Chapter 1108:
They filled their lungs and slipped beneath the surface once more.
This time, movement stirred behind them as beams of diving lights cut through the dark water.
Her pulse spiked as she realized they were running out of time. The second pocket of air was a little wider, barely enough to raise their heads above the surface. As they emerged, splashing sounds and a startled shout rang out close by.
Moving fast, Rylie loosened the rope connecting them and whispered, “Stay here.”
𝖳𝘩e 𝗯𝖾s𝘵 r𝗲𝘷𝗂е𝘄𝗌 𝘰𝘯 𝗴aln𝗈𝘃𝘦𝘭s.cо𝘮
She slid beneath the surface again, gliding silently to avoid the sweeping lights. Using rocks and strands of algae for cover, she tightened her grip on her blade. When the enemy sensed danger, she struck without hesitation, cutting his throat in one clean motion.
Warm, thick liquid bled into the icy water. When another soldier noticed the sudden silence, panic set in, and he aimed his weapon at the darkened current.
Fighting through the weakness in his leg, Brad lunged sideways and slammed the soldier into the stone wall. Rylie ended it swiftly with her blade.
When they rose again, the small air pocket held nothing but their uneven breathing and the sharp metallic scent of blood.
“We were nearly out of air, and then it showed up at the perfect moment.”
In the shadowed, crimson-streaked water, Rylie ripped the oxygen tanks from the two incapacitated soldiers, pressing one mask to Brad’s face and fastening the other to her own. The sudden flood of oxygen disoriented them briefly, yet it ignited a fierce determination to keep moving.
“Move!” she hissed, dragging Brad deeper into the tunnel. The extra air in their lungs gave them a small but crucial boost, allowing them to glide faster through the dark water.
The stimulant twisted Brad’s senses; the tunnel walls seemed to writhe, light warped unnaturally, and ghostly murmurs echoed just beyond perception.
He clenched his teeth, using sharp pain as a tether to reality, pouring every shred of focus into following the indistinct, resolute form ahead.
They stretched their breaths to the limit, yet the winding passages and forced detours burned through their oxygen rapidly, compelling them to retrace paths and search relentlessly for an exit.
The faint buzz of Rylie’s gauge jolted her—time was slipping away.
Brad’s vision unraveled. Colors exploded chaotically, apparitions of fallen comrades reached for him, and his limbs convulsed, resisting the hand that dragged him onward.
Sensing his panic spike, Rylie turned in the dark current and pressed him close. Through the mask, she caught his wild eyes and mouthed silently, “Stay with me. The surface is near.” Though her words were steady, Rylie herself had never traveled this hidden river; her guidance was little more than educated guesswork.
If her instinct was correct, the tunnel would spill them into the island’s deep-sea expanse, where the Crimson Fangs awaited—her allies were supposed to be ready.
With oxygen nearly gone and her flashlight sputtering, Rylie flung the empty tank aside. Pinching Brad’s nose, she forced the regulator to his lips.
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