Nathan blinked.
Then looked around.
Same gray stone. Same smell of dust and regret. Same feeling of the walls breathing just a little too slow.
He exhaled.
"Nope," he said. "Still nothing."
Seraphina sighed.
Soft. Barely audible.
But it carried.
Nathan turned to her. "You got something?"
She didn't look at him.
"Three right turns. One left. Then a split we didn't take. This entire section curves inward."
"Inward to what?"
She shrugged.
"Guess we'll find out."
That wasn't the comforting part.
Nathan rubbed the back of his neck.
'No one's panicking. That's the problem. We're all too used to being trapped.'
He looked at Elara.
Still unreadable.
Still too calm.
"You sure Merlin went this way?" he asked.
She hesitated.
A beat too long.
"I'm not sure of anything," she said.
Nathan's chest tightened.
Just a little.
Not fear.
Just… something close.
'He ran off. Like always. Took the risk so we wouldn't have to.'
And now they were down a piece of the board.
