πππππππππ.Β Β EvenΒ Β sheΒ Β hadΒ Β toΒ Β agreeΒ Β thatΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β aΒ Β wordΒ Β she'dΒ Β useΒ Β toΒ Β describeΒ Β thisΒ Β place.Β Β HerΒ Β handΒ Β restedΒ Β againstΒ Β theΒ Β wall,Β Β usingΒ Β itΒ Β asΒ Β aΒ Β guide,Β Β thoughΒ Β sheΒ Β hadΒ Β moreΒ Β ofΒ Β oneΒ Β thanΒ Β heΒ Β did.Β Β TheΒ Β stoneΒ Β wasΒ Β dampΒ Β beneathΒ Β herΒ Β fingertips,Β Β unnaturallyΒ Β cold,Β Β asΒ Β thoughΒ Β theΒ Β warmthΒ Β hadΒ Β longΒ Β sinceΒ Β beenΒ Β drainedΒ Β fromΒ Β it.Β Β ButΒ Β theΒ Β demonΒ Β didn'tΒ Β likeΒ Β thisΒ Β place.Β Β NotΒ Β theΒ Β churchΒ Β itselfΒ Β -Β Β thoughΒ Β itΒ Β hadΒ Β neverΒ Β beenΒ Β comfortableΒ Β inΒ Β consecratedΒ Β places,Β Β butΒ Β whateverΒ Β layΒ Β beneathΒ Β it.Β Β TheΒ Β shadowΒ Β attachedΒ Β toΒ Β herΒ Β wasΒ Β tryingΒ Β desperatelyΒ Β toΒ Β pullΒ Β herΒ Β back,Β Β outΒ Β ofΒ Β there.Β Β ThoughΒ Β itΒ Β saidΒ Β nothing,Β Β itΒ Β neverΒ Β spoke,Β Β sheΒ Β couldΒ Β almostΒ Β feelΒ Β itΒ Β screamingΒ Β atΒ Β herΒ Β notΒ Β toΒ Β doΒ Β this.Β Β EveryΒ Β instinctΒ Β itΒ Β possessedΒ Β urgedΒ Β retreat,Β Β recoiledΒ Β fromΒ Β whateverΒ Β sleptΒ Β below.Β Β ButΒ Β TifaΒ Β grittedΒ Β herΒ Β teethΒ Β andΒ Β pushedΒ Β forwardΒ Β anyway.
EveryΒ Β breathΒ Β seemedΒ Β impossiblyΒ Β loud.Β Β EvenΒ Β theΒ Β faintΒ Β scrapeΒ Β ofΒ Β herΒ Β bootsΒ Β againstΒ Β theΒ Β stoneΒ Β carriedΒ Β fartherΒ Β thanΒ Β itΒ Β shouldΒ Β have,Β Β swallowedΒ Β byΒ Β theΒ Β darknessΒ Β beforeΒ Β returningΒ Β asΒ Β littleΒ Β moreΒ Β thanΒ Β aΒ Β whisper.Β Β TheΒ Β silenceΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β peaceful.Β Β ItΒ Β pressedΒ Β againstΒ Β herΒ Β ears,Β Β waiting.
TheΒ Β soundΒ Β causedΒ Β byΒ Β himΒ Β nearlyΒ Β missingΒ Β aΒ Β stepΒ Β hadΒ Β herΒ Β stopΒ Β instantly.Β Β SheΒ Β didn'tΒ Β askΒ Β ifΒ Β heΒ Β wasΒ Β okay,Β Β sheΒ Β knewΒ Β heΒ Β was.Β Β HerΒ Β shouldersΒ Β tensedΒ Β asΒ Β herΒ Β eyesΒ Β sweptΒ Β overΒ Β theΒ Β chamber,Β Β searchingΒ Β forΒ Β movementΒ Β whereΒ Β thereΒ Β wasΒ Β none.
SheΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β sureΒ Β whatΒ Β unsettledΒ Β herΒ Β more;Β Β theΒ Β absoluteΒ Β absenceΒ Β ofΒ Β sound,Β Β orΒ Β theΒ Β wayΒ Β theΒ Β airΒ Β itselfΒ Β seemedΒ Β louderΒ Β thanΒ Β anywhereΒ Β she'dΒ Β everΒ Β been.Β Β ItΒ Β feltΒ Β heavyΒ Β inΒ Β herΒ Β lungs,Β Β carryingΒ Β theΒ Β faintΒ Β scentΒ Β ofΒ Β dampΒ Β earthΒ Β andΒ Β ancientΒ Β stone.Β Β TheΒ Β chamberΒ Β theyΒ Β foundΒ Β themselvesΒ Β inΒ Β wasΒ Β thankfullyΒ Β larger.Β Β MoonlightΒ Β filteredΒ Β throughΒ Β cracksΒ Β inΒ Β theΒ Β ceiling,Β Β spillingΒ Β silverΒ Β acrossΒ Β fracturedΒ Β pillarsΒ Β andΒ Β crumblingΒ Β masonry.Β Β ThoughΒ Β itΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β enoughΒ Β toΒ Β illuminateΒ Β itΒ Β fully,Β Β itΒ Β wasΒ Β enoughΒ Β forΒ Β herΒ Β toΒ Β gaugeΒ Β theΒ Β enormityΒ Β ofΒ Β it.Β Β ShadowsΒ Β pooledΒ Β betweenΒ Β theΒ Β ruins,Β Β refusingΒ Β toΒ Β giveΒ Β upΒ Β whatΒ Β layΒ Β beyondΒ Β them.
