The heavy door ground shut behind them, sealing with a final groan that echoed ominously across the chamber.
For the first time in what felt like hours, the oppressive weight of imminent death seemed to lift.
Ahead lay a room that was plain,almost disappointingly so,after the gauntlet of traps and puzzles they had just navigated.
Its walls were bare stone, cold and unadorned, while the torchlight painted long shadows into the corners, creating an eerie atmosphere.
At the far end stood another arched entrance, carved into the wall like a silent promise of further trials waiting just beyond reach.
Otherwise, nothing stirred,no shifting walls, no carved serpents poised to spit darts, no pendulums whispering through the air.
Gunner's voice immediately cut through the silence, sharp, commanding, and cautious.
"Perimeter sweep! Check everything: corners, floor, ceiling. Assume nothing."
