“Air. Fresh, untainted air. 

The staircase seemed endless, a grueling climb that tested both my body and spirit, but when I emerged at last into the open, I was greeted by the embrace of a cool breeze. The sky above was painted in hues of early morning, soft blues and pinks bleeding into the golden promise of the rising sun. 

I sank to my knees on a small, overgrown plateau at the mouth of the cavern. Tears streamed down my face as I inhaled deeply, savoring the vitality of the air. My torment, for now, was over. 

Surveying my surroundings, I realized I stood amidst the ruins of what must have once been a grand temple. Weathered columns lay scattered like fallen sentinels, and the remnants of an ancient stone pathway stretched toward an arch carved into the mountainside—a mirror of the one that had imprisoned me below. 

Further out, I spotted a forest. Its towering trees, cloaked in morning mist, exuded an air of serenity, yet something about its depths made me uneasy. To the west, a faint glimmer on the horizon suggested the presence of a river or stream. 

I chose a spot beneath a weathered column, shaded by the boughs of a great tree, and collapsed. My body ached, my mind was fractured, but for the first time since this ordeal began, I felt a flicker of peace. 

I am alive. The gods have spared me yet again. For what purpose, I do not know. But I will rest now and gather my strength. Kopno has not seen the last of me.”