The moment they breached the bunker, the walls trembled. Explosions thundered behind them as Outpost Blackthorn buckled under the relentless assault. Screams and battle cries blurred into the chaos, but there was no time to look back.

  Kael sprinted forward, his boots pounding against the steel floor. Phantom was already at the entrance to the tunnels, wrenching open a rusted hatch. A dark passage yawned beneath, lined with old mining rails and the scent of damp earth.

  "Move!" Aldric barked. "Now!"

  Lyria dropped in first, landing with barely a sound. Kael followed, gripping the ladder as the tunnel swallowed him whole. Phantom and Elysia came next, their weapons still in hand.

  Aldric was last. As he swung his legs over the edge, a demon lunged through the doorway. Its jagged claws slashed forward—

  BANG.

  A single shot rang out. Phantom’s rifle smoked as the demon’s head snapped back, its lifeless body crumpling. Aldric dropped in, slamming the hatch shut behind him.

  Then, darkness.

  Torches flickered along the tunnel walls, casting their shadows long and twisted. The air was thick with dust, disturbed by their hurried movements.

  Kael’s heart pounded. "Where does this lead?"

  Elysia wiped sweat from her brow. "There’s a cavern system up ahead. If we move fast, we can lose them in the maze."

  A distant roar echoed through the tunnels.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Not fast enough," Phantom muttered.

  They broke into a run. The tunnel sloped downward, the walls narrowing. The sounds of battle faded behind them, but in its place came another sound—something moving in the dark.

  Aldric cursed. "They’re following."

  Kael risked a glance back. His stomach turned.

  The Forgotten were in the tunnels.

  They moved without sound, without hesitation. Shadows clung to their dark armor, their hollow eyes glowing faintly. Unlike demons, they didn’t roar or howl. They simply advanced.

  Lyria’s voice was barely a whisper. "We can’t outrun them forever."

  Phantom didn't hesitate. "Then we make sure they don’t follow."

  They reached a junction—a decayed wooden bridge spanning a deep chasm. Below, nothing but darkness.

  Phantom pulled a grenade from his belt, flicking the pin free. "Get across. Now."

  Lyria didn’t wait. She darted over the bridge, light on her feet. Kael followed, his breath tight. The wood creaked under their weight, but it held.

  Aldric and Elysia made it across next. Phantom was last, stepping backward, rifle still trained on the approaching Forgotten.

  Then he tossed the grenade.

  BOOM.

  The explosion ripped through the tunnel. The bridge snapped, splintering into the abyss. Dust and debris filled the air.

  Kael coughed, squinting through the smoke. The Forgotten stood at the opposite ledge, motionless. Their empty eyes watched, unblinking.

  Then, slowly, they stepped back into the shadows.

  "They’re not coming after us," Elysia murmured.

  "Not yet," Phantom corrected.

  The tunnel widened, leading them into a massive underground chamber. Stalactites hung like fangs from the ceiling, and an underground river glowed with a faint, unnatural light. Crumbling ruins lined the cavern walls—remnants of a forgotten civilization.

  Kael exhaled. "What is this place?"

  Aldric scanned the ruins. "Something old."

  Phantom knelt, brushing dust off a weathered stone. Symbols, worn by time, were carved into its surface. He traced a gloved hand over the markings.

  Elysia frowned. "You recognize it?"

  Phantom hesitated. Then he stood, gripping his rifle.

  "We’re not alone down here."

  The group fell silent.

  Then they heard it.

  Footsteps.

  Not Forgotten. Not demons.

  Something else.

  And it was waiting for them in the dark.