Chapter 27 — The Price of the Apple
"Is this the power of the relic?"
Gaurav's words did not echo the way sounds usually did inside the cave. They fell flat, as if the darkness itself swallowed them before they could travel. No one answered him. Not because they did not hear him, but because each of them was too busy listening to their own bodies. One by one, without saying a word, they took the white relics they had collected and pressed them against their skin. Some slipped them inside their clothes. Some held them in their palms. There was no instruction, no discussion, only instinct. The effect was immediate and undeniable. Hunger did not return. The dull pull in the stomach that should have been screaming by now was simply absent. Thirst did not rise. Weakness did not creep in. It slowly became clear to all of them that they had not eaten a single proper meal for two days. Their food had ended earlier than expected. And yet their bodies felt untouched by it, as if the concept of hunger had been quietly removed from them.
The feeling was unsettling. Their breathing was steady. Their muscles felt active but calm. No shaking. No drain. It felt as though not a single unit of power inside their bodies was being wasted. Their stamina felt improved, but more than that, it felt controlled. Efficient. Like their bodies had learned a new rule and were following it perfectly. Gaurav clenched his fist and released it slowly, testing himself. The strength was there, but so was restraint. That scared him more than weakness ever had.
Nitya was the first to truly understand what this meant. This was not just healing. This was not just recovery. This was change. Something fundamental had shifted inside them, something that did not feel temporary. She looked at the relic pressed against her palm and felt a sharp discomfort rise in her chest. Power like this never came without a price. But before she could say anything, Avni broke the silence.
"This relic… it's amazing."
The word hung in the air, simple and honest. No one argued with her. Even Nitya did not. That was the moment they crossed a line without realizing it. They accepted the effect without questioning the cost. They chose relief over caution. And once that choice was made, there was no undoing it.
Satisfied that they had gained something valuable, and uneasy about staying any longer, they decided to retreat. The cave had already given them too much. As they turned back toward the way they had entered, something shifted. At first, it was barely noticeable. A slow movement, deep inside the cave. Heavy. Deliberate. The air felt tighter. Nitya felt it before she saw it. Her body reacted faster than her thoughts. She turned sharply toward the darkness behind them.
Two red glowing eyes stared back.
They were not flickering. Not blinking. Just watching.
Vansh did not wait. He raised his bow and fired two arrows in quick succession. The arrows flew straight and true, cutting through the darkness and striking the glowing eyes. The sound that followed froze everyone in place. It was not the sound of flesh tearing. It was the sound of metal hitting metal. Sharp. Hollow. Loud. The echo rolled through the cave, bouncing off unseen walls, returning again and again, louder each time.
Then the thing moved.
It slid forward from the darkness, revealing its full shape. It was massive, nearly eight meters long, its body thick and white like polished bone. Hundreds of legs moved beneath it, gripping the ground with terrifying control. Its red eyes burned brighter now, fixed on them. Avni's voice shook as she spoke.
"It's the king… the king of those worms. We killed its kind. It came for us."
There was no doubt in her words. This was not a guardian. This was not defending territory. This was revenge.
Nitya made a decision in that moment. She knew fighting near the entrance would trap them. The space was too narrow. Too exposed. She believed that moving deeper into the cave might give them room, time, a chance to think. It was the right reason. Protect the group. Buy time. But it was the wrong choice. The moment she turned and shouted for them to run deeper, the cave swallowed them.
The tunnel stretched on longer than it should have. Twisting. Narrowing. Then widening again. The walls seemed to bend in ways that confused the eyes. Sound behaved strangely. Their footsteps felt delayed, as if the cave itself was listening before letting noise pass. Their enhanced stamina kept them moving, but fear grew faster than their legs could carry them. Gaurav felt it clearly now. Power did not mean safety. Strength did not mean control.
The tunnel suddenly opened into a massive underground chamber. The ceiling disappeared into darkness. The ground split into uneven paths. There was no time to argue. No time to plan. Survival took over. They split. Vansh and Avni ran in one direction. Nitya and Gaurav in another. The unity that had kept them alive until now shattered in seconds.
The Worm King paused. Just for a moment. Its red eyes shifted, calculating. Then it chose.
It followed Vansh and Avni.
The creature moved faster than anything that size should have been able to. Hundreds of legs worked together in terrifying coordination. The distance between them closed rapidly. Avni stumbled over uneven ground, and before Vansh could pull her forward, one of the Worm King's legs lashed out. It struck her side and sent her crashing across the stone. Pain exploded through her body. Sharp. Real. The relic had not removed that.
She screamed.
That scream carried through the cave.
Nitya heard it. She reacted without thinking. She appeared from above, leaping from a ledge she had climbed in panic. She brought her great sword down with everything she had, aiming straight for the Worm King's left eye. The blade struck. Sparks flew. The sword bit into the flesh—but only slightly. A shallow cut. Nothing more.
The truth hit her like a blow to the chest.
They could not hurt it.
The Worm King roared. The sound shook the cave walls. Dust fell from above. Its attention shifted fully to Nitya. She did not hesitate. She ran. She ran toward Vansh and Avni, knowing it would follow. Knowing she was bringing the danger closer. But leaving them was not an option she could live with.
They ran together now, breath steady but fear rising. The Worm King pursued relentlessly. They did not fight anymore. They only delayed. Dodging. Slipping. Falling. Getting back up. The cave ahead changed shape, narrowing suddenly, then opening into something worse. The ground trembled beneath them.
Somewhere in that chaos, something was lost. Not just time. Not just equipment. Something permanent. Something that could not be taken back. The realization settled heavy in Gaurav's chest as they ran.
The apple had healed them.
But it had also marked them.
And now the cave itself seemed to be closing in, forcing a choice none of them were ready to make.
Behind them, the Worm King closed the distance.
Ahead of them—only darkness.
And no clear way out.