The Water Mirror shone behind them. For a brief moment everything was quiet. Then the entire cavern shook, dust and fragments of ice falling from the ceiling.
Arthur looked up. "...That’s probably not good."
"Finally! Something you understand!" Sun pointed toward the exit.
"I understand lots of things."
"Then understand that we need to leave!"
Another crack raced across the ceiling, and a massive slab of ice broke loose. Athena raised Aegis just in time, the impact sliding her boots back several inches. "Everyone, move!"
Mithra grabbed Luna’s arm. "Come on!" Vedas moved beside them, spear ready, and Sun grabbed for Kong, who immediately pulled away.
"What?" Sun looked offended.
Kong pointed toward the exit.
"You want to run?"
Kong nodded, and Sun let go. "Then run!" Kong sprinted ahead instantly.
"...He really didn’t need me," Sun muttered.
"You were slowing him down," Arthur laughed, already running.
"I’m beginning to dislike all of you."
Eden flew beside Arthur. "Arthur! Star is different!"
He looked down at the Slime bouncing happily in his arms. "I know."
"I think it likes the new look."
"It looks happy," Eden smiled, and he gently patted it. "Yeah. Let’s discuss that later," he added as another explosion shook the chamber.
They raced through the corridor they’d used earlier, though the frozen passage was falling apart around them now, cracks crawling up the walls, ice raining from above, the ground trembling underfoot. Arthur glanced back, watching the chamber that had held the Water Mirror disappear beneath the collapse. "It’s spreading."
"The collapse is traveling through the structure," Athena said.
He studied the cracks. "Wait."
"No," Sun groaned. "Whatever you’re thinking, don’t."
"Look at the cracks. They’re following the old pathways."
"The Mirror probably wasn’t sitting here by itself," Athena said, catching on. "Its energy was connected to the mountain."
"And now that we removed it," he said, gesturing at the walls, "the whole thing’s falling apart."
"Great."
"At least we know why."
"Knowing why isn’t going to stop the ceiling from falling!"
A large piece of ice crashed ahead of them, and everyone stopped short. "...Fair point," Arthur admitted.
"Come on!" Mithra pushed them forward.
The corridor opened into a massive vertical chamber, the ceiling lined with enormous frozen stalactites. Everyone looked up at once.
"Nobody touch anything," Sun said quietly, raising a finger.
"We didn’t."
"Especially him." Sun pointed at Kong, who crossed his arms in protest.
Then one of the massive spikes broke free, crashing into the ground several meters away with a deafening boom.
"...That was close," Arthur blinked.
"Close?" Mithra pointed at the crater. "That would have flattened you."
"...Very close."
Another spike broke loose, and Athena’s shield went up. "Keep moving!" Several began falling at once, the group scattering, Mithra yanking Arthur sideways just as a spike crashed where he’d been standing.
"Thanks."
"You’re welcome."
He looked up. "There are more."
"I noticed!"
He slipped into Guardian Conceal, vanishing through the falling debris, while Eden’s eyes widened ahead of him. "Arthur! Left!" He turned in time to avoid a spike crashing exactly where he’d been about to step.
"Good catch."
"I saw it!"
"Keep watching."
"I will!"
Athena caught the exchange while blocking another falling chunk. "Eden’s perception is already becoming useful."
"She’s been useful since she hatched," he smiled, and Eden blushed. "Arthur..."
"Save the compliments for when we’re outside!" Sun shouted from ahead.
They finally cleared the falling-spike chamber, the path going strangely quiet for a moment.
"Did we make it?" Sun slowed.
"Don’t say that," Athena warned.
"Why?"
"Every time someone says that, something else happens."
"She’s right," Arthur nodded seriously.
"Why are you agreeing with her?"
"Because something else is happening," he said, pointing ahead.
Water had begun dripping from the ceiling, one drop, then dozens. "That’s strange," Luna said, looking up right before the ice cracked wide open and water burst through.
"Oh, come on!" Sun jumped back as it flooded the corridor.
"The upper ice chambers are melting," Athena said, shield up.
"Because of its energy?" Arthur asked.
"Most likely."
"We’re going to get trapped," Mithra said, watching the water climb.
Arthur looked at Star, staring at the rising water and wiggling with interest. "Maybe Star can help."
"Arthur," Athena said flatly.
"What?"
"We’re escaping a collapsing mountain."
"I know."
