My blood ran cold, and beside me, Saoirse froze, her body going rigid.
Three Radicals stepped forward. Their figures emerged from the darkness like predators closing in on their prey. The faint light from the cave entrance caught the gleam of their weapons, and I realized with a sinking feeling we were cornered.
Without hesitation, I shot my Skindo out, the tattooed patterns on my arm flaring with scarlet light as the blades materialized in my hand. Beside me, Saoirse moved with calm precision, her hands flexing as she prepared to fight unarmed.
I lunged toward the first one, my blade slicing cleanly across his throat before he could react. Blood sprayed in an arc, and he dropped with a gurgle.
Saoirse was already on the second man, dodging his swing and stepping in close. She slammed her elbow into his ribs, the force making him grunt in pain. Before he could recover, she followed up with a sharp uppercut to his jaw, sending himsprawling. A swift, brutal kick to the side of his head finished him off.
The third Radical, larger and more skilled, charged at Saoirse with a knife, forcing her to backpedal. I darted in, slashing at his arm to disarm him, but he was quick, dodging my blade and swinging his fist toward me. Saoirse seized the opportunity, grabbing his wrist and twisting it hard enough to make him howl.
He yanked free, but the distraction was all I needed. I drove one blade into his side while Saoirse delivered a crushing blow to his throat. The man collapsed between us, choking and lifeless, his blood joining the others on the cold stone floor.
The cave fell silent, save for our heavy breathing. I retracted the Skindo, the tattoos clicking back into place as the crimson faded from my arm.
“Damn it,” I muttered, surveying the carnage. “This got bloodier than planned.”
Saoirse flexed her fingers, unbothered. “Eh. Blood’s just drama in liquid form.”
I shot her a smirk. “And you’re the expert on drama, I take it?”
“On blood,” she said, and winked.
My gaze swept the three bodies. “And here I thought you’d let me do all the work.”
She snorted, flicking a speck of blood off her sleeve. “Please, I carried this fight. You were only here for moral support.”
I gestured at the bodies. “Pretty sure my kills outnumber yours.”
Saoirse cocked her head, unimpressed. “Pretty sure you struggle with basic counting.”
I huffed a laugh, wiping my hands on my pants. My pulse was still hammering, but I wasn’t about to admit it.
Saoirse gave me a quick once-over, her piercing stare narrowing. “You good?”
“Still standing.”
“Low bar.”
“Yet here we are.”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
We moved deeper into the cave, the air shifting around us—charged, humming, like the stone itself was alive and watching. Because clearly, things weren’t unsettling enough already.
“You feel that?” Saoirse murmured as she scanned the dimly lit passage ahead.
I nodded. “There’s definitely something here.”
We walked slowly, the charge intensifying with each step, we approached a wide doorway shrouded in darkness. I peered inside and saw a narrow, jagged pit stretching down like a canyon.
It cut through the cave’s floor, dropping straight down into a blackness so deep it was impossible to see the bottom. The rough, uneven walls made the descent look even more dangerous, and every sound—drips of water, distant creaks—echoed back up, making the space feel colder and more confined.
“What the hell is this?” I whispered, peering into the shadows stretching before us.
Saoirse squinted. “An abyss of sorts?” A faint, rhythmic rustling echoed from the depths below. “Do you hear that?”
“I do…what is that?” I leaned closer to the edge, straining to listen. “Water?”
