The next morning, the air was heavy with mist. Verathane seemed quieter at dawn, but Ren noticed how silence in this place was never true stillness. The stones beneath his feet pulsed faintly, a reminder that the city itself was alive.
Kaelen led him toward the inner avenues, where the structures grew taller and more elaborate. Pillars carved with spirals of creatures twisted upward, their designs shifting subtly as the light touched them. At first Ren thought it was a trick of his eyes, but when he blinked, he saw the carvings rearranging themselves, showing different beasts in different poses.
"Pay attention to what changes," Kaelen said. "The walls carry memory. They reflect what has passed and what waits ahead."
As they moved deeper, the first of the day's creatures appeared. They emerged from the corners of the streets, low and sinuous, with bodies like scaled hounds but faces that resembled carved masks. Their eyes were hollow slits, yet they tracked every step Ren took.
