Days passed like shadows, slow and dreadful, as the survivors of the dungeon emerged in broken groups. The number of those who made it out dwindled with every passing hour, and the horrors they'd witnessed weighed heavily on their faces. From their original group, only Rhea, Leena, Shalana, and Countess Leona led five other women back to the dim light of the surface, each of them battered and haunted.
They staggered out of the dungeon entrance, armor bloodied, faces pale, their eyes showing the exhaustion of souls that had touched the edges of despair. As they reached a clearing, Shalana glanced back at the dungeon, her jaw tight, shoulders tense. She looked around, noticing that Rhea and Leena were trembling, visibly shaken.
"Is this all? Only this many made it back?" Countess Leona asked, though her tone held little hope.
"Only seven of us made it back," Shalana replied grimly, her voice laced with regret.
