The spider scuttled ahead of me, and I chased after it, the demoness’s anger still echoing in my ears. It didn’t take long before I stumbled into the next deathtrap of a room. The spider was already in motion.

  A massive wooden top stood in the center of the room, its craftsmanship almost elegant, if not for the webbing wrapping around it. It was more than an oversized toy. I could see the glint of the axe blades hidden beneath those threads.

  The spider reached the top, and I could almost hear it almost clicking gleefully. With a single tug, it yanked on the web. I stopped dead in my tracks, just in time to see the top begin to spin. The webs unraveled gracefully at first, trailing through the room like slow-motion projectiles. I had to act fast.

  The webs were spiraling outward, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up trapped waiting for the top to run me over. I dove sideways, using the momentum of the roll to put distance between myself and the rapidly unfurling webs. My goal wasn’t just survival—it was making sure the demoness was caught in this mess.

  Unfortunately, she’s slower than us by a wide margin.

  The spider moved to the side, scuttling out of range of the spinning top. Clever little coward. I took a moment to figure out the rhythm of the top’s movements. Every spin was wider, faster, aiming to fill the entire room.

  I watched the spider hop effortlessly out of the way and out of the door of the far room. The demoness then entered, a swirling storm of frost forming around her feet. Her eyes met mine with a familiar burning rage—she didn’t notice the trap, not yet.

  I ducked as one of the threads swung past me. I needed to stay on the move, following the spider creature. With a quick dash, I put the top between the demoness and me.

  The demoness, clearly infuriated by being delayed by yet another obstacle, raised her hand. I grinned. I don’t have a lot of hope for this one, but let it try.

  The wooden top picked up speed and suddenly shifted direction. I dropped to the ground, making myself as small a target as possible, and watched as the spinning deathtrap careened towards the demon, its hidden blades emerging, ready to cut down anything in its path.

  The demoness scowled. A wall of ice erupted in front of her, shattering as the top collided, splinters of ice and wood flying in all directions. It knocked her back, sending her sprawling. The webs tangled her legs, and she let out an inhuman scream.

  An icy spear split the top and pinned it to the ceiling. With a slap of my hands, I got up. Resuming the chase of the spider. I sprinted after it, ignoring the growls of the demoness behind me. Yeah, so much for that. I figured that was going to be the outcome.

  I crossed out of the room, and the moment I entered, I heard the unmistakable sound of grinding stones above me. I glanced up just in time to see a massive boulder drop from a compartment in the ceiling. Two steps kept the round stone from flattening me. It was suspiciously round, and I noticed another convenient slope to the hall.

  With a slow growing groan, it started rolling my way. Of course.

  I took off at full speed. The hallway stretched ahead, narrow and lined with ancient sconces that barely lit the path. Behind me, the thundering boulder was speeding up the longer I ran, closing the distance much too quickly for my liking. I heard the spider’s claws clicking ahead, and I was catching up to it.

  If that thing gets away, I’ll lose it. Any ideas, Orange?

  The host needs a visual means of tracking the creature. There is a way to force the creature to leave a trail everywhere it goes. Shoot it in the abdomen, just below the spinnerets.

  I pulled out my gun and shot the creature in the butt—abdomen—twice. The first shot barely grazed it on the top, while the second hit as low as I could without missing. It stumbled a few steps from the wounds, but it slipped into the next room with the same unbothered agility.

  The boulder rumbled closer, and I poured every ounce of energy I had into my legs, feeling the painful burn in my muscles. There was something oddly comforting in knowing that, for all the magic, demons, and oversized spiders, a good old-fashioned chase still came down to simple physics. It was just a little more odd knowing that I was running far faster than any human should. Just that even that wasn’t enough.

  Am I even going to make it?

  The host will arrive at the safety of the doorway before the stone crushes them. Just mind the jump beforehand.

  Jump?

  There was indeed an opening in the floor before the door. Strangely, it looked large enough to fit the boulder. I didn’t have to put much effort into the jump, my momentum more than carried me over it. My shoulder slammed into the door as it caught me.

