Rhian walked carefully, his footing more stable now that his balance had returned. His body no longer felt foreign.
The tightness in his limbs had faded, and the stiffness was gone. He felt strong again and fully in control.
But his clothes didn't agree.
They clung to his body like they were a size too small, the fabric stretched tightly around his arms, chest, and legs.
He could hear the soft groaning of seams with every movement. He considered taking the uniform off entirely, but the enchantments on it were still active.
The academy-issued gear was thin, but it provided decent protection against claws, blades, and low-level elemental magic. He wasn't about to throw that away.
The deeper he moved, the more the space around him changed. What started as a shallow cave widened into a broad tunnel.
The walls weren't jagged like the cliff—this place was older, smoother. Carved, maybe, though by what, he couldn't tell.
And it didn't go deeper. It sloped up.
