The descent from Flamegrave's core chamber took longer than expected.
Even after unlocking the LustCore fragment and surviving the flare backlash, Rivan could feel the land itself resisting their movement. The stone beneath their boots warped in ways it shouldn't. Angles bent subtly, pulling their path in directions that made no architectural sense.
"It's spatial warping," Kael said, his voice hushed. "Like the place doesn't want us to leave the way we came."
Selina's hand brushed the wall. "This entire ruin… it's a living map. The old Architects built this place as a maze—only someone synced to the system can navigate it."
Rivan nodded. "Then we follow the Core's pull."
[System Directive: Path to 'Crown's Root' Identified – Energy Signature Downward, Western Curve]
[Warning: Energy Drain Rate Increasing – Environmental Hostility Rising]
The group pressed on.
