(Cole)

Running through the caves, I couldn't help but feel lost. The place somehow seemed unfamiliar and vague. Once, we came at a crossroads, where we were all confused, until I had decided on a path and led the way, saying that Brielle couldn't be far now, reassuring myself.

And at that moment, I had felt a presence. Like, not just a chill down my spine or a gust of wind by my ear, but something in my heart told me that somehow, Brielle could see us. I remember being in a daze when Jay asked if we could 'take a breather', and Zane told him it wouldn't be wise or something.

My head had been pounding. It still was. I had a feeling that we were getting deeper and deeper underground, but that shouldn't bother me. Maybe it was just the pressure and anxiety that I'm experiencing, but truthfully, I had no clue.

We kept getting confused. Once or twice we came across a few Arachneions, but we hid easily. Where were all of the enemies? Off terrorizing people? What if Brielle wasn't even here anymore?

Cole, shut up. She's got to be here.

But something at the back of my mind kept pulling my hopes away, dragging my optimism into the dark. A little voice in the far corners at my mind kept telling me that Brielle was gone now, that we would never find her.

Get lost.

(Brielle)

More whippings, more pain. Now, they had started to jab and whack me with a claw-stick. This definitely was sheer torture.

Arachne had asked me questions that I didn't know the answers to. And when I didn't know the answers, I was beaten. Things like, "How did I get my power" and "Why were you chosen" are things that I had no idea. "Destiny, or Fate" had been what I had replied, to which I was greeted with a new injury. There were also questions like "Where do the ninja live?" and "What is your background" that I refused to answer. More pain.

I felt so lost and alone down here. I couldn't remember the last time I had gone more than a day without rushing into some sort of battle or training for battle.

And then there was that dream. That dream with the guys in it. They were out somewhere in the caves, looking for me. What was happening to them now? Had they been captured as well?

Ugh.

I sat up, leaning against the bars of the cage, observing the sights around me.

The door was locked now, the small, dank room lit by a single torch. The walls, from what I could tell, were greyish brown and speckled with a sort of runes. The floor was mostly dirt and gravel. My cage remained steel, rusty, and gross. They didn't bother to actually feed me here, and when they did throw me scraps or whatever, I didn't eat it.

Why?

Well, for one thing, they were bugs. Like literal bugs. Because, I guess, that's what spiders ate. I was also certain that there was a sort of poisoning in the food.

So the hours crawled by as my stomach growled. I was sure that I had been here for at least a day now, maybe longer.

This may be exaggerating a bit, but I think I was getting thinner already. I can't even imagine how I must look.

My eyes swept the room, looking for a way out of this cage. I saw a small, sharp rock on the ground, far away from my cage. I couldn't reach it. Taking a deep breath, I attempted to summon some energy to blow the rock towards me or something with my wind powers.

No such luck.

I was too weak, I guess.

I sighed, perching my head in my hands. I hated being a damsel in distress. I wanted to be out and about, I just wanted to kill Arachne. Geez. I never would have thought that I would have such a strong impulse to kill anyone before. it scared me a bit.

Then again, Arachne wasn't a person. She was a freaking monster that needed to be shoved into hell.

(Jay)

Where was Brielle?

We had searched just about every twist and turn in this maze. Brielle's prison must have been hidden very well, or we must have just missed it.

As I ran with my team in silence through the semidarkness, I realized something.

We, the ninjas, or, ninja, to be correct, are lost.

Completely, and totally lost.