As the passage opened, Valeris stepped forward first.
"This is the space where we'll find what we want," she said.
Asher turned to her, then nodded and followed.
The corridor stretched long and silent, its walls humming with ancient resonance. As Asher led the way, he paused, frowning.
"I feel the ending in the air," he murmured. "It's close. As we step forward, something… finishes."
Valeris gave a small, knowing smile.
"Be ready," she said. "You're going to meet my mother."
Asher stopped in his tracks, blinking.
"Your mother is dead. And even if she's alive… isn't that just a regret dressed in the echo of the dead? Why say it like it matters?"
"That's the secret—or the surprise—I said I wanted to talk about," she said as she stepped into the midline darkness.
