The symbols dimmed slowly, their glow retreating back into the concrete like embers fading after a fire. The room exhaled, but the pressure in Liora's chest didn't ease.
She pulled away from Kael, wiping her tears quickly. "You knew," she said.
Kael didn't deny it.
"You knew something like that could happen to me."
"I knew it was possible," he replied. "Not certain."
"That's not comforting."
He met her gaze steadily. "Nothing about this is."
The ground vibrated again—stronger this time. The walls groaned, dust shaking loose from the ceiling.
"They've noticed you understand now," Kael said. "That changes how the city treats you."
Liora's stomach clenched. "So what? I just… pretend I didn't see it?"
Kael shook his head. "You can't unsee truth in this city. Rule three: knowledge binds."
A sharp sound cut through the room—like glass cracking.
One of the walls split open, revealing a narrow passage beyond it. Darkness flowed from the opening, thick and deliberate.
Liora stared. "That wasn't there before."
"No," Kael said quietly. "It's an invitation."
She took a step back. "I don't want invitations anymore."
The passage pulsed faintly, responding to her fear. Images flashed at the edges of her vision—streets folding, people unraveling, shadows whispering her name.
Kael cursed under his breath. "It's reacting to your resistance."
"Then what do I do?"
He hesitated—and that hesitation told her everything.
"You choose," he said. "Go forward and risk becoming part of it. Or turn away and let someone else pay the price."
Her breath caught. "Someone else?"
"The city doesn't stop," he said softly. "It substitutes."
A scream echoed from somewhere far beyond the passage—brief, distant, real.
Liora clenched her fists.
"I won't let it do this," she said.
She stepped toward the darkness.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the passage sealed shut behind them.
Kael's voice was low, almost grim. "Then understand this, Liora."
"What?"
"There's no going back after this."
The darkness ahead shimmered—alive, waiting.