I turned my head frantically, searching for the source of the grinding noise as the stone pedestal before me began to move. The floor beneath my feet shook, and I stumbled back, watching in awe as the statue of the Moon Goddess rotated slowly clockwise. With each movement, the stone beneath it separated, revealing a hidden passageway.
"Nolan!" I called out, hesitating at the edge of the dark staircase that descended into shadows. "Are you okay out there?"
No response came. The grinding of stone against stone was deafening in the small chamber, echoing off the walls. I bit my lip, torn between investigating the passage and checking on the boy.
"I'll be quick," I whispered to myself, decision made. Something primal pulled at me—that same magnetic force that had led me to the first altar. Whatever lay below, I needed to see it.
