The journey into the underworld began with silence.
Fen walked at the front of the group, his long cloak dragging across the blackened earth as the Guardians followed behind. The air grew colder the deeper they went, the sky above bleeding from crimson to pitch. Emily’s hand instinctively brushed against Eric’s, and though he didn’t take it, he stayed close enough to shield her if needed.
No one spoke until the ground beneath their boots shifted from soil to stone. A faint glow, like veins of fire, ran through cracks in the earth, lighting the way as if the world itself was alive and breathing.
Finally, Sarah broke the silence. “This doesn’t look like any nightmare.” Her voice was steady, but her eyes kept scanning the shadows. “It looks… built.”
“It is,” Fen replied, his voice low but
