The soldiers who were returning to the surface offered a final salute before stepping onto the glowing pathway leading back.
Their footsteps faded slowly, echoing like distant whispers until silence settled behind them. Only those who chose to press onward remained.
Then with Reynold's lead, they began their way towards the next layer.
As they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere changed at once. The quiet hum of the previous chamber vanished, giving way to a heavy, motionless stillness.
In front of them stretched a deep, endless darkness, so complete that it seemed to swallow even the faintest trace of light.
The group slowed their pace. Their boots barely touched the ground, their weapons drawn halfway, eyes sharp and searching for the slightest tremor of movement in the darkness.
Then, a soft tone resonated. Lina's staff awakened, its core blooming with pale blue light.
