Vol. I, Part 3: Chapter 26

  Seismitoad roared with the force of a cannon.

  The sound slammed into the enclosed space. The cavern amplified the noise, bouncing the cry off the damp stone until it became a disorienting, omnidirectional wall of sound. Rosa stumbled, hands covering her ears as if she could block out the sheer volume.

  “Move! Back up the slope! Now!”

  She barely heard Skyla’s cry.

  Rosa scrambled backward, her boots finding no purchase on the slime-coated rocks. The orange beam of Skyla’s dying flashlight swung wildly. For a horrifying split second, the weak light caught the Seismitoad as it lunged.

  A massive, warty blue arm smashed into the shoreline, pulverizing the rock where Hugh had been standing seconds before.

  “Hugh!” Rosa shrieked.

  “I’m here! Go!” Hugh’s voice came from the darkness behind, breathless and strained.

  Rosa spun and ran. The path up to the main tunnel was steep. Ahead of her, Bianca stumbled, her foot catching on a rock. She fell forward, crashing hard onto her hands and knees, the Ranger map fluttering helplessly on the floor.

  Rosa grabbed Bianca’s hand without thinking. “Stay with me!”

  Bianca’s fingers locked around hers, trembling violently. “Rosa… I dropped the map!”

  “Forget it, just run!”

  A wet, churning sound erupted from the lake. A torrent of sludge-heavy water slammed into the rock face behind them. Seismitoad had unleashed Muddy Water. The attack surged up the path, submerging the ground they had just fled.

  “It’s flooding the tunnel!” Cheren yelled from somewhere up ahead.

  “Don’t look back! Just climb!” Hilbert shouted. He was physically shoving Hilda up a high ledge with his free arm, keeping the Joltik shielded under his jacket with the other.

  Rosa's lungs burned. The air was thick with the stench of ancient rot. She reached the ledge that led to the upper plateau, her muscles screaming.

  “Bianca, go!” Rosa heaved, using her momentum to swing Bianca upward.

  Hugh appeared from behind Rosa, gripping Bianca’s jacket and pushing her over the lip of stone.

  Just as Bianca scrambled clear, Rosa risked a glance over her shoulder. Seismitoad pursued them up the slope, the water level rising with its displacement. It opened its cavernous mouth. A sphere of compressed water coalesced in its gullet, glowing with a high-pressure blue energy.

  “Get down!”

  Hugh tackled Rosa, driving her into the dirt just as a Hydro Pump screamed above them. The blast hit the ledge with the force of a wrecking ball, shearing off a massive chunk of stone.

  Debris and a torrent of ice-cold water flushed over them.

  Rosa laid flat on the ground, water drenching her from above. She shielded her head, feeling Hugh’s heavy breathing against her back.

  “C’mon, Rosa!” Hugh grabbed her by the shoulders, hauling her to her feet. She swayed, disoriented, shivering as the cold water soaked through her clothes.

  The flood was at their heels. Seismitoad launched itself forward, bearing down on them. The beast was mere feet away, its hand raised to crush them into paste.

  “Solar Beam!”

  The darkness was obliterated by a lance of blinding green light. The beam shot through the air just above their heads and struck the Seismitoad dead center in its chest.

  The beast groaned and toppled backward into the churning water.

  “Hugh! Rosa!” Skyla was at the top of the ridge, backlit by the fading glow of the attack. Next to her, her Tropius stood vigil, leaves rustling as it watched the water.

  Hugh grabbed Rosa’s wrist and dragged her up the carved-out ledge. Just as they cleared the top, a geyser erupted behind them. Seismitoad surfaced, roaring with raging fury.

  “Go! Go!” Skyla yelled, shoving them past her. She retreated only once they were clear, Tropius flanking her closely.

  The rest of the team were waiting on the plateau. They stumbled after the group, the ground shaking with every one of the Seismitoad’s footsteps.

  “Almost there!” Skyla pointed ahead. “The main shaft is just past this archway—”

  BOOM!

  The ground lurched violently beneath their feet.

  Seismitoad had slammed its fists into the cavern floor, triggering an Earthquake. The shockwave traveled through the stone like a ripple through liquid.

  Ahead of them, the ceiling groaned. A massive section of the archway detached. It fell with a thunderous crash, sealing the path forward in an impenetrable wall of rubble.

  “Blocked!” Skyla shouted, coughing and waving her arms through the haze. “We’re cut off!”

