A voice came first, sounding so deep and resonant that it carried a weight that made the marble beneath Noah's feet vibrate.
"I am Ego."
The Last Dragon Knight stepped forward from the shadows, each boot strike creating spiderweb cracks that spread across polished stone. His scaled armor caught the torchlight, black and gold plates reflecting flames.
"Last Dragon Knight of a kingdom long dead."
The chains wrapped around his arms clinked softly, a sound that somehow carried more menace than any weapon being drawn. His tail dragged behind him, the spiked tip carving a thin line through marble like it was chalk.
"Every soul that reached this room died here."
Ego stopped maybe thirty feet from Noah, his horned helmet tilted slightly downward. The dragon skull visor showed nothing but darkness inside, yet Noah felt the weight of his gaze like physical pressure against his chest.
"Kneel. Or join them."
