"I should've known," Kevin muttered to himself. "It never lasts."

The orc had abandoned him without even a word, fleeing into the darkness as soon as the first sign of danger reared its head. Kevin had never been one to rely on others, but something about the orc's sudden betrayal stung in a way he hadn’t anticipated. He wasn’t surprised. He had learned long ago that trust was a fragile thing, something that could be shattered with a single movement, a single choice. He was alone, just as he always had been.

But that didn’t matter now. The dungeon was full of threats, and Kevin’s survival depended on him alone. He had faced monsters before. He could do it again.

The echo of his footsteps was the only sound that filled the silence, until a faint rustle broke through the quiet. A skittering sound that grew louder with each passing second, sending a shiver down his spine. He stopped in his tracks, listening. There it was again. This time, closer. Something was moving in the dark, and it wasn’t the wind.

Kevin’s hand instinctively went to his side, where his makeshift weapon—the jagged rock he had used earlier—still clung to his grip. His fingers tightened around it, his breath quickening as he tried to discern the source of the noise. He had learned to be cautious, to stay alert. But this was different. There was a weight to the air, a palpable tension that made his skin crawl. He could feel it now, the danger was near.

Suddenly, the creature emerged from the shadows, its massive, spindly legs stretching out from behind a jagged rock formation. Kevin froze, his eyes widening at the sight of it.

A giant spider. Its body was slick and dark, its legs long and twitching as it moved toward him. Its fangs dripped with venom, and its many eyes glinted in the dim light, reflecting a deep, predatory hunger. Kevin’s heart skipped a beat, and his mind raced.

"Not this," he muttered under his breath. "Not now."

The spider hissed, a low and menacing sound that made Kevin’s blood run cold. Before he could react, it lunged, its fangs snapping just inches from his face. Kevin threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. The creature’s legs scraped the stone, its body twisting in mid-air as it tried to reposition itself. Kevin’s instincts screamed at him to run, but his feet were rooted to the spot. He couldn’t back down. Not now.

The orc was gone, and there was no one else to fight for him. This was his fight, his survival, and if he wanted to make it out of this place, he would have to fight like his life depended on it—because it did.

The spider skittered forward, its body undulating as it pressed the attack. Kevin’s mind raced, and his muscles tensed. He had no time to think. Only to act.

The spider struck again, its fangs aiming for his throat. This time, Kevin was ready. He ducked low and swung the rock with all his might, slamming it into the creature’s side. The impact sent a sharp jolt of pain through his arm, but it was enough to disorient the beast for a moment. It screeched in pain, the sound reverberating in the narrow space. Kevin wasted no time. He charged forward, using the momentum of his earlier strike to drive the rock deep into the spider’s abdomen.

The spider shrieked again, its many legs thrashing wildly as it tried to pull away. Kevin’s heart raced, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he didn’t let up. He had to finish this now.

The spider reared back, but Kevin was already on it, moving faster than he ever had before. He swung the rock again and again, each hit landing harder than the last. With a final, devastating blow, the rock broke through the spider’s exoskeleton, piercing its flesh. The creature’s legs twitched one last time before it crumpled to the ground, its body lifeless.

Kevin stood over the creature’s remains, his chest heaving, his breath ragged. His mind was still racing, but a strange sense of accomplishment washed over him. He had done it. The danger was gone. For now.

He stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow, his pulse slowly returning to a normal rhythm. The weight of the rock in his hand felt strange, almost foreign, but he didn’t let go. His grip tightened instinctively.

Kevin glanced around, taking stock of his surroundings. He was still alone. And yet, the silence in the wake of his victory felt different. It was no longer oppressive. He had faced a creature of unimaginable size and strength, and he had won.

His eyes lingered on the spider’s carcass for a moment longer before he turned and pressed on, his footsteps once again filling the void. He didn’t know how much farther he had to go. The dungeon seemed endless, twisting and turning, with no sign of an exit. But that didn’t matter right now.

What mattered was that he had faced the fear. And he had come out on top.

As he continued to move deeper into the dungeon, the oppressive silence settled around him once more. But now, there was a new sense of determination in his heart. He was stronger than he had thought. The orc’s abandonment had left a wound, but he had learned something about himself in the process.

He didn’t need anyone else. Not really. Not anymore.

But despite the resolve in his chest, there was a lingering thought in the back of his mind, a reminder of the companionship he had lost. He had been betrayed, left behind. But he wouldn’t let that define him. He wouldn’t let it make him weak.

He couldn’t afford to be weak.

Kevin’s mind wandered back to the orc. It had been easy to fool himself into thinking they could be allies, that the creature’s brutish nature might be an asset. But he had learned something important. In a place like this, trust was nothing but a lie. It wasn’t worth the risk.

He was alone. And he would stay that way.

The silence stretched on, broken only by the sound of his breathing. And as he continued through the endless maze of corridors, Kevin knew one thing for certain. He would survive. The dungeon would not defeat him. And whatever other horrors lay ahead, he would face them head-on.

Because he was no longer just a lost soul in the dark. He was a fighter. And this was his fight.