  Seismitoad roared again, closer this time. The red glow of its eyes cut through the dust, two hateful embers fixated on the intruders.

  Behind them, a desperate, high-pitched squeak pierced the air. Rosa spun around. Castform was hovering frantically by a narrow fissure in the rock wall, barely visible in the dying light.

  “There!” Ms. Gabby swung her dimming light toward the crack. “An opening! It’s too small for Seismitoad!”

  “Go! I’ll hold it off!” Skyla screamed, spinning to face the monster. “Tropius, Leaf Storm!”

  Tropius whipped up a swirling vortex of glowing leaves, a razor-sharp barrier between the team and the advancing giant. Seismitoad raised its massive arms, tanking the hits, inching forward through the storm.

  “Everyone, with me!” Gabby shouted.

  They had no choice. Seismitoad broke through the Leaf Storm, advancing toward them.

  One by one, the team crawled into the fissure. Cheren led, squeezing his shoulders through the tight gap, followed quickly by Bianca. Hilbert pushed Hilda in ahead of him before scrambling through. Nate crouched to clear the low hanging rock, but the movement compromised him. He fell flat on his back, grunting in pain.

  “Nate!” Rosa yelled. She knelt down on the ground next to him.

  “Rosa…” Nate gritted his teeth and coughed. He clutched his side, fingers digging into his jacket.

  Hugh slid into the opening, cleared the initial squeeze, and immediately turned back, extending a hand through the gap.

  “Bring him here! I’ve got him!”

  Rosa shoved Nate from behind, guiding his legs into the crack.

  Hugh grabbed Nate by the belt and hauled him in. Nate’s waist cleared the jagged edge, but he let out a strangled yelp of pain as Hugh lowered him onto the uneven floor inside.

  Rosa scrambled in after him. The tunnel was tight and claustrophobic. It was barely large enough to stand.

  “Can you walk?” Hugh asked, his voice echoing in the tight space.

  “Yeah… Yeah… I can move.” Nate forced himself up, leaning heavily against the rocky wall.

  Gabby stumbled into the fissure, Castform zipping in close behind her.

  “Keep moving! Don't stop!" Gabby ordered, pushing them forward.

  They squeezed through single-file, the raw rock scraping against their shoulders, catching on their clothes.

  Behind them, Skyla tumbled into the opening, hitting the ground hard and scraping her knee. She winced but scrambled quickly to her feet, eyes wide.

  "Take cover!" Skyla yelled, throwing her hands over her head.

  A tremendous impact shook the very foundation of the mountain.

  Seismitoad had launched itself at the fissure. The entrance behind Skyla imploded. Rocks and boulders crashed down, sealing the opening entirely. Skyla barely pulled her foot away as a slab of rock slammed into place.

  The mountain shuddered as Seismitoad hammered against the blockage, trying to force its way in, but the gap was sealed tight. A frustrated, muffled roar vibrated through the walls, shaking loose dust from the ceiling.

  They didn't stop. They sprinted blindly through the twisting corridor. The claustrophobic path wound deeper and deeper until, suddenly, the walls fell away.

  They spilled out into a new cavern.

  “Stop,” Hugh panted, sliding down against a wall. “I think we lost it.”

  The group skidded to a halt. Rosa leaned over, hands on her knees, gasping for air.

  The silence that followed was unnervingly quiet, save for the sound of dripping water from the ceiling and their own ragged breathing.

  “Is everyone here?” Hilda asked, her voice trembling.

  Rosa forced her head up, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim, intermittent blue sparks given off by the sparse magnetic stones embedded in the walls. The light revealed the space in strobing flashes. The cavern was vast and hollow. Stalactites hung from the high ceiling like jagged spears.

  Bianca was clinging to Cheren’s arm. Hilda was bent over, coughing, while Hilbert rubbed circles on her back, keeping the Joltik secure inside his jacket. Nate was sitting on the ground, his head resting against a lone boulder, with Hugh crouched protectively next to him. Gabby and Skyla stood at the rear, Castform floating weakly on Gabby’s shoulder.

  “Everyone’s here,” Rosa breathed. She was exhausted, aching, and soaked to the bone. But she and her friends were alive. Nothing mattered more to her than that.

  “Where are we?” Hilda whispered. The sound echoed too loudly in the empty space.

  They all turned to Bianca. Her expression was grim. “I don’t know. The map… it’s gone.”

  She burst into tears, covering her eyes in the depths of her palms.

  Hilda rushed to her side, bringing Bianca’s head into her shoulder. “It’s okay, honey. It’s not your fault.”

