They all ran deeper into the mines, neither of them knowing exactly where to go. Even worse, no one kept track of where they went so passage outside was left up to guess. It wasn't until they reached a dead end did they decide to stop.

Feliciano keeled over, coughing and gasping for breath as he tried to get himself together. Ivan was dead. He watched that monster cut through him like it was nothing! To see him being held up like that... struggling... slowly going limp... God, it was horrifying. The fact that something like that could happen to them any minute now sent numerous waves of panic throughout him.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Alfred swore, running shaky fingers through his hair. His words spoke on behalf of everyone while they all tried to catch their breath. "We have to get out of here. That-That thing is coming after us and, God, if it killed Ivan, it's going to kill us! We-We can't die down here!"

Gilbert looked around, eyes scanning the area to see what could help them out. Luckily, there was no sound of the wendigo come towards them so, in the meantime, they were safe. However, that only meant it was preoccupied with Ivan... which didn't make him feel any better. That man was only trying to help him... he wasn't supposed to die.

"Listen," Gilbert said, "We just have to be quiet, okay? Don't freak out just yet-"

"Don't freak out?! We just saw a man get killed by a horrifying monster and we ran down into the mines my dad told us specifically not to go to because it's dangerous- which, by the way, we're lost in! And you're telling me not to freak out?!" Alfred exclaimed heatedly, face paling as he spoke.

Kiku stepped forward, "We just have to find Arthur and get out of here. Remember, I radioed in for help and they said they would come and get us at dawn. If-If we just make out here before dawn and back to the lodge, we'll be okay..."

Even as those words were spoken, it still left a bottomless hole of hopelessness in all their hearts. So much had unfolded in a mere ten minutes and no one genuinely caught up to the present. Before, their chances of getting Arthur and getting back safely seemed so easy. Much more reliable. But now, as they waded in the mines with no recollection where to go from there, every hope and drop of faith had run dry.

"There has to be a map somewhere here, right? This is an old mining ground... maybe there's a map that'll show us where we are so we can know where to go from here." Kiku added on, looking around at everyone.

Francis nodded, "Yeah... we should check. If-If this is near where I was before... I might still remember where to go."

Everyone nodded in unison at that. That seemed like the best plan. Francis bit his lip at the thought of Arthur. Maybe if he got to see a map, he'll be able to pinpoint where he left Arthur. Arthur couldn't be that far from where they departed. He prayed that he was not too far off, both in distance and in hope of getting him back safely. With the absence of a watch and just any sort of time, he had no idea how long he had been gone.

Gilbert took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together. If Matthew hadn't of pulled that whole charade back at the lodge, he would've been (surprisingly enough to say) calm in this situation. He would've been able to keep a logical mindset and be the level headed person this group needed desperately. But, as he kept trying to maintain complete composure of himself, he just couldn't. The image of Ludwig just out of reach continued to flash violently in his mind. The cries of Feliciano and Kiku back in the basement. They were all still prominent in his mind as if refusing to let himself be.

He looked up for Feliciano but, to his already heightened worry, saw he was not there.

"Feli?" Gilbert asked out, ceasing everyone else's chatter.

"Feliciano?" Kiku said as he, too, noticed Feliciano's absence. Everyone looked around them as well. Feliciano was not there. Just moments ago he was there with them all but, all of a sudden, he was gone. Gilbert felt his face drain of color as he began to pace frantically around the secluded area they were in.

Alfred looked around as well, venturing towards where they came from. "Feliciano? Feliciano!" He called out loud but not too loud to where it could draw a lot of attention to themselves.

Shit. This was no time to lose someone from their group. This was no time for anyone to wonder off on their own. The damp stone walls of the mines gleamed cynically as an uneasy aura settled about.

Jabbing everyone in the back with surprise, a sudden scream rang out through the place. Gilbert's eyes widened, head snapping towards the direction of the scream. It was further into the mines opposite of where they came. And, without a doubt, it was Feliciano.

