The portal spat Serena and BJ into a world of utter darkness. Shadows stretched endlessly, swallowing their feet and obscuring the walls around them. They were little more than silhouettes, their forms flickering as faint, otherworldly lights glimmered somewhere far above. "Great," Serena muttered, hugging herself. "One more world. Completely... pitch black. Fantastic."
BJ clicked a few switches on his sensors, which hummed weakly in the dark. "Yep. Darkness. Check. Creepy vibes. Check. A puzzle with a gear somewhere in here... double check. I can feel it. This place is deliciously terrifying."
A faint, metallic glint caught Serena's eye. Something spun slowly behind a jagged shadow, a gear, one of Raymond's pieces, glinting faintly in the darkness. "There it is," she whispered. "Raymond's gear... but... what is that shadow?"
A figure loomed between them and the gear. Tall, formless, and shifting with an unnatural grace. Its eyes, or maybe the glint of its head flickered faintly, reflecting the gear's light. The shadow seemed to grow larger as they breathed, its presence oppressive. BJ froze. "Uh... yeah. That's... that's definitely not normal."
Serena crouched low, pulling BJ behind a jagged crystal protruding from the floor. "Shhh! Hide! We need a plan. And fast!"
The shadow stirred, making a low, rumbling sound, echoing through the empty expanse. It didn't move toward them yet, but its slow, deliberate motion made every hair on their bodies stand on end. BJ whispered, teeth clenched. "Plan... plan... okay, uh... maybe we lure it away with something shiny? Or I can... make a distraction? Maybe throw... a wrench?"
Serena pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're not throwing wrenches in pitch black. That's exactly how we die."
A faint metallic click sounded somewhere near the gear. The shadow shifted slightly, as if sensing their presence. Serena's heart raced. "We need to be smart," she murmured. "One wrong move, and that gear, and maybe us, are toast."
BJ nodded, his silhouette tense behind hers. "Agreed. But... okay. I say we think of something fast, because I do not want to spend another night in one of these nightmare worlds." The two of them crouched, hearts pounding, eyes fixed on the glint of Raymond's gear beyond the shadow. Somewhere in the darkness, a low, almost playful hum echoed, like the world itself was taunting them.
Serena took a deep breath. "Alright... we can do this. We just need a plan. One move, and we grab that gear." They remained crouched, silhouettes in the pitch-black world, watching the shadow, calculating, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Serena and BJ pressed themselves against the shadowed wall, hearts hammering, as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, or rather, to the faint glimmer of the gear beyond the looming figure. "Okay..." Serena whispered, glancing around. "We need a light. There has to be a switch or something nearby. Anything to give us—"
Her words cut off as BJ pointed toward a large, rusted cart tucked into the corner of the cavernous room. Its metal wheels glinted faintly, reflecting the dim light of the crystal shards embedded in the floor. "Cart," BJ muttered. "Maybe it's an elevator? Or a lift of some kind?"
Serena nodded, stepping toward it cautiously. "Good idea. If we can get it moving, maybe the motion will trigger... something. Lights, sensors, I don't know. We just need something."
They fumbled around the cart, brushing away debris and trying every lever and button they could find. Nothing. "Of course not," BJ grumbled. "This is the worst. Every puzzle has a twist. Every trap has a..ugh."
A sudden shuffle made them freeze. From the darkness, the shadow stirred, slowly, deliberately. And this time... it wasn't silent. "Who's there?" Serena called, voice trembling slightly.
The shadow shifted, long, ragged hair falling over its face. A low, male voice rumbled from beneath the hair. "Hoo... who dares enter... my domain?"
BJ stiffened. "Uh... great. Male voice. Creepy. Long hair. Definitely not normal."
Serena ducked behind the cart, gripping it for safety. "We just, look, we just need a light. That's it. One little flick of a switch, and maybe this guy won't see us as... dinner."
The monster's shadow stretched across the cavern floor, tendrils of darkness curling around the crystal shards. Its deep voice echoed off the walls, each word vibrating through the air. "I see... everything... little humans... sneaking..."
BJ groaned. "I do not like this. I do not."
Serena peeked over the edge of the cart, eyes squinting. The figure loomed taller than she expected. Long, matted hair draped down its shoulders, partially hiding the faint glint of an eye, or maybe a crystal embedded somewhere beneath the darkness. "Okay," she whispered. "We need a plan. Fast. Cart elevator, maybe light switch, monster, male, hair, don't scream, got it?"
BJ clicked his sensors anxiously. "I think that's everything. But... how exactly are we supposed to activate a light switch when all I see is... that?"
The shadow shifted again, a low growl emanating from deep in its throat. "Come... closer..."
Serena swallowed hard, gripping BJ's arm. The teal glow of Raymond's gear still shimmered faintly beyond the monster, taunting them. Serena and BJ backed against the cold stone wall, the shadows stretching and twisting around them. The cart they had tried to use as a shield was overturned, its metal groaning under their weight. The long-haired figure loomed closer, low, rumbling voice echoing through the cavern. "We're... trapped," Serena whispered, clutching Raymond's gear tightly. "No way out. We can't... we can't—"
Before she could finish, BJ let out a high-pitched scream that could rival any terrified human. Sparks flew from his sensors as his circuits overloaded in panic. "AHHH! GET IT AWAY! OH NO! AAAHHHH!" The sudden flash of light from BJ's malfunctioning sensors reflected off the jagged crystals, illuminating the shadowy figure in stark detail. Serena blinked, momentarily stunned.
...It wasn't a monster.
It was a woman. Her hair was long, dark, cascading over her shoulders, and her eyes, warm, fierce, and unmistakable—gazed down at them with a mix of amusement and relief. She held out her hands as the shadows receded in the sudden light. "Serena... BJ?" she said softly, voice tinged with disbelief. "Is that... really you?"
Serena's jaw dropped. "Wait... you're..." She took a cautious step forward. "Raymond's... wife?"
The woman nodded, a small, warm smile spreading across her face. "Yes. I came looking for you... and this." She pointed to the glowing teal gear in Serena's hand. "Raymond's gear... you found it."
BJ sputtered, sparks flickering lightly across his shoulders. "Wait... wait... it's just... it's just a woman?! I screamed like a girl... oh, no, the horror! The humiliation!"
Serena couldn't help but laugh, relief washing over her. "Better scream than get eaten, BJ."
The woman stepped closer, crouching to Serena's level. "You've been so brave... fighting through these worlds, these dangers. You found the gear... for him." Her gaze softened. "Thank you."
Serena handed the teal crystal to her, and the woman carefully examined it before holding it out. "This will help put Raymond back together. You've done so much already... I... I can't thank you enough."
BJ straightened, a bit sheepishly. "Yeah... yeah, humans saved the day... I guess. And screamed. A lot."
The woman laughed softly, the sound echoing through the cavern. "Come. Let's return this gear to him. He's waiting... and he'll be whole again, thanks to you."
Serena glanced at BJ, who gave her a small shrug. "One more step, one more piece... then we fix him. Finally." Together, the two navigated the remaining shadows, the light from BJ's sensors flickering harmlessly across the walls. The cavern, once a place of fear and mystery, now seemed alive with warmth, hope, and reunion. The woman's hand rested briefly on Serena's shoulder as they moved forward. "You did well," she said softly. "Now... let's bring him home." As the teal crystal hummed gently in Serena's hands, she felt a renewed determination. The next step, the next piece... Raymond was closer than ever to being whole again. And for the first time in what felt like ages, the darkness didn't seem so threatening.