Murat moved as fast as he could. The sound guided him now—faint, uneven, but enough. “Hey! I’m here!” he shouted again, his voice echoing through the tunnels. This time an answer came back. Clear. A voice. Murat froze for half a second. Then rushed forward. The passage narrowed, then opened again—and that’s when he saw it.
A drop. Right in front of him. Murat stopped at the edge, his breath catching. A vertical shaft. Deep. Far deeper than his light could fully reach. But there at the bottom was a flicker. Warm. Murat stepped closer, peering down. A weak glow danced against the stone walls below. Fire. It had to be.
And the voice it came from down there. “Hello?!” Murat shouted, leaning slightly over the edge. For a moment nothing. Then suddenly, a reply. Clearer now. Human. Murat felt something surge through him. Relief. Desperation. Hope. “Please! I’m stuck up here!” he called out. The voice below responded again, louder this time.
Closer. Not just one voice. More. And for the first time since he’d entered, Murat knew he had a way out.