Chapter 10: The Unreasonable sacrifice

As the turmoil unfolded in the hollow where the survivors found refuge, Jason Baek's mind raced, anxiously looking for a plan to assure their survival. With the aquatic creatures closing closer and their options decreasing, he knew sacrifices were necessary.

Jason took a deep breath and turned to Liam, his voice solid despite the gravity of his decision. "Liam, I need you to be our distraction," he remarked, slicing through the tension like a dagger. "Lead the monsters away while the rest of us make a run for it."

Liam's eyes dilated with surprise as he comprehended the significance of Jason's plea. "But... but I can't..." he began, his voice trailing off.

Jason's eyes narrowed as he assessed the group, his demeanor unwavering. "Does anyone else want to take his place?" he asked, his voice resonating in the strained hush that followed.

However, there was no reaction, only a chilly, deafening quiet that seemed to hang in the air like a heavy shroud. The survivors exchanged nervous looks, their resolve waning in the face of Jason's unyielding determination.

They turned to Liam with sorrowful hearts, their eyes full of regret and apology. "We're sorry, Liam," they said, barely above a whisper.

And then they pushed him out of the hollow, leaving him to face the horrors of the Backrooms alone. Liam stumbled backward, his heart pumping in his chest as he faced the oncoming throng of beasts.

With a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, Liam knew his fate was determined.

Liam's pulse beat in his chest as he escaped the unrelenting chase of the underwater creatures, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he battled to keep up with their relentless onslaught. His muscles screamed in protest with each passing instant, pushed to their breaking point by the frantic urge to survive.

But the monsters moved quickly and gracefully as they closed in on their prey. Liam could feel their hot breath on his heels, their razor-sharp fangs chewing at the air within inches from his flesh.

Pain pierced his body as one of the beasts delivered a glancing strike, its claws cutting through his flesh with merciless efficiency. But Liam refused to give; his will unwavering in the face of adversity.

With every ounce of power he had, he pushed himself forward, his thoughts obsessed by the single aim of survival. He dodged and twisted through passageways, his senses alert to the perils lurking around every turn.

Despite his best attempts, the monsters remained unrelenting in their pursuit, their speed and agility far exceeding his own. Liam felt he was fighting a losing battle, and his prospects of escaping were dwindling with each passing moment.

Nonetheless, even as despair threatened to consume him, a glimmer of hope lingered within his heart. He refused to succumb to the darkness, to let dread rule his life. He fought with every fiber of his being and was determined to defy the odds and emerge victorious against all odds.

As the hunt progressed, Liam's body became weak and weary, his limbs heavy with exhaustion. But he pressed on, his gaze fixated on the distant horizon, where the promise of freedom shone like a guiding beacon in the darkness.

And then, just when he felt he couldn't go any further, he noticed it: the thin glimmer of light that indicated the exit .With a rush of excitement, Liam pushed himself to the limit, his muscles screaming in agony as he raced to the elusive objective with every ounce of strength he had.

As he pushed through the door into the blinding light of freedom, he felt a tidal wave of relief flood over him. 

He had done it - he had overcome all odds to survive the horrors of the Backrooms and emerge victorious from the depths of despair.

Even as he dropped to the ground, his body tortured with tiredness, Liam realized his adventure was far from over. The scars from his ordeal would persist long after the physical wounds had healed, serving as a continual reminder of the difficulties he had encountered and the power he had discovered within himself, Before his body succumbed to exhaustion and pain, he heard the scream of those used to be his comrades knowing that they had met their end.