Chapter 18 - Threads of Survival

John, Ethan and Lena prepared to move, but stopped as Lena turned to look at John.

"Are we just going without a plan?"

"We'll kill our way out just to make it alive." Ethan said stopping before the entrance. He observed the darkness before him and he noticed the silhouettes of humanoid beasts waiting for them to come out.

"It seems a plan will be necessary then." He said as he shook his head.

John searched the cave around for sticks and leaves after which he ignited to give off light. They all found a place to sit around the fire.

"Whatever those things are, and from their behaviors, I think I might be able to infer something..." He paused when he noticed a frown on Lena's face.

"So what you are trying to say is that whatever they're goal is, it is to keep us here."

John looked at Lena in surprise as she quickly took the words from his mouth.

Ethan looked at Lena as he processed what she said. "So we are being held hostages." He gripped his knife tightly as his muscles constricter.

The tension in the cave became tense as they thought of what might be the end goal of all these. The annoying thing about this may be that they were just pawns to be discarded.

"If I remember correctly," John spoke up as his face shone like he had found a way out of their predicament. "There should be around five to six days left for the assessment to be concluded."

Lena nodded in reply as she waited for John to continue.

"We can't remain passive. We don't even know what's keeping those things away from this cave. What if it's even a deceit to make us stay here till we are dead?"

A smile lit up his face as he looked at Ethan.

"Why the look. Do I have something on me?"

"Maybe. But you'll be the perfect chance for our survival here. I still have some explosives here which should barely be enough to mask our presence."

"So what's my role in this?" Lena asked.

John grinned at her, "Your roke is to remain here as we make our escape. That will give us enough time—." A smack landed on John's head as he turned to face Ethan with an aggrieved expression.

Ethan gave a short laugh. The tension in the cave eased a little.

"You'll have to protect me the. Ethan will be the main attack. I'll help with the explosives as misdirections. And your role is to protect our backs."

Lena tucked a strand hair on her face behind her hair. "That sounds like a good plan, but when do we start. Besides I don't know how we plan to deal with the problem of food now that we can't use our devices."

John brought out food packages only he knew where he got them from.

"We can use these for now. We move two days before evacuation. That should be enough to get us out of the range of interference."

Ethan unsealed his own share as he looked at John. "So who's going to scout?"

Silence dropped in the cave as no one talked.

Alex and company has been moving for what felt like days. They all looked exhausted but they didn't have a choice but to keep moving. Their numbers have reduced by almost half as they seem to have encountered many mishaps.

They were currently resting inside a forest they had entered of recent. Alex observed everything around him as he committed them to memory so as to make a detailed report.

He knew some were doing the same thing around him, but the exhausted look on their faces that mask them well.

They had all eaten earlier as they say in a circle careful not to make much sound as they whispered to one another.

"Does nobody think that just moving ahead is stupid? Like we have encounter nothing but danger since we did so. How certain are we that we'll be able to make it back alive if we keep moving?" A recruit whispered as his voice reached all their ears.

Tom gave the recruits a scorned look, "So you prefer we wait for our—"

A rustling sound made him pause, drawing every recruit's attention toward the shadowed trees.

"Who's there?" one of them called out, his voice wavering as he instinctively took a step back, gripping his blades tightly.

The presence in the forest didn't answer. Instead, it moved forward with slow, deliberate steps, as if savoring the fear thick in the air.

Through the dim light, a silhouette took shape—a woman, her figure shrouded in an almost otherworldly allure. As she stepped into view, the moonlight revealed porcelain skin, smooth and flawless, untouched by the grime of the wilderness. Long, silken hair cascaded down her back, dark as the abyss, yet catching the light like strands of woven midnight. Her lips curved into a soft, knowing smile, but there was something unsettling about it.

But it was her eyes that trapped them.

A mesmerizing, ethereal glow flickered within their depths—both bewitching and deadly. A single glance was enough to unsettle even the bravest among them. Some recruits stiffened, their breath caught in their throats. Others took an involuntary step forward, enchanted before they even realized it.

