The stairs were too narrow for that group.
Not physically. Strax, Samira, Daniela, and Cassandra were in human form, and the Heavenly Emperor walked with firm posture beside Derick. Frieren and Ouroboros followed in the middle, surrounded by protection. There was room for everyone to pass.
But the staircase felt cramped for another reason.
Each step downward took a little more sound from the world above. First, the muffled shouts from the hall disappeared. Then the soldiers' footsteps. Then the distant echo of the bells. Within a few meters, all that remained was the noise of sand trickling through the cracks in the walls and the overly controlled breathing of those present.
The palace's white marble gradually turned yellowish.
Then gray.
Then ancient.
