Chapter 246: The Shadows That Whisper

The tunnels twisted and turned, a labyrinth of stone and darkness. Ochieng ran with Cassandra and Lin Feng at his sides, their footsteps echoing like frantic drumbeats. Behind them, the cavern continued to collapse, entire slabs of rock crumbling as if an invisible force was devouring the space.

The monster's voice still echoed in his mind.

"Run. But the abyss will always find you."

Ochieng clenched his fists as they sprinted. What did it mean?

He didn't get time to think. The tunnel split into two paths ahead.

"Left or right?!" Cassandra shouted, panting.

Ochieng's instincts screamed left. But something about the right tunnel felt… off.

A whisper brushed his ear.

"The left path leads to escape. The right leads to truth."

His body froze.

No one had spoken.

The whisper came from the shadows themselves.

He turned sharply to the right.

"Ochieng?!" Lin Feng called after him, but there was no time to explain.

The moment Ochieng stepped into the right tunnel, the world shifted.

The walls vanished into a void. The air became thick, suffocating.

And ahead of him—

A silhouette.

Tall. Cloaked in shadows. A faint silver glow in its eyes.

The same creature.

Yet… not the same.

This one was smaller. More human.

Ochieng's heartbeat slowed.

"Who are you?" His voice was a whisper.

The figure tilted its head. "Who do you think I am?"

A shiver ran down his spine.

He stepped closer.

The figure remained still—until Ochieng reached forward—

And suddenly, a cold hand gripped his wrist.

A jolt of power shot through him, burning through his veins.

Memories that weren't his flooded his mind.

A battlefield.

A kingdom in flames.

A shadowy figure standing alone against an army.

And then—

A name.

One that had been buried deep inside him.

The figure leaned in.

"Remember, Ochieng."

And then—

Everything turned black.

---