Story 355: The Chamber of Secrets

Zara and Callum crouched behind a stack of rusted crates, their breaths shallow as they surveyed the room. The chamber was vast, its ceiling lost in shadows, with faint beams of light slicing through cracks in the walls. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the only sounds were the distant drips of water and the faint growl of the creatures regrouping in the tunnels behind them.

Zara’s grip tightened on her pistol. “We’re not alone in here,” she whispered, her eyes scanning the dark corners.

Callum adjusted his rifle, his knuckles white. “I don’t like this. Too quiet. What’s your plan?”

Zara tilted her head toward the far side of the chamber, where a faint blue glow emanated from a circular console. “That’s the control panel. If we can access it, we might be able to override the maze’s shifting mechanism and find a way out.”

“Let me guess,” Callum muttered. “It’s rigged, and something nasty is guarding it.”

“Most likely,” Zara said with a wry smile.