After rescuing Aria,
Jake moved through the tunnels for a long time after that.
And Aria stayed quiet against his chest, her arms remaining around his neck.
Every so often her fingers tightened when a distant drip or echo reached them, but she did not speak.
And soon, Jake managed to find a secluded cave.
After checking there was nothing inside and everything was safe, he finally went in before putting Aria down.
Aria seemed slightly reluctant at the sudden warmth escaping her, but she didn't resist.
After that, he returned to erase his footprints.
He then used a nearby rock to seal most of the entrance, leaving only a small gap for air.
Once satisfied, he walked back towards Aria, who was already looking in his direction.
The chamber was small and dry, with a low ceiling.
Faint crystal veins in the rock gave just enough light to see by.
Jake sat down across from her and finally let his shoulders drop as he sighed after finally finding some break.
