The tunnel narrowed until Aren and Amira had to walk single file, shoulders brushing against slick, rune-marked walls. Water dripped steadily from cracks above, echoing in the darkness like a heartbeat.
Amira held her bow ready, eyes sharp, every sense tuned to the shifting sounds ahead. Aren, still behind her, kept one hand on his sword, though he somehow managed to hum a tune under his breath.
"You always hum when walking into certain death?" she asked, not turning around.
"Of course," he said with a grin she couldn't see. "Keeps the monsters guessing. They never expect a musical number."
Amira shook her head but couldn't hide the small laugh that slipped out.
The tunnel opened suddenly into a cavern so large their footsteps seemed to vanish into endless echoes. A faint blue glow rose from the ground, revealing a wide floor of smooth, polished stone. All across it, strange shapes shifted and danced, like mist twisting into the outlines of creatures and faces.
Aren stepped forward, his eyes wide. "Looks like a haunted ballroom in here. You think they take song requests?"
Amira moved carefully to the edge of the glowing floor. "These are the Murmuring Stones. They guard the path to the inner sanctum. If you step wrong, they trap your spirit forever."
Aren paused mid-step. "Ah. So… not the dancing type."
She crouched, studying the symbols that spiraled outward from the center. Her fingers traced the grooves, her brows furrowing in concentration.
"It's a puzzle," she murmured. "Each step must match the sequence of runes. One mistake, and we're done."
Aren leaned over her shoulder. "Lucky for us, we have a genius rune expert."
Amira shot him a glare but didn't push him away. "I can't focus if you're breathing down my neck."
"Sorry," he whispered dramatically, taking a very exaggerated step back.
Amira stood, took a deep breath, and placed her foot on the first glowing stone. The light flared beneath her, then steadied. She stepped again, this time to the right, her movements precise and confident.
Aren watched, his usual jokes swallowed by a growing respect. She moved with the same grace she showed in the jungle, each step a silent argument against the traps waiting below.
Halfway across, she turned and motioned to him. "Follow exactly. Step where I step."
Aren drew in a breath and followed, his feet landing lightly on each stone she had chosen. Every time the stones flared, he flinched just a little.
"You know, if we survive this, you owe me a dance," he muttered.
"Just keep moving," she snapped, though her voice held a nervous laugh.
They reached the final ring of stones, where a large rune pulsed with a deep violet light. Amira reached out and pressed her palm against it.
A low rumble filled the cavern. The stones around them went dark, and a large archway at the far end slowly ground open, revealing another tunnel choked with moss and ancient carvings.
Amira let out a shaky breath. "We did it."
Aren threw his arms wide. "See? Easy! Just a little jungle hopscotch with deadly consequences."
She rolled her eyes but finally let a full smile break across her face. It was quick, a flash of warmth, but enough to light up the gloom around them.
Without another word, they stepped through the new passage together. The air felt warmer now, charged with energy, as if the jungle itself was waking up to their presence.
Aren glanced at her, his grin softer this time. "Next stop: the Core of Muri Khan."
Amira nodded, her fingers tightening around her bow. "Next stop… if we survive."
And somewhere ahead, in the heart of the ruins, the Core waited, pulsing stronger with every step they took.