Page 104 of Shadowed Fate

The sound of heavy footsteps grows louder. Callen grabs my arm. "We don't have time for this. Go!"

We plunge into the darkness, the passageway sealing shut behind us. The air is thick, musty, pressing in on all sides. My breath comes in short gasps as we descend deeper into Grimstone's bowels.

"Fuck," I hear Callen mutter. "I can't see a damn thing."

I stumble in the darkness and feel a hand grab my arm before I fall, the touch gentle but firm, and whoever it is doesn’t let go immediately

A soft blue glow suddenly illuminates the passage, emanating from a small orb, and I see Tiernan at my side. He gives me a small squeeze and then removes his hand, the glowing ball hovering above his other.

The light glances over the moisture on the stone walls, making them glisten like the scales of some great, subterranean beast.

The passage narrows, forcing us to walk single file. The ceiling dips lower, and I have to hunch to avoid scraping my head. The air grows colder, heavier, as if the very weight of Grimstone is pressing down upon us.

"Where does this lead?" I whisper, my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the confines of the tunnel.

Marius's reply drifts back. "To those answers you claim to want."

He’s in front of me, and when he stops short, I collide with his back. I feel the heat of him through our clothing and my shadows seem to sigh.

“Careful, little bird.”

I step back quickly, my skin tingling where we touched. Lochan's low growl echoes from behind me, a warning rumble in the tight space.

"Grimstone wasn't built here by chance," Tiernan says. "The academy sits on top of a nexus of ley lines. Ancient magic runs beneath our feet."

"How convenient," Lochan's voice drips with sarcasm. "And I suppose you just happened to know about this secret passage, Marius?"

Before Marius can respond, the ground beneath us shifts. A grinding sound fills the air, and suddenly we're falling.

I slam on to a stone floor below the passageway, the breath knocked from my lungs. Tiernan's light orb flickers wildly, casting frantic shadows across unfamiliar walls.

"Everyone alright?" Tiernan asks.

I struggle to my feet and try to regain the breath that was just slammed out of me.

The floor is cold and hard beneath my palms as I push myself up.

I hear Callen groan. “Fuck me.”

As my eyes adjust, I see we've dropped into a circular chamber with strange symbols carved into the walls.The chamber is dimly lit by Tiernan's flickering orb, casting shadows that dance across the walls. The symbols are etched in a strange language, and they glow.

The air is stale, like this place hasn’t been disturbed in a long time. There is a faint scent of incense.

"Trap," Lochan snarls, rounding on Marius. "You led us right into it, you bastard!"

Marius's laugh is cold. "If I wanted you dead, I'd have left you to the Council."

The symbols on the walls flare brighter, and a wave of dizziness washes over me. My shadows writhe beneath my skin, restless.

A low humming fills the chamber, as if the very walls are vibrating with some kind of energy. And every now and then, a soft whisper seems to echo through the space, as if someone or something is speaking in a language I can't quite understand.

Marius’s apparent amusement fades as the symbols continue to glow, each one emanating power. "This isn't a trap," he mutters, his eyes scanning the room.

"Then what is it?" Callen snaps, glaring at Marius.

Tiernan steps forward, his expression serious. "It's a ritual chamber."

As I step further into the chamber, the air grows heavier, charged with an electric energy raises the hairs on my arms. The walls are painted with intricate murals that seem to move in the flickering light, their vivid colors defying the passage of time. Each scene is a graphic tableau of sensuality.

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