Curled in her arms, nestled against her chest, was a small fox. Its fur was a striking shade of silver, almost glowing under the pale light. It blinked slowly, its pupils narrowing into sharp slits, a deep, knowing intelligence hidden within those crimson eyes.

But what unsettled them most wasn't the woman's eerie beauty or the fox's unnatural presence. It was the way the air seemed to thin around them, as if something unseen was being drawn away.

A recruit inhaled sharply, only to stagger a little, his strength seeming to wane.

The fox lifted its head slightly, its tiny nose twitching, as if tasting the essence of the terrified men before it.

Some of them felt it— a strange, creeping sensation, like something was being pulled from within them. A lightness in their limbs, as though they were slowly unraveling without even realizing it.

The woman's eyes gleamed, watching them like a predator amused by its prey.

One of the recruits shuddered, his grip on his weapon weakening.

And in that instant, they knew.

She wasn't just an enemy.

She was a devourer of life, wrapped in the guise of something divine.

"Won't you welcome Big Sister." A voice that sounded nothing short of divine sounded as every male recruits gulped at the sound of her voice.

Alex felt his danger senses tingling continuously.

Extremely dangerous!

That was the only thought he had in mind.

The woman slightly rubbed the fox in her arms lightly as she observed them.

Three male recruits fell as they turned to dry husks immediately. A scream rang out as a lady quickly distanced herself from the corpse.

"This Big Sister here is bored and will like for you to accompany her."

Some recruits quickly moved in her direction as they appeared to have lost reasoning. They arrived before her and knelt down as they started raising and bowing their heads in worship. Few minutes later, they all turned to dry corpses.

No one moved again as they all appeared to have been stuck in place Alex tried every means possible to make his presence near unnoticed which he knew was a wishful thinking.

The feeling this woman gave him was nearly as the one he came across on when he almost died. She might appear to be smilies, but who knows what thoughts running in her head.

"Hmm? You mean that human is interesting?" The woman looked at the fox in her arms as it seemed the little creature had passed her an information. She tend turned her attention to Alex.

"You are a very interesting one to gain the attention of Mireth." She said as she made a gesture to pull Alex.

Alex felt himself being pulled towards her as he felt no resistance in air. He was surprised when he felt no discomfort as he stood before her. That Mireth must be very trustworthy. He shook as he lowered his head to avoid looking at her face.

"I found my first companion. Mireth pick me others that can join me." The woman playfully said as she noticed some wet themselves.

Some tried to escape which she died stop them from doing. The fox narrowed it's eyes as they passed through every recruits again. It relayed it's findings to the lady.

She clapped lightly as she smiled. Her smile lightened the tense atmosphere as the recruits forgot they were in danger.

"Mireth said you are all interesting—."

Screams could be heard coming from the distance as it seemed those that tried escaping earlier had met with accidents.

She curled her lips as she fiddled with her hair. "You will be allowed to go back when it's time. Only if you are alive by then and sane." She snapped her fingers as the recruits all felt their surroundings change.

They found themselves in a large chamber with lit candles as source of light. In the center of the chamber was a chained statue of what appeared to be a woman with a fox in her arms. The statue facial features was blurry as it seemed to contain a power they couldn't see through.

"This Big Sister wants to play a game with you. Outside this chamber is a way for your escape, that'll if you are able to find it. Catching up to you means fun for us."

Some mumbled prayers while someone tried to encourage them but failed.

The statue's fox seemed to glimmer for a fraction of a second, its eyes holding a fleeting trace of something… alive.

Then, from the darkness beyond the chamber, a whisper carried through the air: low, teasing, and laced with anticipation.

"Run."

At that moment, the candles flickered violently, their flames stretching unnaturally before plunging the room into an eerie half-light. The game had begun.

The chamber door creaked open, revealing a dark passage ahead. The air behind them grew heavy, suffocating and urging them forward.