Kael entered alone.
The heavy stone door behind him closed with a dull, final thud, sealing the outside world away as if it had never existed. For a moment, absolute silence reigned. Then—
Grrrrr…
Low growls rippled through the darkness like distant thunder.
Inside the dungeon, shadows clung to the walls, thick and unnatural, as if they were alive.
The air was damp and cold, carrying the scent of iron, rot, and something far older.
Dim crimson crystals embedded in the stone flickered faintly, offering just enough light to reveal twisted shapes crawling along the floor and walls.
The first level greeted him with distorted figures emerging from the darkness.
There were demons.
Small, hunched creatures with cracked black skin, glowing yellow eyes, and mouths filled with uneven fangs.
Some crawled on all fours, others dragged broken limbs behind them, yet all moved with a shared hunger.
They were weak ones.
But there were many.
Too many.
