Lila
The chamber reacts before Rowan even crosses the threshold.
The runes along the walls flicker erratically, their steady pulse breaking into uneven flashes as if the land itself has lost its rhythm. The silver glow dims in places, flares in others, and for the first time since we descended, the presence hesitates.
Not confused.
Cautious.
I turn just as Rowan steps fully into the hollow.
He doesn’t rush.
Doesn’t challenge.
He moves with the calm certainty of someone who knows exactly where he stands—even when the ground beneath him is sacred.
The moment his boot touches the stone, the air shifts.
Not explosive. Not violent.
Stabilizing.
The pressure in my chest eases slightly, like a clenched fist loosening just enough to breathe.
Damien feels it too. I see it in the way hi
