The crack spread.
Fast.
Too fast.
The boy didn't think.
He grabbed her hand.
"…Move!"
They jumped back—
Just as the ground where they stood collapsed.
A deep split opened in the earth.
Not natural.
Too clean.
Too sudden.
Dust rose.
Rocks fell.
Silence followed.
"…Okay," the boy said, staring at it.
"…the ground is now my enemy too."
"…It always was," she replied.
"…Not like this."
The crack didn't stop.
It moved.
Like something under the ground was pushing it forward.
Right toward them.
"…RUN," she snapped.
They ran.
But this wasn't normal ground anymore.
Each step felt unstable.
Loose.
Like the earth could break at any moment.
Behind them—
The split chased.
"…This is unfair!" the boy shouted.
"No one said it was fair!"
"…I liked it better when people chased me!"
"That's a first!"
He jumped over a small break—
She followed—
Barely landing in time.
The ground behind her collapsed instantly.
"…That was close," she said.
"…Don't say that while running!"
They pushed forward.
Faster.
Then—
Something changed.
The crack stopped.
Suddenly.
Too suddenly.
The boy slowed.
"…That's not good."
"…Yeah."
Silence.
Then—
The ground in front of them rose.
Not a little.
A wall of earth shot up, blocking their path completely.
"…Now it builds walls too?" the boy said.
"…Looks like it."
They turned.
Behind—
The crack had closed.
No path back.
Left.
Right.
Nothing.
Just them.
And a closed space.
"…This is definitely a trap," the boy said.
"…Yes."
"…I don't like traps."
"…No one does."
A low sound filled the air.
Not from the ground.
From ahead.
The wall of earth slowly opened.
Not breaking—
Moving.
Revealing a path.
Dark.
Narrow.
Deep.
"…That's worse," the boy whispered.
"…We go in," she said.
"…Why?"
"…Because staying here is worse."
He stared at the dark path.
Then at her.
"…If something jumps out—"
"I'll deal with it."
"…You always say that."
"And you always run."
"…That's my skill."
"…Then use it."
He sighed.
"…Fine."
They stepped inside.
The light behind them faded.
The air grew colder.
Each step echoed slightly.
The boy didn't like it.
"…I can't run properly here," he said.
"…Then don't rely on it."
"…That's like telling a fish not to swim."
"…Then learn to walk."
"…I hate that idea."
She almost smiled.
They moved deeper.
Slow.
Careful.
Then—
A sound.
A step.
Not theirs.
They both stopped.
"…You heard that?" he whispered.
"…Yes."
"…Say it's nothing."
"…It's not nothing."
"…I knew it."
Another step.
Closer.
The boy shifted his stance.
Ready.
But unsure.
This wasn't open ground.
This wasn't running space.
This was something else.
The darkness ahead moved.
Slowly—
A figure stepped forward.
Not one of the hunters.
Not one of the three.
Someone new.
The boy narrowed his eyes.
"…You again?"
The thin man.
Standing there.
Calm.
Waiting.
"…You run well," he said.
"…You talk too much," the boy replied.
"…Maybe."
The girl stepped slightly forward.
"…What is this?" she asked.
The man smiled faintly.
"…A test."
"…For what?"
His eyes shifted—
To the boy.
"…To see how far he can go."
The boy felt it.
That pressure again.
Stronger than before.
Not from behind.
Not from above.
From here.
Right in front of him.
"…I don't like tests," he said quietly.
The man took one step closer.
"…You don't have a choice."
The path behind them closed.
Sealed.
No escape.
The boy clenched his fists.
For the first time—
Running wasn't an option.
"…Then I'll make one," he said.
And stepped forward.
End of Chapter 23