The ascent platform carried them upward without ceremony.
There was no announcement, no dramatic shift in light or sound. The stone disk simply rose from the hollow chamber, guided by a column of dull-blue mana that hummed evenly beneath their feet. Arios stood near the center, posture steady, eyes forward. Lucy remained close to the edge, one hand resting lightly against the platform's boundary rune, while Liza leaned back with her arms crossed, gaze moving constantly.
No one spoke.
They had learned, over the past hours, that silence was often safer than conversation.
The platform slowed as it neared the upper threshold, the hum dropping in pitch before fading entirely. The stone settled into place with a muted thud, aligning seamlessly with the surrounding floor. Ahead stretched a broad corridor, wider than the others they had passed through so far. Its walls were smooth, almost polished, marked with evenly spaced markers that denoted distance rather than function.
