Finally, the beast's attention wavered.
Elara saw the moment and didn't waste it.
"Now!" she barked.
Four students hurled the enchanted net in perfect sync—glowing ropes flying through the air and snapping shut around the beast in a lattice of mana.
A hum of magic locked it in place.
It snarled, struggling—but the trap held.
Adam whooped like he'd done something useful.
A wave of relief passed through the group.
Elara even managed a smile.
A tired, slightly-traumatized smile—the kind you give after barely surviving a group project where someone caught fire.
They began to lower their guard.
And that's when Kael struck.
"Let me help, guys!" he called cheerfully.
Before anyone could stop him, he leapt forward and fired off three Moon Blades—slicing the air in clean, precise arcs.
Right through the enchanted net.
The ropes snapped.
Magic fizzled.
The beast blinked.
Then roared—free, furious, and very much interested in revenge.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
A beat passed.
"…What the fuck?" someone whispered.
"Did he just—?"
"He cut the net !!!"
"Yeah, but also—he used magic?!"
"That's not the point, idiot! He let the thing loose!"
Adam grabbed Kael by the collar.
"What the hell did you do, you lunatic?!"
Kael blinked at him, genuinely confused.
"I was helping."
"HELPING?!" Adam's voice cracked like cheap pottery.
"Watch out!" Elara shouted from behind.
Too late.
The beast was already moving.
The ground shook under its feet.
And then the screaming started.
The group scattered—panic outweighing strategy, fear overpowering reason.
"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
They bolted down the narrow corridor, half of them tripping over each other like doomed extras in a disaster film.
Kael ran too, of course.
But not before he noticed Elara's expression—lips tight, eyes blazing, fury and disbelief held together only by sheer discipline.
"What did you do?!" she hissed as they sprinted.
Kael shrugged. "I just helped."
Elara snarled.
"Don't lie. That was sabotage."
"I mean…" he muttered, "It felt helpful."
Behind them, the beast howled again—one of those guttural roars that sounded like a war crime made noise.
A dry laugh escaped Kael as they ran.
"You know, I think it's just us now."
He looked around.
Adam, Elara, Kael… and that was it.
Everyone else?
Inside the Crimson Devourer.
Then he heard it.
That voice.
Soft. Melodic.
Familiar in the worst way.
"Come, come…"
Kael snapped his head toward the sound.
There—a narrow crevice in the wall.
Too slim to notice in the chaos.
Too dark to trust.
And yet…
The voice pulsed in his ears. Slid under his skin. Pulled.
He hesitated.
For a moment.
Then he remembered what the master said:
"One more thing—if you hear something whispering, don't listen.
It's not polite company."
So naturally, Kael did the exact opposite.
He gave the path one last look, shrugged, and stepped into the crack in the wall.
The darkness swallowed him whole.
Because honestly, things couldn't get that much worse.
Right?
###
Kael landed hard—right on his butt.
"Fantastic," he muttered.
Beneath him: A shallow pool of water.
Above: Jagged cave ceiling.
This wasn't the same dungeon as before.
No ominous black stone walls.
No glowing torches.
No screaming classmates being eaten alive.
Just… a cave.
Wet. Cold. Quiet.
Unnervingly quiet.
A single path stretched ahead, narrow and dark, because of course it did.
He sighed and stood up, rubbing his backside.
"Great. Escaped a magical T-Rex just to bruise my dignity."
He muttered to himself as he walked, grumbling about how he hadn't followed the voice—absolutely not.
He'd jumped into the crevice to escape the Crimson Devourer.
Logical decision.
Tactical retreat.
Not because some suspiciously melodic whisper had told him to.
Of course not !!!
What do you mean he's lying?
Rude !!!
He's the most honest person in the world !!
Just then, a pebble fell from above and bonked him on the head.
"…Seriously?"
Kael whispered to no one, glaring upward like the cave owed him an apology.
Still grumbling, he moved forward—boots splashing softly in the ankle-deep water.
Then he saw it.
An ancient door.
Huge, cracked, and chained shut with glowing red links that practically screamed sealed evil inside.
It loomed at the end of the passage, the only thing standing between him and… well, anything.
Kael stopped.
Looked around.
No other exits.
No secret passages.
Just damp stone and the sound of his own internal regrets.
He sat down with a sigh.
"Okay. Two options," he muttered, counting them off on his fingers.
"One—go back.
Hope the Crimson Devourer has digested everyone and is feeling sleepy.
Which seems unlikely."
He scratched his head.
"Two—sleep.
Hopefully, the weird dream girl who brought me here makes a guest appearance.
Maybe she has a clue.
Maybe she wants something.
Maybe I want something.
Maybe we can negotiate like two civilized psychopaths
Maybe she just finds it funny watching me suffer."
A long pause.
Then a shrug.
"She can't hurt me in a dream," he added thoughtfully.
"If she could, she already would've. Probably while laughing."
He settled back against the cave wall.
Cold. Damp.
Perfect spot for making extremely questionable life choices.
His eyes drifted shut.
"Option two it is."