The air inside the Silver Hollow was thick, almost suffocating with the weight of old magic. Lyra could feel it pressing against her skin, sinking into her bones. It wasn't the comforting kind of magic she had felt in fleeting moments before. This was something darker, ancient, and raw.
Kael's hand hadn't left hers since they entered the fortress, his grip steady but tense. They were safe for now, or at least as safe as they could be. But even this sanctuary had its limits.
Lyra glanced around the vast stone structure, her breath still ragged from the climb. Shadows danced across the walls, cast by the flickering torches Kael had lit when they first entered. The fortress was massive, its labyrinthine corridors stretching far beyond what the eye could see. Yet, despite its size, it felt like the walls were closing in on her.