  As the wind was knocked out of me, I let out a heavy huff, trying to catch my breath. I stopped to see if the stone would fall down the hall, only to see the demoness was still following. I knew she wasn’t giving up that easily.

  Her method of travel had my heart dropping. She was sliding down the hall, using the boulder behind her to push her along on an ice sled. I really, really hate her right now.

  As I figured, the boulder fell into the hole with a heavy crash. Chunks of debris peppered me and the door. Some of them hurt and one of them hit me just above the eye. A small trail of blood trickled into my eyes as I recovered from the concussion.

  The spider was ahead, already skittering into the next chamber. I shook my head and slipped into the room. Several chunks of stone fought me as I tried to open the door. The door clanged shut as I pulled it behind me.

  There was no sign of the spider. But I found myself standing in a storeroom. There was a shriek behind me as the door exploded in metal and rock.

  The storeroom door exploded inwards, shards of wood and metal flying through the air. I was thrown to the ground and instinctively covered my head as pieces scattered everywhere. The boulder had slammed into the door before coming to a stop. It was shattered, and what was left was wedged tightly in the doorway. Dust billowed up in thick clouds, making me cough.

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  I wiped my face, my vision adjusting to the dim lights flickering around cracks in the ceiling. The demoness was nowhere in sight. For now, at least, the boulder was blocking her way. I had a moment to catch my breath, which was more than needed.

  Exhaustion tugged at me again. The adrenaline from the chase was starting to wear off, leaving a shaky fatigue in its wake. All I earned was time. The demon wasn’t likely dead. I have to keep moving.

  The room was cluttered, shelves lining the walls, laden with dusty cans and crates. It smelled stale, as if it had been sealed for decades—maybe longer. There wasn’t a readable label to be found anywhere. My eyes scanned over the contents, trying to decide if there was anything useful, when Orange’s voice broke through my thoughts.

  The host needs to regain their energy. The cans contain sustenance. Eat.

  They do?

  Yes. Sustenance is required to maintain the host’s physical capabilities, particularly considering the exertion that has occurred.

  How do you know they have food in them?

  Look down and to the left.

  I did. Some of the debris had destroyed a few cans. From inside one, there looked to be small, light brown beans. Food is food.

  I used the tip of my dagger to pop the lid off one can and dug in, barely tasting the bland food as I ate. My energy bar was low again, so I needed it. All of my wounds were healed again, and I ate can after can. I consumed more beans, a variety of fruits, crunchy vegetables, and meat that had a consistency closer to paste. At least it isn’t spiders.

  There was a shrieking behind me, muffled by the massive boulder wedged in the doorway. I could hear the demoness. Her screams still reached me. Part of me wanted to laugh, but I knew better. She isn’t done yet. She’ll never be. The boulder might’ve bought me some time, but it won’t stop her for good.

  I could feel the air get colder and ice wrap around the boulder as I finished the last of the food. I had eaten probably fifty cans of food to fill my energy bar up two full times.

  So where did the spider go? I looked at the ground and noticed a small trail of blood leading to one of the doors. I guess it was a good thing that I did shoot it.

  If the creature is wounded, it will likely retreat to its lair.

  Is that important?

  It is. The creature will be cornered, as it will have selected a very defensible location. However, proceed with caution. The creature will also fight at its fiercest in such a situation.

  That might be what it will take to kill the demon. Let’s go before she breaks through.

  With that, I was again on the trail of the spider. But the sight that welcomed me through the next door was breathtaking.

  A massive canyon stretched before me, its depths plunging into an endless darkness. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the view. Suspended in the middle of the vast void was a huge, intricate web cocoon, its shimmering threads catching the dim light. It hung like some giant grotesque mothball, held aloft by long web tethers that stretched from the canyon walls.

  The spider’s lair.

  Of course, Orange. It’s pretty obvious.

