Assumptions
"We never use this place unless it's an emergency..."
Hao Xuan needn't hear anymore. It meant there were other people that had managed to find this place so it was a safe bet that they weren't alone down here anymore.
"Come along, let's not dawdle around any longer," Princess Helana urged.
Hao Xuan focused all of his senses and made sure they were in full gear as they slowly descended deeper into the miasma.
The staircase they were on looked like it was sculpted from the grey rocks that were lining the sides of the valley. Each footstep was louder than it should have been but the sound didn't carry on for too long.
The moment any sound came into contact with the wall of miasma that had a gelatinous-like quality to it, it would disperse and along the sides.
But the deeper they went, the louder the silence got until all Hao Xuan could hear was whatever was within five meters of Princess Helena.