The ruins loomed like a scar in the earth. Black stone walls cracked and warped, glowing veins of crystal running through them like arteries. At the center stood the Gate—a massive arch of fractured sky, pulsing faintly as if breathing.
The girl's hand tightened on her bow. "Something's waiting for us in there. I can feel it."
The AI confirmed:
> [Warning: Dungeon Protocol Active. This is no longer open terrain. Inside, survival rules are altered.]
Garrik and the NPCs had begged us not to come. But the realm didn't give us choices. It only gave us fights.
I stepped toward the Gate. The air shimmered, runes flaring on my arms as the arch opened into a swirling void.
Behind me, the girl whispered, "Alex… what if we don't come back?"
I forced a grin I didn't feel. "Then we make damn sure we do."
Together, we stepped into the darkness.
To be continued…