[Level Three — 12:10 PM]
Level Three smelled different.
Like something burned. Ancient.
As if someone had carved stone with enough energy to leave a mark in the air centuries later.
Kira stopped on the first step of Level Three.
Her ears completely flat.
"The floor," she said.
The team looked.
The floor of Level Three was covered in carvings. Not decorative — functional. Lines crossing in patterns that weren't random. Runes glowing with a very faint violet light, almost invisible, that the eye didn't catch unless you looked for it.
Grim climbed down from Alex's shoulder.
He took a step toward the first step.
He stopped.
**"I can't go in."**
"What do you feel?"
**"The runes drain soul energy. If I go in..."** His eye sockets on the floor. **"It's not exactly HP. It's what keeps me cohesive."**
"Can it be reversed?"
**"I don't know."**
Alex looked at Level Three.
Corridors in all directions, all with the same carved floor.
No visible runes from where they stood.
