The dust trail streaked ahead of us, a silver comet rushing into the dark. The tunnel widened around a sharp bend, opening into a cavern that felt too circular, too smooth, too deliberate to be natural. The air tasted metallic, buzzing faintly like it carried electricity. The dust hit the stone floor at the center of the chamber and exploded outward.
A glowing circle spread across the ground.
Not drawn.
Not etched.
Burned into existence.
The rune ignited all at once, a perfect ring of silver light so bright it cast our shadows against the walls like thin silhouettes. Lines inside the circle lit up one by one, weaving into a complex pattern that twisted and overlapped in ways that made my eyes water.
It felt wrong.
Like the ceiling of the world had opened.
Like the mine had been wai
