Adrian stood his ground as the creature lurched forward, its talons raking against the stone with a sickening screech. Its jagged limbs twisted in unnatural angles, joints snapping and popping with each shuddering movement. A gaping maw yawned open, stretching far too wide, as if its skull had unhinged. Disgusting.

  With a sharp flick of his wrist, a sphere of blue fire flared to life and streaked through the gloom, slamming into the creature’s chest. The moment it struck, the thing erupted into flames, its brittle flesh catching like dry parchment.

  A shriek tore from its throat, a sound that scraped against the very fabric of the air. The fire hungrily devoured it, blue flames licking at its wasted form. It thrashed, raking at its own body as if trying to tear the fire away. But the flames did not relent. They burrowed inward, consuming from within, hollowing it out until nothing remained but a blackened husk that crumbled to ash.

  Adrian exhaled, steady and controlled, lowering his hand. Too easy.

  But unfortunately for him, the wailing didn’t stop. The creature’s death cry didn’t fade into silence, it stretched, twisting into something shriller, something wrong. A piercing, unnatural keen rose into the air, reverberating off the tunnel walls in waves. The sound slithered through the ruins like a living thing, creeping into every crack, every shadow, curling around the scattered bones that littered the chamber floor.

  Adrian’s stomach turned. Damn it, that screech must have alerted others.

  Within seconds, Adrian could hear the sound of countless wings, leathery and tattered, beating against the air in a chaotic frenzy. The darkness ahead shifted, no longer empty but writhing, pulsing with movement. Adrian’s flames flared brighter, licking at the stone, casting long, flickering shadows against the ruined walls.

  And in that firelight, he saw silhouettes emerging from the abyss. Their skeletal forms hunched and contorted, limbs stretched too long, their bodies stitched together from nightmares. Wings twitched in spasms, jerky and wrong, sending puffs of dust scattering with each erratic movement. There's too many of them, I need to find a better place to deal with them.

  Adrian turned on his heel and ran. The tunnel twisted ahead, narrowing, winding deeper into the ruins. Shadows pressed in from every side, stretching and writhing in the wake of his light.

  He stole a glance behind him. The creatures swarmed forward, a writhing mass of snapping jaws and tangled limbs, closing the distance faster than he liked. Not good.

  Adrian pushed himself faster, flames trailing in his wake. The tunnel constricted further, funneling him into a dead-end chamber. His breath hitched as he skidded to a halt, scanning the walls, searching for anything that could help him, or at the very least, an opening of some kind. Nothing useful, looks like I'm trapped here.

  The flapping of wings thundered behind him, a relentless, chaotic storm of movement. Adrian turned, the halo of blue flames above his head casting flickering shadows across the tunnel walls. The horde surged forward, a writhing mass of jagged limbs and gaping maws, their empty sockets locked onto him with a hunger that needed no voice. Their grotesque bodies contorted as they pressed on, unfazed by the firelight, an unrelenting tide of bone and rot.

  Adrian inhaled sharply, his pulse steady despite the rising tension coiling in his chest. Fine. If there’s no way out, I’ll make one.

  His back hit cold stone. No more space to run, it's now or never.

  Adrian splayed his fingers against the wall. Heat surged through his veins, pooling at his fingertips, an inferno straining against the barriers of his flesh. He pushed deeper, beyond the surface, reaching into the foundation itself. The stone resisted at first, until his will cracked through its core.

  The air trembled. The temperature around him spiked in an instant, warping the space between him and the horde. The creatures hesitated, their ragged wings shuddering at the sudden shift.

  In the blink of an eye, the wall exploded outward in a violent eruption of molten rock and bluish fire, the force tearing through the tunnel like a tidal wave of heat and destruction. Stone cracked and crumbled, fragments launching like shrapnel into the charging monstrosities. A blinding shockwave of raw, unchecked power ripped through the air, sending embers spiraling, consuming everything in its path.

  A monstrous, concussive roar filled the cavern as the horde screamed. Every one of the monsters were engulfed in fire and shattered stone, their shrieks drowned in the explosion’s fury.

