The commander scowls, impatience edging his voice.
"You still can't open that thing? You've been at it for thirty minutes now," he says, glaring at the mage crouched by the tomb's seal. "Are you sure you can even open it?"
The mage flinches slightly but doesn't stop working. His hands continue moving—etching glowing lines along the carved runes with practiced precision.
"I'm sorry, sir," the mage says quickly, voice tight with pressure. "I'm close. Just… a bit more."
Alix watches from less than five meters away, perfectly invisible, not even the commander's sharp eyes catching a flicker of his presence.
'Careful,' Alix thinks, silent amusement touching his lips. 'You're sweating mana.'
The seal begins to pulse. A low tremor hums through the ground, faint but growing stronger. Then—
Thunk.
With a deep groan, the massive stone doors shudder and part down the middle, ancient gears grinding as they pull open just enough to reveal a narrow stairway plunging into darkness.
