"Seul! Seul!"
Zeddy shook him hard until Seul's eyes fluttered open. He groaned, his head pounding like the ground was still moving.
"Thank God…" Zeddy breathed, relief cracking his voice as he helped Seul sit up.
Karmeen and Selene were nearby, both dust-smudged and alert. Selene's camera hung from her neck, the glass spiderwebbed but still intact.
"You alive, man?" Zeddy asked again.
The air smelled of damp stone and moss. Around them stretched a vast cavern — broken pillars, walls etched with strange symbols that gave off a faint, eerie glow. Light leaked through cracks high above, barely touching the floor.
Seul blinked, still dazed. "…Where are we?"
Selene tilted her head, scanning the walls with curious calm. "Probably… deep ruins," she said, her tone almost cheerful for the situation.
"Ruins?" Zeddy frowned.
Selene crouched beside a pillar and traced one of the glowing lines with her finger. "Yeah. Look at these markings and symbols — ancient, maybe pre-Elder era. They're definitely ruins." She smiled faintly, fascinated.
Zeddy whistled. "You're way too happy about this."
Karmeen folded her arms and shot her a glare. "Of course she is. Creepy things and old curses are her thing."
Selene gave a small, pleased smile. "Knowledge is cozy. Also…" She glanced up at the cracked ceiling where a thin ray of sunlight filtered through. "…the quake must've collapsed the ground. We fell in."
Karmeen sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Anyway, let's find a way out. I'm not staying here longer than I have to."
Zeddy smirked and nudged her. "Scared, huh? Don't worry — I'm here." His tone was teasing as always.
Karmeen didn't laugh. She swung and lightly punched the top of his head. "Shut your mouth. Keep moving, or I'll bury you in a tomb."
Zeddy rubbed his head, pouting. "Ouch. Harsh."
Selene leaned closer to him, her voice soft and eerie. "Tombs keep secrets. And secrets like to be kept… forever." She smiled as if she'd just told a sweet story.
Karmeen and Selene moved ahead, their flashlights cutting thin beams through the dust.
Seul watched them go and gave Zeddy a flat look. "That's your third punch this month."
Zeddy shrugged. "Whose side are you on, Judge Seul?"
Karmeen called back, her voice echoing through the tunnel. "You two — are you coming or staying there to gossip?"
The four of them continued walking slowly through the dim ruins — Karmeen and Selene leading, Zeddy and Seul following a few steps behind. Their footsteps echoed faintly across the stone floor.
Zeddy glanced sideways at Seul. "You okay, man?"
Seul nodded quietly. "Yeah… I'm fine."
He didn't say much after that, eyes fixed on the path ahead.
Zeddy smiled lightly. "Don't worry. We'll find a way out of here. And you've got me, so what could go wrong?"
Just then, Karmeen and Selene stopped abruptly.
Zeddy frowned. "What now? Did you see a mummy or something?"
Karmeen sighed. "Worse."
Ahead of them, the tunnel split into three dark paths.