Chapter 67: The Sun-and-Moon Vault
The silence was the first thing that struck them. It was absolute, a profound void that swallowed the sound of their ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of their hearts. The great stone door had sealed behind them with a finality that echoed not in sound, but in vibration, a deep thrum that traveled up through the soles of their boots and into their bones.
The air was dry and carried a faint, clean scent of ozone and stone dust, a stark contrast to the wet, sulfurous warmth of the geothermal cavern. The corridor they stood in was illuminated by a cool, sourceless white light that emanated from the very walls, made of the same smooth, dark, energy-absorbing rock.
Elias sagged between them, his brief moment of clarity gone, lost to pain and exhaustion. "What... is this place?" he mumbled, his voice a dry rustle.
