The hidden passage beneath the fortress was cold, damp, and eerily silent. Elvara led the way, her silver hair faintly glowing in the dim light of her sparking magic. The passage stretched ahead, a narrow, twisting path that seemed to spiral deeper into the earth. Rynor followed closely, his staff gripped tightly, its ember-lit tip casting flickering shadows along the walls.
'This place reeks of old magic,'
Rynor said, his voice low.
Elvara nodded, her expression sharp and focused.
'The Pact loves their theatrics. Traps, barriers, illusions — you name it. They'll have something waiting for us.'
As they advanced, the air grew heavier, thick with the residue of dark enchantments. Strange runes carved into the walls pulsed faintly, their glow waxing and waning like a heartbeat.
'Those runes,'
Rynor muttered, his eyes narrowing.
'They're channeling energy somewhere. The nexus must be close.'
