Who are you?

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart clenched as I took in the full scene, the bound kid, the ritual circle, the cloaked figures who looked at me like I was some kind of divine gift.

My breath hitched so hard it hurt. My palms searched for something—anything—to grab.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! Shouldn't have pissed off a goddess.

The cloaked figures started murmuring among themselves, their voices creating a low, ominous hum that echoed off the cave walls.

And all of them turned toward me at once.

“The lord sent someone,” one of them said. “He chose a sacrifice.”

"The Lord has chosen well," other added, voice filled with twisted reverence.

My face went pale as their words sank in. Every instinct I had was screaming danger, but my body felt sluggish, uncooperative.

"Umm, guys..." I started, raising my hands in what I hoped was a peaceful gesture. "I think we have a little misunderstanding here. I just... I'm just—"

But they were already moving toward me, their robes rustling against the stone floor like the wings of giant bats. 

The torchlight caught glimpses of their faces beneath the hoods, gaunt, hollow-eyed, the kind of fanatic devotion that made my stomach turn.

"Look, hey, wait!" I scrambled backward on my hands and knees, the rough stone scraping against my palms. "I'm just a passerby! I didn't see anything, I swear! Don't mind me, I'll just... I'll just see myself out."

They didn't stop. If anything, they moved faster, spreading out to surround me and began talking to each other fast, and for a moment I couldn't pick out a single word. Then the one who had spoken about a sacrifice shot me a look and said something sharp. 

'Okay. Don't panic. Don’t panic. Remember breathing... Breathe like a functioning person.'

"I won't tell anyone!" My voice cracked as I kept crawling backward. "Just let me go and I promise I won't tell the police about your... your trafficking operation or whatever illegal shit you're running down here!"

That made them pause. They exchanged glances, muttering to each other in hushed tones.

"Trafficking?" one of them said, the word sounding strange in their mouth. "Police? What strange tongue does this one speak?"

"Foreign words." Another hissed. "Perhaps the Lord sends us challenges to test our faith."

'What the hell?'

My back hit something cold and solid, the cave wall. 

Nowhere left to run. I pressed my palms against the stone and pushed myself to my feet, legs shaking beneath me.

"Okay, okay, new plan," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm just gonna... go now."

I bolted.

My sneakers slipped on the damp stone as I sprinted toward what looked like a tunnel leading deeper into the cave system. Behind me, I heard shouts and the sound of robes flapping as they gave chase.

"Stop him!"

"The sacrifice must not escape!"

With a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw two of the figures staying behind with the bound kid, while three were hot on my heels. Their hoods had fallen back in the chase, revealing faces that looked like they hadn't seen sunlight in years/

'What the fuck did that goddess send me into?'

I sprinted through the winding cave tunnels like my life depended on it – which, considering the circumstances, it probably did. 

My sneakers slapped against wet stone, echoing off the walls in a rhythm that screamed "here I am, come kill me."

"Stop running." One of them shouted from somewhere behind me.

'Yeah, like I would.'

"Hurry up, we can't let the sacrifice go!" Other added. 

'Sacrifice my ass.'

I took a sharp left turn, nearly slipping on a patch of slick stone. The tunnel narrowed here, forcing me to duck under low-hanging rock formations that scraped against my back.

"This is bullshit!" I gasped between breaths, diving around another corner. 

"This isn't how isekai works! Where's my cheat ability? Where's the cute goddess giving me overpowered skills and a harem?"

The sound of pursuing footsteps echoed behind me, getting closer.

I stumbled into a fork in the tunnel and went right purely on instinct, my lungs burning with each desperate breath. 

"Thanaia!" I called out to the empty air, probably looking completely insane. "Hey! Death Goddess! You got a minute? Your customer service sucks! I want a refund!"

No response. 

'Of course she's not answering. Probably too busy being pissy about the whole 'skill issue' comment.'

Another turn, this one so sharp I had to grab the wall to keep from face-planting.

"Come back here!" The voices were getting fainter now, but not faint enough. "The ritual cannot wait!"

"Yeah, well, the ritual can kiss my—" I cut myself off as I spotted a narrow crevice in the wall ahead. Without thinking, I squeezed through it sideways, the stone scraping against my chest and back.

The space opened up into an alcove. I pressed myself against the back wall and held my breath, listening to the sound of running footsteps pass by my hiding spot.

"Where did he go?"

"Search every tunnel! He cannot have vanished!"

"Our Lord will not be pleased if we lose his gift!"

Their voices gradually faded as they moved deeper into the cave system, still hunting for their missing "sacrifice." 

I waited until I couldn't hear them anymore before letting out a shaky breath.

"Phew..."

