The silence after the fall was almost absolute, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Kael lay motionless, his body engulfed in flames, while Erika knelt beside him, still trying to grasp where they were. The faint, reddish light pulsing from the walls felt alive, like the slow heartbeat of something ancient. It wasn't natural. And the smell in the air — iron, mold, and something sour — seemed older than the very stone beneath their feet.
Kael tried to move.
He failed.
His body didn't respond the way it should. Pain surged in waves. Fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a deep gash in his leg. But the worst part was the emptiness — his mana was gone, completely drained, as if it had been sucked out forever.
Erika ran a hand across his chest, activating a healing rune.The blue light flickered… and died.
"There's not enough mana down here for it to work," she murmured. "Or maybe there's too much... but it's distorted."
Kael opened his eyes with effort.
