The deeper they pushed, the more twisted the tunnels became.

Roots bled from the ceilings like veins. The walls pulsed faintly with residual magic, unholy, tangled, desperate. Every step was a risk. Every breath was thick with old spells and fresh blood.

“Something has changed,” Lisa muttered, twirling a blade in her hand. “The air’s heavier. Like moldy guilt.”

Kade growled low in his throat. “Or death.”

“Or both,” Logan added grimly over the mindlink.

Celeste paused at ...