I slumped against the stone wall, my whole body trembling from adrenaline and exhaustion. 

Every muscle ached, my heart was hammering against my ribs, and I was pretty sure I'd scraped half the skin off my palms during that mad scramble through the tunnels.

Slowly, I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the cold cave floor, head tilted back against the stone.

"Well," I muttered to the darkness. "This is just fantastic."

Just when I thought I could catch my breath, a low rumble vibrated through the alcove.

But as I looked around the narrow alcove, my heart sank. 

There was nowhere else to go. The space ended in solid rock. It was a dead end. I'd trapped myself. 

 "Shit," I whispered. 

I had to keep moving. Staying here meant getting caught when they doubled back. 

I squeezed back through the crevice and found another passage leading deeper into the cave system. The tunnel sloped downward, forcing me further from any possible exit, but I had no choice. 

Just as I got out of it.

Grrrr!

The sound made every hair on my body stand on end. I turned my head mechanically toward the source, and my breath hitched.

Three sets of eyes glowed in the darkness at the far end. As they stepped forward into the dim light filtering through the crevice, I got my first good look at them.

Wolves.

Well, not the wolves on back Earth. Not even close.

They were massive, easily the size of small horses. 

Their fur was midnight black with streaks of silver that seemed to shimmer and move on their own, like liquid mercury flowing through shadow. 

Each one had six legs instead of four, the extra pair positioned just behind their front shoulders, giving them an unsettling, spider-like gait.

But it was their faces that made my stomach drop. The snouts were too long, too narrow, filled with rows of needle-sharp teeth that jutted out at odd angles. 

Their eyes were pale blue, almost white, and they reflected light like mirrors.

One of them tilted its head, studying me. Drool dripped from its maw, sizzling when it hit the stone floor.

"I definitely didn't sign up for this," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I pressed my back against the wall. The creatures watched me with predatory focus, their six legs shifting as they mirrored my movements.

As I took a step back. They took one step forward.

Another step. They matched it perfectly, like we were dancing some deadly waltz.

The largest one in the center let out a low growl that vibrated through my bones. Its lips pulled back, revealing even more teeth than I'd initially seen.

'Fuck this.'

I sprinted away.

My feet slipped on the damp stone as I scrambled toward the crevice, but the creatures were faster. Way faster. 

I heard the clicking of their claws against rock, the sound multiplied by their extra legs creating a horrible noise that chased me through the narrow opening.

I made it maybe ten feet into the tunnel before something heavy slammed into my back.

Smack!

The impact sent me sprawling face-first onto the stone floor. Before I could even think about getting up, another weight crashed down on top of me, pinning me to the ground.

Grrr!

Hot breath washed over the back of my neck, carrying the stench of rotting meat and something else that made my eyes watery.

I twisted desperately, trying to throw it off, but claws raked across my shoulder.

A second wolf clamped down on my left arm. 

"Argh!"

I screamed and kicked at the stone, trying to crawl away even with two of them on me. 

The third one circled us like a predator savoring the hunt, waiting for its turn. 

 "Get off! GET OFF!" I threw my free hand back, trying to punch the thing on my back, but it was like hitting a brick wall covered in fur and teeth. 

The largest one's jaws opened wider, positioning itself over my neck. I threw my hands up uselessly, knowing it wouldn't matter, knowing this was it—

"AAAAHHHH!" 

 I screamed as its needle-sharp teeth sank in. 

Pain exploded through my neck, and then... 

Everything turned blank.

Complete darkness swallowed me whole. I floated in that black void. 

Questions crashed through my mind in waves. Was this death again? Where was Thanaia now? Then, like someone flipping a light switch.

I found myself lying flat on my back on cold stone, blinking up at the cave ceiling. Pain still stinging through my neck like lightning.

I gasped, my hand flying up to touch the spot where those teeth should have torn through flesh and bone. But instead of blood and torn skin, I felt... nothing there.

'What the hell?'

My eyes wide opened, though vision was blurry, unfocused, like I was looking through water. 

But then I saw something was moving above me, a translucent figure that seemed to glow with its own soft light.

"Goddess?" I muttered, my voice hoarse and confused.

As my eyes slowly adjusted and the blur faded, I got a clearer look at the figure hovering over me. And it definitely wasn't Thanaia.

"Aaaarg!" I shouted, scrambling backward.

"Arrg!" the figure screamed back, equally startled.

I shot up into a sitting position while the glowing form scrambled away from me, both of us staring at each other in mutual terror. My heart was hammering against my ribs as I tried to process what I was seeing.

It looked human, sort of.

 Translucent, like looking at someone through frosted glass. Young, maybe around my age.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered.