The subterranean descent into the Old Iron Works felt like stepping into an forgotten grave.
The howling storm on the surface slowly quieted into a hollow, rhythmic drip of stagnant water freezing against the dark rock walls. As the narrow, winding shaft widened out, the air turned dense, heavy, and metallic—saturated with the suffocating reek of old rust and the bitter, sulfurous tang of dark beast mana.
Kyle led the way down the slick granite incline, his shadow gauntlet resting quietly at his side. Beside him, Yua kept her head low, her crimson eyes scanning the overhead wooden beams that groaned under the weight of the frozen mountain above. Behind them, Seraphina walked with smooth, silent grace, her ocean trident held at a gentle slant, while Vespera hovered three inches off the damp stone floor, surrounded by a faint halo of golden light that cast long, unnatural shadows against the cavern walls.
The absolute silence between them was taut and fragile.
