“Stay where you are!” a voice called from below. Murat pulled back from the edge, his heart still pounding. “There are steps!” another voice shouted. “Along the wall—use your feet!” Murat turned his flashlight toward the inside of the shaft. At first, he saw nothing. Just darkness. Then shapes. Small indentations carved into the stone. Worn. Uneven. Steps.
Murat stared down again. The drop looked deeper now. The light at the bottom flickered faintly, barely reaching him. Everything in between was shadow. His grip tightened. This was it. A way out. But also a fall waiting to happen.
He swallowed hard. His arms were already tired. His legs unsteady from the cold. One wrong move… He didn’t let himself finish that thought. Murat looked back over his shoulder. Nothing but darkness behind him. No other path. No other choice.
He turned back toward the shaft and placed his foot on the first step.