TheΒ Β airΒ Β wasΒ Β thick.Β Β NotΒ Β withΒ Β dust,Β Β norΒ Β humidity,Β Β butΒ Β withΒ Β somethingΒ Β sheΒ Β couldn'tΒ Β name.Β Β SomethingΒ Β old.Β Β ItΒ Β settledΒ Β againstΒ Β herΒ Β skinΒ Β withΒ Β anΒ Β oppressiveΒ Β weight,Β Β andΒ Β forΒ Β theΒ Β firstΒ Β timeΒ Β sinceΒ Β entering,Β Β sheΒ Β foundΒ Β herselfΒ Β wonderingΒ Β whetherΒ Β theΒ Β thingΒ Β boundΒ Β toΒ Β herΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β afraid...Β Β butΒ Β remembering.Β Β AndΒ Β ifΒ Β itΒ Β wasΒ remembering,Β itΒ Β didnβtΒ Β likeΒ Β it.
βΒ Β IΒ Β feelΒ Β it.Β Β βΒ Β SheΒ Β answeredΒ Β DanteΒ Β quietly,Β Β notΒ Β shruggingΒ Β hisΒ Β handΒ Β offΒ Β herΒ Β arm.Β Β SheΒ Β steppedΒ Β closerΒ Β toΒ Β him,Β Β herΒ Β eyesΒ Β scanningΒ Β theΒ Β room.Β Β NoticingΒ Β theΒ Β brokenΒ Β coffinsΒ Β forΒ Β theΒ Β firstΒ Β time.Β
HerΒ Β gazeΒ Β lingeredΒ Β onΒ Β theΒ Β splinteredΒ Β wood,Β Β tracingΒ Β theΒ Β jaggedΒ Β edgesΒ Β leftΒ Β behind.Β Β TheyΒ Β hadn'tΒ Β simplyΒ Β cavedΒ Β beneathΒ Β centuriesΒ Β ofΒ Β decay.Β Β TheyΒ Β lookedΒ Β asΒ Β thoughΒ Β somethingΒ Β hadΒ Β tornΒ Β intoΒ Β them...
OrΒ Β forcedΒ Β itsΒ Β wayΒ Β out.Β Β AΒ Β chillΒ Β settledΒ Β beneathΒ Β herΒ Β skin.
TifaΒ Β followedΒ Β afterΒ Β him,Β Β herΒ Β attentionΒ Β shiftingΒ Β toΒ Β theΒ Β gougesΒ Β carvedΒ Β deepΒ Β intoΒ Β theΒ Β stone.Β Β NotΒ Β onlyΒ Β wasΒ Β thisΒ Β thingΒ Β anythingΒ Β butΒ Β subtle,Β Β likeΒ Β DanteΒ Β hadΒ Β said,Β Β butΒ Β judgingΒ Β byΒ Β theΒ Β sizeΒ Β ofΒ Β thoseΒ Β scratches...Β Β itΒ Β wasn'tΒ Β small.Β Β TheyΒ Β cutΒ Β throughΒ Β solidΒ Β rockΒ Β asΒ Β thoughΒ Β itΒ Β hadΒ Β beenΒ Β nothingΒ Β moreΒ Β thanΒ Β dampΒ Β earthΒ Β beneathΒ Β sharpenedΒ Β claws.Β Β WhateverΒ Β hadΒ Β madeΒ Β themΒ Β hadn'tΒ Β beenΒ Β tryingΒ Β toΒ Β hide.Β Β ItΒ Β hadn'tΒ Β neededΒ Β to.
SheΒ Β drewΒ Β inΒ Β aΒ Β slowΒ Β breath,Β Β peeringΒ Β intoΒ Β theΒ Β gapΒ Β inΒ Β theΒ Β wall.Β Β ItΒ Β didn'tΒ Β lookΒ Β stable.Β Β FracturedΒ Β stoneΒ Β juttedΒ Β overhead,Β Β looseΒ Β rubbleΒ Β scatteredΒ Β beneathΒ Β theirΒ Β feet.Β Β OneΒ Β wrongΒ Β step,Β Β oneΒ Β carelessΒ Β movement,Β Β andΒ Β theΒ Β entireΒ Β passageΒ Β lookedΒ Β readyΒ Β toΒ Β comeΒ Β downΒ Β aroundΒ Β them.Β Β Still,Β Β soΒ Β longΒ Β asΒ Β theyΒ Β watchedΒ Β theirΒ Β footingΒ Β andΒ Β keptΒ Β moving,Β Β theyΒ Β shouldΒ Β makeΒ Β itΒ Β through.
SheΒ Β onlyΒ Β hopedΒ Β there'dΒ Β beΒ Β anotherΒ Β wayΒ Β out.
SomethingΒ Β toldΒ Β herΒ Β thisΒ Β openingΒ Β wouldn'tΒ Β stillΒ Β beΒ Β hereΒ Β whenΒ Β theyΒ Β cameΒ Β back.
WithoutΒ Β thinking,Β Β sheΒ Β slippedΒ Β herΒ Β handΒ Β intoΒ Β his.Β Β NotΒ Β forΒ Β comfort.Β Β ForΒ Β stability.
...AtΒ Β least,Β Β that'sΒ Β whatΒ Β sheΒ Β toldΒ Β herself.
βΒ Β Yeah.Β Β I'mΒ Β stillΒ Β withΒ Β you.Β Β βΒ Β sheΒ Β toldΒ Β him,Β Β givingΒ Β hisΒ Β handΒ Β theΒ Β faintestΒ Β squeezeΒ Β beforeΒ Β lookingΒ Β backΒ Β towardsΒ Β theΒ Β darknessΒ Β ahead.Β Β HerΒ Β voiceΒ Β remainedΒ Β level,Β Β steadierΒ Β thanΒ Β theΒ Β nervesΒ Β twistingΒ Β inΒ Β herΒ Β stomach.
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