The cave's mouth loomed ahead, a dark maw threatening to swallow them whole. Claire's heart hammered in her chest, but the pulse of urgency was nothing compared to the calm determination in Ethan's eyes. He led the way, his steps sure and swift, the flicker of the torch they carried casting shadows on the jagged stone walls around them. The distant sound of footsteps was growing louder. They didn't have much time.
Claire followed close behind, her every sense straining, every muscle coiled with tension. The path ahead was treacherous, narrow enough that they had to move single-file, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was the target, the mission—and keeping each other alive.
Ahead, Ethan stopped abruptly, raising a hand in the air. Claire froze, her breath catching in her throat. Somet
