The western tunnels had always been dangerous, even on the maps of the city. Narrow passages wound like a maze beneath Umbra, lined with stone shelves that once stored precious artifacts, now mostly empty. The air tasted of dust and lingering fire residue. Every step Leo and Kaelis took stirred motes that danced in the torchlight, forming patterns almost alive.
"I hate these tunnels," Kaelis muttered, brushing against a cracked wall. "Seriously, who designed this? Spiral staircases to nowhere? Hidden alcoves with no exits? It's like someone wanted adventurers to get lost forever."
Leo didn't respond immediately. His focus was on the dim light ahead. "Stay sharp. The corruption isn't just aboveground. It's rooting itself here, in memory, in what we thought was permanent. These tunnels… they record and manipulate what was once real."
Kaelis's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a metaphor for bureaucracy. But way creepier."
