CHAPTER 6: Threads in the Dark

Dust drifted in the air like ash, glowing faintly under their dim visors.

Yuuki stood still, eyes locked on the rockfall that had buried the way they came in. A quiet crackle from the communicator confirmed what he already suspected — no signal. He tapped his earpiece again. Nothing.

Behind him, Keiko stirred. "Are we trapped…?"

Yuuki didn't answer at first. He turned his gaze toward the path deeper inside the cave — narrow, shadowy, pulsing faintly with residual Hollowborn energy.

"There's an exit," he said finally, voice flat.

Keiko looked up. "What?"

"In the map we got earlier," he continued, eyes still on the path, "there was a secondary exit marker… northeast tunnel, which should be reachable from here."

She stood slowly, brushing dust from her gloves. "Shouldn't we wait? They'll notice we're gone. They'll come looking."

Yuuki finally looked at her, expression neutral.

"There's a better chance of surviving if we move forward," he said. "Waiting here just gives whatever else is down here more time to find us first."

"…Right," Keiko muttered.

After a pause, she stepped up beside him. "Lead the way then."

Without a word, Yuuki began walking, his blade on his hand.

Meanwhile, on the surface…

Kazuki tapped at his console again, frustration tightening across his face.

"Yuuki? Keiko? Respond."

No voice. No movement on the radar.

Not even interference — just dead silence.

He lowered the device, eyes narrowing.

"They're not showing up."

He stood, sliding his blade onto his back and stepping away from the transport vehicle.

"I told you not to get involved…" he thought bitterly. "…but if something happened to you…"

He took off running toward the last known coordinates.

Inside the Cave

The silence was different now — heavier, like it listened back.

Keiko walked slightly behind Yuuki, their boots crunching softly over stone and dust. The narrow walls coiled inward, closing space between them.

"Hey," she said after a while, voice trying to sound casual. "What's with you and Sugou? Feels like there's bad blood."

Yuuki didn't stop walking.

"He doesn't like me," he replied flatly.

"…Why?"

Yuuki tilted his head slightly, but kept his eyes ahead. "I exist. That's enough of a reason for some people."

Keiko blinked. "That's… vague."

But Yuuki didn't elaborate. He just kept walking.

She noticed then how close she was trailing him, their shoulders almost brushing. She didn't mean to — her feet just… moved that way.

Before she could say anything else—

A sharp hiss echoed from above.

Three Hollowborn dropped from the ceiling with twisted snarls.

Yuuki stepped forward without hesitation, raising his sword.

Keiko drew both blades, back to back with him. "On your right!"

"I know."

They moved in sync. Yuuki ducked a claw swipe and drove his blade through the Hollowborn's jaw. Keiko spun to intercept a second one, slashing its legs before going for the kill. The third Hollowborn scattered into the dark, climbing along the cave walls before dropping down right between them.

"Keiko!" Yuuki called out.

"I'm fine!" she shouted back.

But… she wasn't.

As she turned to re-engage the Hollowborn, her vision wavered. Her breath shortened. She looked around — the cave walls, the narrow passage, the closing space.

Are they… moving?

Suddenly, it felt like the walls were crushing in. Her heart pounded erratically. Her hands trembled.

She couldn't move.

The Hollowborn pounced.

Yuuki didn't shout this time.

He moved.

With barely a sound, he darted between the shadows and threw himself into the Hollowborn's path. Its claw grazed across his shoulder — tearing through uniform and skin — but he stood his ground, shielding Keiko with his body.

The sting of pain brought her back.

Her vision cleared — and without thinking, she hurled her blade straight past Yuuki's ear.

The Hollowborn screeched and fell into dust.

Keiko gasped. "Y-You're bleeding…"

Yuuki looked down at the red staining his sleeve. "Yeah."

"Why did you… cover me like that?"

He looked at her, face calm.

"I can't just let you get hurt."

Her eyes widened.

She stepped forward quickly, unwrapping her bandages and kneeling beside him.

"Hold still," she said, biting her lip as she cleaned the wound. "This is the second time you've saved me. I don't… I don't get it."

Yuuki said nothing.

As she carefully dressed the wound, she whispered, "I… lost focus."

Yuuki tilted his head slightly. "Something wrong?"

Keiko hesitated, then forced a small laugh.

"No. Just… got distracted. That's all."

Yuuki watched her for a beat longer but didn't press.

"Alright," he said flatly, standing.

She followed behind him — quieter now.

After a moment, as they resumed walking, he spoke again, not looking back.

"You fight fine. Just don't let your head get in the way."

Keiko blinked. "That supposed to be encouragement?"

Yuuki shrugged. "Take it however you want."

A faint smile ghosted her lips, but she looked away quickly. "Then… I'll keep close to you."

"Good," he muttered. "Makes it easier."

Elsewhere… Deeper in the Cave

Far below, beyond the tunnels, lay a cavern lined with thick webs. Nestled in the center was a grotesque throne formed from the corpses of prey.

A slender, humanoid Hollowborn sat atop it. Its body was elegant and tall — but its limbs were jointed like a spider's, with thin hairs bristling across its back.

Multiple red eyes blinked from its pale, half-human face.

A low-level Hollowborn kneeled before it, hissing.

"They have entered… two of them… a male and a female."

The spider Hollowborn smiled.

"New prey," it murmured, voice sickly sweet. "The one with the scent of something… incomplete."

It rose slowly, its shadow stretching across the walls.

"Let's see what kind of web they'll tangle themselves into."