The advance continued for several more minutes that seemed to stretch beyond the usual time, as if the environment itself distorted the perception of duration as they delved deeper into that increasingly dense, charged, and silently and unsettlingly alive territory. The dark stone road now became more defined, more used, with deep marks of constant passage, and the surroundings ceased to be merely twisted nature, giving way to more frequent structures, some whole, others partially destroyed, but all bearing that same trait—dark functionality.
Kael continued at the same pace, neither accelerating nor slowing down, as if perfectly aligned with the scenery, while his eyes continued to register everything, every detail, every presence, every small change in behavior around him. Exelia remained close behind, her elegant posture contrasting almost absurdly with the environment, as if she were walking through a grand hall instead of a hostile territory teeming with watchful predators.
