The team approached the doorway slowly, every sense sharpened.
And just as Wu Shuan lifted his hand to guide the talisman further into the chamber, a piercing sound split through the silence.
A sharp, inhuman screech rang out from within the darkness, high-pitched and shrill enough to make the hair on their necks stand up. The very walls seemed to vibrate with the sound, and the illumination talisman flickered faintly as though disturbed by the beastly cry.
The group froze where they stood, their weapons shifting into ready positions almost instinctively.
Fatty Kui muttered under his breath, his eyes darting toward the shadows. "Well… I guess we found the welcoming committee."
The screech echoed through the barren corridor, sharp and high-pitched, bouncing off the stone walls until it seemed to come from every direction at once. The sound cut through the dim light of Wu Shuan's talisman and made the hair on the back of their necks rise.
