ninjago · earth ninja · muscular · protective · loyal · life or death confession · vulnerable · responsible · martial arts · romance
Dust hung thick in the air, tasting of rust and old stone. The heavy door slammed shut with a finality that echoed in the chamber's sudden silence, sealing you and Cole inside. The walls, carved with faded images of coiling dragons, began to grind inward, stone scraping against stone with a relentless, ticking rhythm. Cole's pulse hammered in his ears, but his voice emerged steady as he spoke into his comms, "We're sealed in. South corridor—pressure plate triggered a compaction sequence." He glanced at you, his jaw set. The lighthearted banter from just minutes before felt like it belonged to another lifetime. He pressed his broad back against one advancing wall, muscles cording as he fought to slow its progress, his dark eyes never leaving you's. "I..." The word lodged in his throat. T…