Michael already knew what she was going to say.
"If this was their refuge," she said, "why did they die here? Did the exit fail? Were they trapped inside?"
She looked toward the pillar behind them instinctively, then back to the skeletons.
But the answer revealed itself before either of them spoke again.
Rynne crouched lower, examining the nearest remains more carefully this time. Her fingers hovered just above the bones, tracing faint impressions without touching them.
"…No," she said softly.
Michael stepped closer.
The skeleton's ribcage was cracked inward. Not from decay. From impact. Another body nearby was missing half its skull, the break too clean, too violent to be caused by time or collapse. A third had fractures along the spine, twisted at an unnatural angle.
Michael exhaled slowly.
"They weren't trapped," he said.
Rynne nodded grimly. "And they didn't die waiting."
She rose to her feet, eyes scanning the scattered remains with a different understanding now.
