only one way up

Sebastien clasped his hands together as he turned, taking in a breath as Nym hiked up her skirts and needed not for him to ask again. He felt himself grimace as she started to run, rocking on his heels as he tested his weight on his leg. Thankfully, his knee had not been hurting him as often anymore as it healed, but running?

Well, there really was no time to groan and moan about it, was there? With a deep sigh, Sebastien ran his hand through his messy hair and stepped into a run as well, still several paces behind. His gaze shifted from the scuffle to the brush, watching over his shoulder until they ducked into the closest doorway. He only paused for mere seconds to close the door behind them, slamming the bolt closed before rushing to catch up.

And, gods, was his knee complaining when they finally slowed, a hot throb working its way through his nerves. Shit.

Sebastien leaned up against the wall as if he had to catch his breath, stretching his aching leg over the other as he reached to brush wild strands of hair away from his face. The pure attitude in the woman's tone was enough to make him pause, his golden gaze snapping up to her as he crossed his arms and opened his mouth to form some sort of retort back, but-

He could see the fear in her eyes as the reality of what they had just done settled. They could easily be arrested for merely being here, let alone being two mages. She could go to jail. He would certainly be hung immediately. They wouldn't risk letting him get away again.

"Well, this appeared where the corrupted mage was slain, correct? How many chances do we get to explore a monster's graveyard?" Sebastien replied with a little smirk, his tooth toying with the corner of his lip as he chose to pretend he hadn't noticed her tone. He pushed from the wall and tried to hide his limp as he strode down the hallway, torches illuminating the old brick in a dull orange glow, beckoning him further and further down the muggy halls. Harsh shadows spread from his fingertips as he paused at another doorway, testing the knob. Much to his surprise, it swung open with a screech of rusted metal. Sebastien continued to press it open with his boot, movements now slow and hesitant, muscles tense just in case…

"And as I said, they must be hiding something. I don't care much for secrets,"  He said, his voice lower, slower, quieter. But still, he gave the woman a wink before stepping through the door.

Shadows engulfed him instantly, not a single torch in sight. He blinked against the blackness, his magic swarming to his eyes and pushing away the darkness… it was only a mere few seconds before he could see again, as if he had pulled open the curtains.

To his right was a winding staircase, only giving him a glimpse of what could be before it dipped around a corner. To his left was another door, a soft orange glow sneaking out between the cracks. At least there was light that direction, Sebastien noted, but it could easily be a trap… Their third option was not an option at all, a thick, decorated railing ten feet from where he stood, keeping wanderers from stepping over the edge.

"It's a little dark in here," He finally murmured, shuffling his feet across the floor as if he was struggling to see. His hands met the rails first, wrapping around its cold metal before he very carefully leaned over the edge. His heart pounded in his chest as he was met by nothing more than complete darkness; so deep and so thick that not even his magic could pierce it. He knew kicking a pebble down into the abyss would solve nothing, but he did anyways, listening for it to hit the bottom. It never did.

"It stops us here… I guess we need to decide up or down," He continued, pushing away from the railing in an ambling shuffle to return to Nym. Glancing between their options, he wasn't sure if he liked either of them, truthfully. The door seemed a little too inviting for his comfort and… stairs? He'd really grown to hate stairs.

He stopped before her, hand outstretched to guide her through the dark. His tone was understanding, gaze soft, as he gave her one last out. "I don't blame you if you turn around here, but this looks like it'll be your last chance."