The crypt was suffocatingly silent.
Reed dragged himself to his feet, wincing at the stiffness in his limbs. His body was screaming at him to sit back down, to close his eyes for just a second, but the memory of the Wraith's eerie presence outside the door kept him moving.
Lena, as usual, wasted no time. She was already scouring the room, her fingers tracing along the old stone walls.
"There has to be a passage somewhere," she murmured, almost to herself.
Reed groaned. "Why can't we just… I don't know, stay here? Just until morning?"
Lena shot him a look. "You want to gamble on that thing not coming back?"
"…Fair point."
Reed rubbed his face, trying to shake off the creeping exhaustion. His head was foggy, his legs unsteady. He was starting to realize just how close he'd been to dying.
If Lena hadn't grabbed him when she did—
Nope. Not thinking about that.
He shook the thought away and forced himself to focus.
"…Alright, secret passage. If I were some ancient architect who designed this creepy place, where would I put a dramatic escape route?"
Lena ignored his sarcasm and kept searching. Reed sighed and started running his hands along the walls.
A few agonizingly slow minutes passed.
Then—
Click.
Reed froze.
Lena immediately turned toward him. "What did you do?"
Reed blinked down at his hand, which had just pressed against an uneven stone. "Uh… that, apparently."
Before he could react, the wall beside him shifted. A thin seam appeared in the stone, then— with a deep, rumbling groan— a hidden door slid open.
Reed took a step back. "…I swear, if this leads to another monster, I'm just going to let it kill me."
Lena didn't humor him with a response. She peered into the dark passageway, eyes sharp.
"…It's clear."
Reed exhaled and gave a halfhearted shrug. "Well, after you, princess."
Lena shot him a warning glance but didn't argue. She stepped into the passage first, sword still in hand. Reed followed, trying not to think about how easy it would be for this tunnel to collapse and bury them alive.
The air inside was stale. Dust clung to his throat, making him want to cough. The passage was narrow, just wide enough for them to walk side by side, and the deeper they went, the more oppressive the silence became.
Reed's thoughts started to drift. Who even is she? He still didn't know anything about this girl—except that she was absurdly strong, skilled, and had the attitude of someone who didn't trust easily. Not that he could blame her.
Still, she hadn't hesitated to save him.
That was… unexpected.
And kind of unsettling.
"…So," he muttered, mostly to distract himself. "You seem pretty used to this whole 'fighting for your life' thing."
Lena didn't respond immediately.
After a few moments, she simply said, "I had a good teacher."
Reed raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
She hesitated. Then, in a quieter voice, she added, "My brother taught me."
There was something about the way she said it—short, firm, but carrying an undertone of something heavier. It didn't invite more questions.
Reed considered pushing anyway. He really wanted to figure her out. But something told him that prying right now wouldn't end well.
"…Must've been a hell of a teacher," he settled on.
Lena nodded once but said nothing more.
Fine. If she wasn't going to talk, he'd just have to entertain himself.
"…Man, I really hope this isn't one of those tunnels that leads straight into a noble's basement," he muttered. "I don't think I have the energy to explain why I'm trespassing in some lord's wine cellar."
Lena's lips twitched—almost like she was trying not to react.
Almost.
Reed grinned to himself. So she can react to things.
Before he could test his luck further, Lena suddenly stopped.
Reed barely managed to avoid crashing into her. "Hey, a little warning next time—"
She raised a hand, silencing him.
Reed frowned, following her gaze.
Up ahead, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber. Faint torchlight flickered along the walls, casting long, eerie shadows.
And at the far end of the chamber—
A figure stood waiting.
Reed felt his stomach drop.
Oh. That's not good.