She took a step forward. Her boot scraped against the stone.
'I have to move.'
Standing still felt worse than walking. At least moving meant she was doing something.
She chose the left path.
No real reason. Just instinct.
The corridor narrowed.
The glow got dimmer.
She turned one corner, then another.
Same walls.
Same floor.
Same awful quiet.
Her breathing stayed shallow. Measured.
She couldn't afford to panic yet.
'You're Seraphina Alden. You've trained for years. You've studied every terrain scenario the Academy offered. This is just another test.'
Another step.
Her fingers grazed the side wall as she walked, counting turns.
Left. Right. Right again.
She didn't look behind her.
She didn't want to.
She stopped when the hallway opened into a square room.
Four exits.
No doorways. Just more passages.
And in the center, a single stone slab. Low. Flat.
No writing. No items.
Just stone.
She didn't approach it.
Not yet.
Her gut told her to stay where she was.
