The mountain swallowed them whole. Darkness pressed in from every side as the narrow passage stretched endlessly forward, the air growing colder the deeper they went. The only sound footsteps, breathing and the quiet, steady life held between them.
The woman moved carefully, one hand gliding along the damp stone wall to guide her path. The child rested against her chest, wrapped tightly, her warmth the only thing keeping the cold at bay.
Behind her, elder Michael carried a small lantern now lit. Its glow barely pushing back the shadows.
“This path…” she whispered, her voice echoing softly. “Where does it lead.”
“Beyond the eastern ridge,” the elder replied. “Into lands they do not control.”
“How far.”
“Far enough,” he said.
Not comforting, but honest. The tunnel sloped downward, une
