The mine pit split apart at a visible pace, yet the walls covered in arcane flames showed no signs of breaking.
Rowan saw no falling rocks, no great masses of earth collapsing. The only thing he could see from the bottom was the entire pit changing in a predetermined pattern.
Gradually, the interior of the pit, covered in Arcane Fire, began to swell. The whole pit was like a clay sculpture being forcibly turned inside out by some strange power.
Sylvanas saw the damp walls growing inward. She immediately drew her bow and fired an iron chain, anchoring it to a boulder rising above them.
"Hold on tight!" Sylvanas shouted. The line in her right hand rapidly pulled them upward, and the two of them followed the rising boulder toward the mine's exit.
Sylvanas moved nimbly, repeatedly slipping through gaps between boulders just before they closed.
Even after leading Rowan through several narrow escapes, Sylvanas remained composed, her expression utterly untroubled.
Several times, Rowan thought the closing terrain would seal them underground, but Sylvanas dragged him out against all odds.
The roller-coaster rush left even someone as unflappable as Rowan feeling dizzy.
"Hah!" Sylvanas cried. Seeing the exit within reach, she flung Rowan out with a sweep of her arm.
Rowan landed steadily. Ignoring everything on the surface, he turned toward the exit and searched for Sylvanas.
It took him less than a second to turn, but in that brief interval, the deep pit had already been filled with rock and earth, sealed completely shut.
His heart lurched! Rowan's vision went dark as a flood of emotions surged through him. His brain simply shut down, leaving his mind blank.
"What's wrong?" Sylvanas's voice rang out, gentle yet spirited. She pressed a hand against Rowan's back and asked softly.
Rowan jolted,