The stairwell wound down and down, a seemingly endless coil into the depths. The faint glow from the runes embedded in the steps was barely enough to see by, so Kai lifted his palm and whispered to himself.
"Illumination."
A sphere of white light bloomed into being, hovering just above his shoulder. Its glow pushed the shadows back in a trembling radius, revealing slick, damp walls of black-and-grey stone that seemed to pulse faintly, like veins under skin. The air was heavy, metallic, and still.
It was only when their boots hit level ground that Kai heard it.
A dry, hollow sound.
Clack… clack… clack…
The unmistakable rattle of bone on stone, growing louder. A sound every necromancer knew by heart.
'Skeleton.'
The noise echoed down one of the many corridors ahead. The tunnel split into a dozen intersections, each stretching into darkness, and from the leftmost came the sound.
Then, it appeared.