"Feli! We're coming!" He shouted back, feet pattering against the wet ground as he ran towards where Feli was. Everyone quickly followed, the fear of what caused the scream clawing away at them. Please, let him be okay... please let him be.

Alfred ran behind them all, struggling to keep up. The panic that coursed through him back in the lodge and with his time with Matthew returned. Fuck. This wasn't good. Mid run, Alfred felt himself trip over something sticking out from a large patch of dirt in a more open area of the mines. He winced as the left side of his body scraped against the ground, the pain curtained behind his heightened adrenaline. Pushing himself up, he looked back at what caused him to fall.

Sticking up from the dirt was an old wooden plank. The sides were scratched and horribly sawed as if it were done in a heat of the moment. Squinting through the smears on his glasses, Alfred began to read the words that were deeply scratched into the wood.

R.I.P
Lovino

Holy... shit.

Alfred felt the color in his face disappear as he shakily began to scramble away from the sign and back towards where everyone was. Lovino? He was here? He died here? What the hell was going on... this didn't add up. How was one of the two friends they were looking for here the entire time? Why was there a grave?

Feverishly, Alfred ran where everyone else had, eyes wide with terror.

"Guys! Guys! There's- There's something back there! Lov—" the blonde shouted as he began to catch up with everyone but let his words falter into his nothingness as he saw everyone.

They were all standing with their backs to him, staring at something he couldn't yet see. Kiku and Francis stood together, hands at their sides trembling in the slightest. Cautiously moving past them, Alfreda saw Gilbert kneeling down next to Feliciano. Feliciano was on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably into his hands as Gilbert embraced him in a tight hug. Hesitantly, Alfred walked beside the two, instantly regretting getting so close. Right in front of Feliciano was a trail of dried blood. The crimson smears led to a severed head carelessly placed on its side. The eyes were half way open, forever staring at the empty space in front of them. Auburn hair hung messily to the side, covering the bruising on its forehead. The neck was disgustingly messy with decay and now a filthy brown from where it was snapped from the rest of its body.

Feliciano choked on his tears as he struggled to find words to say. But, he couldn't... He simply cried out his pain and reawakened grief that he'd been holding in the entire trip.

Just faintly between his gasps of air and heartbreaking whines of despair, Alfred could make out just a few words.

"Fratello... brother... no..."

It was then did Alfred and everyone else suddenly realize that the poor head they were staring at was of their lost friend, Lovino Vargas.

...

[ Arthur's POV ]

The longer I lie here, the weaker I feel myself getting. It's so, so cold...

I haven't heard anything since that damn wendigo left. I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If there was no sound, maybe everyone was safe... or it just means it's killed them all. Dear God, I pray it's not the latter. Anything but the latter.

From where I lie, I can see my hand outstretched in front of me, holding onto nothing. My fingertips are a faint blue, but too numb to feel if any of this was painfully cold. It used to hurt but now I just feel... nothing. The gashes and bruising on my body seems to have just disappeared. This is good. Maybe if I don't move, I'll continue to feel nothing. Maybe if I just completely give up, I won't have to feel this terror anymore. Maybe if I...

My eyes widen as a loud scream reverberates off the walls of the mines. I feel the sinking in my stomach return again as I dread the cause of the scream. Who was that? It sounded like Feliciano. Oh no... please, let it not be anything bad. I can't bear the thought of anything harming him. He's gone through enough as it is, he needn't anymore despair.

"Guys! Guys! There's something-"

I feel my chest twist as I heard Alfred's voice come down the tunnel to my right. They're all here...? And, they're all so close. I can hear them. They're just down that tunnel. They're so close... Oh god, Francis, he's there with them.

I open my mouth to call out but feel the cold air silence my voice. I try and call out louder but was interrupted by a harsh cough. Keeling to the side into a fit, I wince as my body moved against the stone. I had to get to them. I had to let them know I was here. They had to know I was here. They had to find me, or I had to reach them.

No matter what, my attempts to call out keep failing. It was no use. With defeat, I let my body slacken as the cold numbed my senses once more.

A/N:

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize for the wait.

Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews, I love to hear from you all :)