Chapter 169: The Hunger!

『"The pangs of hunger."』

Footsteps thundered through the tunnel.

"Amara!"

Ethan rounded the corner and froze.

The violet light filled the chamber and Amara stood motionless before it, tears streaming silently down her face. Angel’s Bane hung loosely at her side, forgotten.

"...Amara."

He rushed toward her.

"Amara!"

He grabbed both of her shoulders and tried to snap her out of it.

Nothing happened. She didn’t even react. It was like she couldn’t hear him.

Ethan frowned. "Amara, look at me," he tried again, but still got no response.

His grip tightened. Then he noticed it. His own hands were trembling, and his breathing had become shallow without him realizing it.

His jaw clenched as he looked at the anomalous glowing sphere, then he stretched his hand toward it, conjuring a blue forcefield that expanded around it.

The instant the barrier fully encapsulated it and sealed shut, Amara collapsed to her knees.

Air rushed violently back into her lungs, as though she’d been drowning. She coughed, both hands pressing against the cave floor while her entire body shook uncontrollably.

Ethan immediately reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out a smooth metallic sphere no larger than a golf ball.

An SCP containment orb.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it toward the imprisoned object and watched as the orb expanded midair into a brilliant lattice of silver light that swallowed up the fear sphere.

The containment field folded inward around the violet sphere. A second later, the entire construct collapsed into itself. The light vanished, and the SCP orb dropped onto the floor, rolling back toward him.

Silence returned.

Ethan didn’t even spare it another glance. He dropped to one knee beside Amara and wrapped both arms around her.

She clung to him immediately as her fingers dug into the back of his jacket while her breathing came in uneven, desperate gasps.

"It’s alright," he whispered. His hand slowly moved through her hair, gently stroking it. "It’s over."

Amara buried her face against his shoulder and stayed there for several long moments, simply breathing.

Eventually...

"...What..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "...What was that?"

Ethan looked toward the containment orb lying a few inches away. "...I don’t know." His expression hardened. "But whatever it was, it amplified fear."

He remembered the way his own fingers had trembled. "The closer you got to it, the stronger its effect became."

Amara closed her eyes. "...I wasn’t strong enough to resist it."

Ethan gently rested his forehead against hers. "You don’t have to." He brushed another strand of white hair behind her ear. "It’s over now."

After another moment, Amara slowly nodded. Then she stood, wiping the tears from her face with the heel of her palm as her breathing steadied.

Sophia... She took another breath. Guide me to Raj.

A brief pause.

Copy, Sophia answered. He’s still engaged. Head east through the connecting tunnel. I’ll keep you on course.

"I’m coming with you," Ethan said.

Amara shook her head. Her eyes drifted toward the containment orb resting quietly on the cave floor. "Please." She looked back at him. "Get that thing as far away from this place as possible."

Ethan hesitated. "...Will you be alright?"

Amara swallowed and her grip tightened around Angel’s Bane. "...Yeah."

There wasn’t much confidence in the answer. But there was resolve.

Ethan nodded once. He picked up the containment orb. "...Be careful."

"You too."

Without another word, they split apart.

Ethan disappeared down the opposite tunnel with the containment orb secured in his hand.

Amara tightened her grip on Angel’s Bane.

Sophia... lead the way.

Already doing it, Sophia replied.

Following the telepathic guidance, Amara broke into a run toward Raj’s position.

***

The wendigo charged at Raj again. Just as before, he planted his feet and braced himself. He was more confident now that he believed the wendigo couldn’t actually harm him.

"Same trick twice?" he scoffed. "You’re really running out of ide—"

The creature reached him faster this time. Before he knew it, the creature’s jaws snapped shut around the exact same shoulder, and Raj simply smirked at another failed attempt.

Then the wendigo’s teeth changed.

A light blue glow raced through them like lightning mixed with frost. Its jagged fangs lengthened instantly with bone-chilling cracks, growing sharper, denser, and stronger.

Crunch.

Raj’s smile vanished as the newly formed fangs punched straight through his hardened skin and buried themselves deep into his shoulder.

"Agh!"

Excruciating pain shot through his body as frost spread through the point of puncture. He grabbed the wendigo by the neck with both hands, muscles bulging as he tried to rip it away.

The wendigo didn’t budge. The creature only bit down harder, and Raj felt something far worse than blood leaving him.

It wasn’t just flesh. It felt like invisible hands had reached inside his body and were pulling at something, its teeth most likely the siphoning mechanism for something deeper.

His life? His essence? His soul? There were no words to explain it.

A freezing numbness spread through him and the strength in his arms began to ebb. But it didn’t stop there.

His breathing became shallow and his vision blurred around the edges as the emerald glow from Juggernaut Shell flickered unevenly.

"...What..."

His healing fought desperately to repair the puncture wound, flesh knitting itself together around the creature’s teeth. But it wasn’t enough. This wasn’t ordinary damage.

Whatever the wendigo was draining, Juggernaut Shell struggled to regenerate it.

Raj stumbled as one knee hit the ground, and the wendigo’s glowing eyes narrowed with something disturbingly close to satisfaction.

Guys! I think it’s fucking eating m—my soul! His panicked thoughts broadcast across the telepathic link.

Raj! Amara’s voice crashed into his mind first. Hold on! We’re coming!

Somewhere farther away, Meredith’s calm voice followed, Stay where you are. We’re on our way.

Raj wanted to laugh. His second knee buckled, and he collapsed fully onto both knees. Not like I have much of a choi...

The thought dissolved before he could finish it. Everything felt heavy. His arms. His head. Even thinking had become exhausting.

The wendigo remained latched onto his shoulder, feeding relentlessly as his vision dimmed around the edges.

Then another voice reached him. Buddy... help’s coming. After a small pause, Hiro added, So do what you do best.

"What I do best..." Raj whispered weakly, his eyes beginning to close.