Chapter Thirty-One: Buried Truths
Elena's breath echoed in the narrow passage, her fingertips trailing along the cold stone walls. Where did this lead?
The air grew heavier, damp with the scent of earth and something… older.
The further she descended, the more the walls seemed to close in. This place wasn't just hidden—it was forgotten.
Her foot slipped on loose dirt, and she caught herself against the wall.
That's when she saw it.
The Silent Remains
A few feet ahead, something jutted out from the ground—half-buried in the dirt.
Elena's pulse quickened.
She crouched, brushing away the dust. The dim light caught on something pale.
Bone.
Her breath hitched.
A hand.
Skeletal fingers, curled in an eternal grasp, as if whoever it belonged to had died clawing at the earth.
Elena scrambled back, her pulse hammering.
The weight of this place suddenly felt suffocating.
Who had been buried here?
And more importantly—who had buried them?
A shadow flickered at the top of the stairs.
"Elena."
Leon's voice was low, steady—but there was something dangerous in it.
She had been caught.