The hum of the ruins still lingered in Trafalgar's mind even after they'd moved deeper into the tunnels. The faint pulse in his arm hadn't faded — if anything, it was worse now, like something alive was crawling beneath his skin.
He walked behind the others, eyes scanning the walls, searching for the sealed door from before. It wasn't in sight anymore, but he could feel it. It was close.
Rhaldrin's voice echoed through the corridor ahead, still full of scholarly excitement. "Note how the mana threads change color near the fracture points. This is a sign of ancient reinforcement, likely to stabilize the structure without the need for a core."
Barth was practically glowing, scribbling notes faster than anyone else. Trafalgar watched him for a moment, then smirked faintly. 'You're too focused to notice anything else, huh…'
