The spider lowered itself.
One enormous leg pressed into the fresh earth.
The ground cracked.
The elder sister's eyes widened.
"No..."
She tried to move.
Nothing.
The invisible force still held her body.
The younger sister trembled beside her.
The creature began digging.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Its front legs tore through the soil.
The grave opened beneath them.
The elder sister's breathing became ragged.
"Stop..."
The spider ignored her.
Another section of earth collapsed.
Then the creature reached the coffin.
The elder sister's face went pale.
She tried to scream.
Her voice barely escaped.
"Please..."
The spider ripped the coffin apart.
The younger sister shut her eyes.
A moment later—
the creature pulled the body free.
Silence.
The elder sister stared.
Her brother's final resting place had lasted less than an hour.
The creature raised the body beneath its enormous head.
The Traveler watched without moving.
His jaw tightened.
The spider consumed the remains.
The sisters couldn't look away.
Not because they wanted to watch.
Because they couldn't.
When the creature finally finished—
nothing remained.
The spider lowered its head.
Its many eyes shifted.
Away from the empty grave.
Toward the elder sister.
She felt the change immediately.
Her blood ran cold.
The spider began moving.
One leg.
Then another.
Its enormous body crossed the distance with disturbing patience.
The younger sister tried to move toward her.
She couldn't.
"Sister..."
The elder sister remained frozen.
The spider came closer.
Closer.
Its shadow covered her completely.
The Traveler's eyes remained fixed on it.
The creature stopped several meters away.
Its eyes examined the elder sister.
Then—
it stepped closer.
The elder sister's breathing became shallow.
She understood.
The grave had never been the destination.
It had only been the meal.
She was next.
The spider raised one enormous leg.
The Traveler's fingers twitched.
The invisible force tightened around his body.
His muscles trembled.
He tried to move.
Nothing.
The spider continued toward the elder sister.
The Traveler's eyes narrowed.
A faint purple flicker appeared in his irises.
Gone almost instantly.
But something had changed.
His right hand moved.
Only an inch.
The spider stopped.
Every eye turned toward him.
The Traveler looked down at his trembling fingers.
Then back at the creature.
His voice was barely audible.
"...Move."
His body refused.
The spider resumed walking.
The elder sister watched it approach.
The Traveler's fingers curled.
The pressure around him increased.
Something inside his body resisted.
Not enough.
Not yet.
The spider raised its front legs.
The elder sister closed her eyes.
And the Traveler's entire arm suddenly jerked forward.