The platform came to a halt with a deep, echoing thrum, and glowing runes shimmered briefly beneath their feet before fading back into silence.
Floor 666.
Yet, unlike the countless other levels of the Sanctuary, this place was different. There were no shelves neatly lined with treasures, there were no pedestals glittering with artifacts.
Instead, there was only a single door.
It was massive and ancient, tall enough to swallow three men standing atop each other. Its frame was carved from black stone, etched with winding sigils that pulsed faintly like veins of fire.
Mimi's paws stilled the moment she saw it. Her fur prickled instinctively. That was it. The source of the pull. The very thing her soul had been screaming for.
They both stepped off the platform and slowly made their way toward the massive door.
But then Emilia stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she noticed the decoration set into its center.
A ruby stone.
