Meanwhile, deep beneath the palace, the ancient doors yielded with little resistance once Ningyan pressed his beast qi against their surface. A low hum rippled through the formation before they parted, revealing a cavern of cold stone and dim lantern light.
The air was stale, heavy... Rotting with time.
Rows of translucent cells lined the chamber, each sealed by faintly glowing restraints. Within them were remains.
Some were nothing more than skeletons collapsed in silence.
Others still lived.
If it could be called living.
Their bodies were gaunt, their eyes hollow, their presence so faint it was nearly indistinguishable from the dead.
Ningyan slowed.
His gaze fell upon one of the prisoners, a man slumped against the barrier, barely breathing.
He stepped closer, raising a hand to the shimmering surface.
A pulse of qi brushed against it and he froze.
"…His beast core," Ningyan murmured, voice tightening. "It's shattered."
