A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Race of the Lotus - Part II

Fear clouded my mind, and the world I'd built in my head became noisy. I could no longer see my path clearly and missed a step leading to an elevated floor.

I cursed the darkness in a roar as my shin crashed with the edge before my chin slammed into the floor. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. It hurt, but I had no time to dwell on the pain. I had to get up; otherwise, I wasn't sure I'd make it.

"Where are you going, Wildcard?" the Raeewh asked with menacing laughter as I forced myself to my feet. "Running won't help you."

A torch sparked back to life, providing me with the necessary light to find a better footing. The rest of the flames quickly followed, and I could finally see the tunnel again.

I increased my speed as I could rely on my visual capabilities again. Then I heard something trigger, followed by the pain of a giant's fist connecting with the left side of my rib cage.

A grunt escaped me, and I instantly felt the sharp discomfort of a plain breath — I'd broken at least one rib. My lung didn't feel punctured, but taking a deep breath was unbearable.

I looked down and glimpsed an arrow with a stiff bag where the arrowhead would typically be. It was undoubtedly the cause of my pain, and more would likely be waiting for me.

Proceeding with caution would've been the best course of action, but that was impossible with a Raeewh trailing me.

I took another step, which was all it took before I felt the floor give in. I'd stepped on a pressure plate, and I knew exactly what would happen once I took another step.

"Gotcha."

'Shit!' I thought before moving, realizing that I had no choice but to run. Several triggers echoed between the bare walls, and arrows similar to the one that had struck me flew toward me.

I was prepared for the attacks, so dodging and fighting was not the problem — the missing floor was.

I stopped before diving into an emerging pit. I looked up to assess my chances of survival by jumping, but the torches weren't bright enough to reach the other side of the pit. I could either leap and pray that the ancient spirits would save my soul before I died, or I could—

A punch to the back of my head took away my choice. I screamed as I dropped into a darkness beyond the reach of light.

The talons of panic ripped my mind to shreds as I frantically reached into the empty air, hoping that my hands would catch something in the darkness that would save me, but nothing came.

Then, the hatch above me closed, blinding me entirely. Only the sinking feeling in my gut as I fell toward the ground served as a reminder of what was up and what was down. At the very least, the Raeewh wouldn't be able to follow me, but I would be trapped.

My lungs ultimately ran out of air, allowing the silence to fall. I didn't know how deep the pit was, but that didn't mean I had to die. I was an Air Iridis, after all.

I clenched my fists and called for the wind to envelop me, reducing the risk of injury that the impact would've otherwise caused.

My ankle protested when it was forced to support my weight as I landed

The ground was damp, like the forest floor. A scent of mud and humidity hit my nose, but it wasn't the only scent lingering in the air. Chlorine?

"Willow?"

The whisper made my heart jump to my throat.

It was dark, and I couldn't see my own hand in front of me, but someone was down here with me — or something.