Into the Abyss

The sensation of falling was unlike anything Sarah had ever experienced. It wasn't the rush of air or the pull of gravity there was no wind, no sense of weightlessness. It was as if she were being pulled through layers of reality, each one pressing harder against her chest, crushing her lungs and forcing the air from her body.

The void wasn't empty. It was alive. Colors she couldn't name flickered at the edges of her vision, pulsing in time with the pounding in her ears. Whispers slithered around her, too soft to understand but loud enough to make her stomach churn. They weren't human whispers they were something else, something ancient and hungry.

She clutched the phone tightly, its dim glow the only anchor she had. The screen was blank now, its once-relentless messages replaced by an empty silence that filled her with dread. The case was gone, ripped from her grasp the moment she had jumped. Its absence felt like a hole in her chest, a weight she didn't realize she'd been carrying until it was gone.
The whispers grew louder, more insistent. Her body twisted and tumbled, her limbs flailing as she tried to find something, anything, to hold onto. But there was nothing. Only the void.

Then, with a bone-jarring impact, she hit solid ground.

The pain was immediate and overwhelming, radiating through her body in waves. She gasped for air, her lungs burning as she tried to process what had just happened. The surface beneath her was cold and unyielding, its texture rough against her palms.

She forced herself to sit up, her vision swimming. The void was gone. She was in a room no, a chamber. The walls were made of black stone, slick and glistening as if they were alive. Strange symbols were carved into their surfaces, glowing faintly with a sickly green light that pulsed like a heartbeat.

The phone buzzed in her hand, its vibration making her jump. She glanced at the screen, her heart pounding as a new message appeared:

You're close. Keep moving.

"Close to what?" she muttered, her voice hoarse. The phone didn't answer.

She staggered to her feet, her legs shaking. The chamber was circular, with no visible doors or windows. The air was thick and heavy, pressing against her skin like a second layer. The whispers had faded, but the sense of being watched was stronger than ever.
Her gaze fell to the center of the room, where a pedestal identical to the one she'd seen earlier stood. On it was the case.

Her stomach dropped. How was it here? She had lost it in the void she was sure of it. And yet, there it was, sitting innocently on the pedestal as if waiting for her.

Her legs carried her forward before her brain could catch up. The closer she got, the louder the hum in the air became, a low, thrumming sound that vibrated through her chest. Her hand reached out, trembling, as she approached the case.

The phone buzzed again.

Do not touch it.

She froze, her fingers inches from the case. Her breath hitched as she stared at the screen, her mind racing. The voice had guided her this far, but something about this moment felt different. The hum in the air grew louder, almost angry, as if the chamber itself resented her hesitation.

Her hand fell to her side. "What do I do?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The phone buzzed once more. Wait.

The chamber shuddered.

Sarah stumbled back, her eyes darting around the room. The symbols on the walls pulsed faster, their light growing brighter and more erratic. The hum became a roar, drowning out her thoughts. She clutched the phone tightly, her heart racing as cracks began to spiderweb across the floor.

The case rattled on the pedestal, its surface glowing faintly. The light wasn't gold this time it was red, dark and foreboding, like blood. The cracks in the floor widened, and a deep, guttural sound echoed from somewhere below.

Then the pedestal split in two, the case falling to the ground with a deafening clang.

The room fell silent.

Sarah stared at the case, her chest heaving. The air around it shimmered, distorting like heat rising from asphalt. She took a cautious step forward, every instinct in her screaming to run. But she couldn't not without answers.

Her foot touched the edge of the cracks, and the room came alive.

The walls twisted and shifted, the glowing symbols rearranging themselves into patterns that burned into her vision. The hum returned, louder than ever, shaking the chamber to its core. The case began to levitate, rising slowly into the air as if pulled by invisible strings.

The phone buzzed frantically. Sarah glanced at it, her breath catching in her throat as a new message appeared:

You are not alone.

A shadow emerged from the cracks in the floor, its form twisting and writhing like smoke. It wasn't human its limbs were too long, its head too angular, its movements too fluid. It hovered just above the ground, its glowing red eyes fixed on the case.

Sarah took a step back, her hands shaking. The creature didn't seem to notice her. Its attention was locked on the case, its head tilting as if studying it.

Then it spoke.

"You should not have come."

The voice was deep, resonating through the chamber like thunder. Sarah froze, her legs refusing to move. The creature turned its gaze to her, its eyes narrowing.

"You do not understand what you carry," it said. "Or the cost of bringing it here."

Her throat tightened. "Then tell me," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "What is it? What's in the case?"

The creature tilted its head again, its expression unreadable. "It is not for you to know. Only to protect."

"Protect from what?" she demanded, her fear giving way to desperation. "From you?"

A low, rumbling laugh echoed through the chamber. "No. Not from me."

The phone buzzed again. Leave. Now.

The creature's laughter stopped abruptly. Its head snapped toward the phone, its eyes narrowing into slits. "They are liars," it hissed. "Deceivers. You are a pawn in their game."

The symbols on the walls flared brighter, their light searing into Sarah's mind. The hum became deafening, the chamber shaking violently as the cracks in the floor widened.

The phone buzzed again.

Run