The five who were never meant to love me
Damon went first, weapon drawn, Elias close behind him, Ryder keeping pace beside Aurora while Luca brought up the rear, tablet clutched tight, eyes darting between the readings and the darkness ahead.
The stairwell descended into a cold that hadn't been there hours earlier, air thick and heavy in a way that made every breath feel like an effort. By the time they reached the bottom, the torchlight from before had gone entirely dark, the chamber lit only by the faint, dimming glow of the stone wolves' eyes, flickering weakly like something was actively draining the light from them.
"They're going back to sleep," Aurora said, horror creeping into her voice as she took in row after row of wolve