"Every step downward is a step into memory." , Inscription, Broken Stair of the East
The stairway gaped open beneath the writhing glyphs, a spiral hollowed into the bones of the earth itself. Each step was worn smooth by the passage of ages, yet faint light pulsed from their depths, soft and steady, like a heartbeat guiding them downward. The air that drifted up from below was colder, damper, tinged with the metallic tang of stone long drowned in shadow.
Leo was the first to step forward. His boots pressed against the glowing stone with a hollow thunk. The sound carried too far, multiplied until it seemed a dozen feet were marching beside him. His shoulders stiffened. It felt less like walking into a stairwell and more like trespassing into memory, stirring echoes that had lain waiting.
The others followed without words.
Sofia descended second, sword already drawn, her sharp gaze cutting through every curl of mist. She moved like a blade herself, measured, precise, unyielding.
