Falling to Ruin I

Daphne made her way out from the inner chambers, her thighs burning at the number of stairs she had to climb. She hadn't realized how deep it was when she went down, partly because she was still disoriented from the sudden wakeup, and partly because it was a lot easier to climb down with support than it was to haul herself up. 

She gingerly pushed open the stone door, peeking carefully outside. The royal palace should be deserted, but one couldn't be too careful. The air was thick with smoke and dust, and Daphne hurriedly covered the lower half of her face as she stepped outside to take her first look at what happened to Xahan. 

Devastation greeted her eyes. Daphne blinked in disbelief as her eyes took in the open sky; an impossible feat if not for the fact that half of the palace had been destroyed. Gone were the beautiful murals decorating the stone walls and the intricate carvings on the ceilings. Instead, all that was left was rubble.