[Day 21 — 5:00 AM — Veltharr]
The city was still asleep when the team left.
The outer market was closed, the stalls covered, the only sounds the group's footsteps and the wind coming down from the mountains to the north.
The owner of The Broken Rock was at the door when they left.
She didn't say anything.
She just placed seven packages on the lobby table — road food, prepared without anyone asking.
Kira took them and distributed them as they walked.
---
[North Road — 5:45 AM]
The Catacombs appeared earlier than the map indicated.
Or more precisely, the terrain changed in a way that indicated they were close before the rock formation became visible.
The ground darker. The vegetation sparser. The air with a different weight than normal mountains.
Kira detected it first.
"The atmosphere changes here." Her ears oriented forward, [Predator's Sense] active. "Iron Pass smelled like mineral. This smells like…" She paused, searching for the word. "Time."
"Time?" repeated Raven.
