Gabriel felt the aura grow denser with every step, and the change was clear enough to tell him they were getting close to the core. The pressure did not rise in one sudden burst, but in a steady way that made the tomb feel more alive the deeper they moved, and that was never a good sign in a place built to kill intruders.
The passage finally opened into a large river chamber, and the sight ahead made even the more confident members slow down. A wide bridge stretched across the dark water to the other side, and the distance looked long enough to make a bad fight turn ugly very quickly.
The group tried to move quietly after that, but the silence did not last long. The water below the bridge shifted in a way that was too slow to be random, and a few people noticed it at the same time, which only made the mood worse.