  A narrow bridge of web, barely wide enough to balance on, connected the doorway to the cocoon. It looked fragile, and a single misstep could send me plunging into the abyss below. I wasn’t too interested to see what was at the bottom, if there was a bottom.

  From the ceiling of the canyon, massive rocks tied with thick webs swayed like pendulums across the bridge, ready to smash anyone off the little bridge. Their slow, methodical movements were almost hypnotic. They weren’t a big deal, since I knew I could move fast enough, but that still didn’t solve the other problem for me. The one that was making her way through the blocked doorway right now. This wasn’t the place to fight her, and if she caught up with me while I was on the bridge, I was as good as dead. She would cut the bridge and leave me to fall to my death.

  I could hear the demoness’s muffled rage behind me, her voice barely audible through the thick boulder wedged in the doorway. It wouldn’t hold her for long. If I was going to cross the bridge, it had to be now.

  The spider had already crossed and was likely waiting for me. After taking a quick moment to fill my gun, there wasn’t any more preparation I could do. I gripped my dagger and my gun for a second, feeling their familiar weights in my hand before putting them away. My hands were going to be needed if something went wrong. But once I crossed, there would be no turning back.

  The pendulums swung lazily, their arcs wide and slow. Somehow, they’d sped up the moment I set foot on the bridge. Seriously? I scanned the path ahead, searching for a rhythm in their movement, something to time my steps.

  Alright. I’ve survived worse. And compared to everything else along the way, this is pretty simple.

  My feet felt unsteady on the flexible, sticky web, but I forced myself to focus. One step, then another. A boulder swung dangerously close, and I dropped to my knees, narrowly avoiding getting knocked off the bridge. The vibrations from the pendulum’s movement rippled through the web beneath me, threatening to throw me off balance. I clenched my teeth and held on to the bridge.

  It’s not about speed. It is about timing.

  I’m aware. I took another step, watching as the pendulums moved in deadly arcs. Before the boulder could begin its path backwards, I passed it. The second boulder and the rest followed the same story.

  I was near the end when a flash of movement behind me caught my attention. I risked a glance back and felt my stomach drop. The demoness had made it through. She stood at the edge of the canyon. Ice formed beneath her feet again, and I knew she wasn’t going to wait much longer. But cutting the bridge wouldn’t do her any good. I would just jump to the cocoon and be safe—trapped, but safe.

  As I predicted, she didn’t have the patience to hold still to keep me in the cocoon and eventually starve me out. She started walking on the webs, freezing them into a more solid structure as she went. Cutting the silk bridge under her was now pointless.

  But that was never the plan. I grinned. That’s right, keep following blindly.

  I jogged the last bit and entered the small round hole into the cocoon. It was dark—completely dark. I could hear hissing, as no doubt the spider knew I entered.

  On the far side of the surprisingly large room, a subtle blue glow started emanating. It was a golem, one larger than even the last one. The faint blue lines crossed over its body like circuits, giving me enough light to see the entire room.

  The golem was made of webs, rusted metal, and wood. It had four arms, each tipped with three jagged chunks of metal like claws. Its torso was a metal-covered cone that tapered into the connection for the legs. Four bulky legs supported it in an “X” shape. It stared at me, its face nothing more than a smooth oval.

  Crawling over its shoulder was the spider monster. It disappeared behind its back only to have the golem wake up. I thought I heard what sounded like metal sliding as it did. Jerky movements in the arms and legs quickly gave way to more fluid ones.

  Orange, is that spider controlling the golem?

  It is. Getting behind the golem to kill the creature is the only requirement for ending this encounter.

  I pulled out my gun. One shot was all I needed. But first, I need it to kill the demoness following me.

  The golem lumbered towards me, each step sending shockwaves through the cocoon. It wasn’t fast, and it only had one leg off the ground at a time. I stood still, letting it get closer, closer. The air was getting colder, meaning the assassin was getting closer. The golem lifted its arms up to crush me. She won’t know what hit her.

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