Book One – Chapter 8

Stalactites and stalagmites delineated the entrance to cavernous tunnels, gradually replacing the fractured mountain face with shades of grey, silver, and purples oscillating from nacre to profound violet. Moonlight, daring but feeble, reflected off walls that glistened with moisture, exuding a damp shimmer. The walls bore the scars of countless ages, the passage of time etched by gentle but ever relentless streams of water. Distinctive scents of earth and minerals coalesced with stagnant humidity, all underscored by subtle traces of decay. Beyond lay only impenetrable darkness.

For two days, Midnight navigated tunnels that offered no respite, narrow serpentine passages wound with unpredictability. They twisted and turned with erratic logic, falling into fathomless depths and rising abruptly. Often, the rocks pressed in, forcing Midnight to contort her lithe form. She squeezed through crevices so constricting that her fur scraped against the rock, some passages demanding she retract her shoulders and belly to slide through. Always, she followed the breath of the cave.

In the profound stillness of the subterranean expanse, Midnight’s heightened senses attuned to every ominous nuance — the echoes of distant sounds, the scent of unseen creatures, and the subtle vibrations beneath her paws. Traces of diverse beings lingered in the air; insects, small creatures that had traversed the tunnels before her, and the scent of larger, unseen beasts concealed by the unyielding darkness. Some emanated hostility, others fear, many the indifference prominent for lesser beings.