The tunnel tightened as they descended, winding downward in a suffocating spiral. The walls closed in on them like the throat of some colossal beast swallowing them whole. Each step echoed with a hollow finality, the sound bouncing back strangely, as if the walls themselves were whispering their movements to something unseen below.
Lin led the way, flashlight beam cutting across the damp stone. The spiral seemed endless, every curve the same as the last, tricking the mind into believing they were trapped in a loop. Keller walked close behind, his hand brushing the wall to ground himself. Min-joon lagged slightly, muttering under his breath, his nerves fraying with each downward turn.
The air was heavier here. It pressed against their lungs, thick with dust and the metallic tang of rust. And beneath it all, faintly but undeniably, was the scent of decay.
"Feels like a grave," Keller muttered, his voice low. His breath fogged briefly in the cold, vanishing as quickly as it came.