  Bianca cried into Hilda, the rest of the group watching somberly.

  "Look for an exit," Gabby instructed. She tried to project authority, but her voice lacked its usual unshakeable certainty. "There has to be a draft. A secondary tunnel somewhere."

  Rosa pushed off her knees and began searching the dark perimeter of the cave. She ran her hands along the walls.

  Solid rock.

  "Anything?" Hugh asked, his voice echoing from the other side of the cavern.

  "Nothing," Cheren replied.

  "It's just rock," Hilbert muttered, his voice tight.

  They searched and searched. They traced every jagged outcropping, every shadow, every corner of the vast space. There was no breeze. No subtle shift in air pressure. No hidden alcoves. The longer she searched, the more desperate Rosa became.

  She stopped walking, her hand resting flat against the dead stone. She looked back at her friends, their shadowy forms illuminated only by the faint, dying sparks of the cavern walls.

  Her breathing staggered. She was bordering on hyper ventilation. The reality began to sink in.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  We’re trapped.

  The only way out of the cavern was through the fissure they had just crawled through. And that path was buried under tons of rubble, guarded by a monster that wanted them dead.

  Rosa was sitting on the floor. She shivered violently, the cold seeping through her wet clothes. The Hydro Pump she and Hugh had endured left them soaked to the bone, and now that the chase was over, the damp chill of the underground began to gnaw at her.

  “Tepig,” Hugh murmured, his voice rough and shaky. “Can you give us a little more heat?”

  The fire pig sat between them, his small sides heaving like bellows. He scrunched his nose, pushing with every ounce of willpower he had left. A small, pathetic flame sputtered from his snout.

  Tepig let out a whimper, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion. The flames in his mouth fizzled out, leaving the Pokémon breathless. He looked up at Hugh, eyes wide and filled with apology.

  “It’s alright, buddy,” Hugh whispered, reaching out to rub the soot from Tepig’s snout with a gentle thumb. “Don’t force it. Save your strength.”

  The darkness seemed to press in closer as the embers died. The overwhelming sensation of hopelessness, exacerbated by the violent shivering, pushed Rosa to the breaking point. The brave face she had put on for Nate, for Bianca, for everyone, finally shattered.

  I can’t do this.

  She buried her face in her freezing palms, curling into a tight ball to preserve what little warmth remained. Her breath came in short, panicked gasps that echoed far too loudly in the stillness.

  Tepig crawled into her lap. He curled up against her stomach, radiating the last of his internal body heat, desperately trying to keep her warm.

  “Tepig,” Rosa sniffled, the contact grounding her enough to regain a sliver of composure. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  She forced herself to stop crying. She held Tepig close, stroking his back as he oinked softly.

  “Rosa, you’re shivering.”

  Hugh moved without asking for permission. He scooted across the uneven stone until his shoulder pressed firmly against hers. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in tight, eliminating the air gap between them to share body heat.

  She leaned into him, her cheek pressing into the wet fabric of his chest. Their soggy clothes meshed together, trapping a layer of warmth between them.

  “Thank you,” Rosa whispered.

  “Don’t mention it,” he muttered. “We look out for each other. That’s the deal.”

  She still felt the bite of the cold, but the shivering subsided. She continued to pet Tepig’s back as he lay in her lap, his large ears drooping with fatigue.

  They sat huddled together for a while, staying as physically close together as possible. To Rosa, Hugh represented the anchor of the team. His resolve never wavered. His bravery extended far beyond himself. It radiated like a beacon of hope in the dying light of the cave. For a moment, Rosa felt safe, letting herself borrow his strength.

  Rosa breathed into his jacket. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “Manage to stay calm.”

  Hugh let out a short huff that vibrated through his chest against her cheek.

  “Who says I’m calm?”

  Rosa looked down at Tepig, who was now snoring softly. She realized then that Hugh wasn't fearless. He was simply stubborn enough to prioritize everyone else's safety over his own terror.

  “Well, you’re pretty good at hiding it. And here I am crying on the floor,” she added with a forced, brittle laugh.

  Hugh tightened his arm around her. “I guess I’ll have to be brave enough for the both of us.”

  “You mean all seven of us.”

  “If I have to…”

  She straightened herself out, letting Hugh’s arm fall away from her shoulders, though she stayed close.

  Hugh relaxed his posture, leaning back and propping himself up with both hands on the floor. “Hey, thanks for helping me with Wonderboy over there.” He nodded his chin toward the far wall.

