The afternoon sun spilled across the winding dirt path, warm and golden after seven endless days trapped beneath cold stone. Luca and his companions walked together in silence, their bodies bruised and weary but their spirits strangely light. Their traveling clothes were torn, smeared with ash and dried blood, but the breeze on their faces felt like a blessing—soft, alive, and free.
Kyle stretched his arms wide, groaning dramatically as he tilted his head toward the sky. "Ahhh—finally! Real air! I swear, if I saw one more rock wall, I was going to marry it."
A chuckle rippled through the group.
