The exit was a crack in the stone.
Kaelen felt a thread of cold, clean air that cut through the tunnel's copper stench. The crack was narrow, barely wider than his shoulders, and beyond it, he could see darkness. Not dungeon darkness. The darkness of a winter night, lit by the faint glow of distant snow.
"We made it," the younger woman whispered. "We actually made it."
The system flickered, weak but insistent:
[Dungeon Exit Detected – 50 feet ahead]
[Warning: The dungeon is collapsing faster than projected. Estimated time remaining: 90 seconds.]
[Note: The core essence within you is resisting the exit.]
Kaelen felt it a tug, a pull, and voices whispering like a chant in the back of his mind. *Stay. Stay with us. You have our heart. You belong here.*
He ignored them and kept moving.
