Everything was ready.
Four men were in position.
Aria's eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes.
For a moment, her thoughts lingered on nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her chest. She took two sharp breaths, then drew in one long, deep breath before opening her vision again.
Golden light pierced the darkness ahead.
It was now or never. At that thought, Aria stepped forward.
The moment her right foot crossed into the underground where sunlight could not reach, something shifted in the air.
That unmistakable sense of being watched crept over her.
It is a silent presence lurking in the darkness, tracking her every move.
Small rats squeaked in one corner.
Probably dozens of them.
Even so, Aria did not let her guard drop. Her breath steadied. She took another step, and then another, until she was swallowed by the dark.
Outside, the guarded men watching her swallowed hard.
