Chapter 273 The descent 1

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 The descent 1

Talia’s POV

We walked for what felt like hours.

The tunnel stretched on and on, never changing. The walls were still close, and the darkness was still thick. My pendant lit the way, but the light seemed smaller now, like it was tired too.

Kaelen’s hand was warm in mine. "Talia, are you okay?"

I nodded, but my voice was weak. "I am tired, Kaelen. But I can keep going."

He squeezed my hand. "We can rest if you need to, Talia."

I shook my head. "No, Kaelen. We keep going. My mother is very close."

He looked at me, and I saw the concern in his eyes. "Talia, you need to take care of yourself too."

I looked at him. "I will rest when I find her, Kaelen."

He did not argue. He just squeezed my hand and kept walking.

The ground began to change, but I did not notice it at first.

I was too focused on putting one foot in front of the other. My body was heavy, and my mind was foggy. The only thing keeping me going was the thought of my mother.

Then suddenly, my foot slipped.

I felt the ground give way beneath me, and I lost my balance. The world tilted, and I felt myself falling forward.

"Talia!" Kaelen’s voice was sharp.

He caught me before I hit the ground. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me back. I felt his heart pounding against my back.

"I have you," he said. "I have you, Talia."

I was breathing hard, and my hands were shaking. "What happened?"

He held me steady. "The ground is sloping downward. You did not notice."

I looked down, and I saw that the tunnel was no longer flat. It was sloping down, deeper into the earth.

"I did not see it," I said. "I did not feel it."

Kaelen’s voice was soft. "You are tired, Talia. It is okay."

I shook my head. "I almost fell, Kaelen. I almost..."

He pulled me closer. "But you did not fall. I caught you."

I pressed my face into his chest. "Thank you, Kaelen."

He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I will always catch you, Talia. Always."

I pulled back and looked at him. "The tunnel is sloping down."

He nodded. "We are going deeper."

I looked ahead, and I felt the fear rise in my chest. "How far down do you think we still have to go, Kaelen?"

He shook his head. "I do not know, Talia. But we will find out."

We continued walking, and the slope grew steeper. I had to hold onto the wall to keep my balance, and I could feel the cold stone beneath my fingers.

"Kaelen," I said. "Be careful."

He looked back at me. "I am fine, Talia. Just stay close."

The air grew colder as we walked.

I felt it first in my fingers, then in my cheeks. The cold seeped through my clothes, and I began to shiver.

Kaelen noticed. "Talia, you are shaking."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "It is cold, Kaelen."

He stopped and pulled off his cloak. "Here. Take this."

I shook my head. "Kaelen, you need it too."

He wrapped it around my shoulders. "I am fine, Talia. You need it more."

I looked at him, and I saw the welts on his neck. He was in pain, and he was still trying to protect me.

"Kaelen," I said. "Your neck..."

He touched the cloth. "It is fine, Talia."

"It is not fine," I said.

He looked at me. "Talia, focus on the path ahead."

I shook my head. "Kaelen, I am worried about you."

He took my hand. "I am fine, Talia. I promise."

We continued walking, and the cold grew worse. My teeth were chattering, and I could barely feel my fingers.

Then I heard water, dripping somewhere ahead.

I stopped. "Kaelen, do you hear that?"

He stopped and listened. "Hear what, Talia?"

"Water," I said. "I hear water dripping."

He listened again. "I do not hear anything, Talia."

I shook my head. "It is there, Kaelen. I can hear it."

He looked at me. "Maybe it is your imagination, Talia."

I touched my pendant. "It is not my imagination, Kaelen. I can hear it."

We walked forward, and the sound grew louder. Drip. Drip. Drip. Echoing through the darkness.

"Kaelen," I said. "It is getting louder."

He nodded. "You are right. I hear it now, Talia."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "Where is it coming from?"

He shook his head. "I do not know, Talia. But we will find out."

We walked deeper, and the dripping grew louder. The tunnel was cold and damp, and I could smell the water in the air.

Then I saw it.

The tunnel ahead was flooded. Water covered the floor, dark and still, and it stretched across the path, blocking our way.

I stopped. "Kaelen, look."

He looked ahead, and his jaw tightened. "Silver water."

I felt my stomach drop. "Silver? How do you know?"

He pointed to the edges of the water. "Look at the walls. The silver has stained them."

I looked, and I saw it. The stone was discolored, with a pale white residue lining the edges.

I looked at the water, and I felt the fear rise in my chest. "Kaelen, how do we get past?"