The corridor closed behind us with a soft, final sound.
Not a slam.
Not a warning.
A decision.
The Sanctuary’s glow narrowed to a steady ribbon of gold along the walls, illuminating stone worn smooth by centuries of passage. The air down here felt different—cooler, heavier, threaded with something like memory. Every step echoed twice, once beneath my boots and once somewhere deeper, like the tunnels themselves were answering me.
Rachel stayed close, weapon drawn but lowered. She wasn’t tense in the way she’d been moments ago—coiled, frantic. This was a hunter’s calm. Focused. Ready.
I breathed in slowly.
The power within me responded instantly, not surging, not flaring—just… aligning. Like it had always known where it was meant to sit, and I’d finally stopped fighting it.
“This pla
