Troy's boots echoed softly in the dimly lit cavern as he approached the exit of the Beast Gem haven. The air felt thick, charged with the weight of decisions that could alter the course of their lives. He glanced over at Ham, who stood vigil by the mouth of the tunnel, his eyes locked on the jagged rocks overhead.
"Is this spot good enough, Troy?" Ham's voice was low, almost hesitant.
Troy's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every nook and cranny, every uneven surface that could serve as either an advantage or a death trap. He nodded solemnly. "Yes. We have to block this entrance. We can't drag them into something they don't even know exists. This is our mess, not theirs."
Ham's grip tightened on his sword as he looked back at the tunnel, the shadows playing tricks on his tired mind. "And what might that be?"
Both men turned in unison, their faces pale under the faint glow of the cavern's light. Loki stood a few feet away, his expression unreadable. His presence was quiet, but the tension in the air spiked. The calm before the storm.
"You really think I'd just let you two wander off and decide our fate without even giving me a say?" Loki's voice was steady, but it carried a sharp edge. His eyes glinted with a dangerous mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Troy sighed, a deep and weary sound, as if the weight of the situation had finally settled on his shoulders. "I knew you'd catch on eventually. Fine. You're right—we planned to trap you, Josh, and Axel here. But believe me, it's for a reason. A good reason.
We can't let you leave."
Loki scoffed, crossing his arms. "You expect me to believe that? You really think I'm going to stand here and let myself be buried alive without knowing what the hell's going on? Start talking. Now."
Troy's face darkened with guilt, his brows furrowed as if the words were painful to say. "We made a mistake."
Loki's eyes narrowed. "What kind of mistake?"
"We alerted something... something far worse than we could've ever anticipated. We alerted a Voidwalker's soul," Troy said, his voice barely a whisper.
The creature didn't respond. Instead, Ham's mangled corpse dissolved into nothingness at its feet, as if the Voidwalker Soul had grown tired of playing with it.
Loki's heart pounded in his chest. His limbs felt heavy, like they were being pulled into the earth itself. His vision swam, but he forced himself to focus. He couldn't die here. Not like this.
'I can't die. Not until I've... I've protected them... Thor, Hera, Annie... Axel... I have to stay alive. They need me.'
Gritting his teeth, Loki pushed himself off the ground, his legs shaking but standing nonetheless. "You think... you can take me down that easily?" His voice cracked, but there was defiance in it.
The Voidwalker Soul paused, tilting its head as if curious. Its monstrous form radiated raw, consuming power. Its gaping mouth split open in its chest, a horrifying void that spoke with a voice that felt like it came from within Loki's own mind.
"You reek... of hatred," it said, its voice a low, guttural growl that sent chills down Loki's spine. "Darkness festers within you."
Loki recoiled, gasping. It wasn't talking to him—not just to him. He turned, his eyes widening in shock.
Josh and Axel stood on the other side of the debris, their bodies radiating dark, ominous energy. The tunnel hadn't collapsed fully. Somehow, they had found a way through.
Axel's gaze locked onto the Voidwalker Soul, pure rage burning in his eyes. Seeing Loki battered, bloodied, and on the verge of death sent a wave of fury coursing through him.
"You're dead for hurting my sister's friend," Axel growled, his voice trembling with emotion.
The Voidwalker Soul's mouth twisted into something resembling a smile. "Such hatred... Give me more."
The tension in the cavern reached a fever pitch, the air crackling with the dark energy swirling around the three hunters. As the Voidwalker Soul took a step toward them, the ground trembled under its weight. But this time, Loki wasn't alone.