The quarry was chaos when they emerged.
The workers had fled, driven out by the shaking and the strange, oppressive feeling that had settled over the place. The twins were there, Aperi and Ariani, their faces pale, their hands covered in cuts from the rune carving. Markus stood at the edge of the quarry, his face pale, his eyes wide.
"Young master," Markus said, rushing toward him. "What happened? I tried to call out, but nothing happened. And then…"
"I know," Kaelen said. "I know. It's okay. It's over."
Markus's eyes dropped to Kaelen's hands. "What happened to you?"
Kaelen looked down. His hands were different. Paler. More translucent. The veins visible beneath the skin like rivers on a map, glowing faintly with blue and crimson light. He could feel the network pulsing through them, the dungeon connected to his very being, thrumming like a second heartbeat beneath his flesh.
Lysander took his hands.