"Then why are you smiling?"
He held Star out toward the water. "Because this is interesting."
She closed her eyes. "...Of course it is."
Star touched the surface, and a faint blue sheen rippled across its body. His eyes widened. "Look."
"Star changed again!" Eden flew closer, watching it stretch and shift with the water itself.
"It can adapt to it."
"Its Mimic Form may allow it to reproduce the physical characteristics of the environment," Athena said, studying it.
"So it’s basically a little survival machine," Arthur grinned. Star bounced. "I think it agrees."
"You’re giving the Slime too much credit," Sun said, right before Star splashed him directly.
Arthur burst out laughing. "...It definitely understood that."
The water kept rising, and Mithra grabbed Luna. "We need to move!" The whole group pushed through the flooded passage, water climbing from their knees to their waists to their chests, Arthur keeping Star above the surface while Eden flew overhead and Athena’s shield deflected chunks of ice caught in the current. Vedas planted his spear whenever the current got too strong.
Kong, surprisingly, swam through it with ease.
"How are you better at this than me?" Sun demanded, and Kong just looked back, swimming faster the harder Sun tried to keep up. "Don’t you dare." Kong swam faster still.
Arthur laughed. "He’s racing you."
"I know!"
Kong reached the far side first and proudly patted his chest.
"...I’m surrounded by children," Sun muttered.
"You’re losing to one," Arthur said, swimming past, and Sun splashed him for it.
Then the water surged, a massive current tearing through the corridor. "Hold on!" Mithra grabbed a wall.
"The upper chamber must have broken!" Athena braced.
"Everybody hold on!" Arthur pulled Eden and Star tight against him as the current dragged the whole group forward, Vedas grabbing Luna, Mithra grabbing Athena, Sun grabbing Kong, who grabbed Sun’s head in return.
"Why are you holding me like that?! That’s my hair!"
Arthur laughed despite himself as the current threw them around a corner and finally deposited the whole group onto solid ice.
Sun lay flat on his back. "...I hate water." Kong shook himself violently, sending a fresh wave over him. "I hate you too."
Mithra helped Luna to her feet. "Everyone okay?"
"I’m fine," Athena said, checking Aegis.
Vedas nodded.
"Everyone’s here?" Arthur asked, and Eden flew a quick lap, calling names.
"Arthur." "Here." "Vedas." "Here." "Mithra." "Here." "Athena." "Here." "Sun." "Unfortunately." "Kong." He raised both arms. "Star." A bounce. "Here!" Eden giggled.
"I’m here too," Luna smiled faintly.
"Good."
For one brief moment, they’d escaped. Then Star stopped moving.
"...Star?"
The Slime was staring into the darkness. A low growl rolled through the tunnel, and everyone went still. Another growl. Then several pairs of glowing eyes appeared in the dark.
"Beasts," Mithra said, reaching for her weapon.
"They’re coming from the lower chambers," Luna said.
"They’re probably fleeing the collapse too," Athena said, shield raised.
Arthur studied them. There were more than he expected, some injured, some clearly terrified, none behaving like a coordinated pack. They were just blocking the only way out.
"So much for an easy escape," Sun said, gripping his weapon, and everyone dropped into position at once, Vedas stepping forward, Mithra lowering her stance, Athena’s shield up, Sun’s staff ready, Kong’s fists clenched, Arthur raising Dusk.
Then he lifted a hand. "Wait."
"What?" Sun looked at him.
"They’re scared."
"They’re still growling."
"Yeah, but look at their feet."
The beasts kept shifting, none of them advancing, all of them looking deeper into the mountain instead.
"They’re trying to get away from something," Arthur said.
"...From what?" Luna asked, staring into the dark.
He didn’t answer, taking a few steps toward them instead.
Sun grabbed his shoulder. "Arthur."
"Hm?"
"Don’t walk toward the monsters."
"They might know what’s happening."
"They’re monsters."
"That doesn’t mean they’re stupid."
"He’s got a point," Mithra smiled.
"Don’t encourage him."
Something caught Arthur’s eye past the beasts, a massive crack running deep underground. "They’re avoiding that."
"Interesting," Athena said.
"Something underneath is scaring them."
"Underneath the mountain?" Luna asked, uneasy now.
"Yeah."
Another deep rumble rose from below, and the beasts recoiled all at once. "...Whatever it is, they really don’t like it," he murmured.
