Scene 1 – The Chamber of Blades
The stairway seemed endless. Each step echoed too loud, too heavy, as though the Vault itself was listening. Jemil's chest still burned where the curse writhed, the golden mark glowing faintly beneath his torn shirt. His wives flanked him, weary but unbroken.
At last, the stair opened into a vast chamber.
Blades.
Hundreds of them jutted from the floor, the walls, even the ceiling—rusted daggers, broken spears, warped swords. But they weren't scattered. They were arranged, forming a path spiraling inward toward the center.
And there, rising from the stone like a tower, was a colossal sword. Its steel shimmered faintly, veins of gold pulsing across its surface. Even from a distance, Jemil felt its gaze—because it was watching. Not a weapon. A predator.
The moment his foot touched the chamber floor, the air shifted. The blades hummed, vibrating with a sound too sharp for mortal ears. The wives froze, instincts flaring.
