The tunnel shook behind them as the Sentinel tore itself further from the wall. Kail could feel the shift in pressure with every step—like the dungeon was collapsing in slow motion.
The spear-woman yanked him around a bend. "Move faster!"
Kail didn't argue. The corridor narrowed sharply, forcing them to run single-file. Jagged bone jutted out from the walls, scraping at their shoulders.
Another thunderous roar echoed from behind them. The floor lurched, sending cracks racing across the bone-like surface.
"What even is that thing?" Kail asked, breath sharp but steady.
"A Heartbound," she replied without looking back. "A boss-tier mutation. You don't fight them. You run."
Kail didn't correct her. They had fought, however briefly—and he hadn't died. That alone meant something.
The dungeon pulsed again. A wave of force rippled down the tunnel, nearly knocking both of them off their feet.
"Keep going!" she shouted, pushing off the wall for balance.
They reached a fork in the path. The woman didn't hesitate; she took the right passage. Kail followed, trusting her instincts—or luck.
"Who are you?" he asked between strides.
"Later," she snapped. "Survive first."
Behind them, something enormous scraped against stone. The Sentinel was forcing its bulk through the tunnels. The entire Maw groaned under the strain, veins of green light flickering wildly.
Kail felt its presence like a burning stare on the back of his skull.
It was hunting him.
They reached another chamber—smaller, oval-shaped, littered with old bones. Rotted armor pieces lay scattered across the floor. The woman skidded to a stop.
"Help me," she said quickly, grabbing one of the larger bones. "Pile these in front of the exit."
"You're trying to block it?"
"No. I'm trying to slow it."
They dragged bones and broken armor into a loose pile, creating a crude barricade. It wouldn't stop the Sentinel for long, but it might buy seconds.
Seconds mattered.
Another roar thundered through the Maw, the sound vibrating through Kail's ribs. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"We need to move," Kail said.
The spear-woman nodded and sprinted through the far tunnel. Kail followed.
This passage was lower, forcing them into a half-crouch. It twisted in tight, unnatural angles, as if the dungeon were trying to confuse anyone who passed through.
"Is there a way out?" Kail asked.
"There's an upper level," she said. "Safer than here, at least. If we can reach the lift chamber—"
A deafening impact shook the corridor. The Sentinel had reached the barricade. Bones cracked. Armor shattered.
The woman swore under her breath.
Kail felt heat crawl across his skin. His hunger stirred, reacting to the Sentinel's aura. The dungeon's heartbeat grew faster, as if urging him to turn around and face the creature.
He clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened.
Not yet.
They pushed through another bend—then emerged into a wide vertical shaft. It stretched upward into darkness, but the walls had embedded bone spikes like a ladder.
The woman pointed upward. "Climb. Now."
She leaped for the first spike and pulled herself up with practiced ease. Kail followed, his enhanced reflexes carrying him upward in rapid movements.
Below them, the Sentinel reached the chamber entrance. Its singular eye glowed in the dark.
It saw them.
A massive arm slammed into the base of the shaft, sending a shockwave upward. Kail gripped the bone spike harder, feeling it tremble under his hands.
Its voice rose, deeper than thunder.
"SHARD OF THE DEVOURER. RETURN."
The spear-woman looked down, eyes wide with terror. "Why is it calling you that!?"
"I don't know," Kail said. "Climb."
They ascended faster. Kail reached the halfway point when a bone spike cracked beneath his foot. He slipped. The woman reached down, caught his forearm, and hauled him back to the spike.
"Don't die," she said sharply. "I'm not dragging a corpse out of here."
"Good to know," he muttered.
They climbed the final meters and pulled themselves into a narrow platform carved into the rock. The tunnel ahead was small, just big enough for one person at a time.
As they crawled through, Kail felt the Sentinel's pressure fading.
But not disappearing.
It knew his scent now.His presence.His hunger.
After a long crawl, the tunnel opened into a dimly lit antechamber filled with broken machinery—ancient, rusted platforms, pulleys, chains coated in grime.
The spear-woman collapsed to one knee, panting.
"We made it," she said. "The lift room. The upper levels are close."
Kail scanned the chamber. The machinery didn't move, but faint green veins pulsed beneath the metal.
"Is it safe?" he asked.
"As safe as anything in the Maw," she answered.
Only then did she look at him fully—really look.
"You fought a Heartbound," she said quietly. "You should be dead."
Kail didn't respond.
Her eyes narrowed. "What are you?"
For a moment, Kail didn't answer.
Then he spoke plainly.
"Something that doesn't plan to die here."
The woman stared, expression unreadable. Then she stood and extended a hand.
"My name is Lysa."
Kail took it.
"Kail."
Before they could say anything more, the lift chamber shuddered—and a new system notification flickered before Kail's eyes.
[System Update: Domain Exposure Detected][New Function Available: Essence Echo][New Warning: Hunger Instability Increased]
The dungeon wasn't done with him.
Not even close.