The mountain shook again, and one of the panicked beasts charged straight at the group. Arthur dodged it easily. "Okay. You’re definitely not interested in talking."
"There he is," Sun laughed.
He raised Dusk, but instead of striking, pointed toward the exit. "We’re all going the same way." The beast hesitated as he gestured toward the collapsing tunnel. "You want out. We want out." He smiled. "So let’s not waste time fighting each other."
"Is he negotiating with monsters?" Sun asked Mithra.
"Apparently."
"This is very Arthur," Athena sighed.
One of the beasts ran past them. Another followed, then another.
"See?" Arthur lowered his weapon.
"You actually convinced them," Sun stared.
"I didn’t convince them." He looked toward the collapsing tunnel. "The mountain did."
"Still," Mithra laughed.
"Whatever works."
The group and the fleeing beasts rushed together toward the mountain’s exterior, the tunnel sloping downward, then steeper, then nearly vertical.
"...That’s a slope," Arthur said.
"That’s not a slope. That’s a cliff."
"We’ll call it a steep slope."
"We’re going to die."
"Stop complaining and run!"
They descended together, Mithra moving effortlessly across the ice, Vedas using his spear to control his fall, Athena throwing up quick shields wherever the terrain turned dangerous, Arthur keeping Eden and Star close against him.
"We’re going really fast!" Eden laughed.
"I noticed!"
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" Sun screamed from behind.
"Because it’s fun!"
"THIS ISN’T FUN!"
Kong jumped onto Sun’s back without warning, throwing him off balance. "Kong!" Kong pointed ahead just as a huge chunk of ice fell, and Sun dove sideways in time to avoid it.
"...You saw that?"
Kong nodded.
"...Thanks."
Kong patted his head. "Don’t get comfortable."
The tunnel widened, light spilling in ahead. "I can see the outside!" Luna’s eyes lit up.
Everyone found new energy at once. "We’re almost there," Mithra smiled.
"We’re getting out!" Eden flew forward.
"Keep going!"
The beasts raced ahead of them, snow blowing through the opening, cold wind hitting Arthur’s face. For a moment it felt like they’d already made it.
Then he slowed. Something felt wrong. The mountain had gone strangely quiet.
"Why did you stop?" Sun asked.
He looked back. "...Because it’s quiet." The collapsing tunnels behind them had gone completely silent, no cracks, no falling ice, nothing.
"Why did it stop?" Luna asked, frightened.
His instincts told him it hadn’t. "It didn’t stop."
"Then what happened?"
"It’s getting ready to break."
The entire mountain trembled, different this time, the ground and walls and even the snow itself shaking, the air seeming to vibrate around them.
"Everyone!" Athena’s expression changed instantly. Vedas planted his spear, Mithra grabbed Luna, Sun grabbed Kong, Arthur grabbed Eden with Star pressed tight against his chest.
Then the mountain exploded outward behind them, a massive wave of snow erupting from the collapse.
Arthur turned. "...Run!"
They sprinted, but the avalanche was already on top of them, a wall of snow tearing through the mountain.
"ARTHUR!" Eden screamed.
"I’ve got you!" He caught her, Star still held tight.
Athena’s shield took the brunt of it, driving her backward. Mithra vanished into the snow entirely. "MITHRA!" Vedas lunged for her. Luna was swept off her feet, and Sun caught her arm. "I’ve got you!" Kong grabbed onto Sun. "Why are you grabbing me?!"
Then the snow swallowed all of them at once.
The ground disappeared beneath Arthur’s feet, and he was thrown forward, weightless, and then he understood: they were already past the edge of the mountain, and there was nothing beneath them at all.
"...Oh."
"OH?!" Sun’s voice came from somewhere nearby.
"I think we’re falling."
"I KNOW!"
He laughed nervously. "Right."
Eden clung to his hair, Star bouncing anxiously against his chest, and he looked around for the others, Vedas falling nearby, Mithra still buried somewhere in the snow, Athena tumbling with Aegis raised, Sun and Kong somewhere below, Luna falling right along with the rest of them.
He looked down. The mountain stretched out endlessly beneath them, no ground close enough to matter.
"Everyone stay together!" he called, Vedas already reaching for Mithra, Athena extending her shield outward, the storm thickening around them until the collapsing mountain vanished behind a wall of white.
He looked down once more. The drop seemed endless.
"...We really need a plan."
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