The three of them stood at the edge of the yawning hatch—Leon holding Elizabeth gently in his arms, and Adrian standing beside him, both staring down into the pitch-black entrance like it was the mouth of the void itself.
There was no light, no sound—just silence and a steep descent into darkness.
Leon raised an eyebrow and glanced at Adrian.
"After you," he said, his tone casual, though his eyes stayed sharp.
Adrian looked at the entrance, then at Elizabeth in Leon's arms—her pale face, her blood-matted hair—before turning back toward the abyss. He exhaled slowly and muttered under his breath,
"Right… no pressure."
Then, without another word, he jumped in.
The soft thud of his landing came a few seconds later, followed by his voice echoing faintly upward:
"You can come in."
