Chapter 4 — Echoes of the Past

Arden

The tunnel closed in around Arden as she and Sylvie made their way forward, their footsteps muffled against the damp stone floor. The walls seemed alive with moisture, their rough texture glistening faintly in the dim light filtering through cracks above. The air was sharp and metallic, laced with a cold that settled into Arden’s bones. Every sound—dripping water, faint echoes of their movement—loomed larger in the claustrophobic silence, pressing against her ears like an unwelcome whisper.