Amidst the thick, settling dust and pitch-black darkness, Norton leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. The place where his frantic, hunted footsteps finally stopped bore a horrifying resemblance to the site of the old mine he had collapsed with his own hands.

With a sharp vibration like something slamming into the floor, a massive silhouette loomed over Norton.

Reflexively lifting his head, he saw a being standing there—wearing the same clothes as him, but in a completely twisted form.

Worn, seemingly charred work clothes. A portion of its exposed upper body was made of stone, and in the center, there was a hollow hole, as if something had been scooped out.