They ran.
The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of them.
Behind them, the creature's footsteps grew louder.
BOOM.
The walls trembled.
BOOM.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
BOOM.
Mason glanced over his shoulder.
Mason: "It's getting closer!"
The First Wolf: "Don't look back!"
Mason: "That's easy for you to say!"
Zack grabbed Mason's hand.
Zack: "Focus on the light!"
Far ahead, the faint golden glow remained visible.
But instead of getting closer...
it seemed to move farther away.
Mason: "Why does it look like we're not getting any closer?"
The First Wolf stopped.
Zack nearly ran into him.
Zack: "What?"
The First Wolf stared into the darkness ahead.
First Wolf: "Because the tunnel is testing you."
Mason: "Testing us?"
First Wolf: "The Golden Tower cannot be reached by those who are ruled by fear."
Mason looked behind them.
The creature's eyes were visible in the darkness.
Mason: "That's unfortunate because I'm pretty sure fear is exactly what I'm feeling right now."
Zack gave a nervous laugh.
Zack: "Same."
The First Wolf looked at them.
First Wolf: "Then control it."
The creature roared.
The tunnel shook violently.
A crack opened beneath Mason's feet.
Zack: "MASON!"
Mason slipped.
Zack caught his wrist.
Mason dangled over a bottomless darkness.
Mason: "Zack!"
Zack: "I've got you!"
Mason: "Don't let go!"
Zack: "I won't!"
His grip tightened.
The silver and gold necklaces began glowing.
The darkness beneath Mason seemed to recoil.
Slowly, Zack pulled him back onto solid ground.
They collapsed beside each other.
Mason breathed heavily.
Mason: "You saved me."
Zack looked at him.
Zack: "I told you I wasn't letting go."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then the First Wolf turned toward the tunnel.
First Wolf: "Keep moving."
They continued.
The creature followed.
But suddenly—
silence.
No footsteps.
No roaring.
Nothing.
Mason stopped.
Mason: "Where did it go?"
Zack looked back.
The tunnel was empty.
Zack: "I don't know."
Mason: "That's worse."
They continued cautiously.
Then they heard something.
A voice.
Mason's voice.
But it wasn't coming from Mason.
"Zack... you should have left him behind."
Zack froze.
Another voice answered.
Mason's voice again.
"He'll get you killed."
Zack shook his head.
Zack: "That's not me."
The First Wolf: "Don't listen."
The voices multiplied.
Mason heard Zack calling his name.
Zack heard Mason begging him to turn around.
Then came another voice.
Their mother's voices.
Their father's voices.
People they hadn't heard in years.
Mason covered his ears.
Mason: "Make it stop!"
The First Wolf: "The tunnel is showing you what you fear."
Zack: "It's trying to separate us."
Mason looked at Zack.
Mason: "Then we don't listen."
Zack nodded.
They reached for each other's hands.
The voices suddenly stopped.
Silence returned.
Ahead of them stood an enormous stone door.
Golden symbols covered its surface.
Mason stepped closer.
Mason: "Is that it?"
The First Wolf nodded.
First Wolf: "The entrance."
Zack looked at the door.
Zack: "Where's the tower?"
The First Wolf pointed upward.
A faint golden glow shone through cracks in the ceiling.
First Wolf: "Beyond that door."
Mason placed his hand against it.
Nothing happened.
Zack placed his hand beside his.
The symbols immediately ignited.
The door began to open.
GRRRRNNNN...
A cold wind rushed through the passage.
Beyond the doorway was not another tunnel.
It was a vast underground chamber.
At its center stood a towering golden structure that disappeared into darkness above.
Mason stared.
Mason: "That's impossible."
Zack whispered:
Zack: "The tower is underground."
Then they noticed someone standing at its entrance.
A familiar silhouette.
Darius.
He slowly turned toward them.
Darius: "You took longer than I expected."
Mason stepped forward.
Mason: "You knew we'd come."
Darius smiled.
Darius: "Of course."
He looked at their glowing necklaces.
Darius: "The question is..."
His smile disappeared.
"...do you know why you came?"