The walls closed in slightly, the tunnel guiding them downward, farther into the mountain than either of them had planned to go. And whatever they had heard before—the whisper, the thud, the groan—felt suddenly much closer than it should have been. The tunnel stretched on longer than either of them expected.
As they moved deeper, the air grew cooler, damp enough that Ethan could feel it on his skin. The drip he’d noticed earlier grew louder, multiplying into a steady sound that echoed off the stone walls. At first, it reminded him of rain. Then it didn’t. “That’s a lot of water,” Nora said, tilting her head as they walked.