A deafening thunderclap sent a shockwave across the wide forest. Countless cracks slithered through the outer surface of the titanic boulder from the ground up. Converging at the very top, they created a fissure. The fissure expanded as more fractures found their way to the top.
The magnificent structure of the cave crumbled under its own weight, albeit at a very slow pace. The ceiling collapsed, taking the surrounding structure down with it. The destruction felt more silent than chaotic.
Although the same couldn't be said about Celia.
"Damn… why the hell… did that vile spider have to nest so deep?"
Her voice was low, as if she were talking to herself. Gravel and dust showered on her, the dim tunnel quaking all around her as she trudged toward the end of the tunnel. The carcasses of the pincers she had killed were littered across the tunnel, reminding her of the gaping wounds and swollen bruises they had inflicted on her.
Her body was a wreck, and there was not even a drop of essence left in her reserve.
The patches of burnt and swollen skin stung her soul. Her body had already gone past exhaustion. Only defiance was left behind.
There was a familiar face resting on her shoulder.
When the incandescent explosion erupted, Celia momentarily lost her consciousness. When she came to her senses, the world around her was ending. Evelin's graceful figure was lying a few meters away from her.
Only that she didn't look as graceful anymore.
Most of her face was charred, burnt so badly that it hurt to even look at her. The burns on her body were even worse. Her clothes, or what remained of them, weren't enough to cover her. Fortunately, Celia's battered armor was more than enough to serve as a spare outfit.
Well… that was if they managed to survive this.
She leaned against a sizable debris to catch her breath. Panting heavily, she squinted her blurry eyes.
'Just… a little more.'
The only thing that was still lively inside Evelin was her heart, thumping faintly as it struggled to keep her dying body alive. But it wasn't going to last for long.
If she didn't move, Evelin was going to die.
Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip around Evelin's legs. Every time she felt Evelin's leathery skin against her rugged hands, her heart ached deeply.
Even as she moved forward, various ominous thoughts assaulted her mind. What if the tunnel collapsed before they could escape? How was she going to drag Evelin to the outpost before it was too late?
These questions weighed on her heart, even if she tried to brush them off.
Evading a falling slab of stone by inches, she pushed herself further.
'Like hell… I'm dying here…'
The dim light pouring through the cascade of trees was soothing… at least compared to the cold darkness inside the cave. The exit wasn't that far anymore, only a few meters away.
"Gkh—"
The ground under her trembled intensely.
She stumbled and fell to her knees. Celia was painfully aware of what had just happened…
'No… not… yet…'
Drawing a deep breath inside her burning lungs, she pushed herself to stand. However, she didn't have the strength to carry Evelin, nor did she have the time to do so. Abandoning Evelin was the only way to save herself…
Cursing under her breath, she grit her teeth.
So what if she died alongside Evelin? It was far better than leaving her friend behind. Celia was many things, but she was not someone who could make such a decision. Not when the person in question had just blown herself up to fulfil her part.
Now, it was Celia's responsibility to ensure Evelin survived, even if that meant dragging her across the ground all the way to the city.
To her surprise, she managed to reach the exit instead of getting crushed in the tunnel. A cold breeze caressed her cheeks as she pulled Evelin by the shoulders. She just wanted to pass out here, but the cave was still collapsing. Being anywhere near the cave right now was suicide.
Screech!
Her heart skipped a beat. She feverishly looked around, a faint glint of wariness glistening in her unfocused eyes.
Dozens of mature pincers were sprinting toward her at a startling velocity. They didn't seem joyous about the heart of the nest, their bead-like eyes filled with frenzy and rage.
Looking at them, she felt a sense of helplessness she had never felt before. Pulling Evelin out of the falling cave had almost killed her. Now there was a battalion of pincers who wanted her dead.
With the cave behind her and the hungry maws of a dozen pincers to her front, her options seemed quite limited.
A wry smile appeared on her face.
"Celia!"
She didn't notice it at first, but someone was calling out to her.
'Who the hell—'
"Hey! Say something!?"
Celia finally came to her senses. Conrad was standing beside her, Evelin resting quietly on his back.
It took her some time to realize that Conrad had come to save them. That was why Lian had sent him with Sam and Dean—so that he could return to Celia immediately once the brothers found their way outside the nest.
It was to make sure no one died.
It was hard for her to put into words what she was feeling. But she didn't have the time to sort through her emotions.
Finally, she slowly spoke.
"Yeah… I hear you, you bastard. What took you so long?"
It seemed like Conrad wanted to say something, but he simply shook his head and spoke in a rushed tone.
"Can you still run?"
Celia grinned brazenly.
"Just lead the way… moron. What? Were you going to carry both of us if I said otherwise?"
With a nod, Conrad lunged in the direction he had come from. Celia followed him quietly as her muscles groaned.