The cavern was smaller than the last, its jagged walls pressing inward as though the earth itself were trying to keep them hidden. Faint streaks of luminescent minerals in the stone cast an eerie, soft glow, giving just enough light for Aeliana to make out her surroundings.
"This'll do," Luca said, his tone casual as he dropped his pack to the ground. He stretched briefly, rolling his shoulders as if the day's battles had been no more than an inconvenience.
Aeliana sank down onto a flat rock near the wall, her limbs trembling slightly from the strain of the relentless pace they'd kept. The oppressive air of the strange land felt marginally lighter here, but exhaustion weighed heavily on her.
As the quiet settled in, the faint, metallic tang of blood filled her senses, mingling with the earthy scent of damp stone and the sharp musk of sweat. Her gaze flicked to Luca, who had propped himself against the opposite wall, his blade resting at his side.