With a deadly force of gravity, they collided with the cold, hard floor. But instead of empty ground, they plummeted into deep, freezing water, the impact sending them sprawling into the dark depths.
A shrieking, gasping sound tore from Derek's throat as he thrashed. He looked around the pitch-black environment, frantic. His cubs? His companions? Everything had fallen silent; all he could feel was the weight of the water dragging him down.
Relentless, he fought against the pull, his muscles straining until he finally broke the surface.
He scanned the darkness, desperate to see his surroundings, but his night vision was gone. It felt as though an evil hand had been placed over his eyes to keep him from noticing the horrors of the pit.
The darkness around him was anything but ordinary. Fear consumed his soul as he realized he couldn't hear the others.
"Are you okay, guys?"
Nothing returned but a heavy, suffocating silence. The shroud of the dark made him gulp in terror.
