Chapter Eighty-Eight

The gap within the ground broadened, its edges shining with a ghostly light as the abyss yawned open before Ethan and Clara. The dim void appeared to beat with life, as though the essence of the entity had leaked into the earth, undermining it from inside. The air was thick with the fragrance of burning ozone, and the chamber's dividers started to tremble savagely, debilitating to cave in at any minute.

Clara, still powerless from the fight, clung to Ethan as they battled to remain on their feet. "We have to keep moving, no matter what!" Ethan yelled, his voice scarcely capable of being heard over the stunning thunder of the collapsing chamber.

Before they could respond, the ground underneath them gave way totally, and they dove into the abyss. The sensation of falling was disorienting, the world around them decreased to an obscure shadow and light. Time appeared to extend and twist as they were pulled more profoundly into the darkness, the air becoming colder and heavier with each pa