The journey was unpredicted.
It twisted through fear, darkness, and silence, like a destiny line slowly unraveling itself at the feet of Tony, Skylar, Elsie, and Gabby.
No map. No promise.
Just raw courage and a hint of fate leading them forward.
Nobody knew what truly waited at the end.
Gabby's voice broke the silence. "That's the end," she said, her voice low and heavy with weariness.
She leaned against the cold tunnel wall, breath shaky, body tired from the crawl and the unknown tension weighing on them. Despite her exhaustion, she stretched her hand out, brushing her fingers along the rough stone wall—searching. Hoping.
Somewhere… she had hidden something here long ago.
Then—click.
Her fingers touched cold metal. She closed her hand around it. The key.
Without wasting a moment, she inserted it into the keyhole buried in the end wall of the tunnel. Her fingers trembled as she turned it, slowly… cautiously. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a deep metallic thud, the lock gave way.
The door opened—
A metal slab, cross-bounded with thick bolts, built to match the tunnel's shape perfectly.
Outside, midnight air whispered softly. The stars were fading. A hint of pale blue began to chase the shadows—dawn was near.
They had traveled close to an hour in the belly of the earth.
They were finally here.
Wherever "here" was.
Gabby looked around. "I don't know what may be out there," she said gently, eyes narrowing at the opening. "So let's wait here for a bit."
They all agreed.
Gabby and Elsie sat with their backs pressed gently against the right side of the tunnel wall. Tony and Skylar took the left. The air was cool. Silence fell again. But this time, it wasn't frightening—it felt safe.
Meanwhile…
Far away, in a quiet house, Skyler's mother paced with worry. Her steps were uneven, her breath catching in her throat.
"Where are these girls?" she whispered to herself, panic rising. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, like it was trying to send her a warning she didn't want to hear.
She called out Skyler's name. Nothing.
Checked every room. The hall. The kitchen. Even the backyard.
Gone.
She searched the entire house with a pinch of hope that she'd suddenly find them giggling behind a door or asleep on the couch.
But the house stayed silent.
Empty.
Fear gripped her like a vice. Like every mother would feel when her child vanished into the unknown.
She stepped out into the dim light of the night, checking the compound, peeking over the neighbor's wall, looking for signs… footprints… laughter… something.
Nothing.
She finally returned home, fighting the thoughts screaming in her head.
But then, a memory flickered in—there had been several times Skyler didn't come home at night. Sometimes she'd crash at a friend's house without warning.
Maybe… maybe this was one of those nights.
She lay down, hoping sleep would quiet her worry.
Back in the tunnel,
The four young souls had already drifted into a quiet slumber—peaceful, unaware of the storm of emotions outside.
For now, they rested.
But their real journey…
Was just beginning.
He tapped them to wake up. It was in the early morning. Elsie yawned, and to her surprise, it was daylight. She panicked and tapped Gabby beside her while Tony tried waking Skyler.
"I feel tired. It's still midnight. Let me sleep," Skyler yawned with her eyes closed. She stretched her hands and mumbled sleepily.
Tony leaned in. "It's your eyes. They are closed," he said gently, shaking her head to snap her back into the present.
"It's already morning," he added.
Skyler blinked and whispered, still disoriented. She didn't even remember they were on an escape trip.
"Yeah, morning. Let's hurry up out of here," Skyler said again, now regaining her senses.
Gabby abruptly turned her attention to what she called the cause of her poor fate and allowed the daylight to pour in, flooding their hidden shelter.
They had finally emerged from the tunnel .
"How do you know all of this, please?" Skyler asked in awe.
"Skyler, I'm an escapee. That's who I am," Gabby answered solemnly.
The setting stretched before them—a vast forest plain, or rather, the very end of it. It led directly to the Cave of Storms, a place where jagged rocks and deep shadows birthed tales of mystery. Legend had it that the older generation—those who came before the current rulers—the people of Majhes once lived there .
"Come on, let's seek the path," Gabby urged them.
Tony stood there, perplexed. His mission felt blurry now—once a noble quest to help two sisters, it had become a wild escape through forbidden lands. Had he strayed from his purpose? Or was this part of the plan all along?
Confusion clouded his thoughts.
Back in the town, passersby noticed a man lying on the stone stairs near the cell building. One of them approached, knelt, and checked his pulse. He was breathing, his body warm. He looked peaceful—just asleep.
The man called to those nearby, and they sighed in relief, returning to their morning routines. But when he tried waking him up, the man didn't stir. Not even a twitch.
Something didn't feel right.
Curiosity—or perhaps a whisper of fear—pushed him toward the cell building. As soon as he stepped inside, a blood-curdling scream tore from his throat.
There were bodies—guards and prisoners alike—strewn across the floor.
Terror exploded in his chest. Without delay, he ran to the palace to report what he had seen.
The air trembled with what was coming next.