  Adrian shielded his face as heat blasted outward, his body steady even as the ruins trembled under the force. When the light faded, when the dust settled, he opened his eyes.

  A new passage had formed, carved from the wreckage. The creatures lay in heaps, their burned remains strewn across the chamber. The air crackled with lingering energy, the scent of scorched bone and molten rock thick in the space. That worked better than I expected

  Adrian exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He stepped forward, through the remnants of his own making, into the unknown beyond. Forward it is.

  Adrian exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He stepped forward, through the remnants of his own making, into the unknown beyond.

  The tunnel stretched ahead, uneven and narrow, the molten glow of his flames flickering against damp, jagged stone. Every sound felt magnified, the hush of the ruins pressing against him like a held breath. He could still hear the faint echoes of flapping wings from somewhere distant, but they did not rush toward him. Not yet. Stay quiet.

  His gaze swept the passageway, searching for signs of movement, anything that might hint at another way out. The cavern’s walls bore deep gouges, old scars left by claws or something worse. He forced himself to ignore the way they twisted, jagged shadows coiling within them like lurking wraiths.

  A faint crunch beneath his foot made him pause. He lifted his boot, glancing down to find the brittle remains of something shattered. Bone? No, something thinner, more fragile. His fingers brushed against the pieces, recognizing their curved structure. Eggshells?

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  A chill curled through his spine. I really hope that these shells are old, it's hard to tell right now. But if they are even remotely recent, I might have just wandered into a nest.

  Pressing forward, he kept his steps light, avoiding the larger fragments. The passage curved downward, and Adrian followed its descent. Yet, the deeper he went, the thicker the air became, a damp heaviness clinging to his skin.

  Then, the ground shifted. His foot pressed against loose stone. The sensation registered a fraction too late. The rock crumbled beneath his weight, breaking apart in a cascade of dust and debris.

  Adrian’s stomach lurched as the floor gave way. He plunged downward, air whipping past his face as he twisted instinctively. The descent lasted only a few seconds before his back hit the ground, sending a sharp jolt through his bones. Dust billowed around him, his flames flickering wildly against the sudden impact. He gritted his teeth, breath escaping in a tight exhale. Curses.

  The silence that followed was suffocating. He pushed himself upright, shaking dust from his hair as his gaze darted across the new space.

  The chamber stretched wide, its ceiling veiled in darkness. Broken remnants littered the floor, jagged shards catching the light of his flames. More eggshells, hundreds of them, cracked and abandoned.

  A breath hitched in his throat. These weren’t the fragile remnants of creatures long dead. The edges of some were still wet, glistening under the blue glow of his fire. They hatched recently.

  His fingers curled into fists, the weight of the revelation pressing heavy against his ribs. Whatever had come from these eggs was no longer confined here. And I'm not alone.

  Adrian's breath slowed, his chest rising and falling in measured control as he took in the chamber around him. He shifted his weight, stepping lightly over the broken eggshells, their slick insides catching the dim light of his flames. They hatched recently. Which means...

  A sound drifted through the gloom: a low, rasping breath, deep and guttural. Adrian stilled, pulse hammering as his gaze flicked toward the shadows stretching beyond his firelight. The darkness did not stir, yet he knew he was being watched. The weight of it pressed down, a predator’s patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Instinct drove Adrian to lunge just as a massive shape exploded from the darkness, talons carving through the air where he had stood an instant before. He twisted mid-motion, skidding over the stone as the beast lumbered into the flickering blue glow of his flames.

  Larger than the ones before. Taller, broader, its skeletal frame wrapped in sinewy muscle beneath leathery hide. A jagged maw stretched wide, revealing rows of uneven, dagger-like teeth. Empty sockets locked onto him, but this time, there was something more: a sentience, a cruel awareness lurking within the void. This one has to be an adult.

  It moved faster than its size should have allowed. Adrian barely ducked in time, its talons slashing overhead, scraping sparks against the cavern walls. He countered with a burst of blue fire, his flames roaring to life, engulfing its outstretched limb. The creature screeched, wrenching itself back, but it did not crumble like the others. The fire licked hungrily at its flesh, yet the monster did not collapse. They’re more resistant to my flames than I'd like.

