Eliza's protest faded into a reluctant sigh as Kai shook his head.
He stood before the towering obsidian gate that marked the entrance to the abyss, feeling the unnatural chill bleeding through the stone.
"You stay here," Kai said, keeping his voice steady so she wouldn't hear the knot tightening in his throat.
"This place is way too dangerous, and if things go wrong, I need to know you are safe. I can't be watching my back and yours at the same time."
Eliza looked like she wanted to argue, perhaps throw an iceball at his head just to prove a point, but she eventually crossed her arms and nodded.
Kai offered her a reassuring smile that he absolutely did not feel, then turned and stepped through the shadowy threshold alone.
The interior felt wrong from the very second his foot stepped in.
The air was freezing, carrying the distinct, unsettling scent of dust mixed with the dried blood.
