The air was still—too still.
Arios' breathing echoed faintly against the crystalline walls of the corridor, each inhale sharp and deliberate, each exhale measured, as though he feared even his breath could wake whatever slept within this floor. The faint violet hue of the dungeon's veins pulsed weakly beneath the smooth surface of the ground, like the sluggish beat of a dying heart. His boots left no sound as he moved forward, though his shadow swayed with the glow of his lantern crystal, the only trace of warmth in an otherwise indifferent void.
Floor Six had been merciless, a labyrinth that defied geometry, turning corridors into loops and pathways into walls. But now, something was different. There was no motion, no sound—only that eerie heartbeat buried deep within the stone.
"…Pokner. Lucy. Liza." He whispered their names, more out of instinct than hope. The sound was swallowed instantly, absorbed into the stillness like a drop of ink in water. Nothing returned.
