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The steam shifted, creating gaps in the white mist. Through them, I caught glimpses of the passage ahead—how it curved sharply before disappearing into darkness.

"There's a chamber," Aether called out. "Follow my voice but stay against the wall."

I edged forward, keeping my shoulder pressed to the burning stone. The passage was somehow even narrower here. My chestscraped against one wall while my back pressed against the other as sweat dripped into my eyes.

"Still so certain about keeping those leathers on?" His voice was closer now, that familiar dry tone somehow reassuring.

"Shut up and tell me where you are."

A shape emerged from the steam—Aether's outstretched hand. I grabbed it without thinking, and he pulled me through the vapor into a small chamber where the air was clearer. I nearly collided with his chest, halting myself at the last moment.

"See? That wasn't so difficult." But there was tension in his jaw that hadn't been there before.

"Speak for yourself," I said, trying to ignore how the steam had plastered his hair to his forehead—how droplets of water traced down his chest. "Some of us don't enjoy crawling through volcanic death traps."

Another rumble shook the chamber, deeper than before.

"We need to keep moving." Aether's eyes fixed on something above. Following his gaze, I saw what looked like a narrow fissure cutting upward through the rock face. "That's our way forward."

"Up?" I moved closer to the wall, taking in the near-vertical climb. "You can't be serious."

"Unless you'd prefer to go back through the steam. I'll remind you that this was quite literally your idea." He was already testing handholds, his bare shoulders tensing as he pulled himself up slightly. "I'll go first. Watch where I place my hands."

"How reassuring," I muttered, but I found myself studying his movements as he began to climb. The rock face was slick with moisture, and several times his grip slipped before finding purchase. I could see every flex and strain of muscle, the way his jaw clenched when a handhold crumbled slightly. His back glistened with remnants of steam and sweat.

"There's a ledge about fifteen feet up," he called down. "Thepath continues from there." His voice echoed strangely in the vertical space.

I reached for the first handhold, testing my weight against it. The rock was sharp enough to cut, but at least it wasn't burning hot anymore. As I pulled myself up, my boots scrambled against the wall, finally finding a ledge that jutted out.

"You know," I grunted, "we could just shift into our spectre forms and float up there."

"In here?" His voice carried exasperation. "The steam's warped the air currents. One wrong move and we could materialize inside the rock face."

My hand slipped slightly at the thought. "Inside the?—"

"Yes." Something dark crept into his tone. "These passages play tricks with depth. Better to do this the old-fashioned way."

"Wonderful." I pulled myself up another few feet, very aware now of how the moisture made the rocks shimmer. How the walls seemed to shift and ripple. "Any other horrifying possibilities I should know about?"

"Not at the moment."

"That's not actually reassuring." Another rumble shook loose debris that clattered past me into the darkness below. "At all."

The cavern trembled again, and I pressed myself closer to the wall, trying to become as flat as possible. Above me, Aether had paused his ascent, bracing himself.

"Almost there," he called down calmly. Of course he was calm right now. Just as we were inches from being swallowed up by some volcanic nightmare.

I glanced up as he pulled himself over the ledge, a relieved sigh escaping my lips. His form disappeared for a moment before his head peeked over, golden eyes finding mine in the darkness.

"Your turn." He reached down, arm extending toward me. "And try not to knock any more rocks loose. The sound carries."

"Yes, because I'm doing that on purpose." I stretched upward, fingers straining for the next hold. The rumbling had made everything less stable, and what had looked like solid rock now crumbled beneath my touch.

Oh Esprithe.

My right foot slipped, sending a shower of pebbles into the depths. For one terrible moment, my entire weight hung from my left hand, fingers sliding down the wet stone. I clawed at the structure with my other hand frantically, but there was nothing else to hold onto.Fuck.Panic seized my heart as my hold finally slipped.

Before I could even cry out, Aether's hand locked around my wrist.