Darkness swallowed them.
Not normal darkness.
Not the kind that comes at night.
This darkness felt alive.
Vivian felt the air leave her lungs as she and Sebastian dropped through the blue light. The world twisted around them like water spinning inside a storm.
She grabbed Sebastian's hand tightly.
"Sebastian!"
"I'm here," he said immediately.
His voice was calm.
Strong.
But even he sounded slightly unsure.
The falling did not feel fast.
It felt endless.
Light moved around them in strange shapes. Blue flames formed symbols that appeared for a moment before dissolving again.
The air hummed with power.
Then suddenly—
The falling stopped.
Their feet slammed onto solid ground.
Hard.
Vivian stumbled forward, but Sebastian caught her before she fell.
"Easy," he said quietly.
The spinning light faded.
The world slowly came into focus.
And what Vivian saw made her breath stop.
They were no longer inside the vault.
