The tunnel swallowed them whole.
The glow of the silver vial dimmed almost immediately, as though the darkness here was not the absence of light, but a living force that devoured it. The pale shimmer reached only a few feet from Lira's trembling hand before it was consumed, fading into a suffocating black. The air was heavy, carrying a faint metallic tang, and each breath echoed unnaturally in her chest.
Lira shivered, clutching the vial closer. "It… it's too dark," she whispered, her voice quivering. "The light doesn't even reach the walls anymore."
Serelyth stepped close, her tall form calm and steady even here where nothing could be seen. She reached out, finding Lira's hand, her touch warm and firm. "Do not fear, little flame. Sight is only one way to walk a path. In such places, light betrays as often as it helps. Trust me."