  Nate was sitting with Riolu, his back resting against a large boulder. He was staring quietly at the dust, occasionally glancing at Riolu before turning back to the ground, as if conducting a silent conversation.

  “Wonderboy?” Rosa repeated, a slight laugh bubbling up from her chest. “Is that his official codename?”

  “It fits, doesn’t it?” Hugh said, though his eyes remained fixed on his best friend. The look he gave Nate was less mocking and more fiercely protective. “He’s always pushing himself, never giving a thought about his own safety. When that Aggron attacked, I told him to run, but he didn’t. He stood by me.”

  “He must be pretty brave,” Rosa admired.

  Hugh shifted off his hands and clasped them together in his lap, staring at his knuckles. “Even when we were kids, he’d always be there for me. Sometimes, I think he’s braver than I am.”

  He let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders finally dropping an inch. “I just… I need him to be okay. He’s the only one who keeps me from going crazy sometimes.”

  “He will be,” Rosa assured him, her voice firm. “Because he has you to be there for him. And,” she paused to look at the sleeping Tepig in her lap, “he has me to pick him up when he falls.”

  “Thanks, Rosa.”

  Rosa watched Hugh, a wave of softness washing over her. She had always seen Hugh as the unshakeable pillar of strength, but hearing him admit his dependence on Nate made him feel incredibly human. Nate, on the other hand, didn’t have the same loud courage as Hugh. Yet he commanded a loyalty so fierce it kept Hugh grounded. That kind of quiet power, the ability to be someone's sanity, was something she never saw in Nate until now. She looked between them, struck by the sincere beauty of a brotherhood that could never be fabricated.

  “Hey,” Hilda’s voice drifted from the recesses of the cavern.

  She and Hilbert approached. Both were stripped down to their undershirts, their outer jackets draped over their arms. They joined Rosa and Hugh on the floor, sitting cross-legged in a tight circle.

  “We figured you both might need these,” Hilda said, thrusting her dry denim jacket toward Rosa.

  “Hilda, I can’t—”

  “No, Rosa. Take it.” Hilda was dead serious, her eyes leaving no room for argument.

  Rosa took the jacket apprehensively, the dry denim leaving a trace of Hilda’s warmth in her hand. “What about you?”

  “I'll be fine. I'm not the one drenched in Hydro Pump water.”

  Hilbert tossed his jacket at Hugh.

  “You too, man. Put it on,” Hilbert said, shivering slightly in his thin t-shirt but grinning nonetheless. “You might want to ditch your wet shirt. The jacket won’t do you much good if you’re still soaked.”

  Hugh looked at the jacket, then at Hilbert’s exposed arms, where goosebumps were already rising. “Thanks, Hilbert. Seriously.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Hilbert said, placing Joltik on his lap. He leaned his shoulder against Hilda’s. “Besides, if you freeze to death, I’m the one who has to carry you. And you look heavy.”

  Hilda rolled her eyes, but she leaned into him, sharing her warmth with her lifelong friend without a second thought.

  Hugh got up and peeled his wet shirt off, the sodden fabric slapping against the stone. Rosa quickly averted her eyes, focusing entirely on Tepig’s twitching ears to avoid looking at Hugh shirtless. She felt her face heat up as Hugh zipped up Hilbert’s dry jacket and sat back down. Neither Hilbert nor Hilda seemed bothered.

  Rosa looked around the cavern. Visibility was terrible, the only light coming from the faint sparks from the walls. It was entirely exposed with nowhere to go to take her soaked shirt off. Cheren and Bianca were huddled against a wall nearby, Bianca resting her head on Cheren’s shoulder, asleep.

  She looked over at Nate sitting by the lone boulder. The rock formation was wide enough to offer a small bit of privacy.

  Good enough.

  “I’ll be right back,” Rosa said, gently lifting the sleeping Tepig and transferring him into Hugh’s lap.

  She made her way over to Nate. He was still staring at the ground, lost in thought. Riolu sat silently beside him, equally fixated on the pebbles before them. Her footsteps snapped him out of his trance, and he looked up, his eyes weary.

  “Hey,” Nate began.

  “I’m going to change behind this rock. Stay right there, don’t move,” she warned, pointing a finger at him with feigned sternness.

  Nate blinked, his cheeks instantly flushing. He gave a rapid, rigid nod, keeping his eyes glued firmly to his boots as Rosa slipped past him.

