[BOND RANK UPDATED]
[CELESTE VANCE: RANK 1 → RANK 4]
[STATUS: CONFIDANTE]
[IMBUEMENT SLOT UNLOCKED]
I stumbled, catching myself against the tunnel wall. The burns on my arms chose that exact moment to remind me they existed by sending fresh waves of agony racing up to my shoulders.
"Satori?" Cel grabbed my elbow, steadying me. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just processing." I forced myself upright. "How much farther to the surface?"
She checked the path ahead. "Maybe another mile. The tunnel's sloping up now."
One mile. I could manage one mile.
We walked in silence, except for Nel's continued running commentary in my head about viewer statistics and how my "protective bad boy with secret heart of gold" routine was absolutely killing with the female demographic.
I was about to tell her to shut up when light appeared ahead. Actual daylight. Not the artificial silver glow of the Garden, but real sunshine filtering through trees.
