Zara remembered that the air within the Vault felt heavier. The subtle hum of idle machinery blended with the metallic tang that lingered to her senses. There was a noticeable tension in the group as she made her way down the small staircase, Kael's footsteps following closely behind her. The importance of what awaited them—and what they may discover—seemed to increase with each step they took.
When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Lyra declared, "This is where the map ends." In the vast emptiness in front of them, her voice seemed smaller. The scribbled lines on the parchment vanished into a blank area when she held it out in front of her. "Beyond this point, everything is unknown."
Zara looked around the room. It extended in every direction, a mixture of icy steel and luminous energy veins set into the walls. The faint pulse of ancient glyphs responded to their presence.
Zara stated firmly, "After that, we create our own chart." She looked around the gathering. "Remain aler
