The silence that followed Elian’s revelation was heavier than the miles of rock pressing down upon them. Sarah stood frozen, the flashlight beam trembling in her grip, casting dancing shadows against the jagged mine walls. She stared at Elian, her breath catching in her throat, while the rhythmic tapping from the rusted pipe continued, a steady, mocking heartbeat in the dark.
"What are you talking about?" Sarah whispered. Her voice lacked its usual steel, replaced by a raw, jagged edge of genuine confusion. "Elian, don’t play games. What is that sound?"
Elian did not move. His gaze remained locked on her eyes, tracking the faint, unnatural luminescence that flickered like a dying pixel in the green of her iris. He felt his own pulse quicken, the static of his Counter-Resonance beginning
