Sara walked near the center of the group of twelve, the wooden tablet held steady in both hands. Soft array symbols drifted around her like pale fireflies, casting a thin, shifting light across the damp stone walls. The tunnel remained narrow and low. Moisture beaded on the rough surfaces and fell in irregular drops that echoed farther than they should have. The air grew cooler with every step, carrying a faint mineral tang mixed with the same pungent odor that had greeted them at the entrance. Boots scraped softly against uneven ground. No one spoke.
They advanced carefully until the rock walls simply ended.