  Another sound. Then another. More forms detached from the dark, stepping into the flickering light, their hollow eyes fixated on him. Three. No, four. Taller, hunched, their wings twitching in slow, deliberate movements, like spiders poised to strike. The largest let out a deep, grating growl, prompting the others to lunge at Adrian.

  He spun, fire coiling around his fists as he hurled a blast into the closest beast’s chest. The impact sent it stumbling, but its recovery was instant. Claws swept toward him. He twisted away, narrowly dodging before another lashed out from behind. He threw himself to the side, feeling the rush of air as talons tore through where he had been. Too close.

  He landed in a crouch, gritting his teeth as his flames surged brighter. The creatures encircled him now, waiting for an opening.

  Adrian exhaled, slow and controlled, though his pulse hammered beneath his skin. Fine. You're all going to regret this.

  Heat surged through his veins, pulsing like a second heartbeat. His halo of flame roared to life, burning hotter, brighter. With a sharp thrust of his palms, power lashed through him, igniting the very ground beneath his feet. A wave of searing blue fire exploded outward, a shockwave of raw destruction rolling across the stone.

  The monsters shrieked. Two staggered back, their emaciated forms wreathed in fire, their hollow sockets flaring with unnatural light. But the largest held its ground. It braced itself against the blast, the flames licking at its flesh but failing to bring it down.

  Adrian’s gaze snapped to it. That one’s different. And then, the monster lunged.

  He barely had time to brace before the creature’s weight slammed into him, driving him hard against the stone. The impact stole the breath from his lungs, his ribs groaning under the force. Clawed hands struck down, pinning him, pressing him into the ground with terrifying strength. Its gaping maw yawned open, rancid breath curling hot and vile against his skin.

  Adrian bared his teeth. His hands shot upward, fingers curled as blue fire surged from his palms. The flames consumed its skull in an instant, searing into the empty sockets, pouring into the void where its mind should have been. The creature roared, thrashing as heat devoured it.

  Immediately, Adrian shoved with all his strength, rolling free just as another beast lunged from the side. Instinct kicked in, he caught its wrist mid-strike, twisting with brutal precision. A sickening crack echoed through the chamber. The creature wailed, its limb dangling uselessly as it collapsed.

  But Adrian had no time to watch it fall. The leader—no, the thing—was already recovering. The molten flesh he'd burned was knitting back together, raw muscle weaving over charred bone even as fire still smoldered along its body. After all that, it’s healing too?

  A sharp coil of urgency seized his gut. He could fight, but not like this. Not here, boxed in with no advantage. I need to find somewhere more open, now.

  His gaze flicked across the chamber, scanning, calculating. There. At the far end, the rock dipped into a narrow passageway. A gamble for certain, but better than standing his ground.

  Fire flared behind Adrian as he sprinted. The creatures shrieked in unison, their hunger a piercing, mindless wail. Claws scraped against the floor as they surged after him, their movements a frenzied blur in his peripheral vision.

  Adrian dove into the tunnel. Just a bit more!

  The walls pressed tight around him, but he didn’t stop. His breath came sharp and quick, boots skidding on uneven ground as he pushed forward.

  Soon, a cavern stretched before him, massive, yawning, swallowing the dim glow of his flames into its vast emptiness. But more eye-catching of all was the gigantic creature at the center.

  A shadowed figure hunched in the cavern’s depths, its vast, skeletal wings folded against its frame. It did not stir, did not move, yet its presence pressed against Adrian’s ribs, crushing, suffocating. The air itself felt heavier, thick with something primal, something wrong. Shadows coiled around its unmoving form, clinging to it, as if the darkness itself was bound to its existence.

  Adrian didn’t need clearer sight to understand. His fingers curled into fists. His heart pounded, steady and hard. The alpha.

  Hi! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. As mentioned before, I have a new story that's already out now on Royal Road! Check out the link below for more details, cheers.