The air changed with every step.
The deeper Rivan walked, the more the world seemed to bend around him — light distorted, sound slowed, and even time felt like it ticked sideways. This was no mere stairwell. It was a passage carved into something alive.
The sigils glowed along the walls: red, gold, and black — colors not of flame, but of command. Architect code, raw and unforgiving, laced through the stone like veins.
[System Alert: Sovereign Sigil Trail Confirmed – Core Chamber Depth Estimate: 4.3km Below Origin Point]
[Warning: Core Presence Detected – Identity Unknown | Origin Signature: Not Crown]
Selina descended just behind him, her flame dim but steady. Kael and Ava flanked the rear, watching every shadow.
No one spoke.
The silence wasn't oppressive — it was reverent.
Like a prayer whispered before a storm.
Rivan's mind kept flashing to Elireya's final words. "You weren't my enemy. But I had to be your answer."
