Navigating the labyrinthine basement, Kane and Amber find themselves lost in a maze seemingly designed to confound. Artifacts from his grandfather’s past intermingle with heaps of debris. Amber insists on pausing at every artwork they encounter, her eyes lingering on each piece, making the experience take longer than it should.

  Kane observes her as she studies a painting, her fingers tracing the air just above its surface. “So, you’re into art?” he inquires.

  Without shifting her gaze, she replies, “Sort of. I paint a lot in my free time; it grew on me. That mural upstairs was my biggest project yet, before the whole damn corridor collapsed. Aster could’ve at least kept this place in decent shape before he died.”

  He approaches, noting the passion in her eyes. “You knew him well? Sounds like you spent a lot of time together.”

  “Yeah, he taught me hunting and all that. He was an alright old man, better than most folks around here. Alright, let’s move on.”

  Supporting her, Kane helps Amber as they venture deeper into the winding passages. “I remember spending time with him when I was about ten, so… fifteen or so years ago. He always had the most imaginative stories.”

  She scoffs lightly, “His stories? They were all so dumb. No offense, but he’d talk about tricking a dragon into burning itself. Just silly kids’ tales.”

  He narrows his eyes slightly. “…I suppose they were a bit fanciful. Still, they inspired me, sparked my creativity. To me, they’re precious memories.”

  She sighs, “Yeah, yeah, sentimental stuff, I guess I get it. Speaking of, why didn’t you show up years ago, he died like… what, 6 years ago?”

  Kane tilts his head, “You knew about his death? Why didn’t you report it. I would’ve came by, but nobody even knew he was dead”

  “Hell, I was the one to find his body. I just assumed one of the townsfolk reported it to the police, I was like 10 at the time. God, this place is a mess. Another junction?”

  At the fifth intersection, they pause, each path appearing unfamiliar. Kane scans the area, his eyes settling on the left corridor. “There’s a room this way.”

  As he guides her, Amber suddenly freezes in place. “…Wait…”

  He looks at her, puzzled. “What is it?”

  She raises a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. “Listen.”

  Straining his ears, Kane detects a faint, rhythmic thumping in the distance. “What is that? Is something alive down here?”

  Annoyed, she retorts, “No way. I’ve lived here for a couple years. I’d have noticed by now; I’m not an idiot.”

  Concerned, he glances back down the corridor. “These passages are like a maze for a reason. Maybe he’s keeping something down here.”

  She elbows him, “Dumbass, what are you implying? That we’re trapped down here with a bear or lion? That’s stupid; it’s probably just a machine!”

  Noticing the flicker of fear in her eyes, he softens his tone. “…Yeah. Probably. Either way, let’s check out this room.”

  They proceed to a door at the corridor’s end. Kane pushes it open, revealing a cozy man-cave. A large pool table dominates the center, and a well-stocked bar lines the back wall.

  Amber’s eyes light up at the sight of the bar. “Score! That’s a lot of alcohol… probably the good stuff, too.”

  “Don’t even think about it. I know you’re not 21. Here, sit down.” He helps her onto a dusty but comfortable couch.

  “Ugh, I’m hurt. Can’t I have a little drink? To help the pain?” She pleads, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness.

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  Ignoring her, Kane rummages through the room, discovering unique objects: an ancient coin, some old memorabilia. Behind the bar, he finds a letter addressed to him in familiar handwriting. He tears it open.

  Kane’s heart races as he reads. The distant thumping grows louder. He quickly walks over and covers Amber’s mouth, signaling her to stay silent. The sound intensifies, like a massive creature approaching, the floor itself trembling. It pauses just outside the door… labored breathing echoes through the room. It then retreats into the distance, shaking the ground as it goes.

  As he releases her, Amber whispers, “What in the ACTUAL fuck was that? That… that wasn’t an animal. No animal sounds like a damn earthquake, no matter how weak the building is!”

  Kane kept reading, the weight of his grandfather’s words sinking in.

  Kane stared at the letter for what felt like an eternity, his thoughts spiraling. His hands tightened around the paper, anger bubbling under the confusion and fear. His grandfather had treated all this like some kind of cryptic puzzle, but there was nothing fun about it. The weirdest part about it is that his grandpa almost seemed to know exactly what would happen…

  A light tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.

  “Hey, city boy,” Amber muttered, her voice breaking the silence. “What’s with the face? Those his final words or something?”

  Wordlessly, Kane handed her the letter. He watched her read, her eyes widening with every line.

  “What the hell?!” she exclaimed, waving the letter in disbelief. “The old man had a damn monster in his basement! This is insane!”

  “Shh!” Kane hissed, glancing nervously at the door. The faint thumping sound was still in the back of his mind. “Don’t be so loud… none of this makes sense. How did he even know you’d be here, and the creature would be outside the door at that time? And why the hell is there something alive down here?”

  Amber scoffed. “You’re asking me? I’m just as clueless as you! But one thing’s for sure: your grandfather was batshit crazy.”

  Kane sighed, picking the letter back up. He reached into the envelope, pulling out a small golden key and a strange compass. The compass immediately caught his attention. Twelve needles spun erratically, each labeled with words he could barely read. Some were unfamiliar, almost alien. But one needle stood out—labeled Exit—and remained perfectly still, pointing in a single direction.

  “Well… looks like we’ve got something,” Kane muttered. “But this thing is… complicated. I’ll need to study it, and—”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Amber interrupted, glaring at him. “You’re not seriously thinking about figuring this whole thing out, are you? Like… actually exploring whatever this is?”

  Kane met her incredulous stare. “Look, I know it’s dangerous. But I have to know what’s going on. There’s something bigger happening here—something my grandfather wanted me to understand. If what he said is true, I can’t bring the police into this. It’s on me.”

  “You’re insane!” Amber shot back, her voice sharp and panicked. “That thing in the basement? It’s huge—it sounded like it could turn you into paste without even trying! You’d have to be suicidal to go digging into this!”

  Kane sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here for now. Whatever’s out there… it’s not going anywhere. We’ll figure out what to do when we’re back upstairs.”

  Amber folded her arms, glaring at him. “Fine. But I’m NOT coming back down here. You want to play hero? Be my guest. But you’re not dragging me into this mess.”

  Kane extended a hand to help her to her feet. “I know. I wouldn’t expect you to. You’re just a kid, after all.”

  She slapped his hand away, her face flushing with indignation. “I am NOT a kid! I hunt, I butcher, I’ve done more out here in the middle of nowhere than you’ve done in your whole pathetic city boy life! God, I hate people like you.”

  Despite her protests, she begrudgingly leaned on him for support, her injured leg still too weak to stand on its own. “Let’s just get out of this dump.”

  “Agreed,” Kane replied, guiding her back into the maze-like corridors. As they followed the compass, the faint thumping noise seemed to grow louder, echoing ominously through the walls.