System Activated: Divine Talent Granted

Chapter Seventy-Three

Minutes passed. Then hours.

Oliver walked through the dark passageways, his boots scraping against the cold stone floor. His breath echoed around him, the only sound in the empty corridors. The air was damp, heavy with silence, pressing down on him like an invisible weight.

He kept moving. Left, then right. He ran his fingers along the rough stone walls, hoping for something different, something new. He took out his dagger and scratched a mark into the wall—just a small cut, a sign to remind himself that he had been here before. If he found it again, he would know he was walking in circles.

But when he passed through the hallway once more, the mark was gone.

Oliver stopped. His stomach twisted. His throat felt tight. He turned sharply, retracing his steps, counting each turn in his head. Left. Right. Down the spiral path. He whispered the directions to himself, over and over, trying to hold onto them. But no matter how carefully he moved, no matter how many turns he took, he always en