Page 12 of Monster's Maiden

LARA

Adull ache throbs in my head as I stir, groggy and disoriented. Darkness envelops me, thick and oppressive, yet dotted with faint glimmers of bioluminescent moss. I blink several times, trying to shake off the fog clouding my mind.

Where am I? What happened? My thoughts swirl like a tornado. Slowly, the memories filter back: the ruins, the rumble, the ground giving way beneath me.

I push myself up on shaky elbows, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The moss casts a dim glow, enough to reveal jagged stone walls and scattered debris. My heart hammers in my chest as I take in my surroundings, each breath echoing off the cavern walls. The damp, musty scent fills my nose, and the chill of the stone beneath me seeps through my clothes.

Then I see it—a massive figure looming over me. My breath catches in my throat. Its grotesque form sends a jolt of terror through me. Skin marked by deep cracks and weathered by time. Eyes that gleam with an otherworldly light.

Panic claws at me. Instinctively, I scream—a raw, desperate sound that ricochets through the chamber. The echoes magnify my fear, bouncing back at me from every direction.

My mind races. What is this creature? Am I dreaming? The ground beneath me feels solid, anchoring me to this reality.

I try to steady my breathing, but each inhale feels like a battle against rising hysteria. The creature doesn’t move; it just watches me with an intensity that chills me to the bone.

My thoughts scatter in a thousand directions. What does it want? Is it going to kill me?

I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, hoping that when I open them again, this nightmare will be over. But the darkness remains, punctuated by those haunting bioluminescent glows.

When I dare to look again, the creature is still there—silent and immovable. Every muscle in my body tenses as if ready to spring into action.

Soon, my hands claw at the cold, uneven ground, fingers scrambling for something to grip on the loose stones. Every scrape and scratch fuels my desperation. I need to get away from this monstrous figure that looms over me.

Rocks dig into my palms as I push myself backward, the rough texture biting into my skin. Each inch gained feels like a small victory, but his gaze never wavers, following my every movement. Those eyes—ogling and unblinking—bore into me. Our eyes meet briefly, and for a moment, I think his unyielding stare reflects curiosity rather than malice. But that’s impossible, this is a monster.

I can't breathe. My chest tightens as if a vise grips it, and my heart pounds so loudly it drowns out everything else. What is he? Why is he just standing there? Every instinct screams at me to run, but my limbs feel numb.

The cavern seems to close in around me. Shadows dance on the walls, twisting into distorted shapes that mock my fear. I scramble faster, kicking up small clouds of dust and debris in my wake. Every breath I take is shallow and ragged. I can't let him catch me—I won't let him catch me.

My back hits a wall with a hard thud, and a sharp pain shoots up my body. Panic surges anew as I realize I've cornered myself. There's nowhere left to go. Trapped like an animal.

“This can’t be happening,” I whisper desperately. “I-I can’t die like this.”

My mind races for an escape plan, but all I can think about is his intent gaze. Why doesn't he speak? What is he waiting for?

I force myself to take a deep breath, the air harsh and dry in my throat. Maybe if I stay still... maybe he'll lose interest. The thought is almost laughable—if it weren't so terrifying.

His presence fills the cavern like an oppressive weight, suffocating and inescapable. And all I can do is pray for a miracle.

Suddenly, his deep, rumbling voice cuts through the heavy silence. “Do not fear.”

The words resonate like distant thunder, each syllable vibrating through the air and into my bones. But the sound only fuels my terror. My heart pounds in my chest. My breaths come in labored gasps.

It speaks, yet my mind refuses to comprehend. His words bounce off the walls of my panic-stricken mind.

Images of ancient monsters and tales of doom flash through my head. What does he want from me? My thoughts spiral out of control, each one darker and more desperate than the last.

“Calm yourself,” the creature says, his voice softer now, almost pleading.

Calm? How can I calm down? My body trembles uncontrollably, every muscle locked in a vice grip of terror.

I force myself to focus on his face. Eyes that glint like polished obsidian watch me intently. His expression remains unreadable, his features betraying nothing.

His gaze softens—can stone even soften?—but it does nothing to ease my dread. Everything inside me screams to flee, to find an escape. But there’s no way out. My mind races with images of what could happen next—none of them good. How do I survive this?

He shifts slightly, his massive form casting new shadows on the cavern walls. “You are safe,” he says.

Safe? The word feels foreign, an alien concept in this place of darkness and doom. Safe from what? From him?

---