Chapter 45

The smell of blood, cheap ale, and roasted meat hit Elara before she even cleared the final bend of the stone corridor. After ten minutes of steady walking, the familiar, gritty scent of The Nexus pulled at her instincts. Her boots transitioned from the ancient, dusty stone of the Sentinel ruins to the more uneven, worn rock of the underground settlement. She broke into a sprint. The air here was heavy, recycled, and humid, but it was *civilization*. She felt the itch of mana beneath her skin...