The sensation of falling ended with a jarring thud against a surface that felt like polished bone. Lucien groaned, his limbs heavy and unresponsive. Beside him, Nyra lay curled in a fetal position, her breathing ragged, while Selene and Seraphina were slowly pulling themselves upright in the dim, pulsing light of the chamber.
"Is everyone... intact?" Nyra whispered, her voice barely audible. She reached out, her fingers trembling as she checked her own arms and legs for phantom wounds.
"Intact, but barely," Seraphina replied, her voice laced with exhaustion. She wiped a streak of silver ichor from her lip. The magical toll of the descent had turned her hair completely white, stripping away years of her life in mere seconds.
Lucien climbed to his feet, his Crimson Eyes scanning the room.
