The Whispering Dark

The air shuddered as the Shade lunged forward.

Liam barely had time to react before Iris yanked him back, her dagger flashing as she shoved him behind her. The Shade twisted unnaturally, limbs jerking in sharp, unnatural movements. No eyes. No mouth. Just empty, hollow skin.

It let out a sound—not a scream, not a growl—something else. A whisper that slithered through the air, sinking into Liam's ears like an echo of something he shouldn't understand.

And for a moment, he didn't just hear it.

He felt it.

A pull—like ink spreading across an untouched page. Something in him stirred, answering the whisper.

"Liam!" Iris' voice snapped him back to reality.

The Shade was inches away.

His brush was already moving.

"Ink Wall!"

Dark strokes rushed across the air in front of him, forming a barrier just as the Shade crashed against it. The impact sent a shockwave through the tunnel. The creature shrieked—or maybe whispered louder—but it was blocked.

For now.

Ileana didn't hesitate. She grabbed a small vial from her belt, popped the cork with her teeth, and threw the liquid straight at the Shade. The moment the substance touched the creature, it sizzled, spreading like fire across its formless body.

The Shade convulsed violently, thrashing against the walls as its form flickered, its whispers turning to distorted hisses.

Then, in an instant—

It was gone.

The tunnel fell into silence.

Liam exhaled, his pulse hammering.

Iris lowered her dagger. "What the hell was that?"

"Saltwater and silver flakes," Ileana muttered, shaking the empty vial. "Not perfect, but it works."

Liam's fingers tightened around his brush. "It whispered to me."

Ileana's eyes flicked to him, sharp with understanding. "Yeah. That's what they do."

"That wasn't just sound," Liam said. "I felt it."

Ileana hesitated. "…Yeah. You would."

Liam's chest tightened. "Why?"

Ileana didn't answer immediately. Then she sighed. "Because Shades are drawn to Architects."

His stomach dropped.

"What?"

"You think they whisper to just anyone?" Ileana shook her head. "Nah. It's rare, but when an Architect's ink touches the world, sometimes it touches things it shouldn't."

Liam swallowed hard. "And no one thought to warn me?"

Ileana gave him a look. "No one expected you to survive long enough for it to matter."

Silence stretched between them.

Liam clenched his fists. He didn't have time for fear. Not now.

"Are there more?" he asked, his voice steady.

Ileana nodded grimly. "Always."

---

The Descent Continues

They pressed on, deeper into the tunnels. Liam could feel the change in the air—heavier, colder. It wasn't just the Shades. Something else lurked here.

The walls grew older, rougher. The carvings that once depicted ancient Architects began to shift. The figures were no longer just wielding ink.

They were fighting something.

Liam ran his fingers over one of the carvings. The stone was cracked, but the image was still clear. An Architect, mid-stroke, facing a swirling mass of darkness—its shape not quite human, not quite monster.

Something about it unsettled him.

Iris stopped beside him, studying the image. "That's not a Shade."

"No," Liam murmured. "It's something worse."

Ileana, ahead of them, suddenly stiffened.

Her hand shot up, signalling for them to stop.

Liam barely breathed.

Then—

A low growl rumbled from the tunnel ahead.

Not a whisper. Not a Shade.

Something else had been waiting for them.

And now it knew they were here.

To Be Continued…