Pitch darkness, no light, within a space of absolute blackness, footsteps, faint yet distinct, echoed emptily from afar. Although weak, in the deadly silence, anyone could hear them clearly. The steady footfalls, slow but incessant, seemed to tap right next to one's ear with each step, yet also appeared as if from the end of the world. "Tap, tap, tap," one step after another, every footfall on the ground echoed like a toll on the heart, invoking indescribable fear and trembling in those who heard it.
"Creak," as if the never-ending footsteps would cease, the sound of a door hinge rotating filled the dark space, replacing the steps. The corrosion on the pivot wasn't severe, the noise not too loud, but compared to the dead silence and faint footsteps, it was as shocking as a clap of thunder. With the rotation of the pivot, a sliver of light seeped through the opening, piercing the pervasive stillness and casting into this space.
