The surface of the water stopped thrashing, and the sounds below died down one by one.
A few seconds later, Gabriel stepped out of the river as if he had only been gone for a short swim, landing back on the bridge with smooth balance and no visible injury.
He did not even look tired.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke. The fact that he had spent more than five minutes underwater while fighting whatever lived there made the whole bridge feel smaller, and it left a strange pressure in the air that had nothing to do with the tomb.
"...How?" ChaosCleric muttered, staring at him.
"How what?" Gabriel frowned.
"How did you stay in there for so long..."
Before Gabriel could reply, there was movement. The armored figure held out a towel without warning. Gabriel paused for a moment, clearly surprised by the gesture, then took it and wiped the water from his mask and shoulders without making a scene.
"Thank you," he said, though his tone stayed flat.
