The worm-monster lunged—a blur of teeth, flesh, and snapping jaws—and Evelyn threw herself sideways just in time.
The tunnel floor pulsed, trying to grab her again, but she rolled, slipping through slick muscle as the creature's jaws slammed into the wet ground where she'd been seconds before.
No sound.Not even the impact.
Just impact that Evelyn felt vibrate through the flesh beneath her palms.
She pushed herself up—only for the floor to ripple violently, knocking her down again like a heartbeat-gone-wrong.
The worm twisted its massive body, dozens of tiny limbs clattering silently along the fleshy walls. Its smaller mouths opened and closed hungrily, dripping strings of acid that sizzled through the muscle-floor.
The tunnel trembled.Not in fear.In excitement.
The mirror-Evelyn stood perfectly still, fog swirling around her, her glassy eyes reflecting the creature as if she found it… beautiful.
"It knows your heartbeat now."her voice echoed in Evelyn's mind."It follows the rhythm."
The shadow-Evelyn crawled along the ceiling like a spider, neck bending backward.
"So run wrong."
Evelyn swallowed back terror.What did that even mean?
The worm lunged again—and she leapt to the right.
The floor reacted, jerking her left instead.She hit the wall with a wet smack, hands sinking briefly into the pulsing flesh.
The monster missed her—barely—teeth scraping the wall and tearing a line of muscle open.
A gush of dark red fluid spilled out like blood mixed with ink.
The tunnel shivered.Like it enjoyed the pain.
Evelyn pushed herself free, panting silently. Every breath hurt. Her chest tightened. Her heart hammered—
And the worm snapped toward her again, perfectly matching her heartbeat's rhythm.
It was tracking her pulse.
It could feel it through the walls.
Evelyn pressed a hand to her chest, panic flooding her veins.Her heart beat faster—
The worm surged faster.
Her pulse spiked—
The creature's jaws widened.
"No no no—" she mouthed, though no sound escaped.
The mirror-Evelyn drifted closer, her body passing through the twitching limbs of the beast as if she weren't real.
"Slow your heart…"
The shadow creature's jaw cracked open wider than humanly possible.
"…or you will be eaten alive."
The worm lunged once more—this time faster than before.Evelyn dove, sliding across the wet muscle floor as its teeth scraped inches above her head.
Her heartbeat thundered.She tried to slow it—but fear tightened around her lungs, choking her.
The creature turned sharply, dozens of tiny limbs digging into the walls as it pivoted toward her.
It was coming.
It would reach her in less than a second.
Her heart pounded.
Her pulse betrayed her.
The worm roared silently and—
The tunnel floor opened beneath her.
A trapdoor of muscle.A gaping hole of red flesh.
Evelyn fell.
Into darkness.Into heat.Into something alive and waiting.
The last thing she saw was the mirror-Evelyn's glowing eyes peering down at her as the fleshy hatch closed overhead.
Not rescuing.
Not helping.
Just watching.
And whispering inside her skull:
"You can only sink deeper now."