He slowly turned around.

  There was nothing. Wall, crevice, floor, shadow.

  The silence remained intact,

  and the lantern light still trembled.

  Elion inhaled.

  Cold air entered his lungs.

  But, his chest felt even more constricted.

  The cave continued, writhing like a snake.

  With each step, the ceiling curved differently, and the floor protruded like uneven teeth.

  The walls were cracked as if black veins had burst.

  "It's a hallucination... must be." He muttered.

  The third day since stopping his stabilizers.

  Doctors had always warned:

  "Beware of sensory hypersensitivity, focus distortion, paranoid responses."

  He wanted to believe that. Found himself wanting to believe it.

  The path continued.

  The narrowed passage scratched his shoulders. Water droplets pooled on the ceiling soaked the nape of his neck.

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  Stones beneath his feet crumbled, making weeping sounds.

  The lantern's light seemed to be growing smaller.

  No, darkness was drawing closer.

  The walls narrowed further. Both sides moved closer to the lantern light.

  The cave ceiling had now lowered until it almost brushed his hair.

  The walls were damp like wet skin, and the floor beneath his feet grew increasingly slippery.

  As if the cave itself was pressing in on him.

  His shoulders hunched.

  His steps grew so small that his elbows touched his legs.

  Breath came short.

  The air he inhaled through his nose seemed to stop at his throat without passing through.

  His heart pounded.

  His chest, no, it resonated as if beating inside his ears.

  Thump. Thump. Thump. And then.

  He stopped.

  On the ground, there was something.

  A rat. Quite large.

  Its head was half split, its body hollowed out,

  intestines spilling forth.

  Yet, it was still warm.

  When his fingertips touched it, faintly, warmth remained.

  Elion held his breath.

  He lowered the light. Around the rat.

  On the soil, faintly remaining footprints.

  Similar to those of a human. However,

  right beside the footprints— handprints were also imprinted.

  People don't walk like that.

  Down Elion's spine, a line of cold sweat trickled.

  Again, his ears became utterly silent.

  Silent,

  but within that silence, he sensed something holding its breath.

  He slowly,

  very slowly began to turn off the lantern, then stopped.