Sons of a devil

They reached the base of the mountain just before dusk. The sky was a bruised purple, streaked with orange, like it couldn't decide if it wanted to burn or bleed. The wind bit at their cloaks, colder than it should've been for spring. Ayden groaned, hugging himself.

"Who turned the AC on max out here?" he muttered. "My nipples are freezing off."

Lucien rolled his eyes, pulling his hood tighter. "Maybe don't announce your nipples' status every ten minutes."

Cain, walking ahead, didn't say anything. He hadn't said much since Eira's revelation about their mother. He just kept moving forward like the mountain owed him answers.

Eira led the way, silent and sure, like someone who knew every rock and root by heart. She finally paused at the mouth of a cave carved into the cliffside, its entrance choked by mist that curled like smoke.

"This is it," she said. "The Tomb of Whispers."

Ayden muttered, "Sounds so inviting."

Eira turned to them, serious. "Inside, it won't just be traps or monsters. This place... it messes with your mind. Shows you what you fear most. What you regret."

Lucien scoffed. "Great. More trauma. My favorite genre."

Cain looked at each of them. "Stick together. No matter what we see in there... don't trust it unless it bleeds."

Ayden blinked. "Wait, that's the rule?"