The spiral tunnel felt like it was swallowing us whole.
Every step downward tightened something in my chest, a slow coil of dread that pulled tighter the deeper we went. The walls curved around us, smooth in some places and jagged in others, as if they had been carved by both human hands and something older. The silver veins weaving through the stone glowed steadily, pulsing at the same slow rhythm as my mark. It felt like walking inside a living creature, following the lines of its ribs toward its heart.
The air grew colder with each turn of the spiral. Thin. Old. Heavy with a metallic bite that clung to the back of my tongue. Even the sound of our footsteps changed, echoing off the stone in a way that made it impossible to tell where the tunnel ended.
Nathan walked in front of me, clo
