Chapter 205 - Underground Lake of Souls

The passage twisted and descended further, narrowing in some areas, widening in others, as if the cave itself breathed around them. Lira's footsteps echoed softly, mingling with the distant drip of water from unseen stalactites. Each drop sounded slightly different, some hollow, some metallic, some almost like a whisper—a delicate rhythm that seemed to guide her heartbeat in subtle, unperceived ways. Serelyth moved beside her, her massive claws barely making a sound against the stone floor. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, piercing shadows, reflecting hints of Lira's tentative hope and latent curiosity. The silver vial she carried cast gentle, oscillating beams of light, glinting off jagged mineral veins in the walls and illuminating clusters of tiny, luminescent fungi that dotted the ground like scattered stars. Every flicker of light, every shadow, seemed alive, as if the cavern itself were aware of their presence, breathing and pulsing alongside them.