilling roar filled the cavern. Aurelian appeared at the tunnel's entrance, his skeletal form wreathed in dark mist. He raised both hands, and the bridge beneath them shuddered violently.

With a deafening crack, the stone gave way.

Elena lunged, her fingers scraping against the edge of solid ground. She felt Rafael's grip on her wrist, holding tight as loose rocks tumbled into the abyss below.

Tobias scrambled to his feet, panting. "We need to collapse the entrance before he follows us!"

Rafael pulled Elena up as Tobias grabbed a loose boulder, shoving it toward the weakening archway of the tunnel.

Aurelian stepped forward, his fiery eyes locking onto them. "You cannot escape the curse," he snarled.

With one final shove, Tobias sent the boulder crashing down. The tunnel entrance collapsed in a thunderous roar, sealing Aurelian behind a wall of rubble.

Silence.

Elena gasped for breath, staring at the dust-choked passage.

"Did… did we do it?" Rafael asked, his voice hoarse.

Tobias ran a shaking hand through his hair. "For now."

Elena turned toward the glowing exit. "Then let's not waste this chance."

With one final glance at the collapsed tunnel, they stepped forward, leaving the cursed king behind.

For now.