Lira and Serelyth stepped carefully into the narrowing passage. The air smelled of wet stone and faint minerals, tinged with something faintly sweet, like a forgotten flower hidden in shadow. The silvery light from the vial cast gentle glimmers on walls that pulsed with unseen energy, and the vibrations of the Spirit beneath her feet seemed to grow stronger, yet remained teasingly ambiguous—never fully revealing the way ahead.
"This place… it's alive," Lira murmured, letting her fingers brush against the cool stone. The surface thrummed faintly under her touch, as though the cave recognized her presence. "It reacts when I move… when I breathe."
Serelyth's eyes glimmered. "Yes. The Spirit permeates everything here. Stones, water, air… even the smallest creatures. Move slowly, little flame. Sense first, act second."
