The passage opens into a small alcove, clean as if the stone itself prefers quiet. Violet light pools over an obsidian table and two carved chairs, soft enough to settle the nerves.
Slaan steps in from the corridor, and the deeper vault hum fades to a distant note behind her. Nhal remains on the floor, relaxed at last, their purple form flickering with easy contentment.
Mara
This is better. I was starting to think the road would never let us breathe.
Nhal
It feels... held. Not tight. Just enough to rest in.
Mara glances back toward the passage, then eases one shoulder against the wall at the entrance. Her watch remains alert, but not strained.
Nhal looks up toward Slaan, then the table, as if trying on the idea of sitting beside others instead of apart. The alcove waits, patient and untroubled.
✓ Quest Accepted
Deepen trust with Mara and Nhal