Chapter 2: First blood
Running as fast as his legs could carry him, he started. He didn't look back. He didn't need to.
His lungs burned from the effort, his ribs aching from inhaling too much air, but he couldn't stop. If he stopped even for a second, that would be the end of the road for him.
This was the first time he'd run this fast before, even during the sports race, he couldn't surpass the fattest kid in his grade.
The tomb walls blurred past him as he ran: cracked stones, ash-covered carvings, broken sconces still smoldering with icy fire.
Behind him, the hooves didn't stop galloping. The closer they got, the faster his heart pounded.
The Gravemare only patrolled the tomb's final corridor, which was below him. He couldn't grasp why it would be moving in his direction and at such an insane speed.
"Left... there should be a left turn around here..." he said, panic still evident in his voice.
He cut a corner hard and nearly tripped. The floor sloped downward, uneven and slick with something wet. Blood? Slime? He didn't care to check; Survival was his priority.
As he ran, his mind slowly started feeling dizzy from the exertion. Despite his state, he saw a light ahead. He ran toward it as fast as he could, and upon reaching it, he noticed it was a crack in the wall. He didn't waste any time, he dove straight for it.