Chapter 552: Where the Ground Devours

A Few Hours Before

The brief moment of stillness shattered.

The pack moved again, this time faster than before.

Some stumbled as they broke into motion again, their bodies protesting the sudden demand, but no one argued. No one questioned.

They ran.

Those who couldn’t were supported.

Arms slung over shoulders, bodies half-carried, half-dragged forward.

Tobias pushed ahead, his steps just as steady as before.

Just as relentless.

The snow crunched beneath them, their pace uneven but determined.

They were close. They were even closer than before, so close to the entrance where they could avoid the beasts, where it would be easier to get home.

But then, he noticed movement, and his eyes snapped toward the forest.

There was a shadow between the trees. Then another. The shape moved parallel to them, keeping pace without effort.

Tobias’s jaw tightened.

It’s a Gravehart, Ryker told him. It’s no surprise, they always lurk around the Virelops.

The creature moved silently through the trees, its form barely visible between the trunks. It didn’t rush but instead bided its time.

"The others are tired from the Virelops’ attack, they can’t fight a Gravehart now," Tobias said.

I’m tired too. I don’t think I can, especially with the poison in your veins.

Tobias nodded. "We’ll just have to move faster then."

"Pick up the pace!" Tobias called, his voice sharper now. "Do not let it get ahead of us!"

The formation tightened again.

They moved faster, but the beast kept up.

Its movement was smooth, unnatural in the way it glided through the forest. Its hooves barely made a sound, but Tobias knew what lay beneath them.

Claws. They were sharp and deadly too.

And there were more beasts in the forest—the Gravehart wasn’t alone.

The beast burst forward suddenly. But it didn’t go toward them like Tobias thought it would; instead, it went at full speed ahead of them, like it was running from something.

It crossed their path in a blur of motion, its body clearing the distance in seconds as it landed on the snow-covered ground before them.

It stumbled and then collapsed.

The shift was so sudden that several of the pack members faltered in confusion.

The Gravehart’s body jerked once. It jerked again, and then it sank.

The ground beneath it gave way, snow collapsing inward as though the earth itself had opened its mouth.

A thick, slick shape surged upward for a fraction of a second and then dragged the creature down.

"What in the goddess’ name is that?" someone asked in fear.

"A Mirelurker," Tobias replied.

"It exists?" another voice asked. "I thought it was just a myth."

Tobias smiled at the man. "Welcome to Nirvana, then, where myths are not just myths."

The snow settled again. It looked smooth and unbroken. They had to leave now before the Mirelurker realized there was more food for it.

"Okay," Tobias said. "As we go forward, let’s get some things straight. No matter what happens, don’t look back. And, um... okay, that’s all. We need to move now before the other beasts realize we are good for them to eat. And fast."

"You don’t need to tell me twice," someone said, and immediately they started moving again.

They surged forward, faster now, urgency bleeding into every movement.

"Ryker..." Tobias called out.

If there is any more, I’ll let you know, Ryker told him.

"Thanks."

But thankfully, there was no more. They had gotten to the entrance. It was just ahead, a short distance away, the path was clear and open. There was no structure signaling it was the entrance, but Tobias would recognize it anywhere. He passed there to go to the black market a lot.

"Go!" he urged. "Don’t slow down now! That’s the entrance."

Immediately he said the words, and everyone picked up pace. Tobias could feel the excitement in his bones, the joy that everyone exuded now. Even he was glad they made it.

No one slowed until they all crossed the distance.

They did it in a rush, bodies pushing forward with everything they had left.

And they finally made it to the pathway. From here on, the journey would be easier.

---

Just A Few Minutes Before

"Let’s take a short break," Tobias said.

People collapsed where they stood.

Some dropped to their knees. Others leaned heavily against one another.

Tobias stepped forward slowly, his body finally registering what it had been ignoring.

Pain, cold, and weakness.

He leaned back against a boulder, exhaling slowly as his head tilted back slightly.

"Home..." he muttered under his breath.

A faint, tired smile touched his lips.

"Home sweet home."

And then—

The cold hit him.

It seeped into his bones, into his skin, into something deeper than that. His body shivered as if fighting the cold.

His fingers trembled slightly at his sides.

His breathing shifted and became uneven. He didn’t even have the energy to register what was going on; he just wanted to sleep now.

Annabeth approached him, her steps quick despite her exhaustion.

"Tobias—" she started, but then she paused. There was something wrong with the way he was resting against the boulder. And his eyes were halfway closed too.

His skin was pale, and he was shivering.

"Tobias!" she called out in alarm, kneeling just before him.

She tapped him softly. "Tobias!" she called in alarm. "Look at me. Tobias!"

"I just want to get some rest."

"There’s no resting for you, you need to wake up! Open your eyes," she told him.

Tobias struggled to do so, but he did.

"That’s good," she told him. "Look at me."

She removed the fabric covering the wound, and she froze. The skin was wrong.

There was a discoloration—a sick, creeping purple spreading beneath it like something alive.

The wound was worse. And the poison was spreading.

"Get me Felicia!!" she snapped, her voice sharp and urgent, cutting through the exhaustion around them.

Her hands pressed against his side, trying to slow the bleeding.

"We are almost to your home, Tobias," she said to him. "We are almost there. Don’t give up now."

Felicia immediately joined and knelt beside Tobias. His pulse was faint—too faint.

"Tobias!" Annabeth called out again.