On floor -2, Celestina, Henrik, and the others moved through the maze of corridors, their lanterns casting long shadows on the walls.
Just minutes ago, they had heard the same chilling announcement as Azriel on floor -1: all cells had been unlocked.
The cells on this floor were much larger and more heavily secured than the ones Azriel had encountered. They were massive domes, yet unlike the cells designed to mimic void creatures' natural environments, these were plain—sterile, lifeless.
…Only, there was a problem.
The containment domes were empty. Completely empty, as if abandoned for weeks.
A tense silence hung over the group until Sophia whispered, her voice barely audible over their footsteps.
"Do you think Prince Azriel is fine? He isn't… dead, is he?"
She kept flicking her eyes around, struggling to hide her fear and anxiety.
Celestina glanced at her briefly, her gaze softening before she spoke, her tone warm and reassuring.
