The creatures recoiled, their hollow eyes flickering as Sonder's mana tore through them. For a moment, there was silence—then they surged forward again, unrelenting.
Vell sighed dramatically. "Oh, come on."
The knight swung his blade in a wide arc, cleaving through one of the creatures. It dissolved into thick, black smoke, vanishing as if it had never been there. "They may not be alive," he said, "but they die well enough."
Sonder didn't answer. She kept firing, each mana bolt precise and unrelenting. Her arms burned from exertion—she had already spent so much magic breaking the door—but she didn't stop.
The squire barely dodged a clawed swipe, his breath ragged. "No matter how many we cut down, they keep coming!"
Vell spun his staff, paused for a moment, and then slammed it into the ground. Ripples of energy crackled outward like lightning strikes, vaporizing the shadows before they could fully form. "Then let's take a small breather, shall we?"
One of the pulses struck the wall. For a fleeting second, runes flared to life—glowing.
Sonder caught it immediately.
"The runes," she said, eyes locking onto the flickering symbols. "They're tied to the creatures."
Vell gave her an approving nod. "A keen observation, wizard."
The knight remained poised, blade at the ready. "And that means?"
Sonder steadied her breath. "It means we don't have to waste time fighting these things. We just have to destroy the runes."
"Where do we strike, Pale Lady?" The knight asked.
Sonder scanned the chamber, but the runes seemed evenly spread. Every strike from Vell's staff revealed them in different places, like a web woven across the walls. No single spot stood out.
She glanced at Vell, expecting guidance. Instead, she found him deep in thought—brows furrowed, expression unreadable.
She assumed he was trying to solve the same problem.
He wasn't thinking about the runes. He, instead, was thinking about his staff.
He slammed it into the ground a lot. Probably too much. It was his oldest companion, his first tool, his most reliable friend. Maybe he should stop doing that.
Sonder searched frantically but then sighed. Of course, she was a sorceress. She had other ways to find things.
If she couldn't see the right place to strike, maybe she could sense it.
She reached out with her mana, not just feeling but searching.
Magic was everywhere—woven into the walls, floors, and ceiling. But then—there.
Just ahead.
A single rune behind the stone, hidden yet seemingly central to the other runes.
She opened her eyes and pointed. "There. There's a room behind that wall. I think it's important."
The knight didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, sword raised, and drove the blade deep into the wall.
The reaction was immediate.
The entire chamber shuddered like it was exhaling. The runes flashed violently—then shattered. The creatures shrieked, their forms flickering as they let out distorted, inhuman wails before collapsing into mist.
Then the stone beneath them groaned.
A crack split outward from where the knight had struck, snaking through the floor.
The knight pulled his sword free and took a cautious step back, steadying his squire. "What now?"
Sonder swallowed hard. "The floor's about to collapse."
Vell groaned. "Again? What's Griffonage's obsession with floors that give way?"
The cracks deepened.
The floor crumbled beneath them.
Sonder hit the ground hard. Pain jolted through her limbs as she rolled, coughing against the dust.
It was far darker than above—so much so that she couldn't see anything.
The magic that had saturated the previous rooms was absent here.
She forced herself upright and summoned a small flame in her palm, letting its flickering light reveal their surroundings.
The air smelled acrid—something rotten.
Vell landed gracefully this time, prepared, and balanced on his feet with cat-like ease. "Alright. That wasn't too bad."
Already alert, the knight rolled into a stance while the squire groaned from his place on the floor.
Sonder raised her flame higher, scanning the room. The walls here were rough, unfinished. Unlike the structured corridors above, this place felt like an afterthought.
Her stomach twisted, a grim reminder of a past she never could forget.
Bones littered the floor.
Vell followed her gaze. "If I had to guess?" He gestured at the remains. "Disposal. Where the unsuccessful end up."