  She settled behind the boulder, hidden from the rest of the group. She peeled off her outer layer, then struggled to slip her arms out of her wet sleeves. The fabric clung to her skin resisting her efforts. She took her shirt off, shivering violently as the cave air bit at her bare skin.

  She quickly pulled Hilda’s jacket over her, deciding to leave her wet bra on. It was better than nothing. The jacket was oversized and warm, carrying the faint, comforting scent of Hilda’s perfume. It felt like a hug from her cousin.

  Thank you, Hilda. For always looking out for me.

  She stepped out from behind the boulder. Nate had kept his eyes diverted to the floor, respectful and distant. Rosa looked at him. Really looked at him. His face was solemn, drawn tight with pain, and his eyes held a depth of dread she hadn't seen before.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  Nate looked up, slightly startled by her reappearance.

  “Can I join you?”

  Nate shifted, wincing as he straightened his leg to make room on the small patch of dry ground. “Sure.”

  Rosa sat down next to him, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping the denim jacket tight around her legs. For a moment, they just sat in the dark, listening to the dripping of water falling from the stalactites.

  Without a word, Nate shifted his weight, closing the few inches of empty space between them until his right arm pressed gently against her left. It was a tiny, hesitant movement, but it gave Rosa a small bit of comfort.

  “We’re really deep, aren’t we?” Rosa whispered, leaning into the contact just a fraction.

  “Yeah,” Nate replied, his voice rough with disuse. He was staring at his hands folded into his lap “I’ve never been this far underground.”

  Rosa looked at his profile. In the dim, flickering light cast by the distant blue crystals, he looked much older than sixteen. The shadows accentuated the sharp line of his jaw, yet his features were soft and gentle, giving Rosa a slight pause at his appearance.

  “Those Pokémon in the lake…” Rosa started, the horrific image of the floating Galvantula flashing before her. “Do you think we can stop whatever did that?”

  Nate clenched his jaw, a muscle feathering in his cheek. “We have to. Ms. Gabby was right. This isn’t natural. It’s a slaughterhouse.”

  The venom in his voice surprised her. It wasn’t the loud, explosive anger Hilda often showed. It was quiet, but intense and focused. It shocked her a little, but it also made her feel safe. He cared. Deeply.

  “I’m scared, Nate,” she admitted, the confession slipping out before she could stop it. “I’m trying to be brave like you and Hugh, but… I’m terrified.”

  Nate finally looked at her. His expression softened, the anger bleeding out to reveal just a tired sixteen-year-old boy.

  “I’m not brave, Rosa,” he said with a humorless chuckle. “I’m just as scared as you are. But we keep moving forward. That’s what counts.”

  She tugged at the cuffs of the jacket, retreating her hands into the sleeves until only her fingertips peeked out. “I guess. But we’re trapped in here. Nowhere to go. It’s hard to keep a positive outlook when everything seems hopeless.”

  “We’re going to get out of here, Rosa,” Nate said with a tone of unshakable certainty. “I promise.”

  Rosa stared at him. Despite his exhaustion, despite the bruise she knew was throbbing on his side, he was perfectly resolute. Her heart did a strange, sudden flutter as she managed a weak smile. She pushed her legs out, leaning harder against the rough surface of the boulder, wishing for something soft, like a shoulder, to rest her head on.

  “I know,” Rosa whispered. “I believe you.”

  Nate smiled back, the tension easing slightly. “You know what keeps me going right now?”

  Rosa tilted her head. “Cheesecake?”

  Nate chuckled, the sound warm and echoing softly. “Cheesecake? Really?”

  “Strawberry cheesecake,” Rosa corrected, a playful spark returning to her voice. “With the thick graham cracker crust. What about you?”

  “Home,” Nate said, his eyes unfocusing as he looked out into the cavern. “I just keep thinking about it. Feels like a million miles away right now.

  Rosa seized the opening. She needed an anchor to the world above, something real to hold onto. “Tell me about it,” she said softly. “Aspertia. What’s it like?”

  Nate shifted, trying to get comfortable against the rock.

  “It’s… quiet,” Nate said. “Compared to Nuvema University, anyway. And compared to Striaton, it’s probably a ghost town. Everybody knows everyone. My mom knows what I’m doing before I even do it because somebody at the bakery saw me walking down the street.”

  Rosa laughed softly. “Sounds suffocating.”

