Forty Nine

We continued through the darkness in silence, until we reached the next junction, and Haden hesitated, turning towards me.

Just like before, a faint floral scent wafted from one of the passages, and just like before, Haden seemed oblivious to it.

I frowned, but nodded towards the scented one, picking out another small, crushed stem from the corner of a beam this time.

Haden seemed just as confused as before, yet with no other guidance, we continued to follow the way they led us, and I desperately hoped it was Aerin, or someone else we trusted, who was leaving them behind.

The silence stretched out, as the words we'd heard played over and over in my head, almost making me miss one of the scents. At this one, there was no junction of passages, but a gap in the wall to our left, that only led straight up and down.

I turned back as I noticed the scent, staring at the dark opening with a growing sense of apprehension. Haden turned when I stopped, moving beside me, seeming every bit as