A shadow spread across the floor like spilled ink, writhing and stretching upward. From it, two figures rose, dragged out as if the ground itself spat them back into existence.
One of them was Caelen, his eyes squeezed shut, his face twitching as if fighting against the crushing weight of the travel. The other was Seralyth, her calm expression a stark contrast to his strained one.
They landed before a massive door, its surface carved with twisting, chaotic designs. The longer you look, the more the carvings seem to move, faces screaming silently, mouths stretched wide, eyes sunken in torment. The air around it pressed heavily on his chest.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Seralyth said casually, watching him with a smirk. She'd noticed how hard he fought not to peek during their transport.
Caelen opened them slowly, blinking as his vision adjusted. His gaze immediately locked onto the door. He glanced around, half expecting more.
