The corridor felt longer on the way back.
Not physically—Luca knew the path well enough now—but emotionally. The air seemed heavier, every footstep echoing louder than it should. The faint warmth of the underground garden had faded, replaced by the cool sterility of carved stone and sacred silence.
Luca and Aldric walked side by side.
Neither spoke.
Their steps fell into an uneasy rhythm, boots brushing against ancient marble, robes whispering softly with each movement. The distant hum of cathedral life filtered faintly through the walls—prayers murmured, bells echoing far above—but here, in the passage between sanctum and shadow, it felt as though the world had paused to listen.
Luca broke the silence first.
"…Did you understand what he wanted?" he asked quietly.
Aldric didn't look at him right away.
They walked another few steps before the older man shook his head, slow and deliberate.
"No," he admitted. "Not fully."
His fingers tightened slightly around his staff.
