Dragged

Chapter 103 – Emmaline POV

My boots crunch against loose gravel the moment we cross the threshold, and I immediately regret everything.

The air inside the dungeon is thick—humid and stifling, like walking into a breath held too long. It smells of wet moss, scorched stone, and something else beneath it all… coppery and sweet. Blood. Old and dried, but unmistakable. The scent wraps around my throat like a noose.

Im Lina stands beside me, clutching her spear like it's a lifeline. Her eyes dart from shadow to shadow, and I don't blame her. Every crevice and stalagmite looks like it's breathing, and we're standing in the belly of a beast. Her knuckles are white around the polished hilt, but her stance is good—tight, practiced. At least one of us paid attention at the academy.

I, on the other hand, am clutching a small metallic sphere—the size of a ping pong ball but twice as expensive as my entire wardrobe.

Which is saying a lot.