The air inside the archway felt different from the world above.
It was not merely heavier with mana.
It felt older.
The moment Edward stepped beyond the threshold, the faint sounds of the outside world vanished behind them. The crashing of waves, the murmurs of gathered kingdoms, even the distant thunder of the sky vortex faded into silence as though a great door had closed.
Ahead of them stretched a vast descending passage.
The black stone causeway continued downward in a wide slope, gradually narrowing as it spiraled deeper into the heart of Atlantis. The walls on either side were carved with ancient circular formations, each ring etched with symbols that no modern kingdom fully understood.
Some glowed faintly.
Others remained dark.
The ceiling arched far above them, supported by enormous pillars that seemed carved from a single block of stone. Strange veins of pale blue mana pulsed slowly through the rock like the heartbeat of a living creature.
