Their footsteps echo faintly on the cold stone. The bluish-black flames of the torches continue to burn behind them, but the descent is shrouded in an almost absolute silence. Alynia (ears alert): "No sound. Be careful. Silence here is never natural." Veil frowns, focusing on every noise. The crunch of his shoes on the stone feels unnaturally loud. The sound reverberates more than it should, as though the room itself amplifies every noise. Veil (quiet voice): "Are we supposed to walk like shadows?" Alynia (dryly): "If you can be as silent as a shadow, yes. Otherwise, shut up." They proceed slowly, their steps taking them onto a wider, smoother floor. The walls around them change. The engraved symbols are no longer simple lines but stylized ears. Alynia suddenly stops and raises her hand. Alynia (dry, focused): "Stop." A dull noise echoes in the distance—a dry, metallic scraping sound. The grinding of stone against stone. Veil (whispering): "What was that?" Alynia doesn't reply immediately, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead. Alynia (serious tone): "A test." A faint "click" sounds under Veil's foot. Veil (panicking): "Oh no..." A distant rumble reaches them, growing louder. Mechanisms activate. Stone plates shift around them, and the walls close behind them. Alynia (dryly): "Stay calm." A mechanism clicks above them. Stones descend, sealing off their way back. Alynia (calm but sharp): "Don't move. Listen." An absolute silence settles. Not a sound. Nothing. Veil (whispering): "Is it over?" A sharp "tick" echoes to the left. Alynia (sharp gaze): "No. It's starting." Their breathing slows. The "tick" repeats to the right, then the left, then closer. The sounds draw nearer. Veil (worried look): "Is something coming?" Alynia (quietly): "Not something. Several." Stealthy footsteps echo ahead, to the left, and to the right. Claws scrape against the stone. Three pairs of glowing yellow eyes appear in the distance, piercing the darkness. Eyes bright, surrounded by shadows. Alynia (through clenched teeth): "Shadow wolves." Veil (dryly): "Great... Three this time." The wolves advance slowly, their movements almost inaudible. They glide through the shadows, their eyes the only visible feature. Alynia (dryly): "Don't make unnecessary noise. They can't see anything, but they hear everything." One of the wolves leaps at Veil from the right. Veil (shouting in surprise): "Oh no!" He rolls on the ground as the beast lands on the stone with a sharp thud. Alynia leaps forward, claws extended. Alynia (yelling): "Get off him!" She strikes the wolf's shoulder with her claws, throwing it back. Veil (getting up): "These things don't make a sound, but they hit hard!" Alynia (dryly): "Then move!" The other two wolves lunge. Veil dodges the first, but the second charges straight at him. He raises his dagger just in time, the blade grazing the creature's snout. The wolf retreats with a yelp. Veil (panting): "That was lucky!" Alynia (dryly): "Luck never lasts." They stand back-to-back. The three wolves encircle them, moving slowly, their steps nearly inaudible. Veil (focused look): "They're surrounding us. What do we do?" Alynia (calm, faint smile): "We surprise them." She closes her eyes for a moment, takes a deep breath, and raises her hand. Alynia (calm voice): "Focus on the sounds. Not on what you see." Veil reluctantly closes his eyes. His breathing slows. He listens. A step to the left. A step to the right. A step ahead. Veil (internal thought): There... The sound of a paw on stone. He reacts suddenly. He pivots, dagger raised, and strikes the wolf in the throat before it can pounce. A sharp yelp echoes. Alynia (yelling): "Well done! Keep going!" The second wolf attacks from the left. Alynia pivots and drives her claws into its side. The third wolf leaps at Alynia, but Veil strikes its flank, breaking its momentum. The wolves fall, one after another. Total silence.