  “Sometimes,” Nate agreed. “But… there’s this lookout. Aspertia Heights. It overlooks the whole city. You can see the mountains, the forest, the windmill at my dad’s ranch. At night, there’s no light pollution. The stars are so bright they look like they’re falling right on top of you.”

  He moved his hand, tracing a shape in the air. Beside him, Riolu mimicked the movement, tracing a small constellation of blue aura-light in the air.

  “Hugh and I used to go up there and just… talk. About leaving. About seeing the world.” He dropped his hand. “I guess we got what we wanted.”

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Rosa joked.

  “What about Striaton?” Nate asked, turning the spotlight on her. “Is it really as fancy as everyone says?”

  “It’s loud,” Rosa said, wrinkling her nose. “There’s always noise. Cars, construction, people. Nothing like Aspertia, probably.” She sighed, pulling her legs back up to rest her chin on her knees. “In Aspertia, everyone knows you because it’s small. In Striaton, everyone knows me because of my last name. ‘Oh, look, it’s the Whitley girl. Is she going to be a doctor like her father? Or a Head Nurse like her mother?’”

  Nate watched her, absorbing every word with complete, undivided attention.

  She didn’t want to sour the rare, peaceful mood by diving into her family drama. She pivoted, hoping to stop herself from digging a hole. “I just… wanted to get away from it all. Try out something new. I wanted to find out who Rosa is. Not ‘Dr. Whitley’s daughter.’”

  “Well,” Nate said thoughtfully, his shoulder pressing a little firmer against hers. “I know who Rosa is. And I think she’s pretty cool. She’s smart, a killer battler, and brave enough to handle a cave full of monsters.”

  Rosa felt a massive flush rise to her cheeks. She pulled the jacket collar up to hide her growing smile.

  “You think I’m cool?” she teased.

  “Just a little bit,” Nate laughed.

  “I think you’re cool, too. Just a little bit,” Rosa said, feeling her face turn even redder. “Even if you have absolutely zero sense of self-preservation.” she added playfully.

  “I'll work on it,” Nate promised. He looked up at the jagged ceiling, letting out a slow breath. “You know... when we get out of here, you should come to Aspertia. I’ll take you to the lookout. Show you the stars.”

  Nate was staring up at the rock, a hopeful, determined look in his eyes.

  Rosa’s heart soared. “I’d like that,” she whispered. “I really would.”

  For a few precious minutes, the Seismitoad, the weapon, and the darkness didn't exist. They were just two teenagers, sitting against a rock, planning a future that felt just a little bit closer than it had an hour ago.

  “Looks like they’re back,” Nate said, gesturing towards the jagged opening they had squeezed through.

  Skyla and Gabby emerged from the crevice, both looking grim. The team gathered around them, desperate for news.

  “Any luck?” Cheren asked, standing up and helping a groggy Bianca to her feet.

  Skyla and Gabby shook their heads in unison.

  “The Seismitoad may have retreated, but there’s no way to move the rubble. The entrance is blocked tight,” Gabby explained, her voice entirely devoid of hope.

  Skyla stood there with balled fists, staring at the wall as if she could punch a hole through it.

  “So, does that mean we’re trapped here?” Bianca whimpered, her voice trembling with rising panic.

  “No, Bianca, it’s okay. We’ll find a way out.” Hilda comforted Bianca, wrapping her arms around her friend's shoulders.

  “What’s our next move?” Hugh asked, stepping up from the group, his posture rigid.

  “We search the cavern again. We find a draft, a crack, anything we might have missed,” Gabby replied pragmatically. She was doing her absolute best to keep calm, but Rosa could see the hairline cracks in the scientist's facade.

  Skyla groaned in frustration, kicking a loose stone. “That’s not going to help us, Gabriella. We’ve already looked! There’s no way out!”

  “Skyla! Enough!” Gabby shouted back, her voice echoing sharply against the stone.

  Clink.

  The sound was sharp, metallic, and unnervingly close.

  Everyone froze. The argument died instantly. They stared blindly into the darkness where the noise originated.

  Riolu’s ears perked up instantly. He swiveled his head upward, locking onto a point directly above them. Nate followed his partner’s gaze, squinting into the gloom of the vaulted ceiling. Slowly, the blood drained from his face, leaving him deathly pale.

  “We need to leave,” Nate hissed, his voice trembling. “Right now.”

  Rosa’s heart jumped. She looked up at the jagged field of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. A spark of blue static flared from a nearby crystal, casting a brief, strobe-like flash across the rock face.

  In that split second of light, Rosa saw it.

  The stalactites were moving.