The chamber ahead was silent.
Reed's breath slowed as he took in the figure standing at the far end. Cloaked in darkness, it was impossible to make out details, but the sheer presence of the person sent warning bells ringing in his head.
Lena tensed beside him. Her grip on her sword tightened ever so slightly, her stance shifting. Reed barely noticed—he was too busy trying to fight down the instinctual dread crawling up his spine.
Who the hell is that?
For a long moment, no one moved. Then, the figure finally took a step forward, and the dim torchlight caught their silhouette. A hood obscured most of their face, but a gloved hand rested lazily on the pommel of a sword.
Not drawn. Not yet. But the threat was clear.
Lena was the first to speak. "Who are you?"
The stranger didn't answer immediately. Instead, they tilted their head slightly, as if observing them. Then, in a voice as smooth as flowing water, they murmured, "You're not supposed to be here."
Reed exhaled sharply. "No kidding. Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere else."
Lena ignored him. "Step aside."
A low chuckle. "Bold."
Reed shot her a look. "Hey, maybe let's not provoke the creepy sword guy?"
Lena didn't so much as blink. Her stance remained firm, unwavering. Reed had a feeling that if this turned into a fight, she wouldn't hesitate for even a second.
Which was reassuring. Sort of.
The stranger exhaled softly, almost like they found the situation amusing. Then, without another word, they finally moved—stepping just enough to the side to no longer block the tunnel's exit.
Lena didn't lower her weapon. "That's it?"
"I'm not your enemy," the stranger said simply.
That did absolutely nothing to ease Reed's nerves. In fact, it only made them worse.
Lena seemed to share his unease. "Then what are you?"
The stranger didn't answer. Instead, they turned away, moving toward a separate passage Reed hadn't noticed before. Just as they reached the archway, they paused.
A single glance back.
"Be careful which paths you walk," they said softly. "Not all doors should be opened."
Then—without another word—they disappeared into the shadows.
Silence filled the chamber.
Reed let out a slow breath. "Yeah, okay, that wasn't ominous at all."
Lena didn't respond. Her gaze was fixed on where the stranger had vanished, her expression unreadable.
"…Lena?"
Finally, she blinked and turned away. "Let's go."
Reed hesitated but didn't argue. Whatever that was, it wasn't something he wanted to think about right now. He just wanted to leave.
As they stepped toward the now-open path, Reed stole a glance at her. She was tense, but not just from the encounter. Something else weighed on her.
His mind drifted back to what she had said earlier—My brother taught me.
It had been such a simple statement, but it carried weight. He hadn't asked for details, and she hadn't offered any, but it was obvious that whoever her brother was, he had shaped her into what she was now.
And judging by the way she carried herself, she had been taught well.
Reed exhaled and muttered, "That explains a lot."
Lena didn't answer.
And as they finally stepped beyond the crypt's suffocating walls, Reed couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much, much worse.